Ewing tumors (ET) are highly malignant osteolytic bone tumors, characterized by early metastasis into lungs and bones. The bone-associated genes
CHM1,
DKK2 and
ITM2A are highly overexpressed in this malignancy. The current study reveals the pro-metastatic gene
DKK2 to be critically involved in ET pathology, especially in bone-associated tumor growth, osteolysis and metastasis, the latter being mediated by MMP1. Additionally, DKK2 prevents neuronal, but in parallel enhances chondro-osseous differentiation capacity of ET. In contradiction to this, CHM1 and ITM2A decrease osteolysis via suppression of HIF1α, JAG1, IL6, PTHrP and VEGF. However, these two genes seem to maintain an undifferentiated phenotype of ET. Taken together, this for the first time identified DKK2 as a novel and very promising drug target for the treatment of different bone cancers and bone metastasis.
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Ewing tumors (ET) are highly malignant osteolytic bone tumors, characterized by early metastasis into lungs and bones. The bone-associated genes
CHM1,
DKK2 and
ITM2A are highly overexpressed in this malignancy. The current study reveals the pro-metastatic gene
DKK2 to be critically involved in ET pathology, especially in bone-associated tumor growth, osteolysis and metastasis, the latter being mediated by MMP1. Additionally, DKK2 prevents neuronal, but in parallel enhances chondro-osseous differ...
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