Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0006826 (cancer)
 1,092,456 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The protooncogene c-kit encodes a tyrosine kinase with a molecular weight of 145,000, highly related to the platelet derived growth factor/colony stimulating factor receptors. Mutations of the murine gene result in impairment of hematopoiesis, gametogenesis, and of the melanocyte cell lineage. In order to elucidate c-kit functions in development and oncogenesis we have analyzed immunohistochemically its expression in human normal and transformed nonlymphoid tissues. The receptor has been detected in spermatogonia, melanocytes, and unexpectedly, in astrocytes, renal tubules, parotid cells, thyrocytes, and breast epithelium. While the gene product is expressed in seminoma, lung tumors, and melanoma of low invasiveness, no detectable levels have been detected in thyroid and breast carcinomas, astrocytomas, and invasive melanomas. In breast tumors these findings were confirmed by paired, Northern blot analysis of RNA preparations from normal and transformed tissue. The present results demonstrate that the c-kit receptor plays a role in the development of a larger spectrum of cell lineages. Furthermore, on the basis of the transformation associated changes, we speculate that, while in some cell types, c-kit expression positively regulates mitogenesis and is selected for in neoplastic transformation, in other tissues the c-kit pathway is involved in morphogenesis and differentiation and is, therefore, negatively selected in the course of tumor progression.
Cancer Res 1992 Nov 15
PMID:Expression of c-kit receptor in normal and transformed human nonlymphoid tissues. 138 54

The epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor is a potential target for antitumor therapy. Recent studies from many laboratories have found that this receptor is expressed in high levels on a variety of human tumor cells. Furthermore, the EGF receptor has been implicated in autocrine stimulation of cell growth in a number of experimental studies. We have produced anti-EGF receptor monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), which block the binding of EGF and transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha), and can prevent ligand-stimulated activation of EGF receptor tyrosine kinase. These MAbs have been useful in studies of EGF receptor function. Experiments utilizing the MAbs to block ligand binding have demonstrated that autocrine stimulation of EGF receptor phosphorylation can occur via an extracellular pathway, involving TGF-alpha-mediated activation of EGF receptor on the surface of the cell. The capacity of anti-EGF receptor MAbs to inhibit cell proliferation has provided evidence of an autocrine stimulatory pathway in cultures of malignant human skin, breast, colon, and lung cells. Growth of a variety of human tumor xenografts can be inhibited in situations where autocrine dependency is demonstrable in cell culture. Imaging studies with anti-EGF receptor MAb labeled with indium 111 (111In) demonstrated selective uptake in xenografts expressing high receptor levels. Based on these observations, a phase I trial was carried out with 111In-labeled anti-EGF receptor MAb 225 IgG1 in patients with advanced squamous cell lung carcinoma, a tumor that invariably expresses large numbers of EGF receptors. In the case of squamous lung carcinoma, there is evidence that overexpression of EGF receptors correlates with worse clinical stage and worse prognosis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr 1992
PMID:Epidermal growth factor receptor as a target for therapy with antireceptor monoclonal antibodies. 138 85

Friend virus induced erythroleukaemia can be conveniently divided into a first stage and a second stage. The first stage results from the mitogenic stimulation of EPO-R by gp55. In the second stage, multiple proviral integrations appear to result in further transformation of the SFFV infected erythroblast to a leukaemogenic state. The first stage results from EPO-R activation. After retroviral entry, mediated through an unknown receptor, and after cDNA synthesis and proviral integration, viral proteins are synthesized. Gp55 binds and activates EPO-R. A small but measurable amount of gp55-EPO-R complex is transported to the cell surface (Casadewall et al, 1991). In the presence of helper virus, the defective SFFV genome is packaged and released for subsequent rounds of infection. During the first stage, erythroblasts proliferate but are not tumorigenic. During the second stage of Friend disease, subsequent infections result in further proviral integrations in the host genome. Some of these integrations result in increased Spi-1 expression, whereas others result in decreased p53 expression. These events appear to account for the leukaemogenic properties of cells at this stage, 4-6 weeks after the initial SFFV infection. The interaction between EPO-R and gp55 persists at this later stage, although its contribution to the malignant phenotype of the MEL cells is not known. The sequence of events during stage 1 and stage 2 does not appear to have absolute requirements. Starting with IL-3 dependent immortalized Ba/F3 cells, which already have some unknown proliferative mutation (Mathey-Prevot et al, 1986), gp55 and EPO-R can subsequently be introduced, resulting in tumorigenicity (Li et al, 1990). The primary focus of this review has been the early mitogenic stage of Friend disease. Several concepts have emerged regarding the interaction between gp55 and EPO-R. The interaction between the polypeptides is highly specific, occurs in the extracytoplasmic regions and the transmembrane region of the polypeptides and occurs within the same cell, not via cell-cell contact. Both EPO and gp55 activate EPO-R, via different binding sites, resulting in increased cellular tyrosine kinase activity. The first stage of Friend disease is an example of how a non-oncogene bearing retrovirus can induce leukaemia. The env gene of the SFFV is not a classical oncogene. It does not appear to be derived from a normal cellular proto-oncogene. The interaction of gp55 and EPO-R therefore supports the "receptor mediated leukaemogenesis" hypothesis (McGrath and Weissman, 1978, 1979).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Cancer Surv 1992
PMID:The interaction of the erythropoietin receptor and gp55. 145 Nov 11

The observation made over 30 years ago that the Philadelphia chromosome is present in nearly all patients with CML led to the identification of a novel fusion gene bcr-abl. In the past few years, the biochemical and biological properties of bcr-abl have been extensively explored. Bcr sequences appear to activate c-abl for transformation by binding to the SH2 domain of c-abl in an intramolecular interaction, presumably interfering with the adjacent SH3 regulatory domain. Upon introduction into bone marrow cells, bcr-abl can cause acute or chronic leukaemias in mice and can stimulate the growth of many cell types, including multipotent stem cells, in vitro. Although their growth is stimulated, these cells are not fully malignant blastic leukaemias. The molecular events that occur during the progression to blast crisis of CML remain largely undefined, but existing animal models and in vitro culture systems will be useful for identifying or testing candidate genes. The study of tyrosine kinase oncogenes in general will probably lead to the identification of relevant bcr-abl substrates. The elucidation of these molecules as well as more downstream events in the bcr-abl signalling pathway offers the hope for novel therapeutic interventions to control Philadelphia chromosome leukaemias.
Cancer Surv 1992
PMID:The bcr-abl gene in chronic myelogenous leukaemia. 145 Nov 13

We have recently reported the activation of a new oncogene in human papillary thyroid carcinomas. This oncogene, named PTC, is a novel rearranged version of the ret proto-oncogene. In fact PTC is the product of the fusion of the tyrosine kinase domain of the ret proto-oncogene with the 5'-terminal region of another gene that we have named H4. The ret proto-oncogene shows a pattern of expression restricted to neuroendocrine tissue. Its fusion with H4 allows the expression of the activated form in thyroid papillary carcinomas. Therefore the detection of ret transcripts is a tool to investigate ret activation in thyroid neoplasms. Here we show the detection by in situ hybridisation, of activated ret transcripts in human thyroid papillary neoplasms that were positive for PTC activation by Southern blot analysis. We did not find any ret transcripts in papillary carcinomas negative for PTC activation, nor in normal thyroid and in non-papillary thyroid neoplasias.
Br J Cancer 1992 Dec
PMID:Detection of RET oncogene activation in human papillary thyroid carcinomas by in situ hybridisation. 145 50

A fungal metabolite, radicicol, with a macrocyclic ring induced the reversal of transformed phenotypes of v-src-transformed fibroblasts (Rous sarcoma virus-transformed 3Y1 rat fibroblast) at a quite low concentration of 0.1 microgram/ml. Actin stress fibers reappeared in the transformed cells after treatment with radicicol. Radicicol reduced the intracellular level of autophosphorylation of p60v-src as well as the level of other tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins in a dose-dependent manner. In vitro kinase assay revealed that radicicol effectively inhibited not only autophosphorylation but also transphosphorylation activities of purified p60v-src with a concentration producing 50% inhibition of 0.1 microgram/ml. However, radicicol showed no inhibitory effect on protein kinase C or protein kinase A. These results suggest that radicicol is a novel and specific protein-tyrosine kinase inhibitor and that the decreased level of tyrosine kinase activity of p60v-src causes reversion of transformed phenotypes of Rous sarcoma virus-transformed 3Y1 rat fibroblast. Furthermore, differentiation of Friend leukemia cells, which is one of the known characteristic phenomena associated with the inhibition of tyrosine kinase, was also induced in the concentration range of 0.05-0.5 microgram/ml, suggesting that the agent is useful for the analysis of differentiation as well as the kinase-mediated signal transduction.
Cancer Res 1992 Dec 15
PMID:Potent and specific inhibition of p60v-src protein kinase both in vivo and in vitro by radicicol. 145 81

Altered expression of growth factors and growth factor receptors is frequently described in human tumors and human tumor cell lines. This further supports the hypothesis that oncogenesis is due to the subversion of mitogen-responsive pathways. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and transforming growth factor alpha (TGF alpha) in 13 larynx carcinomas and 2 carcinomas of the oral cavity. We found receptor overexpression in 7 out of 15 tumors at mRNA and/or protein level but low expression in the majority of the normal adjacent tissues. TGF alpha was expressed only in 1 case, but no tyrosine kinase activity of the receptor was detected by antiphosphotyrosine antibody.
Cancer Lett 1992 Aug 31
PMID:Expression of epidermal growth factor receptor and transforming growth factor alpha in human larynx carcinoma. 151 34

The activation of protooncogenes (ras, fms and myc genes) by point mutations in hematological malignancies are described in this review. Ras mutations are found in a variety of human malignancies at codon 12, 13, and 61. Generally, N-ras mutations are frequent in hematological malignancies. Fms mutation at codon 301 and 969, which are seen in 10 to 20% cases of AML and MDS, increase tyrosine kinase activity of the fms products. Ras and fms mutations are postulated to influence leukemogenesis at rather early stages. Burkitt lymphomas are characterized by specific chromosomal translocations between c-myc gene and one of the immunoglobulin genes. Furthermore, mutations in the 3' border of the exon 1 of c-myc are frequent, and may play an additional role in pathogenesis of Burkitt lymphoma.
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PMID:[Activation of protooncogenes by point mutations in hematological malignancies]. 151 54

As a common characteristic of tumor cells, as well as of normal proliferating cells in the G1-phase of cell cycle, one finds constitutive high levels of all the glycolytic metabolites arising between glucose 6-phosphate and phosphoenolpyruvate. Thus, it is that the phosphometabolites fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, ribose 5-P, P-ribose-PP, NAD, GTP, CTO, UTP, UDP-glucose, glycerol 3-P, glycerol phosphocholine and glycerol phosphoethanolamine are useful in the 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) detection of solid tumors in animals and man. This expansion of phosphometabolites is achieved during tumor formation as a result of reductions in levels of enzymes degrading phosphometabolites, owing to the decline in the glycerol 3-P hydrogen shuttle, and as a consequence of alterations in the glycolytic isoenzyme equipment. Tumor cells typically express a particular isoenzyme of pyruvate kinase called type M2 (K) at high levels. This isoenzyme is subject to a complex regulation by amino acids, by fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, and by hormonal- and oncogene-dependent phosphorylation. Pyruvate kinase type M2 is a substrate for the oncogene encoded PP60v-src-tyrosine kinase. A drastic decrease in the affinity for its substrate phosphoenolpyruvate found after transformation by the src-oncogene can be explained as a consequence of the phosphorylation of pyruvate kinase in serine and tyrosine. These phosphorylations induce the breakdown of tetrameric pyruvate kinase to the trimeric and dimeric forms. Unlike the tetrameric form, the dimeric form as a low affinity for phosphoenolpyruvate. Partial inactivation of pyruvate kinase and enolase on the one hand, and a hyperactivation of hexokinase and phosphofructokinase on the other hand, lead to an expansion of all metabolites. Only when these metabolites attain high levels, thereby assuring a sufficient supply of metabolites for RNA, DNA, lipid, and complex carbohydrate synthesis, can cell proliferation proceed. This accumulation of metabolites in the G1-phase cells has been termed a "metabolic budget system" because it senses not only the actual nutrient levels, but also the supply over a period of time. Monoclonal antibodies specific for the dimeric form of pyruvate kinase type M2 can be used for the immunohistological detection of tumor cells. The amount of the dimeric form in tumor cells closely correlates with the degree of malignancy and can be used for a nonspecific detection of tumors based on assays performed with patient's plasma.
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PMID:Double role for pyruvate kinase type M2 in the expansion of phosphometabolite pools found in tumor cells. 153 31

Chromosomal translocation within B and T cell malignancies has proven a rich source for proto-oncogenes. The obligate DNA breaks within immunoglobulin (Ig) and T cell receptor (TCR) loci are frequently the sites of recurrent translocations. Burkitt's lymphoma established the paradigm by introducing the myc oncogene from chromosome segment 8q24 into the Ig heavy chain gene locus at 14q32. Molecular cloning of an aberrant Ig rearrangement in follicular lymphoma revealed Bcl-2. Bcl-2 constitutes the first member of a new category of oncogenes: regulators of programmed cell death. Bcl-2 blocks apoptosis and maintains long-term immune responsiveness including B-cell memory. The PRAD1 gene of parathyroid adenomas appears to be the elusive Bcl-1 gene of t(11;14)(q13;q32) bearing lymphomas. It proves to be a novel G1 cyclin. Acute lymphoblastic leukemias (ALL) pre-B phenotype produce a E2A/PBX fusion protein that possesses the leucine zipper of E2A with the homeodomain of PBX. Two molecular forms of the BCR/ABL fusion protein are produced by the Philadelphia chromosome. A deregulated p210 tyrosine kinase is found in chronic myelogenous leukemia, while a p190 form predominates in Ph+ ALL. In contrast, T-cell ALLs introduce a potpourri of genes into their T cell receptor loci. However, a common theme is emerging. These oncogenes (Ttg1, Ttg2, SCL, LylI, H0X11) all belong to classic families of transcription factors, possessing LIM domains, helix-loop-helix motifs, or homeodomains. Provocatively, these transcription factors are normally intended for lineages other than T cells. These genes have widened the horizons of both oncogenesis and normal development.
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PMID:Chromosomal translocations in lymphoid malignancies reveal novel proto-oncogenes. 159 Oct 3


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