Autocrine motility factor receptor: a clinical review

The ability to target and alter the metastatic activity of cancer cells is a key avenue for cancer therapeutics. While local tumor control is often achieved through surgical resection, patient morbidity and mortality is dependent upon the control of regional and distant spread of disease. Autocrine motility factor receptor (AMFR) is an internalizing cell surface receptor that also exhibits ubiquitin E3 ligase activity in the endoplasmic reticulum. Stimulation of AMFR by its ligand (autocrine motility factor/phosphoglucose isomerase) alters cellular adhesion, proliferation, motility, and apoptosis. Increased AMFR expression has been reported in numerous human cancer types. Review of these studies suggests that AMFR upregulation is significantly correlated with more advanced tumor stage and decreased survival for cancer of the lung, esophagus, stomach, colon, rectum, liver and skin. AMFR has also served as an independent predictor of poor disease prognosis in these tumor types. Significant associations between AMFR expression and other clinicopathologic parameters implicated in disease progression have also been reported. Further characterization of AMFR in human cancer and the development of an understanding of the molecular regulation of this protein is critical for its future role as a target for anticancer agents.