In their canonical localization at the plasma membrane, TRAIL-R1/-R2 may induce cell death and/or pro-inflammatory signaling leading to cell migration, invasion and metastasis.
The death ligand TRAIL (tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand) represents a promising strategy for melanoma due to significant expression of TRAIL receptor 1 in melanoma metastases and high TRAIL sensitivity through this receptor.
These data suggest that TRAIL-R1 and R2 genes are relevant to the frequent loss of chromosome 8p21-22 in breast cancer and that the inactivating mutations of TRAIL-R1 and -R2 genes play a role in the metastasis of breast cancer.