The dual role of thymidine phosphorylase in cancer development and chemotherapy.

摘要: Thymidine phosphorylase (TP), also known as ''platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor'' (PD-ECGF), is an enzyme, which upregulated in a wide variety of solid tumors including breast and colorectal cancers. TP promotes tumor metastasis by preventing apoptosis inducing angiogenesis. Elevated levels are associated with aggressiveness poor prognosis. Therefore, inhibitors synthesized attempt to prevent angiogenesis metastasis. indispensable for the activation extensively used 5-fluorouracil prodrug capecitabine, clinically treatment colon cancer. Clinical trials that combine capecitabine TP-inducing therapies (such taxanes or radiotherapy) suggest in- creasing expression adequate strategy enhance antitumoral efficacy capecitabine. Thus, plays dual role cancer development therapy: on one hand, can abrogate tumorigenic metastatic properties TP; other, activity necessary several chemotherapeutic drugs. This duality illustrates complexity progression clinical response fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy. & 2009 Wiley