Abstract: GRP78, as endoplasmic reticulum resident chaperone, is highly induced by a variety of tumor microenvironmental stresses, such as hypoxia and  glucose deprivation. GRP78 is implicated in tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, metastasis and angiogenesis. Recent evidence indicates that GRP78 levels is correlated with pathological grade, stage and prognosis for the majority of solid tumors. In addition, GRP78 plays an important role in drug tolerance and knockdown of GRP78 has been shown to sensitize malignant cells. GRP78 could not only be a good biomarker to predict cancer progression and chemoresponsiveness, but also an appealing target for the development of a more selective chemotherapy.

Key words: Neoplasms, Drug tolerance, GRP78