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

Clinical and experimental studies suggest that angiogenesis is a prerequisite for solid tumour growth. Several growth factors with mitogenic or chemotactic activity for endothelial cells in vitro have been described, but it is not known whether these mediate tumour vascularization in vivo. Glioblastoma, the most common and most malignant brain tumour in humans, is distinguished from astrocytoma by the presence of necroses and vascular proliferations. Here we show that expression of an endothelial cell-specific mitogen, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), is induced in astrocytoma cells but is dramatically upregulated in two apparently different subsets of glioblastoma cells. The high-affinity tyrosine kinase receptor for VEGF, flt, although not expressed in normal brain endothelium, is upregulated in tumour endothelial cells in vivo. These observations strongly support the concept that tumour angiogenesis is regulated by paracrine mechanisms and identify VEGF as a potential tumour angiogenesis factor in vivo.
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PMID:Vascular endothelial growth factor is a potential tumour angiogenesis factor in human gliomas in vivo. 127 32

The c-kit proto-oncogene encodes a tyrosine kinase receptor for stem cell factor and plays a critical role in the growth and differentiation of various types of cells including hematopoietic stem cells. To investigate the mechanisms of its transcriptional regulation, we isolated the 5' flanking region of the human c-kit gene and characterized its promoter activity in hematopoietic cells. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that the 1.2 kb 5' flanking region lacked a typical "TATA box," but had a relatively high G + C content and four potential Sp1-binding sites. Putative binding sites for AP-2, basic helix-loop-helix proteins, Ets-domain proteins, Myb and GATA-1 were also found. Primer extension and S1 nuclease protection analyses of hematopoietic cells indicated that the major transcription start sites are 62 bp and 58 bp upstream of the translation start site. Essentially the same start sites were detected in non-hematopoietic cells such as small cell lung carcinoma and glioblastoma: this single promoter in c-kit is different from the multiple promoter system of c-fms, a c-kit-related gene, in which at least two promoters are differently used in hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic cells. An analysis of the c-kit 5' flanking region using the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene (CAT assay) in human erythroleukemia HEL cells, which express the endogenous c-kit mRNA at high levels, showed that a region from -180 to -22 is important for the expression of the c-kit gene. In addition, a negative regulatory element(s) is suggested to be involved in the regulation of the c-kit gene expression in mammals.
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PMID:Characterization of the promoter region of the human c-kit proto-oncogene. 750 48

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-Flk-1/KDR tyrosine kinase signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in tumor angiogenesis. Targeting this angiogenic signaling pathway presents a promising alternative for the treatment of neoplasms. However, recent experimental and clinical studies have suggested that VEGF-Flk-1/KDR activity is unevenly distributed throughout the tumor microvasculature. To further evaluate this phenomenon, the regional differences in VEGF-Flk-1/KDR signaling activities in vivo were studied using intravital fluorescence videomicroscopy in an experimental murine brain tumor model. Regional VEGF-Flk-1/KDR was assessed using the small molecule inhibitor SU5416, which selectively inhibits the tyrosine kinase receptor Flk-1. C(6) glioblastoma cells were implanted into the dorsal skinfold chamber preparation of nude mice. The process of tumor vascularization was repeatedly assessed over 22 days. SU5416 treatment resulted in a significant reduction in tumor vascular density (p<0.05). Regional microvascular evaluation indicated that the magnitude of this antiangiogenic effect was pronounced in the more angiogenic and better vascularized peritumoral areas than in the intratumoral areas of the tumor microvasculature. These results demonstrate regional differences in Flk-1 activity in vivo that may have significant impact on the susceptibility of tumors to compounds that target VEGF-Flk-1/KDR. This finding should be considered in upcoming clinical trials targeting individual signal transduction systems in cancer patients.
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PMID:Measuring VEGF-Flk-1 activity and consequences of VEGF-Flk-1 targeting in vivo using intravital microscopy: clinical applications. 1080 86

Scatter factor/hepatocyte growth factor (SF/HGF) and its tyrosine kinase receptor c-met are developmentally expressed, neuroprotective, and tumorigenic within the CNS. In the present study SF/HGF is shown to induce the expression of c-met in two human glioblastoma cell lines, U-373 MG and T98G, and the signaling pathways involved in this induction are dissected. SF/HGF activated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and inhibition of either Ras or MAPK-kinase completely inhibited SF/HGF-mediated c-met induction. Inhibition of phospholipase-C (PLC) did not affect c-met induction in either cell line. Inhibition of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) substantially reduced c-met induction by SF/HGF in T98G cells but had no effect in U-373 MG cells. Protein kinase C (PKC) inhibition reduced c-met induction in T98G cells but not in U-373 MG cells. SF/HGF induced the expression of c-fos and c-jun mRNA and increased the levels of AP-1 transcription factor in both cells lines as determined by AP-1-luciferase reporter expression. Transfection of either cell line with TAM-67, a dominant negative for the jun transactivation domain, completely inhibited AP-1 and c-met induction by SF/HGF. These results support a model of c-met induction by SF/HGF in human glioma cells that uniformly involves Ras, MAPK, and AP-1 and additionally involves PI3-kinase and PKC in some cell lines.
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PMID:Signaling pathways in the induction of c-met receptor expression by its ligand scatter factor/hepatocyte growth factor in human glioblastoma. 1123 34

Glioblastoma multiforme is the most common highly aggressive human brain cancer, and receptor tyrosine kinases have been implicated in the progression of this malignancy. We have recently identified anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) as a tyrosine kinase receptor for pleiotrophin, a secreted growth factor that is highly expressed during embryonic brain development and in tumors of the central nervous system. Here we report on the contribution of pleiotrophin-ALK signaling to glioblastoma growth. We found ALK overexpressed in human glioblastoma relative to normal brain and detected ALK mRNA in glioblastoma cell lines. We reduced the endogenous ALK in glioblastoma cells by ribozyme targeting and demonstrated that this prevents pleiotrophin-stimulated phosphorylation of the anti-apoptotic protein Akt. Furthermore, this depletion of ALK reduced tumor growth of xenografts in athymic nude mice and prolonged survival of the animals because of increased apoptosis in the tumors. These findings directly implicate ALK signaling as a rate-limiting factor in the growth of glioblastoma multiforme and suggest potential utility of therapeutic targeting of ALK.
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PMID:Pleiotrophin signaling through anaplastic lymphoma kinase is rate-limiting for glioblastoma growth. 1180 60

Primarily involved in cell proliferation and differentiation processes, the plasma membrane-bound ErbB tyrosine kinase receptor family is formed by four members: erbB1/EGFR, erbB2/HER2/Neu, erbB3/HER3 and erbB4/HER4. Calmodulin (CaM) is a Ca2+-binding protein involved in the regulation of multiple intracellular processes that binds directly to EGFR in the presence of Ca2+, inhibiting its tyrosine kinase activity. Two main regions in the receptor have been implicated in this relationship: the calmodulin-binding domain (CaM-BD) and the calmodulin-like domain (CaM-LD); their sequences are highly conserved in other members of this family of receptors. The presence of mutations, amplification and/or overexpression and genomic rearrangement of these domains was investigated for all four erbB family genes in a series of 89 glial tumors, including 44 WHO grade IV glioblastomas, 21 WHO grade III anaplastic astrocytomas, and 24 WHO grade II astrocytomas. Gene alterations were only found in the regions of interest in EGFR. One glioblastoma showed an in frame tandem duplication of the intracellular region including CaM-LD (exons 18-25). CaM-BD gene overdose was evidenced in 18 tumors that showed EGFR amplification in other domains. Over-expression of CaM-BD and CaM-LD was detected in 6 and 17 cases, respectively, of the 19 tumors in which this study was performed. The other three genes coding for the ErbB receptors did not present point mutations, or rearrangements, and only a very low amplification rate was found for erbB2 (1 case) and erbB3 (4 cases). No overexpression of erbB2, erbB3 or erbB4 was detected. These findings suggest that EGFR is the main erbB gene family member non-randomly involved in malignant glioma development, and that the two domains under study, due to their high conservation and wide separation in the EGFR sequence, are good marker regions for evaluating EGFR/erbB1 gene amplification, as well as for analysing the presence of transcripts corresponding to truncated cytosolic forms of the receptor in these tumors.
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PMID:Molecular analysis of the erbB gene family calmodulin-binding and calmodulin-like domains in astrocytic gliomas. 1549 43

The heat shock protein HSP90 serves as a chaperone for receptor protein kinases, steroid receptors, and other intracellular signaling molecules. Targeting HSP90 with ansamycin antibiotics disrupts the normal processing of clients of the HSP90 complex. The platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRalpha) is a tyrosine kinase receptor up-regulated and activated in several malignancies. Here we show that the PDGFRalpha forms a complex with HSP90 and the co-chaperone cdc37 in ovarian, glioblastoma, and lung cancer cells. Treatment of cancer cell lines expressing the PDGFRalpha with the HSP90 inhibitor 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG) promotes degradation of the receptor. Likewise, phospho-Akt, a downstream target, is degraded after treatment with 17-AAG. In contrast, PDGFRalpha expression is not affected by 17-AAG in normal human smooth muscle cells or 3T3 fibroblasts. PDGFRalpha degradation by 17-AAG is inhibited by the proteasome inhibitor MG132. High molecular weight, ubiquitinated forms of the receptor are detected in cells treated with 17-AAG and MG132. Degradation of the receptor is also inhibited by a specific neutralizing antibody to the PDGFRalpha but not by a neutralizing antibody to PDGF or by imatinib mesylate (Gleevec). Ultimately, PDGFRalpha-mediated cell proliferation is inhibited by 17-AAG. These results show that 17-AAG promotes PDGFRalpha degradation selectively in transformed cells. Thus, not only mutated tyrosine kinases but also overexpressed receptors in cancer cells can be targeted by 17-AAG.
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PMID:The platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha is destabilized by geldanamycins in cancer cells. 1707 30

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is abundantly produced by glioma cells especially glioblastoma, the most malignant form of astrocytoma. VEGF, a well known angiogenic factor, acts in a paracrine fashion on endothelial cells to develop tumor vasculature. However, recent studies have found that several tumor cells express VEGF receptors, and an autocrine action of VEGF on tumor cells has been suggested. To test this hypothesis, three human glioma cell lines (U251n, U87 and A172) were checked for VEGF and VEGFR expression. These cells express 0.1-0.6 ng/ml VEGF165 in cell culture medium within 24 hours. Western blot analysis showed that these cells express all of the VEGF receptors, VEGFR-1/Flt-1, VEGFR-2/KDR, Neuropilin-1 (NRP-1) and Neuropilin-2(NRP-2), even though tyrosine kinase receptor VEGFR-2/KDR exhibited baseline levels of expression. VEGF expression was significantly down regulated by phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotide (PS-ODN) and VEGF RNAi transfection. However, VEGF RNAi transfection as well as VEGF and VEGFR2 neutralization antibody treatment did not decrease cell proliferation detected by MTT and CyQuant NF proliferation assay except that PS-ODN transfection caused a non-specific decrease on cell proliferation. VEGF RNAi transfection did not alter cell invasion, as demonstrated in a matrigel invasion assay. Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9, facilitating cell invasion and over expressed in glioma cells, were not altered by VEGF RNAi transfection, as shown by zymographic assays. Our data indicate that the decrease of endogenous VEGF expression may not affect glioma cell proliferation and invasion.
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PMID:Decrease of endogenous vascular endothelial growth factor may not affect glioma cell proliferation and invasion. 1755 62

Neuropilin 1 (NRP1), a non-tyrosine kinase receptor for vascular endothelial growth factor and class 3 Semaphorins, is highly expressed in many human tumour cell lines, but its function is poorly understood. Here, we describe the expression of a new chondroitin sulphate-modified NRP1 (NRP1-CS) in human tumour cell lines. Expression of a non-modifiable NRP1 mutant (S612A) in U87MG human glioma cells results in enhanced invasion in three dimensions (3D), whereas wild-type NRP1 has no effect. Furthermore, the S612A NRP1 cells show a significant increase in p130Cas tyrosine phosphorylation compared with control and wild-type NRP1 cells. Silencing of p130Cas in S612A NRP1 cells resulted in a loss of increased invasive phenotype. Interestingly, p130Cas silencing does not inhibit basal 3D invasion, but leads to a mesenchymal to amoeboid transition. Biopsies from both low- and high-grade human gliomas show strong expression of NRP1, and little expression of NRP1-CS. Our data establish distinct roles for NRP1 and NRP1-CS in modulating a new NRP1-p130Cas signalling pathway contributing to glioblastoma cell invasion in 3D.
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PMID:Chondroitin sulphate-modified neuropilin 1 is expressed in human tumour cells and modulates 3D invasion in the U87MG human glioblastoma cell line through a p130Cas-mediated pathway. 1870 17

The tyrosine kinase receptor c-Met and its ligand hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) are frequently overexpressed and the tumor suppressor PTEN is often mutated in glioblastoma. Because PTEN can interact with c-Met-dependent signaling, we studied the effects of PTEN on c-Met-induced malignancy and associated molecular events and assessed the potential therapeutic value of combining PTEN restoration approaches with HGF/c-Met inhibition. We studied the effects of c-Met activation on cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, cell migration, cell invasion, and associated molecular events in the settings of restored or inhibited PTEN expression in glioblastoma cells. We also assessed the experimental therapeutic effects of combining anti-HGF/c-Met approaches with PTEN restoration or mTOR inhibition. PTEN significantly inhibited HGF-induced proliferation, cell cycle progression, migration, and invasion of glioblastoma cells. PTEN attenuated HGF-induced changes of signal transduction proteins Akt, GSK-3, JNK, and mTOR as well as cell cycle regulatory proteins p27, cyclin E, and E2F-1. Combining PTEN restoration to PTEN-null glioblastoma cells with c-Met and HGF inhibition additively inhibited tumor cell proliferation and cell cycle progression. Similarly, combining a monoclonal anti-HGF antibody (L2G7) with the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin had additive inhibitory effects on glioblastoma cell proliferation. Systemic in vivo delivery of L2G7 and PTEN restoration as well as systemic in vivo deliveries of L2G7 and rapamycin additively inhibited intracranial glioma xenograft growth. These preclinical studies show for the first time that PTEN loss amplifies c-Met-induced glioblastoma malignancy and suggest that combining anti-HGF/c-Met approaches with PTEN restoration or mTOR inhibition is worth testing in a clinical setting.
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PMID:Interactions between PTEN and the c-Met pathway in glioblastoma and implications for therapy. 1919 Jan 20


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