S100 proteins, the largest sub-group within the EF-hand protein family, are closely associated with cardiovascular diseases, various types of cancer, inflammation and autoimmune pathologies and brain diseases.
Psoriasin, also known as S100A7 and first identified as a protein highly expressed in psoriatic lesions, is a calcium binding protein that has been indicated in various malignancies.
Elevated levels of the calcium-binding protein S100A4 promote metastasis and in carcinoma cells are associated with reduced survival of cancer patients.
Moreover, high-level expression of the gene for caltractin was also recognized in other malignant tumors, such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), gastric cancer and leiomyosarcoma.