Targeting Endothelial Cell-Specific Molecule 1 Protein in Cancer: A Promising Therapeutic Approach
He Zhang, Yiwen Shen, Lijun Zhang, Jin‐Jiao Chen, Huiting Bian, Wenjie Gu, Hong Zhang, Hongzhuan Chen, Weidong Zhang, Xin Luan
Abstract
Despite the dramatic advances in cancer research in the past few years, effective therapeutic strategies are urgently needed. Endothelial cell-specific molecule 1 (ESM-1), a soluble dermatan sulfate proteoglycan, also known as endocan, serves as a diagnostic and prognostic indicator due to its aberrant expression under pathological conditions, including cancer, sepsis, kidney diseases, and cardiovascular disease. Significantly, ESM-1 can promote cancer progression and metastasis through the regulation of tumor cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and drug resistant. In addition, ESM-1 is involved in the tumor microenvironment, containing inflammation, angiogenesis, and lymph angiogenesis. This article reviews the molecular and biological characteristics of ESM-1 in cancer, the underlying mechanisms, the currently clinical and pre-clinical applications, and potential therapeutic strategies. Herein, we propose that ESM-1 is a new therapeutic target for cancer therapy.