Recent studies have reported that C-C chemokine receptor 7 (CCR7), whose ligand is CCL21, is abundantly expressed in lymph node metastasis and promotes cancer progression.
For example, CCL21 (CC chemokine ligand 21) and CCL19 (CC chemokine ligand 19) recruit antigen-presenting dendritic cells and naïve T-cells to the lymph nodes and are thought to play a role in lymph node metastasis of CCR7 (CC chemokine receptor 7)-expressing cancer cells.
Given the recent evidence suggesting the implication of C-C chemokine ligand 21/chemokine receptor 7 (CCL21/CCR7) in lymph node metastasis, the aim of our study was to define the role of this chemokine pair in breast cancer-associated lymphangiogenesis.
Secondary lymphoid tissue chemokine (SLC/CCL21) and its receptor CCR7 have been implicated in lymph node metastasis, whereas the mechanism of which remains unclear.
Our findings would suggest that CCL19 and CCL21 may not be associated with cervical lymph node metastasis or other clinical and microscopic factors in OSCC.
Taken together, our results demonstrate that CCR7 activation on thyroid carcinoma cells by CCL21 - a chemokine abundantly expressed in lymph nodes - favours tissue invasion and cell proliferation, and therefore may promote thyroid carcinoma growth and LNM.