Ezrin is an Essential Marker for Metastasis of Gynecologic Cancer

Abstract

Ezrin, a membrane cytoskeleton linking protein, is a member of ezrin/radixin/moesin (ERM) that regulates cell shape, motility and cell to cell interaction via linking the contractile elements of the cell to transmembrane proteins. Ezrin, through this mechanism, has been thought to play an important role in cancer progression and distant metastasis. In addition, high levels of ezrin expression have been noted in many cancers, such as breast, colon, osteosarcoma, and prostate cancer. Gynecologic cancer cells, with high levels of ezrin expression, have more invasive potential than that of the lower levels of ezrin expressed cancer cells. High levels of ezrin expression are also related to the advanced histological grade and poor outcome. Recently, several reports have also demonstrated that ezrin expression is enhanced and almost localized at the membranous portion in high stage tumor cells and metastatic gynecologic cancer cells. Therefore, in the near future, ezrin levels and its cellular location might serve as essential markers for the metastasis of gynecologic cancers.