The Role of Cellular Prion Protein in Cancer Biology: A Potential Therapeutic Target

Prion protein has two isoforms including cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) and scrapie prion protein (PrPSc). PrPSc is the pathological aggregated form of prion protein and it plays an important role in neurodegenerative diseases. PrP(C) is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored protein that can attach to a membrane. Its expression begins at embryogenesis and reaches the highest level in adulthood. PrP(C) is expressed in the neurons of the nervous system as well as other peripheral organs. Studies in recent years have disclosed the involvement of PrP(C) in various aspects of cancer biology. In this review, we provide an overview of the current understanding of the roles of PrP(C) in proliferation, cell survival, invasion/metastasis, and stem cells of cancer cells, as well as its role as a potential therapeutic target.