Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0278883 (metastatic melanoma)
 6,224 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The molecular changes associated with the transition of melanoma cells from radial growth phase (RGP) to vertical growth phase [(VGP), metastatic phenotype] are not very well defined. We previously demonstrated that expression of the cell-surface adhesion molecule MCAM/MUC18 correlates directly with the metastatic potential of human melanoma cells. In addition, the progression of human melanoma towards the metastatic phenotype is associated with loss of expression of the tyrosine-kinase receptor c-KIT. In this review, I will summarize our recent studies demonstrating that the expression of both genes is regulated by the AP-2 transcription factor. Moreover, we have observed a loss of AP-2 expression in metastatic melanoma cells. Re-expression of AP-2 in the highly metastatic A375SM cells decreased their tumorigenicity and inhibited their metastatic potential in nude mice. MCAM/MUC18 mRNA and protein expression was significantly down-regulated while c-KIT expression was up-regulated in the AP-2-transfected cells. To further investigate the role of AP-2 in the progression of human melanoma, we attempted to inactivate AP-2 in primary cutaneous melanoma by using a dominant-negative AP-2, or the AP-2B gene. Expression of AP-2B in SB-2 cells augmented their tumorigenicity in nude mice, and upregulated MMP-2 expression and activity. As AP-2 also regulates other genes that are involved in the progression of human melanoma such as E-cadherin, p21/WAF-1, HER2/neu, Bcl-2, FAS/APO-1, IGF-R-1, VEGF and the thrombin receptor (PAR-1), we therefore propose that loss of AP-2 is a crucial event in the development of malignant melanoma. In addition, the transition of melanoma cells from RGP to VGP is also associated with over-expression of the transcription factors CREB and ATF-1. The notion that the balance between AP-2 and CREB/ATF-1 expression determines the progression of melanoma cells towards the metastatic phenotype will be discussed.
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PMID:Gene regulation in melanoma progression by the AP-2 transcription factor. 1131 Jul 95

Melanoma begins with benign nevi and progresses to radial growth phase (RGP) and to vertical growth phase [(VGP), metastatic phenotype]. The molecular changes associated with these transitions are not yet well defined. However, transcriptional regulation of some genes that are critical in melanoma progression is beginning to be elucidated. The first part of this review will focus on our recent studies demonstrating that progression of human melanoma is associated with loss of expression of the transcription factor AP-2. In metastatic melanoma cells, this loss resulted in overexpression of MCAM/MUC18 and MMP-2, and lack of expression of c-KIT. In further investigations, we inactivated AP-2 in SB-2 primary cutaneous melanoma cells by using a dominant-negative AP-2, the AP-2B gene. Expression of AP-2B in SB-2 cells augmented their tumorigenicity in nude mice and upregulated MMP-2 expression and activity. We have also recently demonstrated that loss of AP-2 expression in metastatic melanoma cells resulted in overproduction of the thrombin receptor, PAR-1. Other studies have shown that AP-2 regulates additional genes involved in melanoma development and progression, including E-cadherin, p21/WAF-1, HER2, Bcl-2, FAS/APO-1, IGF-R-1, and VEGF. We propose that loss of AP-2 is crucial in the development of malignant melanoma. Additionally, the transition of melanoma cells from RGP to VGP is associated with overexpression of two transcription factors, CREB and ATF-1, both of which may act as survival factors for human melanoma cells. The second part of the review will briefly discuss the role of other transcription factors, including ATF-2, SNAIL, MITF, and NFkappaB in the progression of human melanoma and will summarize recent knowledge on how changes in the expression of these transcription factors contribute to acquisition of the metastatic phenotype in human melanoma.
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PMID:Transcriptional regulation of metastasis-related genes in human melanoma. 1274 83

To determine treatment strategies and predict the clinical outcome of patients with melanoma it is important to understand the etiology of this disease. Recently, there has been some insight into molecular basis of melanoma including identification of a few of the regulatory factors and genes involved in this disease. For instance, the transcription factor AP-2 plays a tumor suppressor-like role in melanoma progression by regulating genes involved in tumor growth and metastasis. Previously, we have shown that the progression of human melanoma to the metastatic phenotype is associated with loss of AP-2 expression and deregulation of target genes such as MUC18/MCAM, c-KIT, and MMP-2. Increasing evidence demonstrates that the thrombin receptor (protease-activated receptor-1, PAR-1) plays a major role in tumor invasion and contributes to the metastatic phenotype of human melanoma. This review focuses on the role of the thrombin receptor in melanoma and its regulation by AP-2. We show that loss of AP-2 expression in metastatic melanoma cells correlates with overexpression of the thrombin receptor. Our analysis of AP-2/Sp1 complexes within the regulatory region of the thrombin receptor demonstrates that AP-2 binds the proximal 3' region of the promoter and diminishes PAR-1 expression. Levels of AP-2 and Sp1 proteins in a panel of melanoma cell lines demonstrated a marked decrease in the ratio of AP-2/Sp1, a decrease that correlated with overexpression of PAR-1 in metastatic melanoma cells. We propose that loss of AP-2 results in increased expression of the thrombin receptor, which subsequently contributes to the metastatic phenotype of melanoma by upregulating the expression of adhesion molecules, proteases, and angiogenic molecules.
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PMID:Role and regulation of the thrombin receptor (PAR-1) in human melanoma. 1278 89

The molecular changes associated with the transition of melanoma cells from radial growth phase (RGP) to vertical growth phase (VGP, metastatic phenotype) are not yet well defined. We have demonstrated that the progression of human melanoma is associated with loss of expression of the transcription factor AP-2. In metastatic melanoma cells, this loss resulted in overexpression of MCAM/MUC18, MMP-2, the thrombin receptor (PAR-1), and lack of c-KIT expression. The transition from RGP to VGP is also associated with overexpression of the angiogenic factor IL-8. Additionally, the transition of melanoma cells from RGP to VGP is associated with overexpression of the transcription factors CREB and ATF-1, both of which may act as survival factors for human melanoma cells. Inactivation of CREB/ATF-1 activities in metastatic melanoma cells by dominant-negative CREB or by anti-ATF-1 single chain antibody fragment (ScFv), resulted in deregulation of MMP-2 and MCAM/MUC18, increased the sensitivity of melanoma cells to apoptosis, and inhibition of their tumorigenicity and metastatic potential in vivo. In this prospect article, we summarize our data on the role of AP-2 and CREB/ATF-1 in the progression of human melanoma and report on the development of new fully human antibodies anti-MCAM/MUC18 and anti-IL-8 which could serve as new modalities for the treatment of melanoma.
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PMID:Regulation of gene expression in melanoma: new approaches for treatment. 1552 74

The thrombin receptor [protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR-1)] is overexpressed in highly metastatic melanoma cell lines and in patients with metastatic lesions. Activation of PAR-1 leads to cell signaling and up-regulation of genes involved in adhesion, invasion, and angiogenesis. Herein, we stably silence PAR-1 through the use of lentiviral short hairpin RNA and found significant decreases in both tumor growth (P < 0.01) and metastasis (P < 0.001) of highly metastatic melanoma cell lines in vivo. The use of viruses for therapy is not ideal as it can induce toxic immune responses and possible gene alterations following viral integration. Therefore, we also used systemic delivery of PAR-1 small interfering RNA (siRNA) incorporated into neutral liposomes [1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (DOPC)] to decrease melanoma growth and metastasis in vivo. Significant decreases in tumor growth, weight, and metastatic lung colonies (P < 0.001 for all) were found in mice treated with PAR-1 siRNA-DOPC. The in vivo effects of PAR-1 on invasion and angiogenesis were analyzed via immunohistochemistry. Concomitant decreases in vascular endothelial growth factor, interleukin-8, and matrix metalloproteinase-2 expression levels, as well as decreased blood vessel density (CD31), were found in tumor samples from PAR-1 siRNA-treated mice, suggesting that PAR-1 is a regulator of melanoma cell growth and metastasis by affecting angiogenic and invasive factors. We propose that siRNA incorporated into DOPC nanoparticles could be delivered systemically and used as a new modality for melanoma treatment.
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PMID:Targeting melanoma growth and metastasis with systemic delivery of liposome-incorporated protease-activated receptor-1 small interfering RNA. 1897 54

The thrombin receptor protease activated receptor-1 (PAR-1) is overexpressed in metastatic melanoma cell lines and tumor specimens. Previously, we demonstrated a significant reduction in tumor growth and experimental lung metastasis after PAR-1 silencing via systemic delivery of siRNA encapsulated into nanoliposomes. Gene expression profiling identified a 40-fold increase in expression of Maspin in PAR-1-silenced metastatic melanoma cell lines. Maspin promoter activity was significantly increased after PAR-1 silencing, suggesting that PAR1 negatively regulates Maspin at the transcriptional level. ChIP analyses revealed that PAR-1 decreases binding of Ets-1 and c-Jun transcription factors to the Maspin promoter, both known to activate Maspin transcription. PAR-1 silencing did not affect Ets-1 or c-Jun expression; rather it resulted in increased expression of the chromatin remodeling complex CBP/p300, as well as decreased activity of the CBP/p300 inhibitor p38, resulting in increased binding of Ets-1 and c-Jun to the Maspin promoter and higher Maspin expression. Functionally, Maspin expression reduced the invasive capability of melanoma cells after PAR-1 silencing, which was abrogated after rescuing with PAR-1. Furthermore, tumor growth and experimental lung metastasis was significantly decreased after expressing Maspin in a metastatic melanoma cell line. Moreover, silencing Maspin in PAR-1-silenced cells reverted the inhibition of tumor growth and experimental lung metastasis. Herein, we demonstrate a mechanism by which PAR-1 negatively regulates the expression of the Maspin tumor-suppressor gene in the acquisition of the metastatic melanoma phenotype, thus attributing an alternative function to PAR-1 other than coagulation.
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PMID:Protease activated receptor-1 inhibits the Maspin tumor-suppressor gene to determine the melanoma metastatic phenotype. 2118 89

Melanoma remains as the deadliest form of skin cancer with limited and inefficient treatment options available for patients with metastatic disease. Within the last decade, the thrombin receptor, Protease Activated Receptor-1, has been described as an essential gene involved in the progression of human melanoma. PAR-1 is known to activate adhesive, invasive and angiogenic factors to promote melanoma metastasis. It is overexpressed not only in metastatic melanoma cell lines but is also highly expressed in metastatic lesions as compared to primary nevi and normal skin. Recently, PAR-1 has been described to regulate the gap junction protein Connexin 43 and the tumor suppressor gene Maspin to promote the metastatic melanoma phenotype. Herein, we review the role of PAR-1 in the progression of melanoma as well as utilizing PAR-1-regulated genes as potential therapeutic targets for melanoma treatment.
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PMID:The emerging role of the thrombin receptor (PAR-1) in melanoma metastasis--a possible therapeutic target. 2137 7

Tumor invasiveness depends on the ability of tumor cells to breach endothelial barriers. In this study, we investigated the mechanism by which the adhesion of melanoma cells to endothelium regulates adherens junction integrity and modulates tumor transendothelial migration (TEM) by initiating thrombin generation. We found that the B-Raf(V600E) mutation in metastatic melanoma cells up-regulated tissue factor (TF) expression on cell membranes and promoted thrombin production. Co-culture of endothelial monolayers with metastatic melanoma cells mediated the opening of inter-endothelial spaces near melanoma cell contact sites in the presence of platelet-free plasma (PFP). By using small interfering RNA (siRNA), we demonstrated that B-Raf(V600E) and TF silencing attenuated the focal disassembly of adherens junction induced by tumor contact. Vascular endothelial-cadherin (VE-cadherin) disassembly was dependent on phosphorylation of p120-catenin on Ser-879 and VE-cadherin on Tyr-658, Tyr-685, and Tyr-731, which can be prevented by treatment with the thrombin inhibitor, hirudin, or by silencing the thrombin receptor, protease-activated receptor-1, in endothelial cells. We also provided strong evidence that tumor-derived thrombin enhanced melanoma TEM by inducing ubiquitination-coupled VE-cadherin internalization, focal adhesion formation, and actin assembly in endothelium. Confocal microscopic analysis of tumor TEM revealed that junctions transiently opened and resealed as tumor cells accomplished TEM. In addition, in the presence of PFP, tumor cells preferentially transmigrated via paracellular routes. PFP supported melanoma transmigration under shear conditions via a B-Raf(V600E)-thrombin-dependent mechanism. We concluded that the activation of thrombin generation by cancer cells in plasma is an important process regulating melanoma extravasation by disrupting endothelial junction integrity.
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PMID:Mutant B-Raf(V600E) Promotes Melanoma Paracellular Transmigration by Inducing Thrombin-mediated Endothelial Junction Breakdown. 2650 80