S100A4 in esophageal cancer:Is this the one to blame?

Metastasis is the main reason for cancer-related death.S100A4 is one of the key molecules involved in this event.Several studies have shown that overexpression of S100A4 in non-metastatic cancer cells can make them become metastatic,and knockdown of S100A4 in metastatic cancer cells can curtail their invasive nature.A study by Chen et al published in the World J Gastroenterol 18(9):915-922,2012 is a typical example.This study showed in vitro and in vivo evidence that S100A4 expression level determines the invasiveness of esophageal squamous carcinoma.Considering the fact that more than half of the cancer-related deaths are caused by malignancies derived from the digestive system and esophageal cancer is the 4th top contributor to this fraction,this study warrants more attention.