Molecular Mechanisms of Canine Osteosarcoma Metastasis

• Main Authors: Sylwia S. Wilk, Katarzyna A. Zabielska-Koczywąs
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-03-01
• Series: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Subjects: canine OSA; metastasis; molecular mechanisms; cell lines; in vitro; in vivo
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/7/3639

Osteosarcoma (OSA) represents the most common bone tumor in dogs. The malignancy is highly aggressive, and most of the dogs die due to metastasis, especially to the lungs. The metastatic process is complex and consists of several main steps. Assessment of the molecular mechanisms of metastasis requires in vitro and especially in vivo studies for a full evaluation of the process. The molecular and biological resemblance of canine OSA to its human counterpart enables the utilization of dogs as a spontaneous model of this disease in humans. The aim of the present review article is to summarize the knowledge of genes and proteins, including <i>p63</i>, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), Snail2, ezrin, phosphorylated ezrin-radixin-moesin (p-ERM), hepatocyte growth factor-scatter factor (HGF-SF), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), miR-9, and miR-34a, that are proven, by in vitro and/or in vivo studies, to be potentially involved in the metastatic cascade of canine OSA. The determination of molecular targets of metastatic disease may enhance the development of new therapeutic strategies.