Journal of Carcinogenesis & Mutagenesis

Abstract

Aspects of Collagen Changes in Breast Cancer

Claudio Luparello

It is widely acknowledged that the Extracellular Matrix (ECM) of connective tissues plays active roles in numerous biological processes such as cell differentiation, life/death promotion and carcinogenesis. Breast cancer is commonly associated to drastic massive alterations of ECM architecture and composition, especially for what concerns its collagenous component. This mini-review is not aimed to give a comprehensive overview of this complex biological event, but to pick up selected early and recent studies on peculiar features of this field and recapitulate specific aspects related to collagen changes in the affected stroma, such as the re-appearance of OF/LB collagen the accumulation of type V collagen and the identification of tumour-associated collagen signatures at structural and gene expression levels. In addition, the effects of OF/LB and type V collagens on the phenotype of cultured breast cancer cells, as well as recent data on the active role played on neoplastic cells by collagen fragments originating from prominent tissue turn-over are summarized and discussed.