NT5E and cancer: CD73 has both enzymatic and non-enzymatic functions in cells [6]: as a nucleotidase, CD73 catalyzes the hydrolysis of AMP into adenosine and phosphate, and CD73-generated adenosine plays an important role in tumor immunoescape [7]; moreover, CD73 also functions as a signal and adhesive molecule that can regulate cell interaction with extracellular matrix components, such as laminin and fibronectin, to mediate the invasive and metastatic properties of cancers [8, 9].