Primary Cilia in Tumor Biology: The Primary Cilium as a Therapeutic Target in Cholangiocarcinoma

Title:Primary Cilia in Tumor Biology: The Primary Cilium as a Therapeutic Target in Cholangiocarcinoma

Volume: 18 Issue: 8

Author(s): Sergio A. Gradilone*, Maria J. Lorenzo Pisarello and Nicholas F. LaRusso

Affiliation:

• Cancer Cell Biology and Translational Research. The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota. 801 16th Avenue NE. Austin, MN 55912,United States

Keywords: Primary cilia, cholangiocarcinoma, ciliotherapy, HDAC6, cholangiocyte, bile duct cancer.

Abstract: Cilia are microtubule-based organelles, which are ubiquitously expressed in epithelial cells. Cholangiocytes, the epithelial cells lining the biliary tree, have primary cilia extending from their apical plasma membrane into the ductal lumen, where the cilia function as multisensory organelles transducing environmental cues into the cell interior. The decrease or loss of primary cilia has been described in several malignancies, including cholangiocarcinoma, suggesting that the loss of cilia is a common occurrence in neoplastic transformation. In this short review, we describe the expression of cilia in several cancers, explore the mechanisms and consequences of ciliary loss, and discuss the potential use of the primary cilia as therapeutic targets.

Cite this article as:

Gradilone A. Sergio*, Pisarello J. Lorenzo Maria and LaRusso F. Nicholas, Primary Cilia in Tumor Biology: The Primary Cilium as a Therapeutic Target in Cholangiocarcinoma, Current Drug Targets 2017; 18 (8) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1389450116666150223162737