UMLS:C0027651 - FACTA Search

Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts: Target Concepts:

Query: UMLS:C0027651 (tumor)
685,946 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Activated forms of STAT3 transcription factors are often found in various cancers and tumor cell lines, indicating that this signaling pathway is involved in tumorogenesis. At the molecular level, STAT3 proteins function as transcriptional activators and up-regulate several growth-promoting genes such as myc, pim-1, or cyclin D1. However, these transcription factors have also proapoptotic functions and can activate the expression of the cell-cycle inhibitor p21(waf1), suggesting that STAT3 can also block cell-cycle progression and prevent abnormal cell proliferation. To reconcile these observations, one would predict that the STAT3-mediated activation of p21(waf1) is lost during cell transformation. In this study, we show that upon IL-6 stimulation of glioblastoma cells, STAT3 does not activate the expression of the p21(waf1) gene, whereas the expression of the myc gene remains unaltered. Chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments show that STAT3 and its cofactor NcoA/SRC1a are effectively recruited to the p21(waf1) promoter but that this is not followed by the association of the CREB-binding protein (CBP) histone acetylase and the type II RNA polymerase as normally seen on the myc promoter. Whereas the PI-3K/Akt pathway is constitutively activated in these cells, inactivation of this pathway restores the loading of CBP and the RNA polymerase and the expression of the p21(waf1) gene without having any effect on myc regulation. Moreover, this effect was recapitulated in HepG2 cells expressing an activated form of the Akt kinase. In these cells, the kinase blocked the STAT3-mediated expression of the p21(waf1) gene by inhibiting the recruitment of CREB-binding protein and the type II RNA polymerase, without having any effects on the loading of STAT3 and its cofactor NcoA/SRC1a. Together, these findings suggest that the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway inhibits the transcriptional activation of the p21(waf1) gene by STAT3 proteins without altering the regulation of the myc promoter.
...
PMID:Opposite regulation of myc and p21waf1 transcription by STAT3 proteins. 2492 63

We previously reported that deficiency of leptin receptor (Ob-R(-/-), db/db) in mice led to impaired NK cell function. In the present paper, we, for the first time, found that human NK cell lines constitutively expressed leptin receptor (Ob-R), both long form Ob-R (Ob-R(L)) and short form Ob-R (Ob-R(S)), using immunohistochemical method, Western blotting, and RT-PCR assay. Interestingly, IL-2-dependent NK-92 cells proliferated without change in the presence or absence of leptin stimulation, but their cytotoxicity was dose-dependently responsible for leptin stimulation. The IL-2-independent YT cells were dose-dependently responsible for leptin stimulation to manifest rapid proliferation and strong cytotoxicity against tumor targets. In order to explain the mechanisms underlying the leptin function on NK cell lines, we examined the gene expression of cytokines (IL-2, IFNr), cytotoxic-associated molecules (perforin, FasL) and the activation of cytokine signal pathways (STAT1, STAT3). The results demonstrated that leptin activated the phosphorylation of STAT3 and then improved transcription of IL-2 and perforin genes. Our preliminary study indicates that leptin could affect NK cell function and may play an important role in innate immunity.
...
PMID:Expression of leptin receptors and response to leptin stimulation of human natural killer cell lines. 1250 75

Hematopoietic malignancies have been shown to depend on cytokine growth factor autocrine/paracrine loops for growth and differentiation. This results in the constitutive activation of cytokine-mediated transcription factors like signal transducer and activators of transcription (STAT) 3 in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and multiple myeloma (MM). Recent evidence demonstrates that cytokines also contribute to a drug-resistant phenotype in many tumor cell types. We hypothesized that inhibitors of the STAT3 pathway would sensitize drug-resistant and endogenous cytokine-dependent NHL and MM tumor cells to the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapeutic drugs. We examined an AIDS-related NHL cell line, 2F7, known to be dependent on interleukin (IL)-10 for survival and an MM cell line, U266, known to be dependent on IL-6 for survival. IL-10 and IL-6 signal the cells through the activation of Janus kinase (JAK)1 and JAK2, respectively. Thus, we investigated the effect of two chemical STAT3 pathway inhibitors, namely, piceatannol (JAK1/STAT3 inhibitor) and tyrphostin AG490 (JAK2/STAT3 inhibitor), on the tumor cells for sensitization to therapeutic drugs. We demonstrate by phosphoprotein immunoblotting analysis and electrophoretic mobility shift analysis that piceatannol and AG490 inhibit the constitutive activity of STAT3 in 2F7 and U266, respectively. Furthermore, piceatannol and AG490 sensitize 2F7 and U266 cells, respectively, to apoptosis by a range of therapeutic drugs including cisplatin, fludarabine, Adriamycin, and vinblastine. The specificity of the inhibitors was corroborated in experiments showing that piceatannol had no effect on U266 and, likewise, AG490 has no effect on 2F7. The sensitization observed by these inhibitors correlated with the inhibition of Bcl-2 expression in 2F7 and Bcl-xL expression in U266. Altogether, these results demonstrate that STAT3 pathway inhibitors are a novel class of chemotherapeutic sensitizing agents capable of reversing the drug-resistant phenotype of cytokine-dependent tumor cells.
...
PMID:Inhibition of constitutive STAT3 activity sensitizes resistant non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and multiple myeloma to chemotherapeutic drug-mediated apoptosis. 1253 84

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a multifunctional cytokine that activates the signaling pathways of Janus kinases-signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) and/or mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) in various tumors. Thus, it modulates cell growth and apoptosis. IL-6 levels are elevated in tissues and sera from prostate cancer patients and IL-6 receptor expression has been detected in prostate cancer cell lines and clinical specimens. Continuous exposure of prostate cancer cells to IL-6 might alter their responsiveness to this cytokine. To gain more insight into the function of IL-6 in prostate carcinoma, we have inoculated LNCaP-IL-6+ cells, generated after prolonged treatment with IL-6, into nude mice (total n = 16, two independent experiments). Controls included animals bearing LNCaP-IL-6- cells, passaged at the same time as LNCaP-IL-6+ cells without supplementation of IL-6. LNCaP-IL-6+ tumor volumes were larger than those of their counterparts at all time points. There were no signs of cachexia in any of the experimental animals and all mice were free of metastases. To better understand the mechanisms responsible for accelerated growth of LNCaP-IL-6+ tumors, we have investigated the expression of cell-cycle regulatory molecules by Western blot analysis. The levels of cyclin-dependent kinase 2 were elevated in LNCaP-IL-6+ cells. There was a strong down-regulation of cyclins D1 and E in the LNCaP-IL-6+ subline. The cell-cycle inhibitor p27 was expressed at a low level in LNCaP-IL-6+ cells and could not be up-regulated by addition of IL-6. Most notably, LNCaP-IL-6+ cells exhibited a reduced expression of the hypophosphorylated form of the retinoblastoma protein (pRb). Accelerated tumor growth in our model system was also associated with alterations in IL-6-signaling pathways. The ability of IL-6 to induce tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT3 was abolished in the LNCaP-IL-6+ subline. In contrast, the levels of the MAPK extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 increased in cells generated after long-term IL-6 treatment. The inhibitor of MAPK kinase PD 98059 retarded the proliferation of LNCaP-IL-6+ but not that of control cells. In summary, we show in the present study that chronic exposure of prostate cancer cells to IL-6 facilitates tumor growth in vivo by abolishment of the growth control by pRb and activation of the MAPK signaling pathway. These findings could be relevant to understand the role of IL-6 in prostate cancer progression.
...
PMID:Accelerated in vivo growth of prostate tumors that up-regulate interleukin-6 is associated with reduced retinoblastoma protein expression and activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. 1254 23

Differentiation-inducing factor-1 (DIF-1) is a chlorinated hexaphenone isolated from Dictyostelium. DIF-1 exhibits antitumor activity in several types of mammalian tumor cells, although the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. On the other hand, recent studies indicate that constitutively activated STAT3 acts as an oncogene and could be a target for antitumor drug. In the present study, we examined the effects of DIF-1 on proliferation of gastric cancer cell lines as well as on its signal transduction pathways, focusing mainly on STAT proteins. DIF-1 inhibited proliferation of gastric cancer cells. Western blot analysis and electrophoretic mobility shift assay showed that DIF-1 inhibited STAT3 activity in an MEK-ERK-dependent manner in gastric cancer cell lines, AGS and MKN28. Moreover, blockade of STAT3 activity by ectopic expression of dominant-negative STAT3 or the Janus kinase inhibitor, tyrphostin AG490, inhibited cell growth of AGS cells. These results suggest that STAT3 activity plays an important role for cell growth in AGS cells, and raises the possibility that inhibition of STAT3 activity is one of the mechanisms responsible for the antitumor effect of DIF-1 in these cells.
...
PMID:Differentiation-inducing factor-1 (DIF-1) inhibits STAT3 activity involved in gastric cancer cell proliferation via MEK-ERK-dependent pathway. 1255 68

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) has received particular attention in the pathogenesis of cervical cancer, although the underlying mechanism remains elusive. This study revealed that IL-6 promotes in vivo tumor growth of human cervical cancer C33A cells, but does not substantially alter their in vitro growth kinetics. The in vivo angiogenic assays showed that IL-6 increases angiogenic activity in human cervical cancer cells, an effect that is specifically associated with upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Also, using anti-VEGF antibody to block VEGF function significantly inhibited IL-6-mediated angiogenesis and tumor growth in nude mice, strongly supporting the critical role of VEGF in the IL-6-mediated cervical tumorigenesis. Accordingly, the signaling pathway downstream of IL-6/IL-6R responsible for the regulation of VEGF was investigated. Notably, pharmacological inhibition of PI3-K or MAPK failed to inhibit IL-6-mediated transcriptional upregulation of VEGF. Meanwhile, blocking STAT3 pathway with dominant-negative mutant STAT3D effectively abolished IL-6-induced VEGF mRNA. In transient transfections, a luciferase reporter construct containing the full-length 1.5-kb VEGF promoter or a 1.2-kb fragment lacking the known hypoxic-response element also exhibited the same degree of response to IL-6. Additionally, transient transfection of STAT3D downregulated the 1.2-kb VEGF promoter luciferase reporter stimulated by IL-6. Based on the above phenomenon combined with the concomitant increased tumor expression of IL-6 and VEGF in cervical cancer tissues, we conclude that IL-6 may promote cervical tumorigenesis by activating VEGF-mediated angiogenesis via a STAT3 pathway.
...
PMID:Interleukin-6 promotes cervical tumor growth by VEGF-dependent angiogenesis via a STAT3 pathway. 1262 15

Constitutively activated, tyrosine-phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3 plays a pivotal role in human tumor malignancy. To discover disrupters of aberrant STAT3 signaling pathways as novel anticancer drugs, we developed a phosphotyrosine STAT3 cytoblot. Using this high throughput 96-well plate assay, we identified JSI-124 (cucurbitacin I) from the National Cancer Institute Diversity Set. JSI-124 suppressed the levels of phosphotyrosine STAT3 in v-Src-transformed NIH 3T3 cells and human cancer cells potently (IC(50) value of 500 nM in the human lung adenocarcinoma A549) and rapidly (complete inhibition within 1-2 h). The suppression of phosphotyrosine STAT3 levels resulted in the inhibition of STAT3 DNA binding and STAT3-mediated but not serum response element-mediated gene transcription. JSI-124 also decreased the levels of tyrosine-phosphorylated Janus kinase (JAK) but not those of Src. JSI-124 was highly selective for JAK/STAT3 and did not inhibit other oncogenic and tumor survival pathways such as those mediated by Akt, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, or c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase. Finally, JSI-124 (1 mg/kg/day) potently inhibited the growth in nude mice of A549 tumors, v-Src-transformed NIH 3T3 tumors, and the human breast carcinoma MDA-MB-468, all of which express high levels of constitutively activated STAT3, but it did not affect the growth of oncogenic Ras-transformed NIH 3T3 tumors that are STAT3 independent or of the human lung adenocarcinoma Calu-1, which has barely detectable levels of phosphotyrosine STAT3. JSI-124 also inhibited tumor growth and significantly increased survival of immunologically competent mice bearing murine melanoma with constitutively activated STAT3. These results give strong support for pharmacologically targeting the JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway for anticancer drug discovery.
...
PMID:Discovery of JSI-124 (cucurbitacin I), a selective Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 signaling pathway inhibitor with potent antitumor activity against human and murine cancer cells in mice. 1264 87

Leptin, a product of adipocytes, is involved in the regulation of body weight and results strongly correlated to body fat content. An excess of fat mass represents a breast cancer risk factor particularly in postmenopausal women, where estrogen production by adipose tissue through its own aromatase activity stimulates tumor progression. Leptin stimulates estrogen production through the increase of aromatase expression and activity in human luteinized granulosa cells and adipose stromal cells. In the present study, we have examined the possible link that exists between leptin and breast cancer, focusing our attention on the direct effect of leptin on aromatase activity, which may enhance estrogen production and induce tumor cell growth stimulation. We have shown that leptin enhances aromatase mRNA expression, aromatase content, and its enzymatic activity in MCF-7. Aromatase expression appears to be regulated by tissue-specific promoter. It has been demonstrated that promoters II and 1.3 are the major promoters that drive aromatase expression in MCF-7. Transient transfection experiments using vector containing human aromatase promoters II and 1.3 sequence fused with luciferase reporter gene demonstrated that leptin is able to activate this promoter. In the presence of either mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor PD 98059 or ERK2 dominant negative as well as in the presence of STAT3 dominant negative, the stimulatory effects of leptin on aromatase promoter, enzymatic activity, and aromatase protein content were inhibited. Functional studies of mutagenesis and electrophoretic mobility shift assay revealed that the AP-1 motif is important in determining the up-regulatory effects induced by leptin on aromatase expression in MCF-7.
...
PMID:Leptin enhances, via AP-1, expression of aromatase in the MCF-7 cell line. 1273 9

The Src family kinases (SFKs) Src and Yes are believed to play critical roles in tumor growth, angiogenesis, invasion, and dissemination. Using a panel of highly selective and structurally diverse Src inhibitors, we found that phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 [STAT3 (Y705)] and focal adhesion kinase [FAK (Y861)] was SFK dependent in cultured human colon, breast, lung, and ovarian tumor cells. These findings were reproduced in vivo in target modulation studies using tumors derived from fibroblasts overexpressing activated Src. Additionally, treatment of mice with multiple Src inhibitors resulted in inhibition of phosphorylation of FAK (Y861) and of a putative Src autophosphorylation epitope (Y419) in HT-29 human colon tumor xenografts. Next we pharmacologically examined the requirement for SFKs in asynchronous proliferation of human tumor cells. At concentrations sufficient to selectively inhibit Src, structurally diverse Src inhibitors inhibited growth of cultured human colon, breast, and lung cells on plastic under low serum conditions. In addition, these compounds inhibited anchorage-independent growth of HT-29 human colon tumor cells in soft agar. The role of SFK activity in vascular endothelial growth factor signaling was also evaluated. Inhibition of SFK signaling using structurally distinct Src inhibitors resulted in complete inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor-dependent vascular permeability in vivo. These data demonstrate that STAT3 (Y705) and FAK (Y861) phosphoepitopes are SFK-dependent in tumor cells and reveal a requirement for SFK function in tumor cell proliferation and vascular permeability.
...
PMID:Src family kinase activity is required for signal tranducer and activator of transcription 3 and focal adhesion kinase phosphorylation and vascular endothelial growth factor signaling in vivo and for anchorage-dependent and -independent growth of human tumor cells. 1274 8

STAT3, a member of the signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) family, has been shown to play a key role in promoting proliferation, differentiation, or cell cycle progression, depending on cell type. A number of signaling pathways are altered in laryngeal papillomas, benign tumors induced by human papillomavirus 6/11. Papillomas overexpress the epidermal growth factor receptor and display enhanced MAP kinase and PI-3-kinase activity. They also show reduced activation of Akt and reduced levels of tyrosine-phosphorylated STAT3, due to overexpression of the tumor suppressor, PTEN. As papillomas show abnormalities in terminal differentiation, we examined the potential role of STAT3 in regulating epithelial differentiation. Laryngeal epithelial cells were suspended in supplemented serum-free medium. Differentiation was measured by Western blot analysis of keratin 13. Normal laryngeal epithelial cells were transfected with a constitutively active STAT3 or a dominant negative STAT3. Cells were transferred to suspension culture 24 h after transfection. Increased expression of keratin 13 was accompanied by the activation of STAT3 when differentiation was induced, and expression of a constitutively active STAT3 (STAT3C) enhanced the expression of keratin 13. In contrast, expression of a dominant negative STAT3 (Y705F) inhibited the expression of keratin 13. We conclude that activation of STAT3 is required for the differentiation of normal human stratified squamous epithelium.
...
PMID:Requirement of STAT3 activation for differentiation of mucosal stratified squamous epithelium. 1286 43

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