Cancer metastasis is a major clinical problem that contributes to unsuccessful therapy. Augmenting evidence indicates that metastasizing cancer cells employ several mechanisms that are involved in developmental trafficking of normal stem cells. Stromal-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) is an important α-chemokine that binds to the G-protein-coupled seven-transmembrane span CXCR4. The SDF-1-CXCR4 axis regulates trafficking of normal and malignant cells. SDF-1 is an important chemoattractant for a variety of cells including hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells. For many years, it was believed that CXCR4 was the only receptor for SDF-1. However, several reports recently provided evidence that SDF-1 also binds to another seven-transmembrane span receptor called CXCR7, sharing this receptor with another chemokine family member called Interferon-inducible T-cell chemoattractant (I-TAC). Thus, with CXCR7 identified as a new receptor for SDF-1, the role of the SDF-1-CXCR4 axis in regulating several biological processes becomes more complex. Based on the available literature, this review addresses the biological significance of SDF-1's interaction with CXCR7, which may act as a kind of decoy or signaling receptor depending on cell type. Augmenting evidence suggests that CXCR7 is involved in several aspects of tumorogenesis and could become an important target for new anti-metastatic and anti-cancer drugs.

We observed that sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) and ceramide-1-phosphate (C1P) strongly enhance in vitro motility and adhesion of human rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) cells. This effect was observed at physiological concentrations of both bioactive lipids, which are present in biological fluids, and is much stronger than the effects observed in response to known RMS pro-metastatic factors such as stromal derived factors-1 (SDF-1) or hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF). We also present novel evidence that the levels of S1P and C1P increase in several organs after γ-irradiation or chemotherapy, which indicates induction of an unwanted pro-metastatic environment related to treatment. Most importantly, we found that the metastasis of RMS cells in response to S1P can be effectively inhibited in vivo with the S1P-specific binder NOX-S93 that is based on a high affinity Spiegelmer. We propose that bioactive lipids play a previously underappreciated role in dissemination of RMS and the unwanted side effects of radio/chemotherapy by creating a pro-metastatic microenvironment. Therefore, an anti-metastatic treatment with specific S1P-binding scavenger such as NOX-S93 could become a part of standard radio/chemotherapy.