Invited Review Stroma-derived factor (SDF-1/CXCL12) and human tumor pathogenesis

The chemokine stroma-derived factor (SDF-1/CXCL12) plays multiple roles in tumor pathogenesis. It has been demonstrated that CXCL12 promotes tumor growth and malignancy, enhances tumor angiogenesis, participates in tumor metastasis, and contributes to immunosuppressive networks within the tumor microenviron-ment. Therefore, it stands to reason that the CXCL12/CXCR4 pathway is an important target for the development of novel anti-cancer therapies. In this review, we consider the pathological nature and characteristics of the CXCL12/CXCR4 pathway in the tumor microenvironment. Strategies for therapeutically targeting the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis also are discussed. migration; immune suppression; tumor angiogenesis; tumor metastasis; stem cells STROMA-DERIVED FACTOR 1 (SDF-1, or CXCL12) was initially cloned by Tashiro et al. (135) and later identified as a growth factor for B cell progenitor cells, a chemotactic factor for T cells and monocytes, and in B cell lymphopoiesis and bone marrow myelopoiesis. CXCL12 is a 68-amino acid small (