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)

Cutaneous melanoma is an invasive and early metastazising tumor. Melanoma cells detach from the primary tumor, penetrate the basement membrane, invade lymphatics and blood vessels, and form metastases. These processes all depend on coordinated expression and/or activation of proteolytic enzymes. In addition to aspartyl- and cysteineproteinases, serine proteinases including the plasminogen activator system (uPA, uPAR, tPA, PAI-1 and PAI-2) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) with their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs) play an essential role in these processes. In addition, melanoma cells require specific adhesion molecules such as integrins and CD44 for interaction with other cells and components of the extracellular matrix (ECM); these are also involved in binding activated MMPs on the cell surface. In this review we discuss these functional aspects of melanoma progression.
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PMID:[Role of matrix-degrading enzymes in melanoma progression]. 1220 62

Lovastatin is a competitive inhibitor of 3-hydroxy 3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, the key regulatory enzyme of cholesterol biosynthesis. This enzyme catalyzes the formation of mevalonate, which is also the precursor of isoprenoid moieties, such as farnesol and geraniol, that are incorporated into several molecules essential for tumor cell signaling. Here, we describe that pretreatment with a non-cytotoxic concentration of lovastatin (10 microM) dramatically inhibited the metastatic ability of F311 mammary carcinoma cells in syngeneic BALB/c mice. Similarly, daily i.p. treatment of animals with a well-tolerated dose of lovastatin (10 mg/kg/day) significantly reduced the number of experimental lung metastases. In vitro, incubation of F3II monolayers in the presence of lovastatin caused a rounded-cell morphology. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed a lack of cortical actin organization, micrutubule disruption and inhibition of integrin-mediated focal contacts in lovastatin-treated cells. Exposure of F3II cells to lovastatin significantly inhibited tumor cell adhesion and migration, and coincubation with the cholesterol precursor mevalonate prevented these effects. Lovastatin reduced membrane localization of Rho protein, a signaling molecule involved in the regulation of actin-based cell motility that needs geranylation for membrane association and activation. In addition, lovastatin induced a dose-dependent inhibition in the secretion of urokinase, a key proteolytic enzyme during tumor invasion and metastasis, and a significant increase of tissue-type plasminogen activator, a marker of good prognosis in mammary cancer. These data suggest that antimetastatic properties of lovastatin are strongly associated with alterations in cytoskeleton organization and the consequent modulation of adhesion, motility and proteolysis.
Clin Exp Metastasis 2002
PMID:Lovastatin alters cytoskeleton organization and inhibits experimental metastasis of mammary carcinoma cells. 1240 93

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable plasma cell cancer, localized in the bone marrow (BM). The mechanisms used by these cells to (re-)enter this organ remain largely unknown. Recently, we reported that both CD45+ and CD45- myeloma cells home to the BM and induce myeloma disease. In this work, we investigated the underlying mechanisms involved in the homing of CD45+ and CD45- myeloma cells in the experimental 5T2MM and 5T33MM murine models. In vivo tracing of flow cytometric sorted and radioactively labeled CD45 subsets revealed a reduced homing of the CD45- 5TMM cells to the BM as compared to the CD45+ 5TMM cells. Migration assays demonstrated an impaired chemotaxis towards BM endothelial cell conditioned medium, BM stromal cell conditioned medium and towards the basement membrane component laminin-1 of the CD45- 5TMM cells compared to the CD45+ subset. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and urokinase type plasminogen activator (uPA) are key extracellular matrix proteases involved in the invasion of cancer cells. Inhibitor and antibody blocking experiments demonstrated the involvement of both in the invasion of the 5TMM cells. CD45- 5TMM cells had a low secretion of MMP-9 and (for the non-aggressive line 5T2MM only) a low cell surface expression of uPA receptor, as revealed by gelatin zymography and flow cytometric analysis, respectively. Accordingly, the synthetic basement membrane invasive capacity of the CD45- 5TMM subpopulations was also impaired. Our results indicate that CD45+ and CD45- 5T myeloma cells have a differential BM homing attributable to differential migratory and invasive capacities.
Clin Exp Metastasis 2002
PMID:Mechanisms involved in the differential bone marrow homing of CD45 subsets in 5T murine models of myeloma. 1249 87

BACKGROUND: Increases in urokinase-like plasminogen activator (uPA) activity are reported to be amongst the earliest events occurring in remnant liver following partial hepatectomy in rats, and have been proposed as a key component of the regenerative response. Remodelling of the extracellular matrix, conversion of single chain hepatocyte growth factor to the active two-chain form and a possible activation of a mitogenic signalling pathway have all been ascribed to the increased uPA activity. The present study aimed to determine whether similar early increases in uPA activity could be detected in the remnant liver following resection of metastatic tumours in surgical patients. RESULTS: Eighteen patients undergoing partial hepatectomy for the removal of hepatic metastases secondary to primary colonic tumours were studied. Increased plasminogen activator activity was found in the final liver samples for the group of patients in whom the resection size was at least 50%. For smaller resections, the increased activity was not observed. The increased activity did not correlate with the age of the patient or with the time between the start of resection and the end of the operation. There was, however, a negative correlation between plasminogen activator activity and the time for which blood supply to the liver was clamped. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings are in accordance with those from experimental animal models and show, for the first time, that rapid increases in plasminogen activator activity can occur following similarly large liver resection in humans. Thus, increases in plasminogen activator activity are an early event in the remnant liver following major liver resection in man. Our observations provide support for the contention that increases in plasminogen activators play a key role in the initiation of hepatic regeneration in man.
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PMID:Early increases in plasminogen activator activity following partial hepatectomy in humans. 1561 75

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer cells frequently metastasize to the skeleton and induce extensive bone destruction. Cancer cells produce proteinases, including matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and the plasminogen activator system (PAS) which promote invasion of extracellular matrices, but whether these proteinases degrade bone matrix is unclear. To characterize the role that breast cancer cell proteinases play in bone degradation we compared the effects of three human breast cancer cell lines, MDA-MB-231, ZR-75-1 and MCF-7 with those of a normal breast epithelial cell line, HME. The cell lines were cultured atop radiolabelled matrices of either mineralized or non-mineralized bone or type I collagen, the principal organic constituent of bone. RESULTS: The 3 breast cancer cell lines all produced significant degradation of the 3 collagenous extracellular matrices (ECMs) whilst the normal breast cell line was without effect. Breast cancer cells displayed an absolute requirement for serum to dissolve collagen. Degradation of collagen was abolished in plasminogen-depleted serum and could be restored by the addition of exogenous plasminogen. Localization of plasmin activity to the cell surface was critical for the degradation process as aprotinin, but not alpha2 antiplasmin, prevented collagen dissolution. During ECM degradation breast cancer cell lines expressed urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) and uPA receptor, and MMPs-1, -3, -9,-13, and -14. The normal breast epithelial cell line expressed low levels of MMPs-1, and -3, uPA and uPA receptor. Inhibitors of both the PAS (aprotinin and PA inhibitor-1) and MMPs (CT1166 and tisue inhibitor of metalloproteinase) blocked collagen degradation, demonstrating the requirement of both plasminogen activation and MMP activity for degradation. The activation of MMP-13 in human breast cancer cells was prevented by plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 but not by tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1, suggesting that plasmin activates MMP-13 directly. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that breast cancer cells dissolve type I collagen and that there is an absolute requirement for plasminogen activation and MMP activity in the degradation process.
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PMID:Human breast cancer cell-mediated bone collagen degradation requires plasminogen activation and matrix metalloproteinase activity. 1570 Nov 64

Methylation of CpG islands of tumor suppressor genes, growth factors, and hormone receptors among other genes causes epigenetic changes in chromatin structure without altering DNA sequence to regulate transcription of these genes. This epigenetic regulation of gene expression plays an important role in the process of tumor invasion, growth and metastasis in malignancies. In hormone dependent malignancies such as breast and prostate cancer, sex steroids play an important role in the process of tumor initiation and progression. These malignancies are often initiated as a less aggressive hormone-responsive type that gradually progresses to become highly invasive and hormone-insensitive. At the early stages, cells lose a functional hormone receptor due to mutations, blockage of signaling pathway or hormone receptor gene silencing. This transition of cancer cells causes them to become refractory to the standard hormone therapies. In later stages, important factors like growth factors, cytokines and proteases promote tumor growth, invasion and metastases. The most commonly implicated protease in these processes is urokinase type plasminogen activator (uPA), which is known to be expressed in a number of malignancies including breast and prostate cancer and is directly associated with the higher invasive and metastatic potential of malignancies. In this chapter, we will review DNA methylation as the underlying molecular mechanism regulating uPA gene expression and its potential diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic implication.
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PMID:Hypomethylation of urokinase (uPA) promoter in breast and prostate cancer: prognostic and therapeutic implications. 1630 45

Ovarian cancer is a highly metastatic disease. Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) levels are elevated in ascites from ovarian cancer patients, but its potential role in ovarian cancer metastasis has just begun to be revealed. In this work, we show that LPA stimulates invasion of primary ovarian cancer cells, but not ovarian epithelial or borderline ovarian tumor cells, although these benign cells indeed respond to LPA in cell migration. We have found that LPA downregulates tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). TIMP2 and TIMP3 play functional role in LPA-induced invasion as negative regulators. G(i) protein, phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), cytosolic phospholipase A(2) and urokinase type plasminogen activator (uPA) are required for LPA-induced cells invasion. TIMP3 may affect two independent downstream targets, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor and p38 MAPK. In vivo, LPA stimulates tumor metastasis in an orthotopic ovarian tumor model, which can be inhibited by a PI3K inhibitor, LY294002. In summary, LPA is likely a key component for promoting ovarian metastasis in vivo. LPA downregulates TIMP3, which may have targets other than metalloproteinases. Our in vivo metastasis mouse model is useful for studying the efficacy of therapeutic regimes of ovarian cancer.
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PMID:Lysophosphatidic acid downregulates tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases, which are negatively involved in lysophosphatidic acid-induced cell invasion. 1713 Aug 43

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), its transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptor (c-Met), and urokinase type plasminogen activator (uPA) is a key protein in the plasminogen activation system, which plays a proteolytically important role in the invasion and metastasis of various types of cancers. However, the mechanisms by which HGF/c-Met signaling mediates cancer progression and metastasis are unclear. This study was designed to investigate the roles of HGF/c-Met in tumor progression and metastasis in HepG2 and Hep3B hepatoma cell lines. Treatment with HGF increased c-Met phosphorylation in a dose-dependent manner. Activity of c-Met phosphorylation peaked 1-3 min after HGF treatment and then declined. HGF enhanced the protein level and the activity of uPA in HepG2 and Hep3B cells, and the uPAR protein level also increased in a HGF dose-dependent manner. HGF increased cell invasion through the Matrigel. A monoclonal antibody against human uPA receptor, mAb 3936, inhibited HGF-mediated tumor cell invasion in a dose-dependent manner. Down-regulation of uPA using uPA-shRNA induced a decrease in in vitro cell invasion. These results suggest that hepatoma cells express functional c-Met, which may provide a target for a therapeutic basis to interfere with metastases of cancer cells by inhibiting uPA system-mediated proteolysis.
Clin Exp Metastasis 2008
PMID:Role of hepatocyte growth factor/c-Met signaling in regulating urokinase plasminogen activator on invasiveness in human hepatocellular carcinoma: a potential therapeutic target. 1799 75

At the Centre Oscar Lambret, the anticancer centre of the North of France, sentinel lymph node (SLN) procedures are routinely performed for localized (T0-T1, N0, M0) breast carcinoma without any previous treatment, in order to prevent the deleterious effects of axillary lymph node dissection. The present study was undertaken to assess if the expression in the tumor of a panel of 19 genes would allow to predict histological SLN involvement. We looked at cytokeratin 19 (CK19), mucin-1 (MUC1), mammaglobin (MGB1), cyclin D1 (CCND1), the four members of the HER/ErbB growth factor receptor family (EGFR, HER2-4), insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R), estradiol receptors (ERalpha, ERbeta), progesterone receptor (PR), vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF, VEGF-C), urokinase-like plasminogen activator (uPA), matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 (MMP2, MMP9), ets-related transcription factor ERM, and E-cadherin (CDH1). Their expression was quantified by real-time RT-PCR in 134 breast cancer samples and the relationships with SLN metastases were analyzed. A slight increase (35-40%) in CK19 and HER3 expression was observed in the tumors of patients with SLN metastases compared to those of patients without metastases, even if neither CK19 expression nor HER3 expression allowed to distinguish patients with micrometastases from patients with macrometastases. We conclude that the tumoral expression of biological parameters involved in cell proliferation or playing a critical role in the metastatic process, including tumor invasion and angiogenesis, is not strongly associated with SLN metastases.
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PMID:Real-time reverse-transcription PCR to quantify a panel of 19 genes in breast cancer: relationships with sentinel lymph node invasion. 1840 45

Previous studies from this laboratory have characterized RAW117-P murine large cell B-cell lymphoma and its in vivo selected highly malignant and liver metastatic RAW117-H10 subline for their biological and biochemical properties. In this study, to understand the molecular basis of low and high metastatic behavior of these variant sublines, we have investigated the molecular phenotypes of these cells using differential display techniques and cDNA array analysis. Differential display analysis indicated a significant difference in expression of several genes between these two metastatic variant lymphoma cells. Further analyses of these cells using microarray showed an increased expression of several genes including uPAR1, CRE-BP1, Chop-10, IGF, insulin-like growth factor-IA, STAT6, Cyclin-D1, Cyclin-E, ERBB-3, Alpha NGF, Kruppel-like factor LKLF, (P)19INK4 in metastatic RAW117-H10 cells compared to parental RAW117-P cells. On the other hand, MIP1beta, CD14 antigen, Cathepsin B and MOD are expressed more in RAW117-P cells compared to RAW117-H10 cells. Differential expression of the selected genes was confirmed using semiquantitative RT-PCR techniques. The combination of plasminogen activator and its receptor and IGF-like growth factors, cell cycle regulatory molecules and transcription factors might provide an ideal environment for RAW117-H10 cells to metastasize to distant organs and colonize. Thus these results identify certain differentially expressed genes that are involved in the metastatic properties of these lymphoma cells and lay foundation for further in depth analyses to use this information to develop therapy for metastatic lymphoma.
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PMID:Differential gene expression in murine large cell B-cell lymphoma metastatic variants. 1860 72


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