The Roles and Regulation of RECK in Cell Behavior, Animal Development, and Diseases

Dear Colleagues,

RECK was first discovered as a transformation suppressor gene by cDNA expression screening. Subsequent studies indicate that RECK downregulation is widely found in human cancer and is causally involved in carcinogenesis. RECK was also found to be involved in multiple events during mammalian embryogenesis. Moreover, recent studies indicate the involvement of RECK in several diseases other than cancer. RECK encodes a relatively large (~125 kDa), extracellular, membrane-anchored glycoprotein with two distinct molecular functions: (1) matrix metalloproteases regulator and (2) a ligand-binding component of the WNT7 receptor. We still do not know, however, whether all the RECK biological activities discovered so far are attributable to these two molecular functions. We believe it is important to continue to collect more information on the molecular properties of the RECK protein, the mechanisms regulating its expression and activities, the mechanisms by which RECK regulates gene expression and cellular behavior, the mechanisms by which RECK affects animal development, and the mechanisms by which RECK affects various diseases. We expect that such studies focusing on this unique, interesting, and still mysterious macromolecule will bring us fresh insights and breakthroughs in biology and medicine.   

Prof. Dr. Makoto Noda
Prof. Dr. David B. Alexander
Guest Editors

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