Fig. 1 | Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy

Fig. 1

From: An unexpected player in organ tropism: aspartate functions as signalling molecule to drive lung metastasis

Fig. 1

Aspartate functions as extracellular signalling molecule in the pro-metastatic niche of the lung to drive metastasis aggressiveness. Factors secreted by the primary tumour induce the accumulation of aspartate in the interstitial fluid of the lung. Aspartate triggers intracellular calcium signalling by binding to the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor on the surface of metastatic cancer cells to drive hypusination and activation of the non-classical translation initiation factor eIF5A. Alternative translation induces TGFβ-signalling and induces the synthesis and deposition of collagen fibres. This promotes the formation of a pro-metastatic niche and enhances aggressiveness of lung metastases. GFs growth factors, EVs extracellular vesicles. Figure created with BioRender.com

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