| dc.description.abstract | Podoplanin is a small cell-surface mucin-like glycoprotein that plays a crucial role in the
development of the alveoli, heart, and lymphatic vascular system. Emerging evidence indicates that
it is also involved in the control of mammary stem-cell activity and biogenesis of platelets in the
bone marrow, and exerts an important function in the immune response. Podoplanin expression is
upregulated in different cell types, including fibroblasts, macrophages, T helper cells, and epithelial
cells, during inflammation and cancer, where it plays important roles. Podoplanin is implicated
in chronic inflammatory diseases, such as psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis,
promotes inflammation-driven and cancer-associated thrombosis, and stimulates cancer cell invasion
and metastasis through a variety of strategies. To accomplish its biological functions, podoplanin must
interact with other proteins located in the same cell or in neighbor cells. The binding of podoplanin
to its ligands leads to modulation of signaling pathways that regulate proliferation, contractility,
migration, epithelial–mesenchymal transition, and remodeling of the extracellular matrix. In this
review, we describe the diverse roles of podoplanin in inflammation and cancer, depict the protein
ligands of podoplanin identified so far, and discuss the mechanistic basis for the involvement of
podoplanin in all these processes. | spa |
