Polysialic acid sustains cancer cell survival and migratory capacity in a hypoxic environment

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 6; no. 1; p. 33026
• Main Authors: Elkashef, Sara M., Allison, Simon J., Sadiq, Maria, Basheer, Haneen A., Ribeiro Morais, Goreti, Loadman, Paul M., Pors, Klaus, Falconer, Robert A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 09.09.2016; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 13/51; 631/80/221; 631/80/84; Adhesion; Cancer; Cell adhesion & migration; Cell adhesion molecules; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell migration; Cell Movement; Cell Survival; Chemoresistance; Epithelial Cells - chemistry; Epithelial Cells - drug effects; Epithelial Cells - physiology; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Hypoxia; Hypoxia - metabolism; Hypoxia-inducible factor 1; Medical prognosis; Metastases; multidisciplinary; Neoplasms - pathology; Neural cell adhesion molecule; Neurons - chemistry; Neurons - drug effects; Neurons - physiology; Polymers; Polysialic acid; Polysialylation; Science; Sialic Acids - analysis; Survival; Tumors

Polysialic acid (polySia) is a unique carbohydrate polymer expressed on the surface of NCAM (neuronal cell adhesion molecule) in a number of cancers where it modulates cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion, migration, invasion and metastasis and is strongly associated with poor clinical prognosis. We h...