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Review
. 2010 Jun;5(3):177-80.
doi: 10.1159/000314248.

Lack of knowledge: breast cancer and the soluble interleukin-6 receptor

Heike Knüpfer  1 , Rainer Preiss
Affiliations
Review

Lack of knowledge: breast cancer and the soluble interleukin-6 receptor

Heike Knüpfer et al. Breast Care (Basel). 2010 Jun.

Abstract
in English, German

Background: Cytokines are and may be used as therapeutic targets in cancer therapy. In breast cancer, interleukin (IL)-6 is associated with different features of tumor biology like metastasis, certain stages, and decreased survival. It is now an established fact that signaling via the soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R) («transsignaling») is an important process in the IL-6 machinery.

Methods and results: In this mini-review, we discover that published knowledge about sIL-6R serum levels in breast cancer patients is sparse and, furthermore, most in vitro data merely show that tumor cells produce the sIL-6R endogenously.

Conclusions: Therefore, a lot of research is still necessary to analyze the significance of the sIL-6R and therefore the transsignaling process in breast tumors. More knowledge about the sIL-6R in breast cancer would give insights into its putative role as blood marker of active tumor disease. Secondly, the sIL-6R may be useful in breast cancer as a new therapeutic pathway. If, as suggested by the literature, IL-6 mediates the aggressiveness and the growth of breast tumors, elevated circulating levels of IL-6 and its receptor may identify patients for whom the IL-6 complex is a therapeutic target.

Hintergrund: In der Krebstherapie stellen Zytokine therapeutische Angriffsziele, sogenannte Targets, dar. Beim Mammakarzinom ist ein hoher Interleukin (IL)-6-Gehalt mit verschiedenen Tumorcharakteristika wie z.B. Metastasierung, bestimmten Stadien und vermindertem Überleben assoziiert. In der Zwischenzeit hat sich herausgestellt, dass die Signalweiterleitung über den löslichen IL-6-Rezeptor (sIL-6R) (“Transsignaling”) von großer Bedeutung innerhalb des IL-6-Geschehens ist.

Methoden und ergebnisse: In diesem Mini-Review stellen wir fest, dass das publizierte Wissen über den Serumgehalt an sIL-6R bei Mammakarzinompatienten lückenhaft ist. Des Weiteren zeigen publizierte In-vitro-Daten lediglich die Tatsache, dass Tumorzellen selber den sIL-6R produzieren.

Schlussfolgerungen: Aus diesem Grunde erscheint es uns notwendig herauszufinden, welche Bedeutung der sIL-6R, und damit einhergehend der Transsignaling-Prozess, beim Mammakarzinom hat. Ein breiteres Wissen über den sIL-6R beim Brustkrebs könnte seine Rolle als eventueller Marker des aktiven Tumorgeschehens beleuchten und eine neue therapeutische Möglichkeit darstellen, zumindest für diejenigen Patienten, deren Serumgehalte an IL-6 und/oder sIL-6R erhöht sind.

Keywords: Breast cancer; IL-6; Transsignaling; sIL-6R.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The transsignaling process via generation of the sIL-6R. The transsignaling process is dependent on the membrane-bound gp130.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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