Primary cilium and its role in tumorigenesis

The primary cilium, a sensory organelle that protrudes from the surface of most eukaryotic cells, receives and transduces various critical signals that are essential for normal development and homeostasis. Structural or functional disruption of primary cilia causes a number of human diseases, including cancer. Primary cilia has cross talks with cell cycle and it may act as a cell cycle checkpoint to suppress cancer development. Moreover, primary cilia has cross-regulation with autophagy, which may affect tumor progression. We then discuss the association of the primary cilia with several oncogenic signaling pathways, including Shh, Wnt, Notch and platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR). Since these signaling pathways are often over-activated in many types of human cancers, primary cilia are likely to play a role in the tumorigenesis by modulating these pathways. Finally, we summarize current progress on the role of cilia during tumorigenesis and the challenges that the cilia-cancer field faces.