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

Tumor cell migration involved in metastases is a tightly regulated, nonrandom process. Chemokines have been identified as critical molecules guiding cell migration. We performed a prospective study to analyze a possible association between the expression of chemokine receptors CXCR3 and CXCR4 by primary melanoma and clinical outcome. Forty primary melanomas were available for analysis; 57% of the tumors expressed CXCR3 and 35% expressed CXCR4 by melanoma cells. At initial diagnosis, 5 patients had subclinical lymph node involvement and after a median follow-up time of 32 months, 2 additional patients developed regional lymph node metastases and 5 patients developed distant metastases. The expression of CXCR4, but not CXCR3, by melanoma cells in primary lesions was significantly associated with the presence of ulceration, increased tumor thickness, a greater risk of developing regional and distant metastases and a higher mortality rate. Our study underscores the value of CXCR4 expression as a useful marker for predicting outcome in patients with localized melanoma. In addition, our findings support that, among chemokine receptors, CXCR4 might be an appropriate therapeutic target for adjuvant therapy in patients at risk for metastatic disease.
 ...
PMID:Clinical significance of CXCR3 and CXCR4 expression in primary melanoma. 1598 Dec 10

The pathogenesis of metastasis depends on multiple favorable interactions of tumor cells with host homeostatic mechanisms. Interruption of one or more of these interactions can lead to the inhibition or eradication of cancer metastases. For many years, all efforts to treat cancer concentrated on the inhibition of growth or the destruction of tumor cells. A strategy of both eradication of tumor cells (e.g. by chemotherapy and immunotherapy) and modulation of the host microenvironment (e.g. tumor vasculature and hypoxia) is an additional, relatively novel approach to cancer treatment. Recent advances in our understanding of the biological basis of cancer metastasis open up unprecedented opportunities for translating basic research to clinical treatment of cancer. This research includes the unraveling of the genetic make-up of tumors and genome-wide expression analyses, thereby identifying many potential targets for therapy. Drugs acting on tumor cells which have a metastasis-prone mutational or expression status (by classical or targeted chemotherapy) as well as drugs affecting host-mediated survival pathways must be combined in order to create therapeutic synergy. Therapeutic maneuvers may target receptor tyrosine kinases (EGFR, VEGFR, FGFR), chemokines or G-protein-coupled receptors (CXCR4, CXCR2, EphB2), hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), and signaling pathways (c-Src, PI3K, Akt, chaperon complexes) in tumor cells. Moreover, stromal and immunological cells and their cytokines coordinate critical pathways that exert important roles in the ability of tumors to invade and metastasize, thus suppressive cytokines (IL-6 and IL-10) and neutralizing specific antibodies might subvert conditions for metastasis.
 ...
PMID:Metastases and their microenvironments: linking pathogenesis and therapy. 1609 51

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is characterized by a distinct metastatic pattern resembling chemokine-induced leukocyte trafficking. This prompted us to investigate expression, signal transduction and specific functions of the chemokine receptor CXCR4 in CRC cells and metastases. Using RT-PCR analysis and Western blotting, we demonstrated CXCR4 and CXCL12 expression in CRC and CRC metastases. Cell differentiation increases CXCL12 mRNA levels. Moreover, CXCR4 and its ligand are inversely expressed in CRC cell lines with high CXCR4 and low or not detectable CXCL12 expression. CXCL12 activates ERK-1/2, SAPK/JNK kinases, Akt and matrix metalloproteinase-9. These CXCL12-induced signals mediate reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton resulting in increased cancer cell migration and invasion. Moreover, CXCL12 increases vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and cell proliferation but has no effect on CRC apoptosis. Therefore, the CXCL12/CXCR4 system is an important mediator of invasion and metastasis of CXCR4 expressing CRC cells.
 ...
PMID:CXCR4 and CXCL12 are inversely expressed in colorectal cancer cells and modulate cancer cell migration, invasion and MMP-9 activation. 1612 70

Interactions between the CXCR4 chemokine receptor in breast cancer cells and the ligand CXCL12/SDF-1alpha are thought to play an important role in breast cancer metastases. In this pilot study, CXCR4 expression along with other biomarkers including HER2-neu and EGFR, were measured in primary tumor samples of patients with operable breast cancer to test whether any of these biomarkers alone and in combination could indicate breast cancer with high likelihood of metastasizing to bone marrow. Cytokeratin (CK) positive cells in bone marrow were identified by flow-cytometry following enrichment with CK 7/8 antibody-coupled magnetic beads. Primary tumors (n = 18) were stained with specific antibodies for CXCR4, HER2-neu, EGFR, and PCNA using an indirect avidin-biotin horseradish peroxidase method. The majority of the patients had T2/T3 tumors (72%), or lymph node involvement (67%) as pathologic characteristics that were more indicative of high-risk breast cancer. High CXCR4 cytoplasmic expression was found in 7 of 18 patients (39%), whereas 6 of 18 patients (33%) were found to have CK positivity in bone marrow. The median number of CK(+) cells was 236 (range, 20-847) per 5 x 10(4) enriched BM cells. The presence of CK(+) cells in bone marrow was found to be associated with increased expression of CXCR4 alone or in addition to EGFR and/or HER2-neu expression (P = 0.013, P = 0.005, and P = 0.025, respectively) in primary tumors. Furthermore, three patients with high CK positivity (>236 CK(+) per 5 x 10(4) enriched bone marrow cells) in bone marrow exclusively expressed high levels of CXCR4 with EGFR/HER2-neu (P = 0.001). Our data suggest that high CXCR4 expression in breast cancer may be a potential marker in predicting isolated tumor cells in bone marrow. CXCR4 coexpression with EGFR/HER2-neu might further predict a particular subset of patients with high CK positivity in bone marrow.
Clin Exp Metastasis 2005
PMID:Chemokine receptor CXCR4 expression in breast cancer as a potential predictive marker of isolated tumor cells in bone marrow. 1613 77

The chemokine receptors CCR5 and CXCR4 serve as co-receptors for the human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) and thus, are important cellular components during HIV-1 cell entry. In recent years, a new biological role for chemokine receptors has emerged in assisting the spread of primary tumors to distant secondary sites within the human body (metastasis). This review highlights some of the HIV-1 cell entry inhibitors (antagonists), which are currently in development and/or under evaluation in clinical trials, and discusses the therapeutic use of these new antagonists for the treatment of certain forms of metastatic cancer.
 ...
PMID:Killing two birds with one drug: a new application for HIV-1 cell entry inhibitors in the treatment of metastatic cancer. 1615 63

Bone marrow stromal cells are critical regulators of hematopoiesis. Osteoblasts are part of the stromal cell support system in bone marrow and may be derived from a common precursor. Several studies suggested that osteoblasts regulate hematopoiesis, yet the entire mechanism is not understood. It is clear, however, that both hematopoietic precursors and osteoblasts interact for the production of osteoclasts and the activation of resorption. We observed that hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) regulate osteoblastic secretion of various growth factors, and that osteoblasts express some soluble factors exclusively in the presence of HSCs. Osteoblasts and hematopoietic cells are closely associated with each other in the bone marrow, suggesting a reciprocal relationship between them to develop the HSC niche. One critical component regulating the niche is stromal-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) and its receptor CXCR4 which regulates stem cell homing and, as we have recently demonstrated, plays a crucial role in facilitating those tumors which metastasize to bone. Osteoblasts produce abundant amounts of SDF-1 and therefore osteoblasts play an important role in metastasis. These findings are discussed in the context of the role of osteoblasts in marrow function in health and disease.
 ...
PMID:The role of osteoblasts in regulating hematopoietic stem cell activity and tumor metastasis. 1617 37

Rearrangements of the RET receptor tyrosine kinase gene generating RET/PTC oncogenes are specific to papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), the most frequent thyroid tumor. Here, we show that the RET/PTC1 oncogene, when exogenously expressed in primary normal human thyrocytes, induces the expression of a large set of genes involved in inflammation and tumor invasion, including those encoding chemokines (CCL2, CCL20, CXCL8, and CXCL12), chemokine receptors (CXCR4), cytokines (IL1B, CSF-1, GM-CSF, and G-CSF), matrix-degrading enzymes (metalloproteases and urokinase-type plasminogen activator and its receptor), and adhesion molecules (L-selectin). This effect is strictly dependent on the presence of the RET/PTC1 Tyr-451 (corresponding to RET Tyr-1062 multidocking site). Selected relevant genes (CCL20, CCL2, CXCL8, CXCR4, L-selectin, GM-CSF, IL1B, MMP9, UPA, and SPP1/OPN) were found up-regulated also in clinical samples of PTC, particularly those characterized by RET/PTC activation, local extrathyroid spread, and lymph node metastases, when compared with normal thyroid tissue or follicular thyroid carcinoma. These results, demonstrating that the RET/PTC1 oncogene activates a proinflammatory program, provide a direct link between a transforming human oncogene, inflammation, and malignant behavior.
 ...
PMID:Induction of a proinflammatory program in normal human thyrocytes by the RET/PTC1 oncogene. 1620 90

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) play important roles in a variety of biological and pathological processes. They are considered among the most desirable targets for drug development. Recent studies have demonstrated that many GPCRs, such as endothelin receptors, chemokine receptors and lysophosphatidic acid receptors have been implicated in the tumorigenesis and metastasis of multiple human cancers. In this study, we conducted an in silico analysis of GPCR gene expression in primary human tumors by analyzing some publicly available gene expression profiling data. Statistical analysis was performed on eight microarray data sets of non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, melanoma, gastric cancer and diffused large B cell lymphoma to identify GPCRs that are up-regulated in primary or metastatic cancer cells. Our analysis has demonstrated overexpression of several GPCRs in primary tumor cells, including chemokine receptors and protease-activated receptors that were shown to be important for tumorigenesis by previous studies. In addition, we have uncovered several GPCRs, such as neuropeptide receptors, adenosine A2B receptor, P2Y purinoceptor, calcium-sensing receptor and metabotropic glutamate receptors, that are expressed at a significantly higher level in some cancer tissue and may play a role in cancer progression. Analysis of cancer samples in different disease stages also suggests that some GPCRs, such as endothelin receptor A, may be involved in early tumor progression and others, such as CXCR4, may play a critical role in tumor invasion and metastasis. The present study demonstrates the value of publicly available microarray data as a resource to gain more understanding of cancer biology, to validate previous findings from in vitro experiments, and to identify potential novel anticancer targets and biomarkers.
 ...
PMID:Overexpression of G protein-coupled receptors in cancer cells: involvement in tumor progression. 1621 Dec 29

CXCR4, the receptor for stromal cell-derived factor-1(SDF-1), belongs to the chemokine receptor family and has been shown to play an important role in regulating the directional migration of breast cancer cells to sites of metastasis. In the present study, we evaluated the expression of CXCR4 and its association with pathological features and clinical outcome in human breast cancer. Expression of CXCR4 in eight breast cancer cell lines and breast cancer tissues was investigated using conventional PCR. Levels of CXCR4 transcript and protein were examined in human breast cancer tissues (n=120) and corresponding normal tissues (n=32) using real-time quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry, respectively. The level of CXCR4 expression was analyzed against tumour types, grade, nodal status, recurrence, metastasis, and survival over a median 120 month follow-up period. The expression of CXCR4 was detected in all breast cancer cell lines examined, as well as in breast cancer tissues and breast normal tissues. Breast cancer tissues highly expressed CXCR4 compared with corresponding normal tissues (P=0.029). The level of CXCR4 expression showed a significant difference between node-positive group and node-negative group (19+/-13 vs. 49.7+/-9, respectively, P=0.03). The level of CXCR4 expression was marginal, yet statistically insignificant, higher in tumours from patients with metastatic disease compared with those who remained disease free. No correlation was seen between levels of CXCR4 and the overall survival, although at higher levels of CXCR4 linked to shorter disease free survival (113.0 vs. 136.7 months in patients with low CXCR4, P=0.14, Cox proportional test). The level of CXCR4 expression is significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis. The elevated levels of CXCR4 suggest that the patient has high possibility of lymph node metastasis. CXCR4 may be a useful prognostic indicator and a potential therapeutic target in cancer therapies in patients with breast cancer.
 ...
PMID:The elevated level of CXCR4 is correlated with nodal metastasis of human breast cancer. 1621 37

The support mechanisms that are involved in lymph-node metastasis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remain largely unknown. Recent studies have demonstrated that tumor cells express chemokine receptors and use chemokines to metastasize to the target organ in many malignancies in humans. In this study, we examined the expression and function of chemokines and their receptors in OSCC. The expression of chemokine receptors was assessed in eight OSCC cell lines. CXCR3 mRNA and protein were expressed in all the OSCC cell lines examined, while CXCR4 mRNA and protein were expressed only in HSC2, HSC3, and Ca9-22 cells. Treatment with the ligand for CXCR4, stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1), enhanced the motility and invasiveness of OSCC cells expressing CXCR4. However, the CXCR3 ligand, Mig, did not affect the migration or invasiveness of CXCR3-positive cells. We also evaluated the clinical significance of CXCR4 expression immunohistochemically. CXCR4 expression was detected in 27 (30%) of the 90 OSCC tissues tested, and was localized in the membrane and cytoplasm of cancer cells. There was a highly significant correlation between CXCR4 expression and lymph-node metastasis (P=0.0035). Collectively, these findings suggest that CXCR4 might be involved in the lymph-node metastasis of OSCC.
 ...
PMID:CXCR4 expression is associated with lymph-node metastasis of oral squamous cell carcinoma. 1632 80


<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>