Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.7.10.1 (ERK)
 95,504 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In contrast with the situation just a few years ago, the most widely accepted model for the pathogenesis of FMS now invokes CNS mechanisms like nociception and allodynia rather than pathologically painful muscles. The levels of platelet serotonin and CSF substance P appear to be abnormal in directions that could logically amplify pain perception. The extent to which these mechanisms are unique to FMS will be critical in determining the direction that future research should take. Certainly, a better understanding of the cause of FMS could represent an important step toward the development of more effective therapy.
 ...
PMID:Neurochemical pathogenesis of fibromyalgia. 1002 86

Dendritic Cell (DC)-based vaccination approaches in man require a reproducible DC generation method that can be performed in conformity with GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) guidelines and that circumvents the need for multiple blood drawings to generate DC. To this end we modified our previously described method to generate mature DC from CD14 + monocytes by a two step method (priming in GM-SF + IL-4 followed by maturation in monocyte conditioned medium) for use with leukapheresis products as a starting population. Several adaptations were necessary. We established, for example, a modified adherence step to reliably enrich CD14 + DC precursors from apheresis mononuclear cells. The addition of GM-CSF + IL-4 at the onset of culture proved disadvantageous and was, therefore, delayed for 24 h. DC development from apheresis cells occurred faster than from fresh blood or buffy coat, and was complete after 7 days. Monocyte conditioned medium when added on day 6 resulted in fully mature and stable DC (veiled, highly migratory and T cell sensitizing cells with a characteristic phenotype such as 85% CD83 + , p55/fascin + , CD115/M-CSF-R - , CD86 + ) already after 24 h. The mature DC progeny were shown to remain stable and viable if cultured for another 1-2 days in the absence of cytokines, and to be resistant to inhibitory effects of IL-10. Freezing conditions were established to generate DC from frozen aliquots of PBMC or to freeze mature DC themselves for later use. The approach yields large numbers of standardized DC (5-10 x 10(8) mature CD83 + DC/leukapheresis) that are suitable for performing sound DC-based vaccination trials that can be compared with each other.
 ...
PMID:Generation of large numbers of fully mature and stable dendritic cells from leukapheresis products for clinical application. 1003 30

FLT3 ligand (FL) acting through its tyrosine kinase receptor FLT3 has pleiotropic and potent effects on hematopoietic cells. The well-described involvement of this ligand-receptor pair in physiological hematopoiesis raised the question whether FL and FLT3 also play a role in the pathobiology of leukemia. Following the early discovery of high receptor expression by myeloid leukemia cells, several investigators have focused their attention on these cells, both primary acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells and continuous human myeloid leukemia cell lines. Regardless of the morphological FAB subtype, the vast majority of AML cases were FLT3-positive both at the mRNA and protein level; among the myeloid cell lines, predominantly the monocytic and myelocytic cell lines were FLT3-positive whereas the erythrocytic and megakaryocytic cell lines were FLT3-negative. Virtually all cell lines studied expressed FL transcripts; the finding that some cell lines displayed both ligand and receptor indicates the possibility of autocrine, intracrine or paracrine stimulatory loops. In vitro growth assays showed that FL caused a proliferative response in a high percentage of AML cases. Only constitutively growth factor-dependent myelocytic cell lines increased their proliferation upon incubation with FL whereas all growth factor-independent cell lines were refractory to FL stimulation. Combinations of FL with various cytokines (e.g. G-CSF, GM-CSF, IL-3, M-CSF, PIXY-321, SCF) had synergistic or additive mitogenic effects. Finally, FL had significant anti-apoptotic, survival-promoting effects on primary AML cells and myeloid cell lines under serum-free culture conditions. On the strength of the above findings, it can be concluded that the FL-FLT3 signaling system may play a certain, albeit probably not causal role in the development of human leukemias. Dissection of the exact molecular pathways that lead to proliferation and/or anti-apoptosis of myeloid leukemia cells as well as the detailed elucidation of the possible contribution of the FL-FLT3 genes to leukemogenesis remain future challenges.
 ...
PMID:Effects of FLT3 ligand on proliferation and survival of myeloid leukemia cells. 1019 24

A phase I study of escalating doses of humanized bispecific antibody (bsAb) MDX-H210 with granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) was conducted in patients with metastatic breast cancer that overexpressed HER2/neu. The main objectives of the study were to define the maximal tolerated dose (MTD) of MDX-H210 when combined with G-CSF, to measure the pharmacokinetics of MDX-H210 when administered with G-CSF, and to determine the toxicity, biological effects and possible therapeutic effect of MDX-H210 with G-CSF. MDX-H210 is a F(ab)' x F(ab)' humanized bispecific murine antibody that binds to both HER2/neu and the FcgammaR1 receptor (CD64), and was administered intravenously weekly for three doses followed by a 2-week break and then three more weekly doses. A total of 23 patients were treated, and doses were escalated from 1 mg/m2 to 40 mg/m2 with no MTD reached. The toxicity of the bsAb + G-CSF combination was modest, with no dose-limiting toxicity noted: 19 patients had fevers, 7 patients had diarrhea, and 3 patients had allergic reactions that did not limit therapy. The beta-elimination half-life varied from 4 h to 8 h at doses up to 20 mg/m2. Significant release of cytokines interleukin-6, G-CSF, and tumor necrosis factor alpha was observed after administration of bsAb. Circulating monocytes disappeared within 1 h of bsAb infusion, which correlated with binding of bsAb, noted by flow-cytometric analysis. Significant levels of human anti-(bispecific antibody) were measured in the plasma of most patients by the third infusion. No objective clinical responses were seen in this group of heavily pre-treated patients.
 ...
PMID:A phase I study of a HER2/neu bispecific antibody with granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor in patients with metastatic breast cancer that overexpresses HER2/neu. 1023 84

Protein tyrosine kinases play a major role in promoting cell growth, and their activity in solid tumors is well established. Inhibitors of protein tyrosine kinases are now in advanced clinical trials for the treatment of breast and brain cancers. Because Src-related PTK have been shown to be activated in leukemic cell lines, we studied their activation in human myeloid leukemia. Blasts from the majority of patients with acute leukemia showed constitutive activity of the Src kinase Lyn. In contrast, no patient samples showed constitutive activation of Jak2. Genetic and pharmacologic targeting of Lyn was used to determine its contribution to leukemic cell growth. Antisense Lyn oligonucleotide treatment resulted in the inhibition of tritiated thymidine incorporation following GM-CSF stimulation of the factor-dependent line MO7e. The Src kinase inhibitor PD166285 inhibited the growth of human leukemic cell lines and leukemic blasts. When combined with doxorubicin, an additive effect on the inhibition of leukemic cell growth occurred. These studies demonstrate the importance of Src kinases in promoting leukemic cell growth and suggests that further development of agents which target Src kinases and their inclusion in multidrug regimens are warranted for novel therapies of myeloid leukemia.
 ...
PMID:Therapeutic targeting of Src-kinase Lyn in myeloid leukemic cell growth. 1036 Mar 72

Permanent human osteosarcoma cell lines are important tools for the study of bone cancer. As representative of an osteoblastic phenotype, they partly reflect their normal osteoblastic counterparts and, thus, may represent appropriate models to investigate the mechanisms involved in bone remodelling and in haematopoietic differentiation. In the present work, we describe a new human cell line, CAL 72, obtained from an osteosarcoma of the knee of a 10-year-old boy. These cells grow in continuous culture, and karyotypic analysis has revealed clonal abnormalities in number and structure, especially loss of chromosome Y. These cells exhibit morphological, immuno-histochemical and molecular characteristics of the osteoblastic lineage. Using RT-PCR, we have shown that the CAL 72 cell line expresses high levels of mRNA coding for several cytokines, such as G-CSF, GM-CSF, IL-1beta and IL-6. In view of this expression profile, the CAL 72 phenotype appears to be closer to normal primary osteoblasts than other reported osteosarcomas. Moreover, these cells express mRNA for both HGF and its receptor c-MET, suggesting that this autocrine loop might contribute to the invasiveness of the tumour from which CAL 72 originated.
 ...
PMID:Establishment, characterisation and partial cytokine expression profile of a new human osteosarcoma cell line (CAL 72). 1038 64

The biological effects of flt3-L, and the expression of its tyrosine kinase receptor (flt3, CD135) were investigated on the immature subsets of human circulating peripheral blood progenitors obtained from cancer patients or normal volunteer donors, after mobilization with rhG-CSF or chemotherapy. flt3 was expressed at low levels, and its expression increased concomitantly with expression of CD38 within the CD34+ cell population. Despite this low-level expression, flt3-L exerted synergistic effects with a combination of c-kit ligand, IL-3, IL-6, GM-CSF and G-CSF, mainly to induce proliferation of CD34+/CD38- cells. In addition, flt3-L increased the detection of HPP-CFC, both immediately after cell selection, and after 7 and 14 d of cultures. We conclude that flt3-L is active on circulating early mobilized haemopoietic progenitors, despite the low- level expression of its receptor.
 ...
PMID:Early progenitor cells from human mobilized peripheral blood express low levels of the flt3 receptor, but exhibit various biological responses to flt3-L. 1046 May 91

We previously showed that Gi2 proteins interfere with the transduction of CSF-1 receptor (CSF-1R) proliferation signals (Corre and Hermouet, 1995). To identify CSF-1R pathways controlled by Gi2, we transfected v-fms, the oncogenic equivalent of CSF-1R, in NIH3T3 cells in which Gi2 proteins were inactivated by stably expressing a dominant negative mutant form of the alpha subunit of Gi2 (alpha i2-G204A). Expression of alpha i2-G204A resulted in decreased Src-kinase activity, delayed activation of p42 ERK-MAPK, decreased cyclin D1 expression and reduced proliferation in response to serum. In alpha i2-G204A cells transfected with v-fms, Src-kinase activity remained deficient but p42 MAPK activity and cyclin D1 expression were similar to those of vector/v-fms cells, suggesting that v-fms bypasses Src to activate the ERK-MAPK cascade. However, DNA synthesis and focus formation were inhibited by up to 80% in alpha i2-G204A/v-fms cells compared to vector/v-fms cells. We found that tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT3, also activated by CSF-1R/v-fms, was inhibited in alpha i2-G204A/v-fms cells; in addition, expression of an 85 kDa, C-terminal truncated form of STAT3 (STAT3 delta) was constitutively increased. Both the inhibition of v-fms-induced STAT3 tyrosine phosphorylation and the increased expression of STAT3 delta were reproduced by transfecting a dominant negative mutant of Src. Last, we show that expression of STAT3 delta 55C, a mutant form of STAT3 lacking the last 55 C-terminal amino acids, is sufficient to inhibit DNA synthesis and v-fms-induced transformation in NIH3T3 cells. In summary, adequate regulation by Gi2 proteins of the activity of both Src-kinase and STAT3 is required for optimal cell proliferation in response to CSF-1R/v-fms.
 ...
PMID:Regulation by Gi2 proteins of v-fms-induced proliferation and transformation via Src-kinase and STAT3. 1059 33

The CSF-1 receptor (CSF-1R) is expressed in >50% of human breast cancers. To investigate the consequence of CSF-1R expression, hormone-dependent human breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and T-47D, were transfected with CSF-1R. Unexpectedly, CSF-1 substantially inhibited estradiol (E2) and insulin-dependent proliferation of MCF-7 transfectants (MCF-7fms) and prevented cyclin E/cdk2 and cyclin A/cdk2 activation, consistent with a G1 arrest. In contrast, CSF-1 increased DNA synthesis in T-47D transfectants (T-47Dfms) alone and with E2 or insulin. In response to CSF-1, there was a marked and sustained upregulation of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, p21Waf1/Cip1, in MCF-7fms but not T-47Dfms. CSF-1 also markedly upregulated cyclin D1 in MCF-7fms. The coordinate increase in cyclin D1 and p21 had the effect of decreasing the specific but not absolute activity of cyclin D1/cdk4. p53 was not involved since CSF-1 induction of p21 was unaffected by dominant-negative p53 expression. ERK activation by CSF-1 was robust and sustained in MCF-7fms and to a much lesser extent in T-47Dfms. Using pharmacological and transient transfection approaches, we showed that ERK activation was necessary and sufficient for p21 induction in MCF-7fms. Moreover, activated MEK inhibited E2-stimulated cdk2 activity. Our findings indicate that the consequence of CSF-1R-mediated signals in human breast cancer cells is dependent on the genetic background of the particular tumor.
 ...
PMID:CSF-1 activates MAPK-dependent and p53-independent pathways to induce growth arrest of hormone-dependent human breast cancer cells. 1060 7

Dendritic cells (DC) are professional antigen presenting cells (APC) whose proliferation and functional differentiation can be induced by hematopoietic growth factors including GM-CSF and FLT3 ligand (FL). Colorectal cancers are known to be infiltrated by dendritic cells (DC) and neoplastic cells have been shown to produce GM-CSF. In this work we investigated FLT3 ligand (FL) gene expression and protein production in human colorectal cancer cell lines and clinical tumor specimens. Using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), 6 out of 6 established tumor lines were found to express to variable extents FL gene. In 1 of them, SW480, FL immunoreactivity could be observed by taking advantage of specific antibodies. In contrast, soluble FL could not be detected in any culture supernatant. FLT3 receptor (FR) gene was not expressed and exogenous addition to the cultures of recombinant FL (rFL) did not affect the proliferation of the tumor lines. FL gene expression was investigated using a densitometry-assisted, semiquantitative RT-PCR in clinical tumor specimens. Specific FL gene transcripts were amplified from 12 of 12 surgical samples. In these cases, FL gene expression of significantly lower intensity was also detected in healthy mucosa sampled in the vicinity (2 cm) or at a distance (10 cm) from neoplastic outgrowth. Immunohistochemical studies identified FL-positive cancer cells in 5 of 5 cases tested. No positivity was detected in healthy mucosa epithelia at a distance from the tumor or in stromal cells. FL content in preoperative sera from colorectal cancer patients (n = 13) did not exceed the levels detected in healthy donors (</= 100 pg/ml).
 ...
PMID:FLT3 ligand gene expression and protein production in human colorectal cancer cell lines and clinical tumor specimens. 1073 51


<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>