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)

Brain angiogenesis is a tightly controlled process that is regulated by neuroectodermal derived growth factors that bind to tyrosine kinase receptors expressed on endothelial cells. In the rat brain, angiogenesis is complete around postnatal day 20, but endothelial cells can proliferate in the adult brain under pathological conditions such as hypoxia/ischemia and brain tumor growth. Current evidence suggests that physiological angiogenesis in the brain is regulated by similar mechanisms as pathological angiogenesis induced by tumors or by hypoxia/ischemia. The hypoxia-inducible endothelial cell mitogen and vascular permeability factor, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) appears to play a pivotal role in most of these processes. VEGF is expressed when angiogenesis is high, as in embryonic neuroectoderm, in glioblastomas and around infarcts, but is expressed at low levels when angiogenesis is absent, as in adult neuroectoderm. Since growth factors such as VEGF and angiopoietins and their receptors appear to be necessary for angiogenesis, targeting of growth factor/receptor pathways for angiogenesis-dependent diseases such as glioblastoma might be useful for therapy. Several compounds, including anti-VEGF antibodies and VEGFR-2 inhibitors are currently in clinical trial. On the other hand, induction of angiogenesis by growth factors (pro-angiogenesis) might prove to be a rational therapy for patients with stroke.
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PMID:Mechanisms of angiogenesis in the brain. 1021 26

ImClone is developing IMC-IC11, an anti-angiogenesis chimeric monoclonal antibody specific vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2, also known Flk-1 in mice), for the potential treatment of cancer [156625]; it in phase I trials for the treatment of colorectal carcinoma [379143]. The related antibody DC-101 provided proof-of-principle that an anti-VEGF receptor antibody could strongly inhibit tumor growth and even cause tumor regression with the glioblastoma tumor cell line, GBM18 [388236]. In May 1998, the company was granted US-05747651 by the USPTO, covering antibodies against the extracellular portion of the FLK-1/KDR receptor [284054].
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PMID:Technology evaluation: IMC-1C11, ImClone Systems. 1152 67

Using an orthotopic intracerebral model, we investigated whether systemic treatment with DC101, a monoclonal antibody against vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-2, could inhibit angiogenesis and the growth of human glioblastoma cells in severe combined immunodeficient mice. Intraperitoneal treatment with DC101, control IgG, or PBS was initiated either on day 0 or, in another series, on day 6 after tumor cell implantation, and animals were killed approximately 2 weeks after tumor cell injection. Tumor volumes in animals treated with DC101 were reduced by 59 and 81% compared with IgG and PBS controls, respectively (P < 0.001), when treatment was initiated immediately, and similar results were obtained when treatment started on day 6. Microvessel density in tumors of DC101-treated animals was reduced by at least 40% compared with animals treated with control IgG or PBS (P < 0.01). We observed a reduction in tumor cell proliferation and an increase in apoptosis in DC101-treated animals (P < 0.001). However, in mice treated with DC101, we also noticed a striking increase in the number and total area of small satellite tumors clustered around, but distinct from, the primary. These satellites usually contained central vessel cores, and tumor cells often had migrated over long distances along the host vasculature to eventually reach the surface and spread leptomeningeally. We conclude that systemic antagonization of VEGFR-2 can inhibit glioblastoma neovascularization and growth but can lead to increased cooption of preexistent cerebral blood vessels. Therefore, a combination of different treatment modalities which also include anti-invasive therapy may be needed for an effective therapy against glioblastoma, and the use of an antibody against VEGFR-2 may be one effective component.
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PMID:Inhibition of glioma angiogenesis and growth in vivo by systemic treatment with a monoclonal antibody against vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2. 1155 24

Cannabinoids inhibit tumor angiogenesis in mice, but the mechanism of their antiangiogenic action is still unknown. Because the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway plays a critical role in tumor angiogenesis, here we studied whether cannabinoids affect it. As a first approach, cDNA array analysis showed that cannabinoid administration to mice bearing s.c. gliomas lowered the expression of various VEGF pathway-related genes. The use of other methods (ELISA, Western blotting, and confocal microscopy) provided additional evidence that cannabinoids depressed the VEGF pathway by decreasing the production of VEGF and the activation of VEGF receptor (VEGFR)-2, the most prominent VEGF receptor, in cultured glioma cells and in mouse gliomas. Cannabinoid-induced inhibition of VEGF production and VEGFR-2 activation was abrogated both in vitro and in vivo by pharmacological blockade of ceramide biosynthesis. These changes in the VEGF pathway were paralleled by changes in tumor size. Moreover, intratumoral administration of the cannabinoid Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol to two patients with glioblastoma multiforme (grade IV astrocytoma) decreased VEGF levels and VEGFR-2 activation in the tumors. Because blockade of the VEGF pathway constitutes one of the most promising antitumoral approaches currently available, the present findings provide a novel pharmacological target for cannabinoid-based therapies.
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PMID:Cannabinoids inhibit the vascular endothelial growth factor pathway in gliomas. 1531 99

To investigate the anti-vasculature effects and the anti-glioma effects of attenuated Salmonella typhimurium vaccine strain expressing VEGFR2 (flk-1) gene, plasmid pcDNA3.1-flk1 was constructed and electro-transfected into live attenuated Salmonella typhimurium strain SL7207. Mouse models of intracranial G1261 glioblastoma were treated with an orally administered attenuated Salmonella typhimurium expressing flk-1 gene. The survival period was recorded and vessel density was observed by immunofluorescence. CTLs activity was measured by MTT assay. Our results showed that attenuated Salmonella typhimurium vaccine strain expressing flk-1 gene could significantly inhibit glioblastoma growth, reduce vessel density, prolong the survival period and improve the survival rate in these mice. The flk-1 specific CTLs activity was increased obviously after the vaccination. Our study showed that attenuated Salmonella typhimurium vaccine strain expressing flk-1 gene could break peripheral immune tolerance a in glioma gainst this self-antigen and kill endothelial cells by the orally administered vaccine and can be used for both prophylactic and therapeutic purposes.
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PMID:Anti-angiogenesis effect on glioma of attenuated Salmonella typhimurium vaccine strain with flk-1 gene. 1558 6

Platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRalpha) is a type III receptor tyrosine kinase that is expressed on a variety of tumor types. A neutralizing monoclonal antibody to human PDGFRalpha, which did not cross-react with the beta form of the receptor, was generated. The fully human antibody, termed 3G3, has a Kd of 40 pmol/L and blocks both PDGF-AA and PDGF-BB ligands from binding to PDGFRalpha. In addition to blocking ligand-induced cell mitogenesis and receptor autophosphorylation, 3G3 inhibited phosphorylation of the downstream signaling molecules Akt and mitogen-activated protein kinase. This inhibition was seen in both transfected and tumor cell lines expressing PDGFRalpha. The in vivo antitumor activity of 3G3 was tested in human glioblastoma (U118) and leiomyosarcoma (SKLMS-1) xenograft tumor models in athymic nude mice. Antibody 3G3 significantly inhibited the growth of U118 (P=0.0004) and SKLMS-1 (P <0.0001) tumors relative to control. These data suggest that 3G3 may be useful for the treatment of tumors that express PDGFRalpha.
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PMID:Targeting the platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha with a neutralizing human monoclonal antibody inhibits the growth of tumor xenografts: implications as a potential therapeutic target. 1576 46

KIT, platelet-derived growth factor receptors (PDGFRs) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFRs) are important clinical targets for tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The frequency of KIT and VEGFR2 amplification in glioblastomas is not known, and few data are available in any other human tumour type. We investigated 43 primary glioblastomas for KIT, VEGFR2, PDGFRA and EGFR amplification using fluorescence in situ hybridization. KIT was amplified in 47% and VEGFR2 in 39% of the glioblastomas, respectively, and PDGFRA in 29%. Thirty-five (81%) of the tumours had either KIT or EGFR amplification. KIT, PDGFRA and VEGFR2 amplifications were strongly associated (p < 0.0001 for each pairwise comparison), suggesting co-amplification, whereas no significant association was found with EGFR amplification. The four secondary glioblastomas arising from pre-existing lower grade astrocytic tumours investigated had KIT amplification but none had EGFR amplification. No mutations were detected with denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography in KIT exons 9, 11, 13 or 17, PDGFRA exons 12 and 18, or EGFR exons 18, 19 or 21. Glioblastomas with KIT, PDGFR or VEGFR2 amplification were associated with similar outcome to other glioblastomas. We conclude that KIT, PDGFRA and VEGFR2 are commonly amplified in primary glioblastoma and that they may also be amplified in secondary glioblastoma. Amplified kinases may be potential targets for tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy.
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PMID:Amplification of genes encoding KIT, PDGFRalpha and VEGFR2 receptor tyrosine kinases is frequent in glioblastoma multiforme. 1602 78

EGFR overexpression is the most frequent and important molecular event in the development of astrocytic gliomas, and the P13K signaling pathway is one of the most important downstream pathways of EGFR. EGFR and other members of the receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) family, such as VEGFR, PDGFR, and IGFR, et cetera, are often overexpressed in most of malignant gliomas and share common downstream signaling pathways. Therefore, it is considered that directly targeting the downstream PI3K pathway may be more effective in blocking multiple inputs. The PIK3CB gene encoding the class 1A PI3K catalytic subunit p110beta was selected as the target of therapeutic approach for malignant gliomas in the present study. Human U251 glioblastoma cells with high endogenous p110beta expression were transfected with plasmid-based siRNA targeting PIK3CB gene. It was found that downregulation of p110beta expression resulted in the suppression of cell proliferation, arrest of cell cycle, reduction of cell invasion, and promotion of cell apoptosis in vitro. In addition, the growth of the subcutaneous U251 glioma in the nude mice treated with siRNA targeting PIK3CB was significantly inhibited. These results demonstrate that PIK3CB overexpression may play an oncogenic role in the PI3K pathway, and the plasmid-based siRNA targeting of PIK3CB is a potential and promising approach for the treatment of malignant gliomas.
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PMID:Downregulation of PIK3CB by siRNA suppresses malignant glioma cell growth in vitro and in vivo. 1670 Jun 23

Receptor tyrosine kinase aberrations are implicated in the genesis of gliomas. We investigated expression and amplification of KIT, PDGFRA, VEGFR2, and EGFR in 87 gliomas consisting of astrocytomas, anaplastic astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas, or oligoastrocytomas in tumor samples collected at the time of the diagnosis and in samples of the same tumors at tumor recurrence. Gene amplifications were investigated using either chromogenic in situ hybridization or fluorescence in situ hybridization, and protein expression using immunohistochemistry. In samples collected at glioma diagnosis, KIT and PDGFRA amplifications were more frequent in anaplastic astrocytomas than in astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas, and oligoastrocytomas [28% versus 5% (P = 0.012) and 33% versus 2% (P = 0.0008), respectively]. VEGFR2 amplifications occurred in 6% to 17% of the gliomas at diagnosis, and EGFR amplifications in 0% to 12%. Amplified KIT was more frequently present in recurrent gliomas than in newly diagnosed gliomas (P = 0.0066). KIT amplification was associated with KIT protein expression and with presence of PDGFRA and EGFR amplifications both at the time of the first glioma diagnosis and at tumor recurrence, and with VEGFR2 amplification at tumor recurrence. Three (4%) primary gliomas and 10 (14%) recurrent gliomas that were evaluable for coamplification of KIT, PDGFRA, and VEGFR2 showed amplification of at least two of these genes; the amplicon contained amplified KIT in all 13 cases. In conclusion, besides glioblastoma, amplified KIT, PDGFRA, and VEGFR may also occur in lower-grade gliomas and in their recurrent tumors. It is currently not known whether specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors are effective in the treatment of such gliomas.
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PMID:Amplification of KIT, PDGFRA, VEGFR2, and EGFR in gliomas. 1718 83

The hypoxic microenvironment of solid tumors is associated with malignant progression and it renders tumors more resistant to cancer therapies. Endothelial cell damage may occur following hypoxic conditions and lead to dysfunction; however, endothelial cells in tumors survive hypoxic conditions providing nutrients and oxygen to facilitate tumor growth. In this study, we investigated the effects of tumor-conditioned medium on hypoxia-induced changes in endothelial cell growth, migration and survival. Tumor conditioned medium collected from U87 human glioblastoma cells were applied to endothelial cultures in normoxia or hypoxia conditions. Hypoxia caused a reduction in clonogenic cell survival response and an increase of the sub-G1 phase of the cell cycle in endothelial cells. Cell migration was measured by spheroid and wound-induced migration assays and hypoxia compared with normoxia significantly increased the number of migrating endothelial cells. Nuclear staining with Hoechst 33258 and caspase-9 and -3 activation in endothelial cells show that hypoxia-induced apoptosis involves caspase-dependent mechanism. Exposure to hypoxia caused an increase in gene expression of VEGF and VEGFR2 and activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Furthermore, hypoxia induced an increase in capillary-like structure formation in endothelial cells seeded into Matrigel. Tumor conditioned medium enhanced survival and rescued endothelial cells from apoptosis induced by hypoxia. These molecular changes in endothelial cells could, in part, contribute to the angiogenic response that occurs during hypoxia-induced angiogenesis in glial tumors.
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PMID:Glioma cells suppress hypoxia-induced endothelial cell apoptosis and promote the angiogenic process. 1727 72


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