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Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the extracellular molecule hyaluronan, the signals that regulate its synthesis and deposition, as well as its role in cellular communication. Because of its remarkable physicochemical properties and hygroscopic nature, hyaluronan has important physiological properties, including tissue organization and tissue hydration. Thus, an accumulation of hyaluronan is a common feature of remodeling tissues, for example during embryonic development, followed by its clearance. However, an aberrant increase in the amount of hyaluronan of a more polydisperse character, with a preponderance of lower molecular mass forms, is seen during inflammation and tumor progression. Hyaluronan oligomers have an important function during the inflammatory and angiogenic responses in injuries and malignancies through a sustained production of chemokines. Studies on human cancers from different origins and various malignancy grades have demonstrated a positive correlation between tumor aggressiveness and stromal hyaluronan expression. The general concept that emerged from these studies is that increased hyaluronan synthesis promotes tumorigenesis and plays an important role in the local aggressive spread of tumor cells. Future studies aim at unraveling the molecular mechanisms responsible for the synthesis and degradation of hyaluronan. |
