Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.7.10.2 (focal adhesion kinase)
44,029 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The role of telomerase catalytic subunit hTERT in clonal malignancies including human leukemia is fundamental in overcoming cell senescence and enabling prolonged proliferation. One direct transcriptional activator of hTERT is the oncogene MYC which is known to be, in turn, activated by JAK2. To explore the relationship of telomerase, MYC and JAK2 in chronic myeloproliferative diseases, we investigated hTERT and MYC expression in bone marrow cells of essential thrombocythemia (ET) and polycythemia vera (PV). We could determine an up-regulation of MYC expression exclusively in JAK2(wt) ET, whereas hTERT expression was rather inconsistent across the groups. Interestingly, a significant correlation between MYC and hTERT expression could only be established in homozygous JAK2(V617F) PV and control cases. Thus, the functional link between MYC and hTERT seems to be impaired depending on the molecular ET subtype, which in turn may have implications on the phenotype and course of the disease.
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PMID:The expression levels of telomerase catalytic subunit hTERT and oncogenic MYC in essential thrombocythemia are affected by the molecular subtype. 1808 61

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive neoplastic disorder, in which multiple genetic abnormalities cooperate in the malignant transformation of thymocytes. About 20% of pediatric T-ALL cases are characterized by TLX3 expression due to a cryptic translocation t(5;14)(q35;q32). Although a number of collaborating genetic events have been identified in TLX3 rearranged T-ALL patients (NOTCH1 mutations, p15/p16 deletions, NUP214-ABL1 amplifications), further elucidation of additional genetic lesions could provide a better understanding of the pathogenesis of this specific T-ALL subtype. In this study, we used array-CGH to screen TLX3 rearranged T-ALL patients for new chromosomal imbalances. Array-CGH analysis revealed five recurrent genomic deletions in TLX3 rearranged T-ALL, including del(1)(p36.31), del(5)(q35), del(13)(q14.3), del(16)(q22.1) and del(19)(p13.2). From these, the cryptic deletion, del(5)(q35), was exclusively identified in about 25% of TLX3 rearranged T-ALL cases. In addition, 19 other genetic lesions were detected once in TLX3 rearranged T-ALL cases, including a cryptic WT1 deletion and a deletion covering the FBXW7 gene, an U3-ubiquitin ligase that mediates the degradation of NOTCH1, MYC, JUN and CyclinE. This study provides a genome-wide overview of copy number changes in TLX3 rearranged T-ALL and offers great new challenges for the identification of new target genes that may play a role in the pathogenesis of T-ALL.
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PMID:Cooperative genetic defects in TLX3 rearranged pediatric T-ALL. 1818 24

Estrogen plus progestin hormone therapy has been associated with increased breast proliferation, breast density, and breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women, beyond that seen with estrogen alone. The goal of this study was to evaluate progestogen effects on gene expression profiles in the breast contributing to this promotional effect. Twenty-five ovariectomized adult female cynomolgus monkeys were given the following treatments (expressed as equivalent doses for women) in a randomized crossover design: (1) placebo; (2) oral estradiol (E2, 1 mg/day); (3) E2 + micronized progesterone (P4, 200 mg/day); and (4) E2 + medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA, 2.5 mg/day). Treatments were given for two months, and breast biopsies were taken after each treatment period. On microarray analysis E2 + MPA treatment resulted in a greater number of significantly regulated genes compared to E2 + P4 and E2 alone (P < 0.0001). Treatment with E2 alone induced modest effects on select genes related to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activity which were augmented by the addition of MPA but not P4, consistent with patterns of epithelial cell proliferation. Genes induced by E2 + MPA included the EGFR ligands EGF, TGFA, and AREG, and downstream targets such as STAT5A, STAT5B, SRC, EIF4EBP1, and MYC. Progestogens showed mixed antagonistic effects on E2-induced genes which tended to be greater for P4 than MPA. These findings suggest that a standard dose of oral E2 + MPA has a more pronounced effect on gene expression in the breast compared to E2 alone or E2 + P4 and that promotional effects of E2 + MPA may be mediated in part by increased EGFR activity.
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PMID:Transcriptional profiles of progestogen effects in the postmenopausal breast. 1840 70

Previous work has detailed the histological and biochemical changes associated with mammary development and remodeling. We have now made use of gene expression profiling, and in particular of the previously described signatures of cell signaling pathway activation, to explore the events associated with mammary gland development. We find that there is elevated E2F-specific pathway activity prior to lactation and relatively low levels of other important signaling pathways, such as RAS, MYC and SRC. Upon lactation and continuing into the involution phase, these patterns reverse with a dramatic increase in RAS, SRC and MYC pathway activity and a decline in E2F activity. At the end of involution, these patterns return to that of the adult non-lactating mammary gland. The importance of the changes in E2F pathway activity, particularly during the proliferative phase of mammary development, was confirmed through the analysis of mice deficient for various E2F proteins. Taken together, these results reveal a complex pattern of pathway activity in relation to the various phases of mammary gland development.
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PMID:Patterns of cell signaling pathway activation that characterize mammary development. 1855 Jul 11

A 2006 National Cancer Institute workshop on chromosomal translocations brought together laboratory, clinical, and population scientists to cross-fertilize and catalyze research on this important disease process. The deliberations revealed significant contrasts between two types of translocations that result in either deregulated expression of oncogenes or formation of novel fusion genes. The classic oncogene-activating translocation, MYC-IGH, has been elucidated in terms of molecular structure and functional consequences yet has little epidemiologic characterization. In comparison, the archetypal fusion-gene translocation, BCR-ABL, has well-described clinical manifestations but is less defined with regard to mechanism of generation. Interdisciplinary collaboration on chromosomal translocations should yield additional insights regarding their biological significance and potential as targets for intervention.
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PMID:Mechanisms and consequences of chromosomal translocation. 1870 70

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate a large variety of cellular processes including differentiation, apoptosis and proliferation. Several miRNAs display defective expression patterns in human tumors with the consequent alteration of target oncogene or tumor suppressor genes. Many of these miRNAs modulate the major proliferation pathways through direct interaction with critical regulators such as RAS, PI3K/PTEN or ABL, as well as members of the retinoblastoma pathway, Cyclin-CDK complexes or cell cycle inhibitors of the INK4 or Cip/Kip families. A complex interplay between miRNAs and MYC or E2F family members also exists to modulate cell cycle-dependent transcription during normal or tumoral proliferation. The ability of miRNAs to modulate these proliferation pathways may have relevant implications not only in physiological or developmental processes but also in tumor progression or cancer therapy.
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PMID:Control of cell proliferation pathways by microRNAs. 1884 98

Chromosomal translocations affecting the immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) locus in chromosomal band 14q32 are the most frequent cytogenetic changes in B-cell lymphomas. We studied the presence of IGH translocations in a consecutively ascertained series of 94 classical Hodgkin lymphomas (cHL) by combined immunofluorescence for CD30 and interphase cytogenetics (FICTION technique). The Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg cells of a total of 11 of 87 evaluable cases (13%) showed signal patterns indicative of IGH translocations. To identify the translocation partners, these cases were further studied with probes for the MYC, BCL2, BCL6, BCL3, REL/BCL11A, JAK2/PDCD1LG2 (alias PDL2) C14orf43, and C2TA loci. The IGH translocation partner could be identified in four cHL and involved BCL2 and BCL3 in two cases each. Immunohistochemistry in cases with suitable material revealed that tumor cells of the two cHL with IGH/BCL2 fusion and the cHL with IGH/BCL3 fusion expressed the BCL2 and BCL3 protein, respectively. These data indicate that BCL2 or BCL3 are recurrent translocation partners of the IGH locus in cHL; however, most of the translocation partners of IGH translocations in cHL remain to be identified.
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PMID:BCL2 and BCL3 are recurrent translocation partners of the IGH locus. 1894 Apr 74

Exposure to ionizing radiation is a well-known risk factor for a number of human cancers, including leukemia and thyroid cancer. It has been known for a long time that exposure of cells to radiation results in extensive DNA damage; however, a small number of studies have tried to explain the mechanisms of radiation-induced carcinogenesis. The high prevalence of RET/PTC rearrangements in patients who have received external radiation, and the evidence of in vitro induction of RET rearrangements in human cells, suggest an enhanced sensitivity of the RET genomic region to damage by ionizing radiation. To assess whether RET is indeed more sensitive to radiations than other genomic regions, we used a COMET assay coupled with fluorescence in situ hybridization, which allows the measurement of DNA fragmentation in defined genomic regions of single cells. We compared the initial DNA damage of the genomic regions of RET, CXCL12/SDF1, ABL, MYC, PLA2G2A, p53, and JAK2 induced by ionizing radiation in both a lymphoblastoid and a fetal thyroid cell line. In both cell lines, RET fragmentation was significantly higher than in other genomic regions. Moreover, a differential distribution of signals within the COMET was associated with a higher percentage of RET fragments in the tail. RET was more susceptible to fragmentation in the thyroid-derived cells than in lymphoblasts. This enhanced susceptibility of RET to ionizing radiation suggests the possibility of using it as a radiation exposure marker.
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PMID:Enhanced sensitivity of the RET proto-oncogene to ionizing radiation in vitro. 1897 43

Neuroblastoma is a frequently lethal childhood tumor in which MYC gene deregulation, commonly as MYCN amplification, portends poor outcome. Identifying the requisite biopathways downstream of MYC may provide therapeutic opportunities. We used transcriptome analyses to show that MYCN-amplified neuroblastomas have coordinately deregulated myriad polyamine enzymes (including ODC1, SRM, SMS, AMD1, OAZ2, and SMOX) to enhance polyamine biosynthesis. High-risk tumors without MYCN amplification also overexpress ODC1, the rate-limiting enzyme in polyamine biosynthesis, when compared with lower-risk tumors, suggesting that this pathway may be pivotal. Indeed, elevated ODC1 (independent of MYCN amplification) was associated with reduced survival in a large independent neuroblastoma cohort. As polyamines are essential for cell survival and linked to cancer progression, we studied polyamine antagonism to test for metabolic dependence on this pathway in neuroblastoma. The Odc inhibitor alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) inhibited neuroblast proliferation in vitro and suppressed oncogenesis in vivo. DFMO treatment of neuroblastoma-prone genetically engineered mice (TH-MYCN) extended tumor latency and survival in homozygous mice and prevented oncogenesis in hemizygous mice. In the latter, transient Odc ablation permanently prevented tumor onset consistent with a time-limited window for embryonal tumor initiation. Importantly, we show that DFMO augments antitumor efficacy of conventional cytotoxics in vivo. This work implicates polyamine biosynthesis as an arbiter of MYCN oncogenesis and shows initial efficacy for polyamine depletion strategies in neuroblastoma, a strategy that may have utility for this and other MYC-driven embryonal tumors.
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PMID:ODC1 is a critical determinant of MYCN oncogenesis and a therapeutic target in neuroblastoma. 1904 52

More complete knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying cancer will improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Efforts such as The Cancer Genome Atlas are systematically characterizing the structural basis of cancer, by identifying the genomic mutations associated with each cancer type. A powerful complementary approach is to systematically characterize the functional basis of cancer, by identifying the genes essential for growth and related phenotypes in different cancer cells. Such information would be particularly valuable for identifying potential drug targets. Here, we report the development of an efficient, robust approach to perform genome-scale pooled shRNA screens for both positive and negative selection and its application to systematically identify cell essential genes in 12 cancer cell lines. By integrating these functional data with comprehensive genetic analyses of primary human tumors, we identified known and putative oncogenes such as EGFR, KRAS, MYC, BCR-ABL, MYB, CRKL, and CDK4 that are essential for cancer cell proliferation and also altered in human cancers. We further used this approach to identify genes involved in the response of cancer cells to tumoricidal agents and found 4 genes required for the response of CML cells to imatinib treatment: PTPN1, NF1, SMARCB1, and SMARCE1, and 5 regulators of the response to FAS activation, FAS, FADD, CASP8, ARID1A and CBX1. Broad application of this highly parallel genetic screening strategy will not only facilitate the rapid identification of genes that drive the malignant state and its response to therapeutics but will also enable the discovery of genes that participate in any biological process.
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PMID:Highly parallel identification of essential genes in cancer cells. 1909 43


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