New role of endoplasmic reticulum chaperones in regulating metaplasia during tumorigenesis

Abstract

Metaplasia is emerging as a key process in tumorigenesis. We discovered that 2 essential endoplasmic reticulum (ER) chaperones, 78-kilodalton glucose-regulated protein (GRP78) and 94-kilodalton glucose-regulated protein (GRP94) have a role in metaplasia. Grp78 haploinsufficiency in the mouse pancreas impairs acinar-to-ductal metaplasia, whereas in the uterus, Grp94 loss induces squamous cell metaplasia; both resulting in tumor suppression.

Keywords

• er chaperone
• grp78
• grp94
• metaplasia
• mouse models
• pancreatic cancer