Tetraspanin-29 activates Notch signaling by interacting with ADAM10 to enhance its activity in colorectal cancer

The role of Tetraspanins in digestive system tumor development: update and emerging evidence

Digestive system malignancies, including cancers of the esophagus, pancreas, stomach, liver, and colorectum, are the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide due to their high morbidity and poor prognosis. The lack of effective early diagnosis methods is a significant factor contributing to the poor prognosis for these malignancies. Tetraspanins (Tspans) are a superfamily of 4-transmembrane proteins (TM4SF), classified as low-molecular-weight glycoproteins, with 33 Tspan family members identified in humans to date. They interact with other membrane proteins or TM4SF members to form a functional platform on the cytoplasmic membrane called Tspan-enriched microdomain and serve multiple functions including cell adhesion, migration, propagation and signal transduction. In this review, we summarize the various roles of Tspans in the progression of digestive system tumors and the underlying molecular mechanisms in recent years. Generally, the expression of CD9, CD151, Tspan1, Tspan5, Tspan8, Tspan12, Tspan15, and Tspan31 are upregulated, facilitating the migration and invasion of digestive system cancer cells. Conversely, Tspan7, CD82, CD63, Tspan7, and Tspan9 are downregulated, suppressing digestive system tumor cell metastasis. Furthermore, the connection between Tspans and the metastasis of malignant bone tumors is reviewed. We also summarize the potential role of Tspans as novel immunotherapy targets and as an approach to overcome drug resistance. Finally, we discuss the potential clinical value and therapeutic targets of Tspans in the treatments of digestive system malignancies and provide some guidance for future research.

The versatile roles of testrapanins in cancer from intracellular signaling to cell-cell communication: cell membrane proteins without ligands

The tetraspanins (TSPANs) are a family of four-transmembrane proteins with 33 members in mammals. They are variably expressed on the cell surface, various intracellular organelles and vesicles in nearly all cell types. Different from the majority of cell membrane proteins, TSPANs do not have natural ligands. TSPANs typically organize laterally with other membrane proteins to form tetraspanin-enriched microdomains (TEMs) to influence cell adhesion, migration, invasion, survival and induce downstream signaling. Emerging evidence shows that TSPANs can regulate not only cancer cell growth, metastasis, stemness, drug resistance, but also biogenesis of extracellular vesicles (exosomes and migrasomes), and immunomicroenvironment. This review summarizes recent studies that have shown the versatile function of TSPANs in cancer development and progression, or the molecular mechanism of TSPANs. These findings support the potential of TSPANs as novel therapeutic targets against cancer.

ADAM10 and ADAM17 as Biomarkers Linked to Inflammation, Metabolic Disorders and Colorectal Cancer

ADAM10 and ADAM17 have a role in inflammation and diseases associated with inflammation, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases (CVD) or cancer, e.g., colorectal cancer (CRC). The aim of this study was to evaluate whether ADAM10 and ADAM17 could be biomarkers of CRC. To achieve this goal, CRC tumors and a surgical margin from 72 patients with CRC were collected. The concentration of ADAM proteins was measured by the ELISA method. Results were analyzed statistically and compared with selected clinical parameters. We found that ADAM17 protein concentration in the tumor samples was higher in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 (DMT2) (0.28 vs. 0.2 ng/µg protein; p = 0.01) and in the surgical margin was higher both in patients with coexisting DMT2 (0.22 vs. 0.16 ng/µg protein; p < 0.05) and CVD (0.21 vs. 0.13 ng/µg protein; p < 0.01). The concentration of ADAM10 was higher in the surgical margin than in the tumor (249.34 vs. 228.82 pg/µg protein), and the concentration of ADAM17 was higher in the tumor than in the margin (0.23 vs. 0.18 ng/µg protein), but results were not statistically significant. In conclusion, the results of our study indicate that ADAM10 and ADAM17 may be potential biomarkers in cancer linked with DMT2 and CVD as diseases associated with inflammation.