Role of ELMOs in cancer cell migration and engulfment

Metastasis is responsible for the majority of deaths relatedto cancer and results from several interconnected processesincluding cell proliferation, angiogenesis, chemotaxis, celladhesion, migration, and invasion into the surrounding tissue.SDF-1α induced chemotaxis plays an important role in cancerchemotaxis and metastasis. Binding of SDF-1α (CXCL12) toCXCR4 triggers activation of heterotrimeric G proteins thatregulate actin polymerization and migration of cancer cells.The pathways linking the chemokine GPCR/Gi signaling toactin polymerization for migration of cancer cells are notknown. The engulfment and cell motility (ELMOs), a newfamily of proteins, play a significant role in the processes ofcancer metastasis. We summarized the definition and origin ofELMOs, the functions of ELMOs in the engulfment, and therelationship between ELMOs and cancer. In the future, ELMOsmay be a potential diagnostic and prognostic factor for cancer,and a therapeutic target for new drug development after analysisin large scale, well controlled, and prospective clinical trials. DOI: 10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2018.S022