Cancer is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in developed countries and the second major cause of death in developing countries. Laminins are crucial proteins in the basal lamina (one of the layers of the basement membrane), and these form a protein network that influences both normal and transformed cell differentiation, migration and adhesion, as well as phenotype and survival. The basement membranes act as a mechanical barrier to tumor growth, but these molecules, including laminins, are also important autocrine factors produced by cancers to promote tumorigenesis. Several studies in cancers have shown the importance of LAMC2, a laminin component. The elevated expression of LAMC2 on cancer cells appears to drive tumorigenesis through its interactions with several cell-surface receptors including α6β4 and α3β1 integrins and EGFRs. The accumulating evidence indicates that LAMC2-mediated signaling network plays an important role in the progression, migration and invasion of multiple types of cancer, suggesting that it might be a potential therapeutic anticancer target for inhibiting tumorigenesis. Furthermore, elevated serum levels of LAMC2 in cancer patients might be an attractive serum-based diagnostic biomarker.
Keywords: AKT; EGFR; LAMC2; adhesion; biomarker; cancer; invasion.