No abstract

Molecular tools such as antibodies directed against LRP/LR have the potential to act as promising alternative therapeutics for the treatment of various diseases.

No abstract

The 37-kDa/67 kDa laminin receptor (LRP/LR) represents a multifunctional protein. It is a receptor for viruses such as Dengue viruses, Alphaviruses and Adeno-associated viruses (AAV), as well as the cellular prion protein (PrPc) and infectious prions. Furthermore, the 37-kDa/67-kDa LRP/LR plays fundamental roles in basic cell biological processes such as cell adhesion and cell growth and acts as a key player in metastatic cancer, affecting invasion, adhesion and apoptotic processes. This review gives fundamental insights into basic cellular processes affected by LRP/LR including signal transduction and cell cycle progression and focuses on pathophysiological implications of the interaction of prion proteins, laminin, viruses and other ligands with LRP/LR affecting the development of highly-prevalent diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases such as prion disorders and Alzheimer's disease as well as viral infections. Molecular tools such as LRP/LR specific antibodies and siRNAs targeting LRP expression as possible alternative therapeutics for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, metastatic cancer and viral infections are emphasized.

These miRNAs and their targets require further evaluation for a better understanding of their associations, ultimately with the potential to develop novel therapeutic targets.