Involvement of hyaluronan and CD44 in cancer and viral infections

Paraskevi Heldin; Constantinos Kolliopoulos; Chun-Yu Lin; Carl-Henrik Heldin

doi:10.1016/j.cellsig.2019.109427

Involvement of hyaluronan and CD44 in cancer and viral infections

Cell Signal. 2020 Jan:65:109427. doi: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2019.109427. Epub 2019 Oct 22.

Authors

Paraskevi Heldin¹, Constantinos Kolliopoulos², Chun-Yu Lin³, Carl-Henrik Heldin⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Box 582, Uppsala University, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden. Electronic address: evi.heldin@imbim.uu.se.
² Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Box 582, Uppsala University, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden.
³ Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Box 582, Uppsala University, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University Department of Surgery, Uppsala University, Sweden; Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Akademiska Hospital, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden.
⁴ Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Box 582, Uppsala University, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden. Electronic address: c-h.heldin@imbim.uu.se.

PMID: 31654718
DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2019.109427

Abstract

Hyaluronan and its major receptor CD44 are ubiquitously distributed. They have important structural as well as signaling roles, regulating tissue homeostasis, and their expression levels are tightly regulated. In addition to signaling initiated by the interaction of the intracellular domain of CD44 with cytoplasmic signaling molecules, CD44 has important roles as a co-receptor for different types of receptors of growth factors and cytokines. Dysregulation of hyaluronan-CD44 interactions is seen in diseases, such as inflammation and cancer. In the present communication, we discuss the mechanism of hyaluronan-induced signaling via CD44, as well as the involvement of hyaluronan-engaged CD44 in malignancies and in viral infections.

Keywords: CD44; EMT; Hyaluronan; Proteolytic cleavage; Receptor tyrosine kinase; Viral infection.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
Humans
Hyaluronan Receptors / chemistry
Hyaluronan Receptors / metabolism*
Hyaluronic Acid / metabolism*
Neoplasms / metabolism*
Neoplasms / pathology
Signal Transduction
Virus Diseases / metabolism*

Substances

Hyaluronan Receptors
Hyaluronic Acid