Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0178874 (tumor progression)
 40,807 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Cytokines are potent modulators of the physiological immune response. A number of reactive processes are associated with a deregulation of this cytokine expression. Animal models with transgenic mice or transfection experiments have shown that an autocrine or paracrine pathway might be involved in tumor progression and/or tumorigenesis. The study of cytokine expression in malignant lymphomas showed a heterogeneous expression pattern with a number of cases which quantitatively show indications for a marked deregulation of the cytokine expression. The expression od IL-7 and IL-9 seem to be special features of Hodgkin's disease and large cell anaplastic lymphomas. Transfection experiment with IL-9 into mouse T cells results in an autocrine loop and tumorigenesis of the transfected cells. These tumors share a number of similarities to Hodgkin's disease and large cell anaplastic lymphomas in human.
 ...
PMID:[Cytokines and malignant lymphomas]. 128 79

The relationship of abnormal nuclear morphology to molecular genetic alterations that are important in colorectal tumorigenesis is unknown. Therefore, Feulgen-stained isolated nuclei from 22 adenomas and 42 carcinomas that had been analyzed for ras gene mutations and allelic deletions on chromosomes 5q, 18q, and 17p were characterized by computerized image analysis. Both nuclear area and the nuclear shape factor representing irregularity correlated with adenoma-carcinoma progression (r = 0.57 and r = 0.52, P < 0.0001), whereas standard nuclear texture, a parameter of chromatin homogeneity, was inversely correlated with progression (r = -0.80, P < 0.0001). The nuclear parameters were strongly interrelated (P < 0.0005). In multivariate analysis, the nuclear parameters were predominantly associated with adenoma-carcinoma progression (P < or = 0.0001) and were not influenced significantly by the individual molecular genetic alterations. Nuclear texture, however, was inversely correlated with fractional allelic loss, a global measure of genetic changes, in carcinomas (r = -0.39, P = 0.011). The findings indicate that nuclear morphology in colorectal neoplasms is strongly related to tumor progression. Nuclear morphology and biologic behavior appear to be influenced by accumulated alterations in cancer-associated genes.
 ...
PMID:The relationship of quantitative nuclear morphology to molecular genetic alterations in the adenoma-carcinoma sequence of the large bowel. 135 73

Elevated levels of pp60c-src tyrosine kinase activity have been implicated in both tumorigenesis and cell differentiation. We have found a 2- to 4-fold elevation in pp60c-src specific activity in certain human melanoma cell lines compared to human foreskin fibroblasts. This activation of pp60c-src did not appear to be related to melanoma tumor progression, because when normal human epidermal melanocytes were examined, it was found that they contained pp60c-src having a 7-fold elevation in specific activity compared to pp60c-src from human fibroblasts. It was determined that pp60c-src from melanocytes was not the neuronal form, pp60c-src+. Melanocyte pp60c-src exhibited a reduced level of phosphorylation on its carboxyl-terminal regulatory site, tyrosine 530, which might be responsible for its elevated specific activity. These results suggest that, in melanocytes, regulation of tyrosine 530 phosphorylation-dephosphorylation favors activation of pp60c-src. This activation may be involved in the growth, differentiation, or function of human melanocytes.
 ...
PMID:pp60c-src in human melanocytes and melanoma cells exhibits elevated specific activity and reduced tyrosine 530 phosphorylation compared to human fibroblast pp60c-src. 138 53

The protooncogene c-kit encodes a tyrosine kinase with a molecular weight of 145,000, highly related to the platelet derived growth factor/colony stimulating factor receptors. Mutations of the murine gene result in impairment of hematopoiesis, gametogenesis, and of the melanocyte cell lineage. In order to elucidate c-kit functions in development and oncogenesis we have analyzed immunohistochemically its expression in human normal and transformed nonlymphoid tissues. The receptor has been detected in spermatogonia, melanocytes, and unexpectedly, in astrocytes, renal tubules, parotid cells, thyrocytes, and breast epithelium. While the gene product is expressed in seminoma, lung tumors, and melanoma of low invasiveness, no detectable levels have been detected in thyroid and breast carcinomas, astrocytomas, and invasive melanomas. In breast tumors these findings were confirmed by paired, Northern blot analysis of RNA preparations from normal and transformed tissue. The present results demonstrate that the c-kit receptor plays a role in the development of a larger spectrum of cell lineages. Furthermore, on the basis of the transformation associated changes, we speculate that, while in some cell types, c-kit expression positively regulates mitogenesis and is selected for in neoplastic transformation, in other tissues the c-kit pathway is involved in morphogenesis and differentiation and is, therefore, negatively selected in the course of tumor progression.
 ...
PMID:Expression of c-kit receptor in normal and transformed human nonlymphoid tissues. 138 54

Overexpression of a transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha) transgene induced the development of liver tumors in 69 of 93 (74%) adult male mice. To identify factors associated with oncogenesis, liver tumors from transgenic animals were characterized at the molecular level. TGF-alpha RNA transcripts were elevated in 17 of 25 (68%) liver tumors, relative to adjacent nontumorous tissue. Expression of the endogenous c-myc and insulin-like growth factor II genes was enhanced in 7 of 19 (37%) and 12 of 16 (75%) tumors, respectively. In contrast, epidermal growth factor receptor RNA levels were unchanged or reduced in all liver tumors, and mutations were not detected in either the Ha-ras or Ki-ras genes. The occurrence of liver tumors in castrated TGF-alpha transgenic mice was reduced about 7-fold, while in ovariectomized transgenic animals the incidence was increased about 6-fold. The progeny of a cross between CD1-derived TGF-alpha transgenic (MT42) and C57BL/6 mice exhibited no reduction in tumor burden (83%); however, the incidence of tumor formation in MT42 x FVB/N offspring was substantially lower (19%). We conclude that in these transgenic mice TGF-alpha promotes tumor formation and appears to play a major role in tumor progression. Moreover, other factors that may collaborate in TGF-alpha-induced hepatocarcinogenesis include c-myc, insulin-like growth factor II, sex hormones, and the genetic background upon which the transgene operates.
 ...
PMID:Molecular and genetic analysis of liver oncogenesis in transforming growth factor alpha transgenic mice. 139 22

In a previously studied family with inherited renal cell carcinoma (RCC), RCC was shown to segregate with a constitutional balanced t(3;8)(p14.2;q24.1). In addition, we recently showed that in a RCC tumor from this family the constitutional translocation became unbalanced, suggesting a genetic mechanism that may be associated with the primary genetic events of tumorigenesis. We now report that the RCC tumor cells from this case showed additional cytogenetic alterations, possibly related to tumor progression, which include an additional tumor-specific translocation involving band 14 of chromosome 13. Because this band contains the retinoblastoma (RB) gene, we examined the tumor for aberrations in the RB gene using DNA sequence polymorphism analysis and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), but did not detect alterations in the RB gene.
 ...
PMID:Cytogenetic and molecular studies of a familial renal cell carcinoma. 142 22

There is abundant evidence that leukemia arise through somatically acquired genetic changes. Familial or congenital predisposition is rarely involved. These genetic changes are often visible as chromosomal aberrations. Molecular analyses of the DNA sequences rearranged in leukemia has demonstrated the presence of cellular oncogenes which are modified (fused, mutated, truncated) by the specific translocations. This results in a disturbance of the delicate balance between proliferation and differentiation and constitute a major step towards cell transformation. Some of these genetic rearrangements have been analyzed in depth, but the exact defect that causes leukemia is often not yet understood. Meanwhile these studies have increased our knowledge of normal cell proliferation and differentiation and provided us with new tools for diagnosis and for developing more specifically targeted treatment. An example would be the production of antibodies that recognize specifically the new chimeric proteins. Oncogenesis is a complex and multiple step process that proceeds by acquisition of successive genetic insults. The different steps do not necessarily occurs following a predetermined order, although some secondary changes are preferentially induced by a given first mutation. In leukemia, sequential changes in karyotype are well documented but molecular makers for tumor progression have not yet been systematically investigated. This is one of our many challenges for the future.
 ...
PMID:Cytogenetics and oncogenes. 143 20

Transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) is a polypeptide growth factor that binds to the epidermal growth factor receptor and is though to stimulate cell proliferation. It has been believed to play a role in tumor initiation by inducing the reversible transformed phenotype; overexpression of TGF-alpha may be important for tumor progression via autocrine stimulation and oncogene overexpression. Expression of TGF-alpha and the epidermal growth factor receptor has been documented in several nontumorous tissues and in a variety of tumors. This study used immunohistochemistry to localize TGF-alpha expression in normal and neoplastic endocrine tissues. Transforming growth factor-alpha was found in nontumorous hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal cortex and medulla, and pancreatic islets. Immunoreactivity was detected in most benign and malignant tumors of these tissues, as well as in endocrine neoplasms of the lung and gastrointestinal tract. Hypothalamic gangliocytomas, pheochromocytomas, and adrenal cortical carcinomas showed consistently greater immunoreactivity than their normal counterpart, but there was no correlation between degree of reactivity and tumor grade, stage, or hormone content. These results suggest that in endocrine tissues, TGF-alpha is unlikely to prove useful as a tumor marker but that the growth factor may play a role in both normal physiology and tumorigenesis.
 ...
PMID:Transforming growth factor-alpha in normal and neoplastic human endocrine tissues. 146 72

The accumulation of genetic damage in the forms of activated proto-oncogenes and inactivated tumor-suppressor genes is the driving force in the evolution of a normal cell to a malignant cell. For example, both the activation of ras oncogenes and the inactivation of several suppressor genes, including p53, have been observed in the development of human colon and lung tumors. Point mutations in key codons can activate ras proto-oncogenes and inactivate the p53 suppressor gene. Thus, several critical genes for tumorigenesis are potential targets for carcinogens and radiation that can induce point mutations at low doses. The ras proto-oncogenes are targets for many genotoxic carcinogens. Activation of the ras gene is an early event--probably the "initiating" step--in the development of many chemical-induced rodent tumors. ras Oncogenes are observed in more human tumors and at a higher frequency than any other oncogene, and activation of the proto-oncogene may occur at various stages of the carcinogenic process. Numerous proto-oncogenes other than the ras genes have been shown to be activated in human tumors and to a lesser extent in rodent tumors. Mechanisms that induce aberrant expression of proto-oncogenes are gene amplification and chromosomal translocation or gene rearrangement. Amplification of proto-oncogenes and possibly gene overexpression during the absence of gene amplification occur in the development of many human tumors. For a specific tumor type, amplification of any one proto-oncogene may occur at a low frequency, but the frequency of tumors in which at least one proto-oncogene is amplified can be much higher. Proto-oncogene amplification is usually associated with late stages of tumor progression; however, amplified HER2/neu has been observed in early clinical stages of mammary neoplasia. Activation of proto-oncogenes by chromosomal translocation has been detected at a high frequency in several hematopoietic tumors. Non-ras genes have been detected by DNA transfection assays in both human and rodent tumors. For example, ret and trk genes were found to be activated by gene rearrangements in human papillary thyroid carcinomas. Several potentially new types of oncogenes have also been detected by DNA transfection assays. The etiology of the genetic alterations observed in most human tumors is unclear at present. Examples of ras gene activation and those documented for mutations in the p53 gene demonstrate that exogenous conditions can induce oncogenic mutants of normal genes. The genetic alterations observed in most human tumors are probably generated by both spontaneous events and exogenous conditions.
 ...
PMID:Role of proto-oncogene activation in carcinogenesis. 148 40

Amplification and rearrangement of cellular proto-oncogenes are two of the several possible genetic alterations implicated in carcinogenesis and tumor progression. Although morphologically similar tumors may be heterogeneous at the level of the genome, some tumor types have shown relatively frequent and consistent abnormalities of specific oncogenes. In order to determine the frequency of oncogene amplification and rearrangement in several types of human sarcomas and to determine if histologically similar tumors have common genetic alterations, we analyzed 26 primary sarcomas by Southern hybridization. The oncogene probes utilized were N- and H-ras, sis, EGF-R (erb-B-1), neu (erb-B-2), fos, N- and c-myc, mos, and yes. The tumors studied included: five rhabdomyosarcomas (one alveolar, four embryonal), six malignant fibrous histiocytomas, six leiomyosarcomas, four liposarcomas, two Ewing's sarcomas, one osteosarcoma, and two fibrosarcomas. Oncogene abnormalities were identified in three tumors. One rhabdomyosarcoma showed 12-fold amplification and concurrent rearrangement of sis. This particular tumor also revealed rearrangement of H-ras and 15-fold amplification of c-myc. A second rhabdomyosarcoma revealed rearrangement of neu. A liposarcoma had a sis rearrangement. These findings suggest that many sarcomas show no common structural oncogene abnormalities. The presence of differing oncogene alterations within the rhabdomyosarcoma group indicates genetic heterogeneity among histologically similar sarcomas. The finding of a sis rearrangement in both a liposarcoma and a rhabdomyosarcoma, however, may suggest common oncogenesis among different tumor types.
 ...
PMID:Genomic alterations in sarcomas: a histologic correlative study with use of oncogene panels. 149 46


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