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Chromogranin A and the Tumor Microenvironment

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A Commentary to this article was published on 19 November 2010

Abstract

Chromogranin A (CgA) is an acidic glycoprotein belonging to a family of regulated secretory proteins stored in the dense core granules of the adrenal medulla and of many other neuroendocrine cells and neurons. This protein is frequently used as a diagnostic and prognostic serum marker for a range of neuroendocrine tumors. Circulating CgA is also increased in patients with other diseases, including subpopulations of patients with non-neuroendocrine tumors, with important prognostic implications. A growing body of evidence suggests that CgA is more than a diagnostic/prognostic marker for cancer patients. Indeed, results of in vitro experiments and in vivo studies in animal models suggest that this protein and its fragments can affect several elements of the tumor microenvironment, including fibroblasts and endothelial cells. In this article, recent findings implicating CgA as a modulator of the tumor microenvironment and suggesting that abnormal secretion of CgA could play important roles in tumor progression and response to therapy in cancer patients are reviewed and discussed.

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Fig. 1

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Abbreviations

CgA:

Chromogranin A

TNF:

Tumor necrosis factor alpha

VEGF:

Vascular endothelial growth factor

VS-1:

Recombinant vasostatin-I

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Associazione Italiana Ricerca sul Cancro (AIRC), Alleanza Contro il Cancro (ACC), and FIRB (Italy).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Molecular Oncology and IIT Network Research Unit of Molecular Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, via Olgettina 58, 20132, Milan, Italy

    Angelo Corti

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  1. Angelo Corti
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Correspondence to Angelo Corti.

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A commentary to this article can be found at doi:10.1007/s10571-010-9552-6.

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Corti, A. Chromogranin A and the Tumor Microenvironment. Cell Mol Neurobiol 30, 1163–1170 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10571-010-9587-8

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