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)

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) induces invasive growth, a biological program that confers tumor cells the capability to invade and metastasize by integrating cell proliferation, motility, morphogenesis, and survival. We here demonstrate that HGFR activation promotes survival of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) cells exposed to conditions that mimic those met during tumor progression, i.e. nutrient deprivation or substrate detachment, and following chemotherapeutic treatment. In all these conditions, a sustained activation of p38 MAPK delivers a main death signal that is overcome by cell treatment with HGF. HGF-driven survival requires the engagement of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR/p70S6K and ERK MAPK transduction pathways. Abrogation of p38 MAPK activity prevents CRC cell apoptosis also when these transduction pathways are inhibited, and treatment with HGF further increases survival. Engagement of these signaling cascades is also needed for HGF to induce CRC cell scattering, morphogenesis, motility and invasion. Activation of p38 MAPK signaling is therefore a main apoptotic switch for CRC cells in the stressful conditions encountered during tumor progression. Conversely, HGF orchestrates several biochemical pathways, which allow cell survival in these same conditions and promote the biological responses required for tumor invasive growth. Both p38 MAPK and HGF/HGFR signaling constitute potential molecular targets for inhibiting colorectal carcinogenesis.
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PMID:Hepatocyte growth factor installs a survival platform for colorectal cancer cell invasive growth and overcomes p38 MAPK-mediated apoptosis. 1667 2

Epithelioid sarcoma is a rare soft tissue neoplasm that usually arises in the distal extremities of young adults. Epithelioid sarcoma presents a high rate of recurrences and metastases and frequently poses diagnostic dilemmas. We previously reported loss of tumor suppressor SMARCB1 protein expression and SMARCB1 gene deletion in the majority of epithelioid sarcoma cases. Unfortunately, no appropriate preclinical models of such genetic alteration in epithelioid sarcoma are available. In the present report, we identified lack of SMARCB1 protein due to a homozygous deletion of exon 1 and upstream regulatory region in epithelioid sarcoma cell line VAESBJ. Restoration of SMARCB1 expression significantly affected VAESBJ cell proliferation, anchorage-independent growth, and cell migration properties, thus supporting the causative role of SMARCB1 loss in epithelioid sarcoma pathogenesis. We investigated the translational relevance of this genetic background in epithelioid sarcoma and showed that SMARCB1 ectopic expression significantly augmented VAESBJ sensitivity to gamma irradiation and acted synergistically with flavopiridol treatment. In VAESBJ, both activated ERBB1/EGFR and HGFR/MET impinged on AKT and ERK phosphorylation. We showed a synergistic effect of combined inhibition of these 2 receptor tyrosine kinases using selective small-molecule inhibitors on cell proliferation. These observations provide definitive support to the role of SMARCB1 inactivation in the pathogenesis of epithelioid sarcoma and disclose novel clues to therapeutic approaches tailored to SMARCB1-negative epithelioid sarcoma.
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PMID:SMARCB1/INI1 genetic inactivation is responsible for tumorigenic properties of epithelioid sarcoma cell line VAESBJ. 2357 73

The five-year survival rate in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains below ten percent. The invasive and metastatic nature of NSCLC tumor cells contributes to the high mortality rate, and as such the mechanisms that govern NSCLC metastasis is an active area of investigation. Two surface receptors that influence NSCLC invasion and metastasis are the hepatocyte growth factor receptor (HGFR/MET) and fibroblast growth factor-inducible 14 (FN14). MET protein is over-expressed in NSCLC tumors and associated with poor clinical outcome and metastasis. FN14 protein is also elevated in NSCLC tumors and positively correlates with tumor cell migration and invasion. In this report, we show that MET and FN14 protein expressions are significantly correlated in human primary NSCLC tumors, and the protein levels of MET and FN14 are elevated in metastatic lesions relative to patient-matched primary tumors. In vitro, HGF/MET activation significantly enhances FN14 mRNA and protein expression. Importantly, depletion of FN14 is sufficient to inhibit MET-driven NSCLC tumor cell migration and invasion in vitro. This work suggests that MET and FN14 protein expressions are associated with the invasive and metastatic potential of NSCLC. Receptor-targeted therapeutics for both MET and FN14 are in clinical development, the use of which may mitigate the metastatic potential of NSCLC.
Clin Exp Metastasis 2014 Aug
PMID:FN14 expression correlates with MET in NSCLC and promotes MET-driven cell invasion. 2471 Sep 56

Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is a rapidly growing, highly metastatic cancer with limited therapeutic alternatives, thus targeted therapies need to be developed. This study aimed to examine desmoglein 2 (Dsg2) expression in ATC and its biological role and potential as a therapeutic target in ATC. Consequently, Dsg2 was downregulated or aberrantly expressed in ATC tissues. ATC patients with low Dsg2 expression levels also presented with distant metastasis. Dsg2 depletion significantly increased cell migration and invasion, with a relatively limited effect on ATC cell proliferation in vitro and increased distant metastasis in vivo. Dsg2 knockdown induced cell motility through the hepatocyte growth factor receptor (HGFR, c-Met)/Src/Rac1 signaling axis, with no alterations in the expression of EMT-related molecules. Further, specific targeting of c-Met significantly inhibited the motility of shDsg2-depleted ATC cells. Decreased membrane Dsg2 expression increased the metastatic potential of ATC cells. These results indicate that Dsg2 plays an important role in ATC cell migration and invasiveness. Therapies targeting c-Met might be effective among ATC patients with low membrane Dsg2 expression levels, indicating that the analysis of Dsg2 expression potentially provides novel insights into treatment strategies for ATC.
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PMID:Dsg2-mediated c-Met activation in anaplastic thyroid cancer motility and invasion. 3302 37