Introduction:Clusterin (CLU), known by several other names, has recently drawn much attention because of its association with cancer promotion and metastasis. First discovered as serum apolipoprotein J with chaperoning properties for protein stabilization, CLU also can exist within the cell to function in either proapoptotic or prosurvival processes. This diverse set of functions can be attributed to the existence of two alternatively spliced forms of the CLU gene that encode secretory CLU (sCLU) or nuclear CLU (nCLU). The sCLU form is cytoprotective and inhibiting its prosurvival function is the basis of current phase I/II clinical trials against prostate, lung, and breast cancers, where synergy with various cytotoxic agents has been reported. In contrast, nCLU migrates to the nucleus on cytotoxic stress to trigger cell death. It interacts with the DNA double-strand break repair antigen Ku70, blocking its function and causing cell death
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