Table 1.

Polarity changes as biomarkers

Polarity alterationFunctionType of biomarkerMarkerCancerReference
non specific diagnostic: Tumoral (vs healthy) Tissue staining (Immunohistochemistry) Global apico-basal polarity loss Majority of carcinoma Routinely used in clinics 
Lgl2 alteration diagnostic: higher grades Tissue staining (Immunohistochemistry) Lgl2 loss or mislocalization PDAC (pancreas) Lisovsky et al, 2010  
High Par3 diagnostic: metasatasis extrahepatic Tissue staining (Immunohistochemistry) High Par3 expression HCC (liver) Jan et al, 2013  
low aPKCζ diagnostic: more invasive-metastatic Titration in serum miR200s+-exosomes (in low aPKCζ CRC) CRC (colorectal) Shelton et al, 2018  
Mislocalisation of Par6 diagnostic: higher grade, more invasive Tissue staining (Immunofluorescence) Mislocalized Par6 in nucleus Breast cancer Catterall et al, 2020  
Par6 at membrane diagnostic: tumour type Tissue staining (Immunofluorescence) Par6 at membrane Luminal subtype (Breast cancer) Catterall et al, 2020  
low Crumb3 Pronostic: lower OS Tissue staining (Immunohistochemistry) Weak Crumb3 staining ccRCC (Kidney) Mao et al, 2015  
High Par3 Pronostic: lower OS Tissue staining High Par3 staining HCC (liver) Li et al, 2021  
Polarity inversion Pronostic: lower OS and resistance to treatment Tissue staining + Automated Morphometry Inverted polarity (Cytokeratin, Mucus, stroma) Mucinous CRC Canet-Jourdan et al, 2022  
low aPKCζ Pronostic: lower OS Tissue staining Low aPKCζ CRC Yeo et al, 2018  
low Par6β Pronostic: lower OS Tissue staining Low Par6β CRC Yeo et al, 2018  
low aPKCι+ζ Pronostic: lower OS Tissue staining Low aPKCι+ζ/ High HA mesenchymal CRC Martinez-Ordoñez et al, 2022  
low Lgl2 Pronostic: higher OS and DFS mRNA level (qPCR) Low Lgl2/Low SLC7A5 All breast cancer Hisada et al, 2022  
low Lgl2 Pronostic: higher OS (better response to tamoxifen) mRNA level (qPCR) Low Lgl2/Low SLC7A6 ER+_breast cancer + tamoxifen Hisada et al, 2022  
High aPKCι Pronostic: lower OS and RFS mRNA level (qPCR) High aPKCι Breast cancer Catterall et al, 2020  
High Dlg1 Pronostic: lower OS and RFS mRNA level (qPCR) High Dlg1 Breast cancer Catterall et al, 2020  
Low Par6β  Pronostic: lower OS and RFS mRNA level (qPCR) Low Par6β  Breast cancer Catterall et al, 2020  
Polarity alterationFunctionType of biomarkerMarkerCancerReference
non specific diagnostic: Tumoral (vs healthy) Tissue staining (Immunohistochemistry) Global apico-basal polarity loss Majority of carcinoma Routinely used in clinics 
Lgl2 alteration diagnostic: higher grades Tissue staining (Immunohistochemistry) Lgl2 loss or mislocalization PDAC (pancreas) Lisovsky et al, 2010  
High Par3 diagnostic: metasatasis extrahepatic Tissue staining (Immunohistochemistry) High Par3 expression HCC (liver) Jan et al, 2013  
low aPKCζ diagnostic: more invasive-metastatic Titration in serum miR200s+-exosomes (in low aPKCζ CRC) CRC (colorectal) Shelton et al, 2018  
Mislocalisation of Par6 diagnostic: higher grade, more invasive Tissue staining (Immunofluorescence) Mislocalized Par6 in nucleus Breast cancer Catterall et al, 2020  
Par6 at membrane diagnostic: tumour type Tissue staining (Immunofluorescence) Par6 at membrane Luminal subtype (Breast cancer) Catterall et al, 2020  
low Crumb3 Pronostic: lower OS Tissue staining (Immunohistochemistry) Weak Crumb3 staining ccRCC (Kidney) Mao et al, 2015  
High Par3 Pronostic: lower OS Tissue staining High Par3 staining HCC (liver) Li et al, 2021  
Polarity inversion Pronostic: lower OS and resistance to treatment Tissue staining + Automated Morphometry Inverted polarity (Cytokeratin, Mucus, stroma) Mucinous CRC Canet-Jourdan et al, 2022  
low aPKCζ Pronostic: lower OS Tissue staining Low aPKCζ CRC Yeo et al, 2018  
low Par6β Pronostic: lower OS Tissue staining Low Par6β CRC Yeo et al, 2018  
low aPKCι+ζ Pronostic: lower OS Tissue staining Low aPKCι+ζ/ High HA mesenchymal CRC Martinez-Ordoñez et al, 2022  
low Lgl2 Pronostic: higher OS and DFS mRNA level (qPCR) Low Lgl2/Low SLC7A5 All breast cancer Hisada et al, 2022  
low Lgl2 Pronostic: higher OS (better response to tamoxifen) mRNA level (qPCR) Low Lgl2/Low SLC7A6 ER+_breast cancer + tamoxifen Hisada et al, 2022  
High aPKCι Pronostic: lower OS and RFS mRNA level (qPCR) High aPKCι Breast cancer Catterall et al, 2020  
High Dlg1 Pronostic: lower OS and RFS mRNA level (qPCR) High Dlg1 Breast cancer Catterall et al, 2020  
Low Par6β  Pronostic: lower OS and RFS mRNA level (qPCR) Low Par6β  Breast cancer Catterall et al, 2020  

Biomarkers are quantifiable indicators of physio-pathological features used to (1) differentiate healthy from cancerous tissues, (2) identify the aggressiveness of a cancer and predict the future course of the disease or (3) predict pharmacological response to treatments. Useful biomarkers in oncology comprise genetic alterations, abnormal protein expression or localization, morphological pattern on tissue sections, presence of circulated tumor cells, and extracellular vesicles in the blood. This table presents the cell polarity changes considered as diagnostic and/or prognostic biomarkers. The list is non-exclusive as it mainly highlights the most recent findings. For more complete information, the reader can refer to Halaoui and McCaffrey (2015); and Lo et al. (2012). OS, Overall Survival; DFS, Disease free Survival; RFS, Relapse-Free Survival. References from the table: Lisovsky et al. (2010); Jan et al. (2013); Mao et al. (2015); Li et al. (2021); Yeo et al. (2018); and Hisada et al. (2022). 

or Create an Account

Close Modal
Close Modal