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Query: UMLS:C0025202 (melanoma)
 69,561 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Dissemination of tumor cells includes several steps, such as: (a) detachment of tumor cells from the primary tumor, (b) traversement of the basement membrane, and (c) migration into the extracellular matrix. In these processes, at least two important categories of proteins are involved: proteases and adhesion molecules. In this contribution we describe the expression and function of components of the plasminogen activator (PA) system (proteases) and of integrins (cell-matrix adhesion molecules) in a panel of four human melanoma cell lines with different invasive and metastatic capacity. Regarding the components of the PA system, we found differences in expression of urokinase-type PA (uPA) and type 1 and 2 PA inhibitors (PAI-1 and -2) between metastasizing and nonmetastasizing cell lines. Both components were exclusively expressed in the highly invasive and metastatic cell lines. Interestingly, studies on the expression of PA components in fresh human melanocytic lesions, showed expression of these components exclusively in advanced primary melanomas and melanoma metastases. Regarding integrin expression we found elevated levels of VLA-2 and VLA-6 in the highly invasive and metastatic cell lines compared with normal cultured melanocytes and nonmetastatic melanoma cell lines. In addition, increased adhesion of the highly metastatic cell lines to laminin (LM) and collagen (COLL) was observed. Furthermore, reduced adhesion of normal melanocytes and nonmetastatic melanoma cells to LM and CO was mainly due to the fact that the integrins involved in adhesion to these matrix components were present in an inactive state. Finally, differences were observed in expression of integrins involved in adhesion to fibronectin.
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PMID:Properties of metastasizing and nonmetastasizing human melanoma cells. 759 84

Nude mice have been subcutaneously inoculated with human tumorigenic fibrosarcoma cells (HT-1080) producing urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) or with human tumorigenic melanoma cells (G-361) producing tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA). Human u-PA (hu-PA) and t-PA (ht-PA) were found in the plasma and in the tumors of mice injected with HT-1080 or G-361 cells, respectively. Metastases containing ht-PA were observed in different organs of mice transplanted with G-361 cells, while mice injected with HT-1080 cells did not develop metastases. These data would suggest a relationship between the metastatic potential of G-361 cells and t-PA. The parallel increase of the levels of endogenous murine PAs (m-PA) activities might play a crucial role in the early stages of tumor growth and metastasis, since the biological effects of the PAs produced by the transplanted tumor cells can not be dissociated from those of the PAs induced in the host.
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PMID:Plasminogen activators in nude mice xenotransplanted with human tumorigenic cells. 767 29

In this review, we present a literature survey of angiogenesis in melanoma. Progression in melanoma is supposed to be associated with an angiogenic response. Several histological studies have shown an increase of vascular structures in malignant melanoma, which is not the case in common naevocellular naevi. Neovascularization can be caused by several angiogenic factors: the most important of those produced in melanoma are described. Proteases such as urokinase plasminogen activator and metalloproteinases are important for the migration for both endothelial cells and tumour cells. Possible effects of these factors in melanoma cells are discussed. Finally, inhibition of angiogenesis and its potential role in melanoma therapy are considered.
Melanoma Res 1993 Feb
PMID:The possible role of angiogenesis in the metastatic potential of human melanoma. Clinicopathological aspects. 768 62

The urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR), a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-linked glycoprotein, plays a central role in the regulation of pericellular proteolysis and participates in events leading to cell activation. Here, we demonstrate that uPAR, on a human melanoma cell line, is localized in caveolae, flask-shaped microinvaginations of the plasma membrane found in a variety of cell types. Indirect immunofluorescence with anti-uPAR antibodies on the melanoma cells showed a punctated staining pattern that accumulated to stretches along sides of cell-cell contact and membrane ruffles. uPAR colocalized with caveolin, a characteristic protein in the coat of caveolae, as demonstrated by double staining with specific antibodies. Further, uPAR could be directly localized in caveolae by in vivo immunoelectron microscopy. Both uPAR and its ligand, uPA, were present in caveolae enriched low density Triton X-100 insoluble complexes, as shown by immunoblotting. From such complexes, caveolin could be coprecipitated with uPAR-specific antibodies suggesting a close spatial association between uPAR and caveolin that might have implications for the signal transduction mediated by uPAR. Further, functional studies indicated that the localization of uPAR and its ligand in caveolae enhances pericellular plasminogen activation, since treatment of the cells with drugs that interfere with the structural integrity of caveolae, such as nystatin, markedly reduced cell surface plasmin generation. Thus, caveolae promote efficient cell surface plasminogen activation by clustering uPAR, uPA, and possibly other protease receptors in one membrane compartment.
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PMID:The urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor, a GPI-linked protein, is localized in caveolae. 772 38

Using immunohistochemistry and in-situ hybridization, we studied the expression of the components of the plasminogen activation system during progression to malignant melanoma with fresh melanocytic lesions. Expression of these components is confined to late stages of melanoma. t-PA expression is limited to rare cases of metastatic melanoma. The other components are frequently expressed concomitantly in the same tumour. Urokinase (u-PA) is expressed in stromal cells and only in tumour cells at invasive foci, urokinase receptor (u-PAR) in tumour cells, plasminogen activator inhibitor type I (PAI-1) in the intratumoral extracellular matrix and plasminogen activator inhibitor type II (PAI-2) in tumour cells and stromal cells. In order to investigate the role of u-PAR as a prognostic marker, we have developed an assay for quantitation of the receptor. As a first step towards structural investigations, we have determined the disulfide cross-links of the first domain of uPAR.
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PMID:Studies on functional and structural role of urokinase receptor and other components of the plasminogen activation system in malignancy. 774 86

A metastatic human melanoma cell line that produces urokinase-type plasminogen activator was stably transfected with cDNA encoding human plasminogen activator inhibitor 2 (PAI-2). Transfected clones expressed PAI-2 at levels two to nine times higher than both the parental cell line and mock transfectants, as detected by ELISA of cell lysates and conditioned medium. The clone with the highest PAI-2 expression exhibited complete inhibition of soluble and cell-surface-bound plasminogen activator activity. The level of PAI-2 overexpression in these clonal cell lines correlated positively with the inhibition of their ability to degrade extracellular matrix in vitro. Parental, mock-transfected, and PAI-2-transfected cell lines produced rapidly growing tumors when injected s.c. into the skin of mice with severe combined immunodeficiency. The tumors producing the highest levels of PAI-2 were surrounded by a dense tumor capsule. Both parental cells and mock-transfected cells invariably metastasized from s.c. tumors to lymph nodes and lungs of mice. PAI-2-transfected cell lines produced significantly less or no metastases. Taken together, these data indicate a critical role for plasminogen activator activity in melanoma invasion and metastasis.
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PMID:Overexpression of plasminogen activator inhibitor 2 in human melanoma cells inhibits spontaneous metastasis in scid/scid mice. 781 18

Plasminogen activators (PAs) and their inhibitors (PAIs) can be produced by tumor cells and surrounding inflammatory cells and fibroblasts. The present study evaluate both the expression and release of PAs (uPA and tPA) and PAIs (PAI-1 and PAI-2) from cultured cells, and also the expression of uPA receptor (uPAR). Immunocytochemistry showed that PAs, PAIs and uPAR were present to different extents on the surface of colon carcinoma cells (Caco-2, HT-29), malignant melanoma cells (LOX) and normal fibroblasts. uPA immunoreactivity was intermediate in Caco-2, HT-29 and LOX and weak in the fibroblasts. tPA immunoreactivity was intermediate in Caco-2 and LOX and weak in HT-29 and fibroblasts. PAI-1 and PAI-2 immunoreactivities were absent in HT-29, weak in Caco-2 and strong in fibroblasts. In LOX the immunoreactivity was intermediate for PAI-1 and strong for PAI-2. uPAR immunoreactivity was weak in Caco-2, HT-29 and LOX and negative in fibroblasts. ELISAs on conditioned medium detected that the colon carcinoma cells Caco-2 and HT-29 did not release any PAs or PAIs. LOX released tPA (median 9 ng/million cells at 72 hours), PAI-1 (1050 ng/million cells) and PAI-2 (245 ng/million cells), and fibroblasts released uPA (1 ng/million cells) and PAI-1 (910 ng/million cells). These results show that both tumor cells and fibroblasts express tissue destructive enzymes, PAs and PAIs, whereas only the tumor cells express the uPAR required for focalization and regulation of PA activity at the cell surface. The melanoma cells LOX and fibroblasts also released PAs and PAIs, in contrast to the colon carcinoma cells Caco-2 and HT-29.
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PMID:Expression and release of plasminogen activators, their inhibitors and receptor by human tumor cell lines. 787 65

In an attempt to define the role of plasminogen activator in invasiveness and differentiation of human melanoma cells, the modulation of these parameters was studied in two melanoma clones characterized by marked differences in their basal features, using 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and retinoic acid, two differentiation inducers, and doxorubicin, a cytotoxic agent. TPA induced only slight reductions, whereas retinoic acid and doxorubicin caused an increase in invasiveness, enzymatic activity and differentiation in the clone showing low invasivity, low urokinase-type plasminogen activator levels and high differentiation. In contrast, in the clone showing high invasivity, high urokinase-type plasminogen activator levels and low differentiation it was found that: TPA was ineffective; retinoic acid induced a reduction of plasminogen activator but no modifications of invasiveness and differentiation; doxorubicin caused a decrease in invasiveness and plasminogen activator activity but no modification of morphological features. The different behaviour of the two clones thus could be related to the basal features of the clones. The results reported here indicate that in the presence of these drugs the associations between invasiveness and urokinase-type plasminogen activator activity and between invasiveness and differentiation are lost. Drug treatment therefore significantly affected the features of the clone characterized by low biological aggressiveness (high differentiation, low invasiveness), whereas the highly aggressive clone did not show a consistent response to drug treatment.
Melanoma Res 1994 Aug
PMID:Modification of invasion and differentiation in human melanoma cell clones. 795 Mar 60

A large body of experimental evidence suggests that plasminogen activators provide tumoral cells with efficient means to degrade extracellular matrix constituents and thereby facilitate their dissemination to distant sites. Melanocytic neoplasia encompass a spectrum of lesions exhibiting diverse clinical behavior that remain difficult to predict with current histopathological evaluations. Little information concerning the contribution of plasminogen activation in diagnostic specimens of human melanocytic tumors is presently available. We thus analyzed biopsy specimens of pigmented skin lesions by histological techniques that identify the cellular sites of synthesis of plasminogen activators and of their inhibitors and that localize the sites of plasminogen activators-catalyzed enzymatic activities. We found that urokinase-type plasminogen activators (uPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 mRNAs accumulate in atypical nevocytes and in melanoma cells, but not in benign nevocytes. However, uPA-catalyzed proteolytic activity was detected exclusively in melanomas. These observations suggest that up-regulation of the uPA gene is an early feature of melanocyte transformation and that unbalanced enzyme/inhibitor activity is associated with the malignant phenotype. By supporting a role for uPA in melanoma invasiveness, they provide a novel tool for the evaluation of atypia in nevi.
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PMID:Plasminogen activation in melanocytic neoplasia. 804 5

Mouse B16 melanoma cells (B16, parental line) and two derived clones either pigmented (B16P) or non pigmented (B16NP) were cultured as monolayers (2D) or on agar, as aggregates (3D). The productions of gelatinases A and B (72 kDa and 92 kDa type IV collagenases) and their inhibitors (TIMP1 and TIMP2), plasminogen activators (PAs) and plasminogen activator inhibitors (PAI) were investigated. The B16 cell lines did not secrete any gelatinase, but they secreted TIMP2, tissue-type (t-PA), urokinase-type (u-PA) plasminogen activators and PAI-1 like activities. High levels of PAI activity were determined in conditioned media and cellular extracts of B16NP, which could account for the lower tumorigenic potential of these cells. In 3D cultures, the cellular extracts of the three cell lines contained essentially u-PA activity. This activity could contribute to the greater tumorigenic and invasive capacities of B16, B16P and B16NP when cultured in 3D.
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PMID:Evaluation of matrix metalloproteinases and serine proteases activities in three B16 melanoma cell lines with distinct tumorigenic potential. 807 84


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