Annexin Proteins Family in Cancer

Aim: This Special Issue highlights the role of the various human annexins in cancer biology and also notes their diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic significance. Annexins are a large family of calcium-dependent membrane-binding proteins, widely distributed among eukaryotes. These proteins are defined by different structural and biochemical criteria, and this multigene family has several biological features. More than a 100 annexins have been identified in many different species; in humans twelve proteins have been identified, conventionally referred to as annexin A1-13 (the ANX-A12 gene is unassigned). In certain cancer conditions, the alterations on the localization or expression levels of annexin proteins are considered as the causes of oncogenic or oncosuppressor effects, related to the annexin type and also in a tissue-specific manner. The investigation of the role of annexins in proliferation, invasion, and metastasis in cancer deserves exhaustive research efforts. Different mechanisms of action have been defined in all pathological steps about the annexins functions, also regarding the potential involvement in case of drug resistance rather than tumor regression. Generally, the molecular mechanism may include cell motility, the production of extracellular vesicles, the interaction between tumor cells and the surrounding microenvironment, cell death and proliferation, the effects of the immune system. Furthermore, the clinical relevance of these proteins needs to be deepened in patients’ blood and tumor biopsies to define a correlation with tumor degree, overall survival, and regression/recurrence. Thus, targeting one specific member of the annexin family could contribute to anticancer drug development or even to the generation of diagnostic/prognostic instruments.

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue highlights the role of the protein family of annexins in the progression of various types of tumors. They are involved in numerous cell functions, as cell death/proliferation, differentiation, motility, particularly through their interaction with cytoskeletal components, oxidative stress, secretion of microvesicles. In cancer, the annexins have been discovered as relevant proteins in different phases of tumor progression, as oncogenic or oncosuppressor agents in a tissue-specific manner and depending on the protein concerned. Moreover, cancer development is closely associated with growth, differentiation, angiogenesis, cell motility, metastasis, and inflammatory responses. Thus, the in vitro and in vivo analyses can contribute to elucidate the importance of the microenvironment surrounding tumor cells in playing a critical role in their development is a well known concept, revealing a strong relationship between cancer organization and metastasis. Furthermore, the investigation on patients’ samples, plasma and/or tissue biopsies also represent an imperative step to understand the role of specific diagnostic/prognostic markers and/or to identify potential therapeutic targets.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute with original research articles as well as review ones that will stimulate continuing efforts to understand the role of annexins in the tumor progression and provide valuable insights that may translate to diagnostic and/or therapeutic opportunities.

We publish high-quality articles including basic, translational, and clinical studies on all tumor types. 

This Special Issue aims to research articles, review articles, case reports as well as short communications.

Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• in vitro cell cultures
• in vivo tumor models
• 2D/3D cell systems
• clinical studies.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Antonello Petrella
Dr. Raffaella Belvedere
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• annexins
• cancer
• carcinoma models
• tumor microenvironment
• metastasis
• apoptosis
• annexins receptor
• therapeutic targets
• diagnostic/prognostic markers
• clinical studies