Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0006142 (breast cancer)
 160,383 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The human erbB-2 oncogene encodes a tyrosine kinase receptor. A ligand for the erbB-2 receptor (gp30), with an apparent molecular weight of 30,000, was reported to modulate the growth of cells overexpressing erbB-2. Whereas low concentrations of gp30 induced proliferation of these cells, higher concentrations inhibited their growth. To elucidate the cellular mechanisms underlying cell growth inhibition by gp30, we tested the effect of this ligand on cell growth and differentiation of the human breast cancer cells AU-565 and MDA-MB-453 (which overexpress erbB-2) and MCF-7 cells (which express low levels of this protooncogene). Ligand concentrations that inhibited growth in cells overexpressing erbB-2 induced apparent differentiation of cells with a more mature phenotype, i.e., with characteristics such as inhibited cell growth, altered cytoplasmic and nuclear morphology, and increased synthesis of milk components (casein and lipids). No significant effect of the ligand was observed in the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7. Concomitant with the induction of differentiation in AU-565 and MDA-MB-453 cells, the erbB-2 protein was translocated from membrane to the cytoplasm and perinuclear sites. These findings indicate that ligand-induced growth inhibition in cells overexpressing erbB-2 is associated with an apparent induction of differentiation.
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PMID:A ligand for the erbB-2 oncogene product (gp30) induces differentiation of human breast cancer cells. 135 80

The HER-2/neu protooncogene (also called erbB-2) encodes a tyrosine kinase receptor for a polypeptide growth-regulatory molecule. Amplification and overexpression of the gene have been frequently observed in human adenocarcinomas and correlated with poor prognosis. To explore the potential of antibody therapy directed at the HER-2/Neu receptor, we have raised a panel of murine monoclonal antibodies to the human protein, and tested their effect on the tumorigenic growth of HER-2/neu-transfected fibroblasts in athymic mice. We previously reported that the i.p. injected antibodies either inhibited or accelerated the tumorigenic growth of HER-2/neu transfectants in athymic mice. Here we report that these opposing effects were induced also by i.v. injected antibodies, they lasted over 7 weeks, and were probably mediated by distinct epitopes on the receptor molecule. To understand the cellular mechanisms underlying antibody-induced tumor inhibition, we tested the effect of the monoclonal antibodies on various cultured human breast cancer cells. Our analysis revealed that the tumor-inhibitory antibodies specifically induced phenotypic cellular differentiation that included growth arrest at late S or early G2 phase of the cell cycle, markedly altered cytoplasm and nuclear morphology, synthesis and secretion of milk components (casein and lipids), and translocation of the HER-2/Neu protein to cytoplasmic and perinuclear sites. The extent of cellular differentiation by various antibodies could be correlated with their tumor-inhibitory potential, whereas a tumor-stimulatory monoclonal antibody or control immunoglobulin were completely inactive with respect to cellular differentiation. Taken together, our in vivo and in vitro studies correlate the tumor inhibitory potential of monoclonal antibodies to HER-2/Neu with their capacity to induce cellular differentiation in vitro. This observation may hold promise for immunotherapy of cancers that express the HER-2/neu oncogene.
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PMID:Tumor-inhibitory monoclonal antibodies to the HER-2/Neu receptor induce differentiation of human breast cancer cells. 137 72

The amplification and overexpression of the HER-2/neu proto-oncogene, which encodes the tyrosine kinase receptor p185neu, have been observed frequently in tumors from human breast cancer patients and are correlated with poor prognosis. To explore the potential of chemotherapy directed at the tyrosine kinase of p185neu, we have found that emodin (3-methyl-1,6,8-trihydroxyanthraquinone), a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, suppresses autophosphorylation and transphosphorylation activities of HER-2/neu tyrosine kinase, resulting in tyrosine hypophosphorylation of p185neu in HER-2/neu-overexpressing breast cancer cells. Emodin, at a 40-microM concentration, which repressed tyrosine kinase of p185neu, efficiently inhibited both anchorage-dependent and anchorage-independent growth of HER-2/neu-overexpressing breast cancer cells. However, the inhibition was much less effective for those cells expressing basal levels of p185neu under the same conditions. Emodin also induced differentiation of HER-2/neu-overexpressing breast cancer cells by exhibiting a morphological maturation property of large lacy nuclei surrounded by sizable flat cytoplasm and by showing a measurable production of large lipid droplets, which is a marker of mature breast cells. Therefore, our results indicate that emodin inhibits HER-2/neu tyrosine kinase activity and preferentially suppresses growth and induces differentiation of HER-2/neu-overexpressing cancer cells. These results may have chemotherapeutic implications for using emodin to target HER-2/neu-overexpressing cancer cells.
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PMID:Suppressed transformation and induced differentiation of HER-2/neu-overexpressing breast cancer cells by emodin. 754 19

Genistein, a natural isoflavonoid phyto-oestrogen, inhibits the tyrosine kinase activity of growth factor receptors and oncogene products, as well as the in vitro growth of some tumour cell lines. The low incidence of breast cancer in countries with a flavonoid-rich soy-based diet and the protection afforded by soy-derived products against experimental mammary tumours in rats suggest that genistein and other isoflavonoid compounds may exert an anti-tumour activity. We analysed the effects of genistein on cell number and cell cycle progression (flow cytometric analysis of propidium iodide-stained nuclei) of human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) in vitro. Genistein produced a significant, dose-dependent inhibition of MCF-7 cell growth with an ID50 of approximately 40 microM after 72 h of incubation. Cell cycle analysis showed a reversible G2/M arrest in cell cycle progression at 10 microM genistein concentrations, whilst a marked fall in S-phase cell percentage associated with a persistent arrest in G2/M phase was observed in cultures treated with genistein doses equal to or greater than 50 microM. These effects were significant at 24 h of incubation; flow cytometric analysis at later times (48 and 72 h) revealed a population of cells with decreased DNA content and nuclear fragmentation characteristic of apoptosis. Thus, the growth inhibitory activity of genistein in MCF-7 cells results from the sum of cytostatic and apoptotic effects. Since the mitogenic action of insulin and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I in MCF-7 cells is a tyrosine kinase-dependent phenomenon, we analysed the genistein impact on S-phase entry produced by insulin in cultures partially synchronised in G0/G1 phase by serum deprivation. Insulin addition after a 36-h culture period in serum-free medium produced a strong increase in the percentage of S-phase cells (from 18.4 +/- 2.3 to 46.2 +/- 4.1 after 24 h) which was almost completely blocked by 100 microM genistein (20.1 +/- 3.1). Immunofluorescence analysis with a fluoresceine isothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated anti-phosphotyrosine antibody revealed a strong increase in MCF-7 cell staining after insulin stimulation, but not when genistein was added with insulin. In conclusion, the dietary phyto-oestrogen genistein inhibits in vitro growth of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells through blocks in the "critical checkpoints" of cell cycle control and induction of apoptosis. These effects are likely to depend on impairment in the signal transduction pathway from tyrosine kinase receptor(s).
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PMID:Growth-inhibitory effects of the natural phyto-oestrogen genistein in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. 783 43

SH2 domain proteins are important components of the signal transduction pathways activated by growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases. We have been cloning SH2 domain proteins by bacterial expression cloning using the tyrosine phosphorylated C-terminus of the epidermal growth factor receptor as a probe. One of these newly cloned SH2 domain proteins, GRB-7, was mapped on mouse chromosome 11 to a region which also contains the tyrosine kinase receptor, HER2/erbB-2. The analogous chromosomal locus in man is often amplified in human breast cancer leading to overexpression of HER2. We find that GRB-7 is amplified in concert with HER2 in several breast cancer cell lines and that GRB-7 is overexpressed in both cell lines and breast tumors. GRB-7, through its SH2 domain, binds tightly to HER2 such that a large fraction of the tyrosine phosphorylated HER2 in SKBR-3 cells is bound to GRB-7. GRB-7 can also bind tyrosine phosphorylated SHC, albeit at a lower affinity than GRB2 binds SHC. We also find that GRB-7 has a strong similarity over > 300 amino acids to a newly identified gene in Caenorhabditis elegans. This region of similarity, which lies outside the SH2 domain, also contains a pleckstrin homology domain. The presence of evolutionarily conserved domains indicates that GRB-7 is likely to perform a basic signaling function. The fact that GRB-7 and HER2 are both overexpressed and bound tightly together suggests that this basic signaling pathway is greatly amplified in certain breast cancers.
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PMID:The SH2 domain protein GRB-7 is co-amplified, overexpressed and in a tight complex with HER2 in breast cancer. 790 78

Overexpression of the HER-2/neu proto-oncogene which encodes tyrosine kinase receptor p185neu, has been observed frequently in many human cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and is correlated with poor patient survival in these cancers. In addition, HER-2/neu overexpression in NSCLC is known to induce chemoresistance. Recently, we demonstrated that emodin, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, suppresses HER-2/neu tyrosine kinase activity in HER-2/neu-overexpressing breast cancer cells and preferentially represses proliferation of these cells. The work described here was carried out to examine (1) whether the tyrosine kinase activity of p185neu is required for resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs of HER-2/neu-overexpressing NSCLC cells and (2) whether the tyrosine kinase inhibitor emodin can sensitize these cells to chemotherapeutic drugs. We found that emodin decreased tyrosine phosphorylation of HER-2/neu and preferentially suppressed proliferation of HER-2/neu-overexpressing NSCLC cells. Furthermore, the combination of emodin with cisplatin, doxorubicin or etoposide (VP16) synergistically inhibited the proliferation of HER-2/neu-overexpressing lung cancer cells, whereas low doses of emodin, cisplatin, doxorubicin, or VP16 alone had only minimal antiproliferative effects on these cells. These results indicate that tyrosine kinase activity is required for the chemoresistant phenotype of HER-2/neu-overexpressing NSCLC cells and that tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as emodin can sensitize these cells to chemotherapeutic drugs. The results may have important implications in chemotherapy for HER-2/neu-overexpressing cancers.
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PMID:Sensitization of HER-2/neu-overexpressing non-small cell lung cancer cells to chemotherapeutic drugs by tyrosine kinase inhibitor emodin. 863 14

In this report, we have discussed a series of results obtained in our laboratory that, together with data by other authors, demonstrate that the expression of the erbB-2 tyrosine kinase receptor oncogene in breast cancer cells is regulated by multiple factors and hormones, which modulate their growth and differentiation. In particular, we have shown that estrogens specifically inhibit erbB-2 expression by transcriptional repression, which is exerted through a sequence within the erbB-2 gene promoter. Estrogens control mammary cell growth directly, by inducing early gene expression, and indirectly, by increasing autocrine growth factor production or decreasing growth inhibitors. The data presented here suggest that mammary cells respond to estrogen also by modifying the receptor array on their surface, thus setting their own sensitivity to the different autocrine and paracrine factors. As a first consequence, the modulation of erbB-2 expression level by antiestrogen may represent a point to consider when selecting breast cancer patients for hormonal therapy, in those (few) cases where estrogen receptor positivity accompanies erbB-2 amplification. On the other hand, antiestrogen-induced upregulation of erbB-2 may improve tumor targeting of drugs designed to interact or interfere with erbB-2, such as humanized antibodies, immunotoxins, or engineered ligands. These possibilities should be tested in appropriate model systems in the future.
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PMID:Hormonal control of growth factor receptor expression. 865 82

Specific gene families, e.g. encoding members of signal transduction pathways, show a gene dosage sensitivity. We report on the determination of the gene dosages of egfr and c-erbB-2 in relation to the intratumoral concentration of the tyrosine kinase receptor protein EGFR and p185c-erbB-2 and the clinical outcome of breast cancer patients in a retrospective study. Prognostic unfavorable subgroups were determined in a life-table analysis by (a) an average gene copy number of egfr of less than 0.4 and greater than 1.6 and an intratumoral EGFR concentration of more than 56 fmol/mg, (b) an intratumoral p185c-erbB-2 concentration above 26 HNU/mg and (c) a quotient of egfr and c-erbB-2 average gene copy numbers of less than 0.15 and greater than 4.35.
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PMID:Translational research studies of erbB oncogenes: selection strategies for breast cancer treatment. 945 4

The pineal hormone, melatonin, inhibits proliferation of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive MCF-7 human breast cancer cells, modulates both ER mRNA and protein expression, and appears to be serum dependent, indicating interaction between melatonin and serum components. To examine the effects of melatonin on ER activity, ER transactivation assays were performed by transiently transfecting MCF-7 cells with an ERE-luciferase reporter construct. MCF-7 cells pre-treated with melatonin for as little as 5 min followed by either epidermal growth factor (EGF) or insulin resulted in the estrogen-independent transactivation of the ER. None of the compounds when used alone transactivated the ER. The ability of melatonin and EGF to transactivate the ER was abolished by the addition of the antiestrogen, ICI 164384, suggesting that melatonin and EGF co-operate to transactivate the ER. The modulation of ER transactivation was associated with changes in mitogen activated protein kinase activity and ER phosphorylation. This ER transactivation was blocked by pertussis toxin, a Galpha i-protein-coupled receptor inhibitor, suggesting cross talk between the G-protein-coupled melatonin receptor pathway and the EGF/insulin tyrosine kinase receptor pathways in modulating ER transactivation. Exactly how the ability of melatonin in combination with EGF to transactivate the ER relates to melatonin's observed growth suppressive effects is not clear. It is possible that, although melatonin and EGF transactivate the ER, this transactivation does not result in the full transcription of estrogen-responsive genes, but rather, makes the ER refractory to activation by estradiol, thus, blocking the mitogenic actions of estradiol.
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PMID:Estrogen receptor transactivation in MCF-7 breast cancer cells by melatonin and growth factors. 972 86

Overexpression of p185(c-erbB2) (p185/NEU/HER2) by tumor cells is associated with a poor prognosis in many but not all studies of breast and ovarian cancer. The poor prognosis associated with overexpression of p185(c-erbB2) could result from an increased growth rate or increased invasive potential. The p185(c-erbB2) tyrosine kinase receptor can be activated with agonistic antibodies directed against p185(c-erbB2) or with the ligand heregulin through a combinatorial interaction with erbB3 or erbB4. Consequently, we have asked whether heregulin or agonistic antibodies increase anchorage-independent growth or invasiveness of the SKBr3 breast cancer cell line, which overexpresses p185(c-erbB2). Incubation of SKBr3 breast cancer cells with heregulin inhibited anchorage-independent growth while enhancing tyrosine phosphorylation of p185(c-erbB2). Heregulin treatment also increased adhesion of SKBr3 cells to plastic and increased invasiveness of tumor cells into Matrigel membranes while increasing expression of the CD44 (HCAM) and CD54 (ICAM-1) adhesion molecules. Tumor cell invasion of Matrigel membranes was partially blocked by either anti-CD44 or anti-CD54 antibodies, indicating a role for these adhesion molecules in the invasion process. Compatible with the increased invasiveness, heregulin increased expression of the matrix metalloproteinase 9. In contrast, the agonistic anti-p185(c-erbB2) antibody ID5 induced only a subset of the responses induced by heregulin. ID5 induced tyrosine phosphorylation of p185(c-erbB2), increased invasiveness, and increased expression of CD44. Despite the similarity of effects of ID5 and heregulin on some outcomes, the ID5 antibody failed to increase adhesion to plastic, expression of CD54, or production of matrix metalloproteinase 9. Thus, the ID5 agonistic anti-p185(c-erbB2) antibody mimics rather than antagonizes some but not all of the actions of heregulin. Moreover, the poor prognosis of breast and ovarian cancers that overexpress p185(c-erbB2) could relate in part to enhanced invasiveness rather than to increased proliferative capacity.
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PMID:Heregulin and agonistic anti-p185(c-erbB2) antibodies inhibit proliferation but increase invasiveness of breast cancer cells that overexpress p185(c-erbB2): increased invasiveness may contribute to poor prognosis. 981 53


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