Glucose regulated protein 78 (GRP78) is usually recognized as a chaperone in the endoplasmic reticulum. However, increasing evidence indicates that GRP78 can be translocated to the cell surface, acting as a signaling receptor for a variety of ligands. Since little is known about the secretion of GRP78 and its role in the progression of colon cancer we here focused on GRP78 from colon cancer cel...

BACKGROUND Glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) is highly expressed in first trimester cytrophoblastic cells (CTBs), especially in syncytiotrophoblast (STB). However, the role of GRP78 in these cells has never been investigated. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS In this study, we have examined the role of GRP78 in trophoblast fusion using the Bewo choriocarcinoma cell line as a model of cytotrop...

Apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cells has been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. To determine the involvement of glucose‑regulated protein 78 (GRP78) in the cigarette smoke extract (CSE)‑induced apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cells and the potential mechanisms underlying this effect, A549 cells that originate from alveolar type II epithelial cells were ...

Berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid extracted from Coptidis Rhizoma, has been shown to induce cancer cell autophagic death. Glucose regulated protein 78 (GRP78) is associated with stress-induced autophagy. However, the related mechanisms between berberine-induced cancer cell autophagy and GRP78 remain to be elucidated. Here, we report that berberine can induce autophagic cancer cell death by el...

Abstract Background About 90% of cancer-related deaths are due to metastasis cancer cells, and angiogenesis is a critical step in this process. sFLT01 novel fusion protein dual-targeting agent that neutralizes both VEGF PlGF proangiogenic activities. GRP78 dual effect tumor growth could be activated under stimulation. The current study was designed investigate the inhibitory impact on VEGF/GRP7...

BACKGROUND Glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) plays an important role in the invasion and metastasis of many human cancers. However, the role of this protein in the progression of invasion and metastasis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains elusive. PATIENTS AND METHODS Immunohistochemistry and Western blot were performed to analyze GRP78 expression in 92 patients with prima...

GRP78, also known as BiP, is a central regulator of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis due to its multiple functional roles in protein folding, ER calcium binding, and controlling of the activation of transmembrane ER stress sensors. ER stress induction of GRP78/BiP represents a major prosurvival arm of the unfolded protein response (UPR). However, the physiological role of GRP78 in develop...

Binding of activated α(2)-macroglobulin to GRP78 on the surface of human prostate cancer cells promotes proliferation by activating signaling cascades. Autoantibodies directed against the activated α(2)-macroglobulin binding site in the NH(2)-terminal domain of GRP78 are receptor agonists, and their presence in the sera of cancer patients is a poor prognostic indicator. We now show that antibod...

Although the exact mechanisms that lead to shallow invasion or defective trophoblastic differentiation in pre-eclampsia are still unknown, it is widely admitted that the etiology of pre-eclampsia is a defect in trophoblast invasion of the uterine spiral arteries. We have previously observed that the status of a chaperone protein, glucose regulated protein 78 (GRP78) is associated with the invas...

The unfolded protein response (UPR) is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism that activates both proapoptotic and survival pathways to allow eukaryotic cells to adapt to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Although the UPR has been implicated in tumorigenesis, its precise role in endogenous cancer remains unclear. A major UPR protective response is the induction of the ER chaperone GRP78/BiP, wh...