Tenascin-C targeting strategies in cancer.

• Tenascin-C is highly expressed in cancer generating immune suppressive niches. • Tenascin-C is used as tumor biomarker and as zip code for delivery of therapeutic agents. • Tenascin-C is targeted by a huge arsenal of versatile molecular tools. • Numerous clinical trials are supporting tenascin-C targeting as clinical option. • Targeting tenascin-C immune suppression offer novel targeting opportunities. Tenascin-C (TNC) is a matricellular and multimodular glycoprotein highly expressed under pathological conditions, especially in cancer and chronic inflammatory diseases. Since a long time TNC is considered as a promising target for diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in anti-cancer treatments and was already extensively targeted in clinical trials on cancer patients. This review provides an overview of the current most advanced strategies used for TNC detection and anti-TNC theranostic approaches including some advanced clinical strategies. We also discuss novel treatment protocols, where targeting immune modulating functions of TNC could be center stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]