Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0027627 (metastases)
 103,950 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Bone metastases are a frequent complication of many cancers that result in severe disease burden and pain. Since the late nineteenth century, it has been thought that the microenvironment of the local host tissue actively participates in the propensity of certain cancers to metastasize to specific organs, and that bone provides an especially fertile 'soil'. In the case of breast cancers, the local chemokine milieu is now emerging as an explanation for why these tumours preferentially metastasize to certain organs. However, as the inhibition of chemokine receptors in vivo only partially blocks metastatic behaviour, other factors must exist that regulate the preferential metastasis of breast cancer cells. Here we show that the cytokine RANKL (receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand) triggers migration of human epithelial cancer cells and melanoma cells that express the receptor RANK. RANK is expressed on cancer cell lines and breast cancer cells in patients. In a mouse model of melanoma metastasis, in vivo neutralization of RANKL by osteoprotegerin results in complete protection from paralysis and a marked reduction in tumour burden in bones but not in other organs. Our data show that local differentiation factors such as RANKL have an important role in cell migration and the tissue-specific metastatic behaviour of cancer cells.
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PMID:Regulation of cancer cell migration and bone metastasis by RANKL. 1731 31

The maintenance of skeletal integrity in a healthy individual requires a balanced regulation of the processes of bone formation, mediated by osteoblasts, and bone resorption, mediated by osteoclasts. This balanced process of bone remodeling becomes co-opted in the skeleton by tumor cells and this dramatically accelerates the process of remodeling and disrupts the normal equilibrium resulting in a spectrum of osteolytic to osteoblastic bone lesions. Certain tumor types, such as breast and prostate, frequently metastasize to the bone. It is now widely understood that the molecular triad--receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand (RANKL), its receptor RANK, and the endogenous soluble RANKL inhibitor, osteoprotegerin (OPG)--play direct and essential roles in the formation, function, and survival of osteoclasts. Osteoclastic bone resorption contributes to the majority of skeletal sequelae, or skeletal-related events (SREs), in patients with bone metastases. In addition, osteoclastic bone resorption also contributes to the establishment of tumors in the skeleton. Therefore, blocking osteoclast activity and differentiation via RANKL inhibition may not only provide a beneficial treatment for skeletal complications of malignancy, but may also prevent bone metastases. In this review, we will first describe the operative role of osteoclasts and the RANK/RANKL/OPG triad in the pathophysiology of cancer-induced bone diseases, specifically solid tumor metastases to the bone. Secondly, we will describe a therapeutic approach that specifically targets the RANKL molecule.
Cancer Metastasis Rev 2006 Dec
PMID:The RANK/RANKL/OPG triad in cancer-induced bone diseases. 1718 Jul 11

Prostate cancer metastases to bone are observed in around 80% of prostate cancer patients and represent the most critical complication of advanced prostate cancer, frequently resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. As the underlying mechanisms are not fully characterized, understanding the biological mechanisms that govern prostate cancer metastases to bone at the molecular level should lead to the determination of new potential therapeutic targets. Receptor activator of NFkappaB ligand (RANKL)/RANK/Osteoprotegerin (OPG) are the key regulators of bone metabolism both in normal and pathological condition, including prostate cancer bone metastases. In the present study, we demonstrated that human prostate cancer cell lines, DU145 and PC3 express biologically functional RANK. Indeed, soluble human RANKL (shRANKL, 100 ng/ml) treatment induced ERK 1/2, p38 and IkappaB phosphorylations in these cells. shRANKL administration also promoted DU145 and PC3 prostate cancer cell invasion in vitro. Whereas human OPG (hOPG) administration alone (100 ng/ml) had no marked effect, combined association of both agents abolished the RANKL-induced DU145 cell invasion. As RANKL had no direct effect on DU145 cell proliferation, the observed effects were indeed related to RANKL-induced cell migration. DU145 human prostate cancer cells promoted osteoclastogenesis of osteoclast precursors generated from mouse bone marrow. Moreover, DU145 cells produced soluble factor(s) that up-regulate the proliferation of MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts through the activation of the ERK 1/2 and STAT3 signal transduction pathways. This stimulation of pre-osteoblast proliferation resulted in an increased local RANKL expression that can activate both osteoclasts/osteoclast precursors and prostate cancer cells, thus facilitating prostate cancer metastasis development in bone. We confirm that RANKL is a factor that facilitates metastasis to bone by acting as an activator of both osteoclasts and RANK-positive prostate cancer cells in our model. Furthermore, the present study provides the evidence that blocking RANKL-RANK interaction offer new therapeutic approach not only at the level of bone resorbing cells, but also by interfering with RANK-positive prostate cancer cells in the prostate cancer bone metastasis development.
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PMID:DU145 human prostate cancer cells express functional receptor activator of NFkappaB: new insights in the prostate cancer bone metastasis process. 1719 95

Bone metastases cause severe skeletal morbidity including fractures and hypercalcemia. Tumor cells in bone induce activation of osteoclasts, which mediate bone resorption and release of growth factors from bone matrix, resulting in a "vicious cycle" of bone breakdown and tumor proliferation. Receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand (RANKL) is an essential mediator of osteoclast formation, function, and survival, and is blocked by a soluble decoy receptor, osteoprotegerin (OPG). In human malignancies that metastasize to bone, dysregulation of the RANK/RANKL/OPG pathway can increase the RANKL:OPG ratio, a condition which favors excessive osteolysis. In a mouse model of bone metastasis, RANKL protein levels in MDA-MB-231 (MDA-231) tumor-bearing bones were significantly higher than tumor-free bones. The resulting tumor-induced osteoclastogenesis and osteolysis was dose-dependently inhibited by recombinant OPG-Fc treatment, supporting the essential role for RANKL in this process. Using bioluminescence imaging in a mouse model of metastasis, we monitored the anti-tumor efficacy of RANKL inhibition on MDA-231 human breast cancer cells in a temporal manner. Treatment with OPG-Fc in vivo inhibited growth of MDA-231 tumor cells in bony sites when given both as a preventative (dosed day 0) and as a therapeutic agent for established bone metastases (dosed day 7). One mechanism by which RANKL inhibition reduced tumor burden appears to be indirect through inhibition of the "vicious cycle" and involved an increase in tumor cell apoptosis, as measured by active caspase-3. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that OPG-Fc treatment of mice with established bone metastases resulted in an overall improvement in survival.
Clin Exp Metastasis 2008
PMID:Inhibition of RANKL blocks skeletal tumor progression and improves survival in a mouse model of breast cancer bone metastasis. 1806 31

Osteolytic metastases due to breast cancer are serious events. The interactions between breast cancer cells with the microenvironment of bone have been thought to provide an ideal milieu for cancer cells. Recent data now indicate that migration of breast cancer cells into bone and their subsequent growth into metastases depends upon the interaction of the receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand (RANKL) with its receptor RANK.
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PMID:Fatal attraction: why breast cancer cells home to bone. 1822 90

Giant cell tumor of bone (GCTB) is a benign bone tumor with a shown clinical behavior of local recurrences and rare distant metastases. GCTB is composed of uniformly distributed osteoclastic giant cells, thought to originate from the fusion of monocyte-macrophage lineage cells, in a background consisting of mononuclear rounded cells and spindle-shaped cells. Several reports showed the specific expression of markers, such as CD14 on the mononuclear rounded cell population, however, lacking osteoclastic giant cells. Blood monocytes that were CD14+, CD33+, or CD14+/CD33+ have also been shown to be programmed as pre-osteoclasts. The macrophage marker CD33 is expressed earlier than CD14 in macrophage maturation, whereas CD14 is expressed longer than CD33. The aim of this study was to investigate CD14/CD33 expression profiles in GCTB. Nineteen GCTB tumor samples of 19 patients were studied. Immunofluorescent analyses were performed with monoclonal antibodies against CD14, CD33, RANK, and CD51. To unambiguously further prove the expression of these molecules, quantitative RT-PCR was used with subsequent sequencing of its products. All samples showed similar immunoreactivity profiles. The mononuclear rounded cell population was positive for RANK, CD51, CD14, and CD33. The osteoclastic giant cell population expressed RANK and CD51, as well as CD33, but was consistently negative for CD14 expression. The CD14 and CD33 profiles were confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR. These RT-PCR products were sequence verified. Osteoclasts in GCTB are the result of fusion of CD33-expressing pre-osteoclasts that further fuse with CD14+ mononuclear cells. Although these results reflect a static rather than a dynamic spectrum, we strongly believe that osteoclastogenesis seems not to be the exclusive result of fusion of intratumoral CD14+ mononuclear cells. Moreover, CD33-modulated osteoclastogenesis opens up the possibility for novel therapeutic directions.
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PMID:CD33+ CD14- phenotype is characteristic of multinuclear osteoclast-like cells in giant cell tumor of bone. 1876 26

Primary and secondary bone tumors clearly deteriorate quality of life and the activity of daily living of patients. These undesirable diseases become a major social and economic burden. As both primary and secondary bone tumors develop in the unique bone tissue, it is therefore necessary to understand bone cell biology in tumor bone environment. Recent findings of the Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-kappaB ligand (RANKL)/RANK/osteoprotegerin (OPG) molecular triad, the key regulators of bone remodeling, opened new era of bone research. Although RANK is an essential receptor for osteoclast formation, activation and survival, functional RANK expression has been recently identified on several bone-associated tumor cells. When RANK is expressed on secondary bone tumor cells, it is implicated in tumor cell migration, whereas this is not the case for primary bone tumors. In any case, RANK is not involved in RANK-positive cell proliferation or death. In two models of bone metastases secondary to melanoma or prostate carcinoma, in vivo neutralization of RANKL by OPG resulted in complete protection from paralysis, due to metastases of vertebral body, and a marked reduction in tumor burden in bones, but not in other organs. OPG also decreased tumor formation and tumor burden in a mouse model of primary bone tumor, osteosarcoma. In all these models, tumor cells express RANK. These data revealed that local differentiation factors, such as RANKL, play an important role in cell migration in a metastatic tissue-specific manner. These findings substantiate the novel direct role of RANKL/RANK in bone-associated tumors, and its capability of representing new therapeutic targets.
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PMID:Receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand (RANKL) stimulates bone-associated tumors through functional RANK expressed on bone-associated cancer cells? 1908 39

Denosumab is an anti-receptor activator of nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB (RANK) ligand human monoclonal antibody studied as a treatment for postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO) and bone destruction due to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or metastatic cancers. As of February 2009, the candidate was undergoing US Food and Drug Administration review, and might be approved by October 2009. Late phase clinical trials demonstrated that denosumab possesses a similar safety profile to bisphosphonates and that it can be either equally or more effective than bisphosphonates at preventing bone loss due to PMO, RA or cancer treatment and metastases.
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PMID:Denosumab. 2006 34

Bone biology and the molecular basis of normal bone remodeling are important for understanding bone health, particularly for medical professionals who are treating patients with skeletal complications. Key factors in bone remodeling include RANK ligand, which stimulates bone resorption, and osteoprotegerin (OPG), which inhibits bone resorption. The ratio between these two factors regulates osteoclast formation and activity. An imbalance in the expression of RANK ligand and OPG is an underlying mechanism in cancer treatment-induced bone loss, in bone metastasis in patients with solid tumors, and in osteolysis in patients with multiple myeloma. In cancer-induced bone disease, for example, RANK ligand overwhelms the effects of OPG, leading to imbalanced bone remodeling and the "vicious cycle" of metastatic disease. Experimental therapeutics that target RANK ligand are increasingly being studied and have shown promise for decreasing tumor-related bone disease.
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PMID:Bone biology and the role of the RANK ligand pathway. 2012 23

Skeletal disorders are a common complication of breast cancer and will be found in the vast majority of women with metastatic disease. Our study showed that rosmarinic acid (RA) could inhibit the migration of MDA-MB-231BO human bone-homing breast cancer cells dose-dependently. Furthermore, in ST-2 murine bone marrow stromal cells cultured with RA there was a significant and dose-dependent increase in alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, with the number and size of mineralized nodules increasing. According to Western blot and quantitative real-time PCR assay, RA may inhibit bone metastasis from breast carcinoma mainly via the pathway of the receptor activator of NF kappaB ligand (RANKL)/RANK/osteoprotegerin (OPG) and by simultaneously suppressing the expression of interleukin-8 (IL-8). RA may thus be a good candidate for a new therapeutic approach in bone metastasis from breast carcinoma.
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PMID:Inhibition of bone metastasis from breast carcinoma by rosmarinic acid. 2015 77


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