Abstract
The primary cilium is a sensory, solitary, non-motile microtubule based structure that in the quiescent phase of the cell cycle projects from the surface of the majority of human cells, including embryonal, stem and cancer stromal cells. Defects in the primary cilia structure and/or function have been shown to have a causal link to the development of a broad range of human diseases including cancer.
Most cancer cells do not possess the primary cilium. The loss or impairment of the primary cilium is a regular feature of neoplastic transformation in the majority of solid tumors, with the exception of tumors dependent on amplification of Hedgehog signaling.
The aim of this paper is to provide a review of the current knowledge on the primary cilia in oncology.