Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is well-known for its high rate of metastasis with poor prognosis. CD109 is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored cell-surface glycoprotein. Recently, CD109 emerges as a potential biomarker and a therapeutic target for SCCs. Accumulating studies have reported that CD109 is highly expressed in human SCCs of multiple organs, and may contribute to the progression of SCCs. In this review, we summarized the findings on expression pattern of CD109 in SCCs, and discussed the molecular mechanisms underlying the roles of CD109 in pathogenesis of SCCs.
Keywords: CD109; STAT3; Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC); TGF-β signaling pathway.