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)

Human tissue factor pathway inhibitor-2 (TFPI-2), also known as placental protein (PP5) and matrix-associated serine protease inhibitor (MSPI), is a 32-kDa extracellular matrix (ECM) protein consisting of three tandomly arranged Kunitz-type domains that inhibits plasmin, trypsin, chymotrypsin, cathepsin G and plasma kallikrein but not urokinase and tissue-type plasminogen activators or thrombin. Earlier studies in our laboratory revealed that the production of TFPI-2 is reduced or absent during the tumor progression of human gliomas. In the present study, we investigated the role of TFPI-2 in the invasiveness of the amelanotic melanoma cell line C-32. We stably transfected C-32 cells with a vector capable of expressing TFPI-2 in a sense orientation (0.7 kb). TFPI-2 protein production was then determined by western blotting and the mRNA level by northern blotting in parental and stably transfected (vector and sense) clones. The levels of TFPI-2 protein and mRNA were significantly higher in the sense clones, but neither was detected in parental and vector control clones. In addition, in vitro Matrigel invasion/migration assays revealed that the invasive behavior of sense clones was inhibited compared with the behavior of parental and vector clones. This is the first study to show that the upregulation of TFPI-2 plays a significant role in reducing the invasive behavior of human amelanotic melanomas.
Clin Exp Metastasis 2000
PMID:Role of tissue factor pathway inhibitor-2 (TFPI-2) in amelanotic melanoma (C-32) invasion. 1144 60

Metastasis is one of the major causes of mortality in cancer. It is well known that the activities of cell surface serine proteases are especially enhanced in malignant tumors. Proteolytic degradation of the extracellular matrix and basal membrane is a crucial event for tumor cell invasion and metastasis formation. FOY-305 (Foypan), a remedy for tumor pancreatitis, is a broad spectrum synthetic serine protease inhibitor which inhibits enzymatic activities including trypsin, thrombin, kallikrein and plasmin. Using Lewis lung carcinoma cell, we found that FOY-305 inhibited both spontaneous and experimental pulmonary metastasis. Furthermore, the combined treatment of FOY-305 and a traditional anti-cancer drug, 5-FU or bleomycin, resulted in marked enhancement of anti-pulmonary metastatic activity.
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PMID:Antimetastatic activity of a synthetic serine protease inhibitor, FOY-305 (Foypan). 1579 65

We investigated alpha1-antichymotrypsin (ACT) gene expression in xenograft tumors generated by two isogenic human breast cancer cell lines derived from the same parent, MDA-MB-435, which display opposite metastatic behaviors. Microarray and real-time PCR experiments showed an overexpression of this serine protease inhibitor in the metastatic tumors (M-4A4T) and its derived metastases (M4-Mets) compared with the weakly metastatic tumors (NM-2C5T), and its release into the blood was confirmed by western-blotting. However, functional assays in vivo using genetically engineered tumor cells demonstrated that ACT up-regulation was not, by itself, responsible for the metastatic phenotype. We also made observations that ACT gene regulation was sensitive to tumor-host interactions: inoculation of these lines into the mouse mammary gland greatly increased ACT production and accentuated the intrinsic difference observed when they are cultured in vitro. Sensitivity of tumor cells to their environment was further analyzed by in vitro experiments, which demonstrated that a purified ECM environment and soluble components from normal host mammary cells were both able to significantly promote ACT expression. In addition, we took advantage of the xenogeneic nature of the model to measure ACT expression by the host cells (mouse) and the tumor cells (human) within the neoplasm using species-specific primers in real-time PCR experiments. It was found that the presence of tumor cells, irrespective of their metastatic capabilities, induced local ACT production by host cells at the primary and secondary tumor sites. Thus, this work indicates that there is a specific association of ACT overexpression with the metastatic phenotype in our breast cancer metastasis model. Moreover, because of the xenogeneic nature of our system, we were able to provide evidence of tumor-host reciprocal regulation of ACT production.
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PMID:Tumor-host interactions contribute to the elevated expression level of alpha1-antichymotrypsin in metastatic breast tumor xenografts. 1581 Nov 32

Hepatocyte activator inhibitor-1 (HAI-1) is a transmembrane serine protease inhibitor that regulates the conversion of latent to active hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). Studies supporting a role for the HGF pathway in prostate carcinogenesis prompted an analysis of HAI-1 expression in the prostate. Here we analyze the regulation of HAI-1 expression by androgen, oncogenic transformation, and cancer progression. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that HAI-1 expression was restricted to prostate epithelium, where staining occurred primarily in basal and atrophic luminal epithelial cells. Compared to normal glands, HAI-1 expression was significantly increased in localized prostate cancer and was present in most prostate cancer metastases. HAI-1 protein expression levels were sensitive to androgen in normal epithelium but not in cancer. Although androgen did not increase HAI-1 protein expression levels in LNCaP cells, it decreased HAI-1 surface expression, consistent with previous data from our group (Martin DB, Gifford DR, Wright ME, Keller A, Yi E, Goodlett DR, Aebersold R, Nelson PS: Quantitative proteomic analysis of proteins released by neoplastic prostate epithelium. Cancer Res 2004, 64:347-355). HAI-1 overexpression in cancer was predictive of prostate-specific antigen recurrence (relative risk, 1.24). These results suggest that HAI-1 regulates the HGF Met axis on prostate epithelial cells and influences HGF mediated tumor invasion and metastasis.
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PMID:Regulation of hepatocyte activator inhibitor-1 expression by androgen and oncogenic transformation in the prostate. 1597 69

Ovarian carcinoma patients frequently develop malignant ascites containing single and aggregated tumor cells, or spheroids. Spheroids have been shown to be resistant to many therapies, but their contribution to ovarian cancer dissemination remains undetermined. We have previously shown that ascites spheroids adhere to extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and live human mesothelial cells via beta1 integrin subunits. Here, we assessed the ability of spheroids that were generated from the human ovarian carcinoma cell line NIH:OVCAR5 to disseminate and invade in vitro. Spheroids were seeded on ECM proteins for 24 h. While laminin and type IV collagen stimulated some cell migration, spheroids completely disaggregated on type I collagen substrates. A monoclonal antibody against the beta1 integrin subunit significantly inhibited disaggregation on all proteins tested. To test their invasive ability, spheroids were added to monolayers of live human LP9 mesothelial cells. Within 24 h, the spheroids adhered and disaggregated on top of the monolayers, and within a week had established foci of invasion encompassing a 200-fold larger surface area. Addition of a monoclonal antibody against the beta1 integrin subunit drastically reduced spheroid invasion into the mesothelial cell monolayers. GM 6001, a broad-scale matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor, also significantly blocked spheroid invasion into the mesothelial cell monolayers. Epsilon-amino-N-caproic acid, a serine protease inhibitor, partially inhibited spheroid invasion. Based on their ability to attach to, disaggregate on, and invade into live human mesothelial cell monolayers, spheroids should thus be regarded as potential contributors to the dissemination of ovarian cancer.
Clin Exp Metastasis 2004
PMID:Ovarian carcinoma spheroids disaggregate on type I collagen and invade live human mesothelial cell monolayers. 1603 13

The esophageal cancer-related gene 2 (ECRG2) is a novel gene that shows sequence similarity to KAZAL-type serine protease inhibitor. In this study, the migration and invasion of PG cancer cells were inhibited by ectopic expression of ECRG2 in vitro, and metastases decreased after injecting PG/pcDNA3.1-ECRG2 cells into the tail veins of nude mice. Control mice were injected with PG/pcDNA3.1 cells. To test the hypothesis that ECRG2 interacts with proteases and inactivates extracellular matrix degradation, binding affinity and co-immunoprecipitation experiments were performed using serum-free conditioned medium. The results showed that ECRG2 bound to two species of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) with molecular weights of 55 and 33 kDa. Furthermore, analysis of the uPA/plasmin activity showed that expression of ECRG2 reduced proteolysis of the plasmin substrate D-Val-Phe-Lys-p-nitroanilide, which was seen by a decrease of absorbance at 405 nm. Taken together, these results suggested that ECRG2 inhibits aggressiveness of cancer cell, possibly through the down-regulation of uPA/plasmin activity.
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PMID:ECRG2 inhibits cancer cell migration, invasion and metastasis through the down-regulation of uPA/plasmin activity. 1760 71

Maspin (mammary serine protease inhibitor) is a member of the serpin superfamily of protease inhibitors and it has a role as a tumor suppressor. Maspin has been reported to be important in processes relevant to tumor growth and metastasis such as cell invasion, angiogenesis, and apoptosis. A high expression of maspin was correlated with better rates of survival and absence of nodal metastases in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. In contrast, some studies have shown that maspin overexpression is correlated with a poor prognosis in pancreatic and ovarian cancers and in lung adenocarcinoma. The aim of this study was an immunohistochemical evaluation of the maspin expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma and thus 89 patients were evaluated. Maspin expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma was significantly associated with the tumor differentiation grade (chi test: P = 0.0318) and the lymph node status (chi test: P < 0.005), but not with the tumor stage (chi test: P = 0.666). Metastatic involvement of lymph nodes was observed more frequently in maspin-negative cases than in tumors with more than 5% of positive cells (P = 0.0024). The present results confirm that maspin expression predicts a better prognosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma and that maspin probably plays a role in tumor progression.
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PMID:Maspin expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma. 1791 78

Maspin is a serine protease inhibitor with anti-tumor activity, including inhibition of tumor growth, angiogenesis, invasion, motility, and metastasis. Normal mammary and prostate cells express maspin at high levels. In contrast, breast and prostate cancer tissue samples and cell lines exhibit reduced or no expression of the maspin transcript. Previously we have demonstrated that introduction of an intact chromosome 18 into the bone-derived metastatic prostate cancer cell line, PC-3, resulted in reduced in vitro growth and in vivo metastatic potential. The goal of this study was to determine whether maspin is the tumor/metastasis suppressor on chromosome 18 responsible for this phenotype. To investigate whether maspin, when produced at endogenous levels, is capable of inhibiting metastasis to bone we transfected a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) genomic clone containing the maspin gene into PC-3 cells that aggressively metastasize to bone in an animal model. The BAC transfected PC-3 cells exhibited an in vitro phenotype consistent with maspin acting as a tumor suppressor. Analysis of the PC-3 maspin transfectants in an in vivo bone metastasis assay resulted in significant reduction of the number and severity of skeletal metastasis, compared with parental PC-3 cells. However, maspin had no effect on the ability of PC-3 cells to metastasize to extra-skeletal sites in this model. These results indicate that maspin expression likely plays a role in reducing the tumor cell's ability to seed to bone or in inhibition of growth in the bone microenvironment. However, it does not affect the ability to metastasize to distant sites.
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PMID:Maspin reduces prostate cancer metastasis to bone. 1836 29

In this study we examined the ability of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) to regulate mammary epithelial cell growth and gene expression, with particular emphasis on two genes: Maspin (a member of serine protease inhibitor superfamily), and the lysosomal aspartyl endopeptidase cathepsin D (CatD). The protein products of these genes are critically involved in regulation of multitude of biological functions in different stages of mammary tissue development and remodeling. In addition, the expression of Maspin is down-regulated in primary breast cancer and is lost in metastatic disease, while CatD is excessively produced and aberrantly secreted by breast cancer cells. We report that IFN-gamma receptors are expressed in mammary epithelial cells, and receptor engagement by IFN-gamma transduces the IFN-gamma signal via Stat-1 resulting in decreased vacuolar pH. This change in vacuolar pH alters CatD protein processing and secretion concurrent with increased Maspin secretion. In addition, IFN-gamma exerts a suppressive effect on cell growth and proliferation, and induces morphological changes in mammary epithelial cells. Our studies also reveal that breast cancer cells, which are devoid of Maspin, are refractory to IFN-gamma with respect to changes in vacuolar pH and CatD. However, Maspin transfection of breast cancer cells partially sensitizes the cells to IFN-gamma's effect, thus providing new therapeutic implications.
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PMID:IFN-gamma regulation of vacuolar pH, cathepsin D processing and autophagy in mammary epithelial cells. 1849 1

Maspin is a serine protease inhibitor belonging to the serpin family, and is known as a tumor-suppressor protein. Maspin also exhibits an inhibitor effect on angiogenesis. Cell adhesion molecules such as E- and P-selectin are known to play an important role in the metastasis mechanism. We evaluated the expression of maspin, E- and P-selectin in 74 papillary thyroid carcinomas, 19 of which had lymph node metastases, and statistically analyzed the relationship between these three proteins and their relation with prognostic factors. Positive correlations were found for maspin positivity and lymph node metastases; thyroid capsule invasion and perithyroidal soft tissue invasion; E-selectin positivity and lymph node metastases, lymphovascular invasion and perithyroidal soft tissue invasion; and P-selectin positivity and lymph node metastases and lymphovascular invasion (p < 0.05). Statistically significant correlations were also found between maspin, E- and P-selectin expressions with each other and with tumor stage (p < 0.05). Inactive cytoplasmic maspin cannot act as a tumor suppressor. Expression of E- and P-selectins in tumor cells facilitates the occurrence of metastases, lymphovascular invasion, and perithyroidal soft tissue invasion. Further studies, in particular molecular investigations, are needed to reveal the detailed interactions between maspin, E-selectin, and P-selectin expression.
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PMID:Maspin, E-selectin, and P-selectin expressions in papillary thyroid carcinomas and their correlation with prognostic parameters. 1859 52


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