Chemokine Regulation of Cell Trafficking in Lung Cancer Metastasis

Chemokine regulation of cell trafficking has been identified as a critical pathway in metastatic progression. This review focuses on the role of the CXCR4-CXCL12-CXCR7 axis in regulating lung cancer invasion and metastasis. All of these factors have been identified as overexpressed in lung cancer specimens and in most cases are associated with poorer outcome. Preclinical studies have demonstrated an important role for CXCR4 in the steps of invasion, cell migration, and stromal cell adhesion and have suggested that CXCR4 is associated with “stem-like” cells that may be critical for initiating metastases. These data, together with emerging preclinical data on the efficacy of CXCR4 inhibitors suggests that CXCR4 should be explored as a clinical target for blocking metastatic progression in lung cancer.