The role of clusterin (CLU) in malignant transformation and drug resistance in breast carcinomas

Adv Cancer Res. 2009:105:21-43. doi: 10.1016/S0065-230X(09)05002-7.

Abstract

Breast cancer is the main cause of cancer-related death among women in Western countries. Current research is focused on identifying antiapoptotic proteins which could be a possible target for novel chemotherapeutic drugs. Secretory clusterin (sCLU) is an extracellular chaperone that has been functionally implicated in DNA repair, cell-cycle regulation, apoptotic cell death and tumorigenesis. The implication of sCLU in carcinogenesis and the progression of breast carcinomas make it an interesting gene, worthy of investigation. It has been reported to present powerful antiapoptotic activity and to perform a prosurvival function with most therapeutic treatments for breast cancer. This review summarizes our current understanding of the role of CLU in tumorigenesis, progression, and response to treatment in breast carcinomas.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Apoptosis
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Breast Neoplasms / etiology*
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Clusterin / analysis
  • Clusterin / physiology*
  • Dexamethasone / therapeutic use
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm
  • Estrogen Receptor Modulators / therapeutic use
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Prognosis
  • Thionucleotides / therapeutic use

Substances

  • CLU protein, human
  • Clusterin
  • Estrogen Receptor Modulators
  • OGX-011
  • Thionucleotides
  • Dexamethasone