Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.7.11.24 (mitogen-activated protein kinase)
 95,810 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Our previous studies have indicated that hypoxia-induced mitogenic factor (HIMF) has angiogenic properties in an in vivo matrigel plug model and HIMF upregulates expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in mouse lungs and cultured lung epithelial cells. However, whether HIMF exerts angiogenic effects through modulating endothelial cell function remains unknown. In this study, mouse aortic rings cultured with recombinant HIMF protein resulted in enhanced vascular sprouting and increased endothelial cell spreading as confirmed by Dil-Ac-LDL uptake, von Willebrand factor and CD31 staining. In cultured mouse endothelial cell line SVEC 4-10, HIMF dose-dependently enhanced cell proliferation, in vitro migration and tubulogenesis, which was not attenuated by SU1498, a VEGFR2/Flk-1 receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Moreover, HIMF stimulation resulted in phosphorylation of Akt, p38 and ERK1/2 kinases in SVEC 4-10 cells. Treatment of mouse aortic rings and SVEC 4-10 cells with LY294002, but not SB203580, PD098059 or U0126, abolished HIMF-induced vascular sprouting and angiogenic responses. In addition, transfection of a dominant-negative mutant of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3K), Deltap85, blocked HIMF-induced phosphorylation of Akt, endothelial activation and tubulogenesis. These results indicate that HIMF enhances angiogenesis by promoting proliferation and migration of endothelial cells via activation of the PI-3K/Akt pathways.
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PMID:Hypoxia-induced mitogenic factor enhances angiogenesis by promoting proliferation and migration of endothelial cells. 1698 54

Identification of the key roles of protein kinases in signaling pathways leading to development of cancer has caused pharmacological interest to concentrate extensively on targeted therapies as a more specific and effective way for blockade of cancer progression. This review will mainly focus on inhibitors targeting these key components of cellular signaling by employing a technology-based point of view with respect to ATP- and non-ATP-competitive small molecule inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies of selected protein kinases, particularly, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), BCR-ABL, MEK, p38 MAPK, EGFR PDGFR, VEGFR, HER2 and Raf. Inhibitors of the heat shock protein Hsp90 are also included in a separate section, as this protein plays an essential role for the maturation/proper activation of cancer-related protein kinases. In the following review, the molecular details of the mode of action of these inhibitors as well as the emergence of drug resistance encountered in several cases are discussed in light of the structural, molecular and clinical studies conducted so far.
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PMID:Protein kinases as drug targets in cancer. 1710 May 68

Increased consumption of soy is associated with a decreased risk for prostate cancer; however, the specific cellular mechanisms responsible for this anticancer activity are unknown. Dietary modulation of signaling cascades controlling cellular growth, proliferation and differentiation has emerged as a potential chemopreventive mechanism. The present study examined the effects of four soy isoflavones (genistein, daidzein, glycitein and equol) on extracellularsignal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) activity in a nontumorigenic prostate epithelial cell line (RWPE-1). All four isoflavones (10 micromol/L) significantly increased ERK1/2 activity in RWPE-1 cells, as determined by immunoblotting. Isoflavone-induced ERK1/2 activation was rapid and sustained for approximately 2 h posttreatment. Glycitein, the most potent activator of ERK1/2, decreased RWPE-1 cell proliferation by 40% (P<.01). Glycitein-induced ERK1/2 activation was dependent, in part, on tyrosine kinase activity associated with vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR). The presence of both VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 in the RWPE-1 cell line was confirmed by immunocytochemistry. Treatment of RWPE-1 cells with VEGF(165) resulted in transient ERK1/2 activation and increased cellular proliferation. The ability of isoflavones to modulate ERK1/2 signaling cascade via VEGFR signaling in the prostate may be responsible, in part, for the anticancer activity of soy.
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PMID:Glycitein activates extracellular signal-regulated kinase via vascular endothelial growth factor receptor signaling in nontumorigenic (RWPE-1) prostate epithelial cells. 1715 92

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is involved in the promotion of endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and capillary formation. These activities are mainly mediated by the VEGFR2 receptor tyrosine kinase that upon stimulation, promotes the activation of numerous proteins including phospholipase Cgamma (PLCgamma), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), Akt, Src, and ERK1/2. However, the VEGFR2-proximal signaling events leading to the activation of these targets remain ill defined. We have identified the Gab1 adapter as a novel tyrosine-phosphorylated protein in VEGF-stimulated cells. In bovine aortic endothelial cells, Gab1 associates with VEGFR2, Grb2, PI3K, SHP2, Shc, and PLCgamma, and its overexpression enhances VEGF-dependent cell migration. Importantly, silencing of Gab1 using small interfering RNAs leads to the impaired activation of PLCgamma, ERK1/2, Src, and Akt; blocks VEGF-induced endothelial cell migration; and perturbs actin reorganization and capillary formation. In addition, co-expression of VEGFR2 with Gab1 mutants unable to bind SHP2 or PI3K in human embryonic kidney 293 cells and bovine aortic endothelial cells mimics the defects observed in Gab1-depleted cells. Our work thus identifies Gab1 as a novel critical regulatory component of endothelial cell migration and capillary formation and reveals its key role in the activation of VEGF-evoked signaling pathways required for angiogenesis.
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PMID:The scaffolding adapter Gab1 mediates vascular endothelial growth factor signaling and is required for endothelial cell migration and capillary formation. 1717 24

Angiogenesis and signaling through the RAF/mitogen-activated protein/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) kinase (MEK)/ERK cascade have been reported to play important roles in the development of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC). Sorafenib (BAY 43-9006, Nexavar) is a multikinase inhibitor with activity against Raf kinase and several receptor tyrosine kinases, including vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2), platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR), FLT3, Ret, and c-Kit. In this study, we investigated the in vitro effects of sorafenib on PLC/PRF/5 and HepG2 HCC cells and the in vivo antitumor efficacy and mechanism of action on PLC/PRF/5 human tumor xenografts in severe combined immunodeficient mice. Sorafenib inhibited the phosphorylation of MEK and ERK and down-regulated cyclin D1 levels in these two cell lines. Sorafenib also reduced the phosphorylation level of eIF4E and down-regulated the antiapoptotic protein Mcl-1 in a MEK/ERK-independent manner. Consistent with the effects on both MEK/ERK-dependent and MEK/ERK-independent signaling pathways, sorafenib inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in both HCC cell lines. In the PLC/PRF/5 xenograft model, sorafenib tosylate dosed at 10 mg/kg inhibited tumor growth by 49%. At 30 mg/kg, sorafenib tosylate produced complete tumor growth inhibition. A dose of 100 mg/kg produced partial tumor regressions in 50% of the mice. In mechanism of action studies, sorafenib inhibited the phosphorylation of both ERK and eIF4E, reduced the microvessel area (assessed by CD34 immunohistochemistry), and induced tumor cell apoptosis (assessed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick end labeling) in PLC/PRF/5 tumor xenografts. These results suggest that the antitumor activity of sorafenib in HCC models may be attributed to inhibition of tumor angiogenesis (VEGFR and PDGFR) and direct effects on tumor cell proliferation/survival (Raf kinase signaling-dependent and signaling-independent mechanisms).
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PMID:Sorafenib blocks the RAF/MEK/ERK pathway, inhibits tumor angiogenesis, and induces tumor cell apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma model PLC/PRF/5. 1717 82

The neuropilin-1 (np1) receptor binds the 165 amino-acid form of vascular endothelial growth factor165 (VEGF165) and functions as an enhancer that potentiates VEGF165 signaling via the VEGFR-2 tyrosine-kinase receptor. To study the mechanism by which neuropilins potentiate VEGF activity we produced a VEGF165 mutant (VEGF165KF) that binds to neuropilins but displays a much lower affinity toward VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2. VEGF165KF failed to induce VEGFR-2 phosphorylation in cells lacking neuropilins. However, in the presence of np1, VEGF165KF bound weakly to VEGFR-2, induced VEGFR-2 phosphorylation, and activated ERK1/2. Interestingly, VEGF165KF did not promote formation of VEGFR-2/np1 complexes nor did high concentrations of VEGF165KF inhibit VEGF165 induced formation of such complexes, suggesting that VEGF165 does not stabilize VEGFR-2/np1 complexes by forming bridges spanning VEGFR-2 and np1. VEGF121 is a VEGF form that does not bind to neuropilins. Surprisingly, both np1 and neuropilin-2 (np2) enhanced VEGF121-induced phosphorylation of VEGFR-2 and VEGF121-induced proliferation of endothelial cells. The enhancement of VEGF121 activity by np1 was accompanied by a 10-fold increase in binding affinity to VEGFR-2 and was not associated with the formation of new VEGFR-2/np1 complexes. These observations suggest that neuropilins enhance the activity of VEGF forms that do not bind to neuropilins, indicate that np2 is a functional VEGF receptor, and imply that spontaneously formed VEGFR-2/np1 complexes suffice for efficient neuropilin mediated enhancement of VEGF activity.
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PMID:Neuropilin-1 and neuropilin-2 enhance VEGF121 stimulated signal transduction by the VEGFR-2 receptor. 1747 May 74

Angiogenesis, the development of new blood vessels from preexisting capillary, is required for tumor growth and metastasis. The process is not fully understood yet, but involves endothelial cell proliferation, migration and differentiation. Recently, we have shown that overexpression of caveolin-1, a putative transformation suppressor gene, inhibits VEGFR-2 and MEK-1-mediated mitogenic signal to the nucleus. Conversely, angiogenic activators suppress caveolin-1 expression in endothelial cells. However, whether caveolin-1 expression affects endothelial cell proliferation is not clear. In the present study, we infect human endothelial cells with adenovirus expressing caveolin-1 and show that transient overexpression of caveolin-1 dramatically inhibits the proliferation of human endothelial cells. Consistent with caveolin-1 functioning as an inhibitor for protein kinases, overexpression of caveolin-1 inhibits the activity of VEGFR-2 (KDR) and down-stream p42/44 MAP kinase. Furthermore, overexpression of caveolin-1 prevents VEGF-induced down-regulation of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27(kip1) and Rb phosphorylation, and subsequently arrests endothelial cells in the G(0)/G(1) phase. Thus, our results suggest that caveolin-1, as a negative regulator of endothelial cell proliferation, may be a potential target for the control of angiogenesis.
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PMID:Overexpression of caveolin-1 inhibits endothelial cell proliferation by arresting the cell cycle at G0/G1 phase. 1724 31

Des-gamma-carboxyl prothrombin (DCP) is a well recognized tumor marker for hepatocellular carcinoma. Previously, we have demonstrated that DCP stimulates cell proliferation in hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines through Met-Janus kinase 1 signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 signaling pathway. In the present study, we demonstrated that DCP induces both cell proliferation and migration in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. DCP was found to bind with the kinase insert domain receptor (KDR), alternatively referred to as vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2. Furthermore, DCP induced autophosphorylation of KDR and its downstream effector phospholipase C-gamma and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). To support these results, we showed that DCP-induced cell proliferation and cell migration were inhibited by KDR short interfering RNA, KDR kinase inhibitor, or MAPK inhibitor. In conclusion, these results indicate that DCP is a novel type of vascular endothelial growth factor that possesses potent mitogenic and migrative activities.
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PMID:Des-gamma-carboxyl prothrombin-promoted vascular endothelial cell proliferation and migration. 1725 2

The outcome for patients with lung cancer has not changed significantly for more than two decades. Several studies show that the overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/vascular permeability factor and epidermal growth factor (EGF) and their receptors correlates with the clinical outcome for lung cancer patients. However, clinical trials of agents that target either of these pathways alone have been disappointing. We hypothesize that targeting both the tumor and its vasculature by simultaneously blocking the VEGFR and EGFR pathways will improve the treatment of locoregional lung cancer. Human lung cancer specimens were first examined for the activation of VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2) and EGF receptor (EGFR) for tumor and tumor-associated endothelial cells, and both were found to be activated. The effects of ZD6474 (ZACTIMA), a small-molecule inhibitor of VEGFR2 and EGFR tyrosine kinases, were then studied in vitro using human lung cancer and microvascular endothelial cells. In vitro, ZD6474 inhibited EGFR, VEGFR2, mitogen-activated protein kinase and Akt phosphorylation, EGF- and VEGF-induced proliferation, and endothelial cell tube formation and also induced apoptosis. ZD6474 was further studied in vivo using an orthotopic mouse model of non-small cell lung cancer using NCI-H441 human lung adenocarcinoma cells. The inhibition of both VEGFR2 and EGFR signaling pathways by ZD6474 resulted in profound antiangiogenic, antivascular, and antitumor effects. These results provide a basis for the development of clinical strategies for the combination of selective protein tyrosine kinase inhibitors that block both EGFR and VEGFR signaling as part of the management of locally advanced lung cancer.
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PMID:Targeted therapy of orthotopic human lung cancer by combined vascular endothelial growth factor and epidermal growth factor receptor signaling blockade. 1730 46

ZD6474 is a novel, orally available inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor kinase insert domain receptor/flk-1 tyrosine kinase activity with additional activity against the epidermal growth factor receptor-1 tyrosine kinase. The aim of this study was to evaluate ZD6474, alone and in combination with gemcitabine, in an orthotopic model of metastatic pancreatic cancer. Nude mice (nine to 10/group) were injected orthotopically with 1x10(6) L3.6pl human pancreatic cancer cells. Eight days later, treatment was initiated with vehicle only, gemcitabine (100 mg/kg intraperitoneal twice weekly), ZD6474 (50 mg/kg oral once daily) or a combination of the two treatments. Animals were killed on day 24 posttreatment initiation. The phosphorylation status level of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 and epidermal growth factor receptor as well as the phosphorylation level of AKT and extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1/2 in different human pancreatic carcinoma cells and in human umbilical vein endothelial cells was analyzed by Western blotting. Compared with controls (1231 mg), the mean weight of treated tumors was reduced to 836, 541 and 308 mg in the gemcitabine, ZD6474 and combination groups, respectively. Lymph node metastasis was significantly reduced in both the ZD6474 alone and combined treatment groups, with 3/10 and 1/5 animals developing metastases, compared with 10/10 and 9/9 in the control and gemcitabine groups (P<0.003 and <0.0003, respectively). Microvessel density and cell proliferation were significantly reduced in the ZD6474 and combined treatment groups (P<0.02). Immunohistochemistry of tumor samples following treatment with ZD6474 resulted in a reduction of the activated and phosphorylated epidermal growth factor receptor, whereas total epidermal growth factor receptor levels were comparable with control tumors. On the basis of Western blot analysis, ZD6474 provides inhibition of tumor angiogenesis through an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 mechanism and inhibition of cancer cell growth through an anti-epidermal growth factor receptor mechanism. ZD6474 decreased primary pancreatic tumor growth and reduced lymph node and liver metastases compared with controls or gemcitabine alone. Tumor growth was inhibited further in animals receiving ZD6474 and gemcitabine in combination.
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PMID:Antiangiogenic and antitumor activity of a novel vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 tyrosine kinase inhibitor ZD6474 in a metastatic human pancreatic tumor model. 1741 26


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