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

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and its receptor (EGFR) are involved in hormone-refractory growth and poor prognosis of a subgroup of human prostate cancer. In this communication, we investigated the regulation of PSA by the EGFR signaling pathway using LNCaP C-81 prostate cancer cells. Administration of EGF stimulated the growth of LNCaP C-81 cells, however, PSA expression and secretion were suppressed. An EGFR inhibitor, AG1478, abrogated the PSA suppression effect by EGF, in concurrence with the suppression of tyro-phosphorylation levels of EGFR. Interestingly, the AR level was also decreased in EGF-treated LNCaP C-81 cells. Moreover, LY294002, but not PD98059, inhibited the PSA and AR suppression effect by EGF in concurrence with the suppression of phosphorylation levels of Akt. In conclusion, our results strongly suggest the existence of a novel androgen-independent PSA regulatory mechanism, i.e., the EGFR signaling pathway negatively regulates PSA expression which may be induced by the alteration of AR expression via the PI3K-Akt pathway in LNCaP C-81 cells.
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PMID:EGFR signaling pathway negatively regulates PSA expression and secretion via the PI3K-Akt pathway in LNCaP prostate cancer cells. 1647 61

The immunoexpression of prostate-specific antigen in breast cancers has been well established, but the role of this extra-prostate PSA appears to be a complex, poorly understood and of doubtful prognostic value. In this context, our aim was to evaluate PSA in breast carcinomas and to compare the results with several established prognostic markers of breast cancer: estrogen and progesterone receptors status, HER2/neu status, histological type of tumor, grade of differentiation, stage, tumor size, nodal and menopausal status. We have immunohistochemically assessed 53 breast carcinomas for PSA, ER, PR and oncoprotein HER2/neu status. The relationship between the clinical and histopathological markers was analyzed by chi-square test. In the present study PSA was expressed in 60.3% of cases, and we have found a significant correlation with the histological type and HER2/neu negative status in premenopausal women. No statistically significant difference was found between PSA positivity and menopausal status of the patients, nodal status, estrogen and progesterone receptors, HER2/neu status in postmenopausal patients, tumor size or histological grade. We conclude that in our study PSA can not be considered as a valuable independent prognostic factor in breast carcinoma. As long as the majorities of PSA positive carcinomas were small in size, early stage, better and moderately differentiated, HER2/neu negative and 70% of ER/PR positive carcinomas expressed PSA, it might be useful as a marker for a subset of breast cancers with better prognosis, which could respond to endocrine therapy, in correlation with other prognostic markers.
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PMID:Prostate-specific antigen value as a marker in breast cancer. 1657 73

Constitutive activation of the kinase cascade involving RAS, RAF, MEK and ERK is common to human cancers, and mutations of KRAS and BRAF are mutually exclusive and serve as alternatives to activate the RAS/RAF/ERK signaling pathway. RAS mutations are known to occur in prostate adenocarcinomas, but little is known about BRAF mutations in these tumors. In the present study, BRAF and KRAS mutations were characterized in 206 prostate adenocarcinomas by enhanced PCR-RFLP and direct sequencing. The identified KRAS and BRAF mutations were then analyzed with respect to preoperative serum PSA levels, Gleason scores and tumor stages. Mutations in codon 600 of BRAF were identified in 21 (10.2%) of 206 prostate adenocarcinomas. KRAS mutations in codons 12 or 13 were found in 15 (7.3%) of 206 prostate adenocarcinomas. However, no tumor specimen contained both BRAF and KRAS mutations. Prostate adenocarcinomas with a BRAF mutation tended to show higher preoperative serum PSA levels, Gleason scores and tumor stages than prostate adenocarcinomas with a KRAS mutation. The results obtained show that BRAF mutations are as uncommon as KRAS mutations in prostate adenocarcinoma. Although BRAF and KRAS are members of the same RAS/ERK signaling pathway, prostate adenocarcinomas with a BRAF mutation showed clinicopathologic features that differed from those of prostate adenocarcinoma with a KRAS mutation.
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PMID:BRAF and KRAS mutations in prostatic adenocarcinoma. 1672 85

Small cell carcinoma of the prostate (SCPC) is morphologically similar to small cell carcinoma of the lung (SCLC) and maybe misinterpreted as Gleason pattern 5b prostate adenocarcinoma (HGPC). Recognition of SCPC is important because of its different clinical behavior. This study aims to characterize the immunophenotype of histologically classic SCPC using a comprehensive panel of markers, to better understand its histogenesis, aid in its classification, and evaluate potential therapeutic targets. Using the World Health Organization morphologic criteria for SCLC, 18 SCPC cases were identified; and studied for the following tumor marker groups: prostate specific/related, neuroendocrine, sex steroid hormone receptors, and prognostic/treatment target-related. Ten cases of UPC were used as controls. PSA was positive in 17% of SCPC and neuroendocrine markers were expressed in HGPC. PSA, TTF-1 and CD56 were the most helpful markers in differentiating between SCPC and HGPC (P<0.01), whereas bombesin/GRP, c-kit, bcl-2, and EGFR expression was more frequent in SCPC. SCPC is best diagnosed by following the World Health Organization diagnostic criteria for SCLC. Immunohistochemical markers can help separate SCPC from HGPC and may be useful in histologically borderline cases. Potential therapeutic targets are identified immunohistochemically in SCPC (Bombesin/GRP, c-kit, bcl-2, and EGFR).
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PMID:Small cell carcinoma of the prostate: an immunohistochemical study. 1672 47

Neural progenitor cells (NPCs) reside within the subventricular zone (SVZ) in rodents. These NPCs give rise to neural precursors in adults that migrate to the olfactory bulb (OB) along a well-defined pathway, the rostral migratory stream (RMS). Here we demonstrate that these NPCs can be labeled, in vivo, in adult rats with fluorescent, micron-sized iron oxide particles (MPIOs), and that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can detect migrating neural precursors carrying MPIOs along the RMS to the OB. Immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy indicated that particles were inside GFAP(+) neural progenitor cells in the SVZ, migrating PSA-NCAM(+) and Doublecortin(+) neural precursors within the RMS and OB, and Neu-N(+) mature neurons in the OB. This work demonstrates that in vivo cell labeling of progenitor cells for MRI is possible and enables the serial, non-invasive visualization of endogenous progenitor/precursor cell migration.
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PMID:Magnetic resonance imaging of the migration of neuronal precursors generated in the adult rodent brain. 1681 67

AR (androgen receptor) and PSA (prostate-specific antigen) are involved in the pathogenesis of breast cancer, but their role is not clearly defined. The purpose of this study was to analyze by immunohistochemistry the AR and PSA (prostate-specific antigen) expression in 156 female breast carcinomas and to correlate the results with some histopathological parameters, like ER (estrogen receptor), PR (progesterone receptor), HER2/neu, nodal and metastasis status, histological type and grade. ARs and PSA were expressed in 112/156 (72%) and respectively in 61/156 (39%) of cases and we found a positive correlation between AR and PSA expression in breast carcinomas (p<0.0002). We also found an association between the histological type of the tumor and AR (p<0.001), respectively PSA (p=0.01) and between AR and the grade of differentiation (p=0.007) and the nodal status (p=0.02). No correlations were found between the metastasis status and AR or PSA. 47.3% (53/112) of AR-positive cases and 46% (28/61) of PSA-positive cases were ER-negative. High frequency of AR (87.5%) and PSA (75%) expression was found in medullary carcinomas and 53% of lobular invasive carcinomas co-expressed AR and PSA. We found an inverse correlation between HER2/neu and PSA (p=0.05). Although most of the PSA-positive carcinomas were lymph node-negative, well and moderately differentiated, we did not find any statistically significant correlations between these parameters and PSA expression. Our study confirms that ARs are commonly expressed in breast cancer and the expression of PSA and AR are highly correlated. Moreover, all the lobular carcinomas and the majority of medullary carcinomas co-expressed AR and PSA, the majority of AR-positive carcinomas were lymph node-negative, well and moderately differentiated, and large number of ER-negative carcinomas expressed AR and PSA.
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PMID:Immunohistochemical expression of androgen receptor and prostate-specific antigen in breast cancer. 1697 95

Silymarin consists of a family of flavonoids (silybin, isosilybin, silychristin, silydianin and taxifoline) commonly found in the dried fruit of the milk thistle plant Silybum marianum. Although silymarin's role as an antioxidant and hepatoprotective agent is well known, its role as an anticancer agent has begun to emerge. Extensive research within the last decade has shown that silymarin can suppress the proliferation of a variety of tumor cells (e.g., prostate, breast, ovary, colon, lung, bladder); this is accomplished through cell cycle arrest at the G1/S-phase, induction of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (such as p15, p21 and p27), down-regulation of anti-apoptotic gene products (e.g., Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL), inhibition of cell-survival kinases (AKT, PKC and MAPK) and inhibition of inflammatory transcription factors (e.g., NF-kappaB). Silymarin can also down-regulate gene products involved in the proliferation of tumor cells (cyclin D1, EGFR, COX-2, TGF-beta, IGF-IR), invasion (MMP-9), angiogenesis (VEGF) and metastasis (adhesion molecules). The antiinflammatory effects of silymarin are mediated through suppression of NF-kappaB-regulated gene products, including COX-2, LOX, inducible iNOS, TNF and IL-1. Numerous studies have indicated that silymarin is a chemopreventive agent in vivo against a variety of carcinogens/tumor promoters, including UV light, 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA), phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and others. Silymarin has also been shown to sensitize tumors to chemotherapeutic agents through down-regulation of the MDR protein and other mechanisms. It binds to both estrogen and androgen receptors, and down-regulates PSA. In addition to its chemopreventive effects, silymarin exhibits antitumor activity against human tumors (e.g., prostate and ovary) in rodents. Various clinical trials have indicated that silymarin is bioavailable and pharmacologically safe. Studies are now in progress to demonstrate the clinical efficacy of silymarin against various cancers.
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PMID:Anticancer potential of silymarin: from bench to bed side. 1720 Nov 69

The proinflammatory chemokine interleukin-8 (IL-8) is undetectable in androgen-responsive prostate cancer cells (e.g., LNCaP and LAPC-4), but it is highly expressed in androgen-independent metastatic cells, such as PC-3. In this report, we show IL-8 functions in androgen independence, chemoresistance, tumor growth, and angiogenesis. We stably transfected LNCaP and LAPC-4 cells with IL-8 cDNA and selected IL-8-secreting (IL8-S) transfectants. The IL8-S transfectants that secreted IL-8 at levels similar to that secreted by PC-3 cells (100-170 ng/10(6) cells) were characterized. Continuous or transient exposure of LNCaP and LAPC-4 cells to IL-8 reduced their dependence on androgen for growth and decreased sensitivity (>3.5x) to an antiandrogen. IL-8-induced cell proliferation was mediated through CXCR1 and was independent of androgen receptor (AR). Quantitative PCR, immunoblotting, and transfection studies showed that IL8-S cells or IL-8-treated LAPC-4 cells exhibit a 2- to 3-fold reduction in PSA and AR levels, when compared with vector transfectants. IL8-S cells expressed 2- to 3-fold higher levels of phospho-EGFR, src, Akt, and nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) and showed increased survival when treated with docetaxel. This increase was blocked by NF-kappaB and src inhibitors, but not by an Akt inhibitor. IL8-S transfectants displayed a 3- to 5-fold increased motility, invasion, matrix metalloproteinase-9 and vascular endothelial growth factor production. LNCaP IL8-S cells grew rapidly as tumors, with increased microvessel density and abnormal tumor vasculature when compared with the tumors derived from their vector-transfected counterparts. Therefore, IL-8 is a molecular determinant of androgen-independent prostate cancer growth and progression.
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PMID:Interleukin-8 is a molecular determinant of androgen independence and progression in prostate cancer. 1763 96

PSA (prostate-specific antigen), a serine protease with chymotrypsin-like activity is the most useful tumor marker for prostate cancer screening, diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring. The identification of PSA in normal and tumoral mammary gland was regarded as a curiosity, but the confirmation of PSA expression in the mammary gland by others teams of researchers and the identification of specific mRNA in tumors with PSA immunoexpression initiated new perspectives for studies. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of PSA in breast cancers and to evaluate the correlations between PSA expression and some clinicopathological markers. We analyzed the expression of PSA in series of consecutive breast carcinomas by immunohistochemistry and correlated the PSA expression with the histological type and grade, nodal and metastasis status, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), androgen receptor (AR) and HER2/neu expression. PSA expression was observed in 44.5% of breast cancers, particularly in lobular types of carcinoma (p<0.0001). In univariate analysis, the expression of PSA was statistically correlated with AR (p<0.0001), PR (p=0.01) and inversely correlated with HER2/neu overexpression (p=0.008) and G3 (p=0.02). PSA did not significantly correlate with ER expression, lymph node and metastasis status. In multivariate analysis, PR was a moderate predictor (p=0.024) but the lobular type (p=0.000), AR (p=0.000), HER2/neu (p=0.002) and G3 (p=0.008) were strong predictors for PSA immunoexpression.
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PMID:Prostate-specific antigen may serve as a pathological predictor in breast cancer. 1851 23

In androgen sensitive LNCaP prostate cancer cells, the proliferation induced by the epidermal growth factor (EGF) involves a cross-talk between the EGF receptor (EGFR) and the androgen receptor (AR). In lung cancer the role of the EGF-EGFR transduction pathway has been documented, whereas androgen activity has received less attention. Here we demonstrate that in LNCaP and A549 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), AR and EGFR are required for either 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) or EGF-stimulated cell growth. Only EGF activated ERK signaling and up-regulated early gene expression, while DHT triggered the expression of classical AR-responsive genes with the exception of the EGF-induced PSA transcript in A549 cells. DHT and EGF up-regulated cyclinD1 (CD1) at both mRNA and protein levels in A549 cells, while in LNCaP cells each mitogen increased only CD1 protein expression. In both cell contexts, CD1 up-regulation was prevented by selective inhibitors as well as by knock-down of either AR or EGFR and also inhibiting p38MAPK and the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathways. Interestingly, p38MAPK and mTOR repression prevented the activation of the mTOR target ribosomal p70S6 kinase induced by DHT and EGF, indicating that p38MAPK acts as an upstream mTOR regulator. In addition, the proliferative effects promoted by both DHT and EGF in LNCaP and A549 cancer cells were no longer observed blocking either p38MAPK or mTOR activity. Hence, our data suggest that p38MAPK-dependent activation of the mTOR/CD1 pathway may represent a mechanism through which AR and EGFR cross-talk contributes to prostate and lung cancer progression.
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PMID:A cross-talk between the androgen receptor and the epidermal growth factor receptor leads to p38MAPK-dependent activation of mTOR and cyclinD1 expression in prostate and lung cancer cells. 1869 55


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