Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0017636 (glioblastoma)
 18,345 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Deregulation of protein kinase activity has been shown to play a central role in the pathogenesis of human cancer. The molecular pathogenesis of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) in particular, depends on formation of the bcr-abl oncogene, leading to constitutive expression of the tyrosine kinase fusion protein, Bcr-Abl. Based on these observations, imatinib was developed as a specific inhibitor for the Bcr-Abl protein tyrosine kinase. The expanding understanding of the basis of imatinib-mediated tyrosine kinase inhibition has revealed a spectrum of potential new antitumor applications beyond the powerful activity already reported in the treatment of CML. Imatinib has shown activity in vivo against PDGF-driven tumor models including glioblastoma, dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia. Antiangiogenic effects have been demonstrated by inhibition of PDGF-, VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor)- and bFGF- (basic fibroblast growth factor) induced angiogenesis in vivo, and by inhibition of angiogenesis and tumor growth in an experimental bone metastasis model. Imatinib has been shown to reduce interstitial fluid pressure in an experimental colonic carcinoma model by blocking PDGF-mediated effects on tumor-associated blood vessels and stromal tissue. It is also a potent inhibitor of the Kit receptor tyrosine kinase, and has demonstrated activity clinically against the Kit-driven gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) and experimentally in small-cell lung cancer cell lines. The pharmacology of imatinib and its activity in various tumor models is discussed.
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PMID:Pharmacology of imatinib (STI571). 1252 70

The receptors for platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and stem cell factor (SCF) are members of the type III class of PTK receptors, which are characterized by five Ig-like domains extracellularly and a split kinase domain intracellularly. The receptors are activated by ligand-induced dimerization, leading to autophosphorylation on specific tyrosine residues. Thereby the kinase activities of the receptors are activated and docking sites for downstream SH2 domain signal transduction molecules are created; activation of these pathways promotes cell growth, survival, and migration. These receptors mediate important signals during the embryonal development, and control tissue homeostasis in the adult. Their overactivity is seen in malignancies and other diseases involving excessive cell proliferation, such as atherosclerosis and fibrotic diseases. In cancer, mutations of PDGF and SCF receptors-including gene fusions, point mutations, and amplifications-drive subpopulations of certain malignancies, such as gastrointestinal stromal tumors, chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, hypereosinophilic syndrome, glioblastoma, acute myeloid leukemia, mastocytosis, and melanoma.
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PMID:Structural and functional properties of platelet-derived growth factor and stem cell factor receptors. 2390 12