Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0699790 (colon cancer)
 28,837 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Focal adhesion kinase (pp125FAK) is present at sites of cell/extracellular matrix adhesion and has been implicated in the control of cell behaviour. In particular, as a key component of integrin-stimulated signal transduction pathways, pp125FAK is involved in cellular processes such as spreading, motility, growth and survival. In addition, a number of reports have indicated that pp125FAK may be up-regulated in human tumour cells of diverse origin, and consequently, a role has been proposed for pp125FAK in the development of invasive cancers. However, to date the mechanisms that lead to elevated pp125FAK expression in tumour cells have not been determined. Here we used in situ hybridization to confirm chromosome 8q as the genomic location of the human fak gene and report that elevation of pp125FAK protein in cell lines derived from invasive squamous cell carcinomas is accompanied by gains in copy number of the fak gene in all cases examined. In addition, we observed increased fak copy number in frozen sections of squamous cell carcinomas. Furthermore, increased dosage of the fak gene was also observed in many cell lines derived from human tumours of lung, breast and colon, including two cell lines Calu3 and HT29, in which fak was amplified. In addition, in an in vitro model for human colon cancer progression there was a copy number gain of the fak gene during conversion from adenoma to carcinoma, which was associated with increased pp125FAK protein expression. Thus, we show for the first time that many cell lines derived from invasive epithelial tumours have increased dosage of the fak gene, which may contribute to the elevated protein expression commonly observed. Although other genes near the fak locus are co-amplified or increased in copy number, including the proto-oncogene c-myc, the biological properties of pp125FAK in controlling the growth, survival and invasiveness of tumour cells, suggest that it may contribute to the selection pressure for maintaining increased dosage of the region of chromosome 8q that encodes these genes.
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PMID:Increased dosage and amplification of the focal adhesion kinase gene in human cancer cells. 1052 44

The protein tyrosine kinase activity of c-src proto-oncogene product, pp60(c-src), is elevated in a number of human cancers, including colon cancer. Phosphorylation of human pp60(c-src) carboxy-terminal tyrosine 530 suppresses its kinase activity. A recent report suggested that the risk of colon cancer is higher for those who carry a C-->T transition mutation on codon 531 (Gln-531-->Amber-531) of src gene. This mutation caused a prematured translation termination and up-regulated the kinase activity. To examine whether this mutation could be a risk factor for colon carcinoma in the Chinese population, we used the same PCR-based assay to analyze src genotypes of 131 colon cancers and other various types of carcinoma. No mutation was detected in all specimens that were screened in this study. Thus, mutation at Gln-531 of src gene does not seem to be involved in the development of colon cancer in Chinese ethnicity.
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PMID:No evidence of correlation between mutation at codon 531 of src and the risk of colon cancer in Chinese. 1070 43

Cells expressing a membrane-anchored single-chain fragment variable (scFv) domain against a tumor-specific antibody were fabricated. These cells were able to bind to cells of a human colon cancer line (BM314) expressing the erbB-2 proto-oncogene. A plasmid, pMFverbB, was first constructed in which the anti-ErbB-2 scFv gene was cloned in-frame between a signal peptide sequence and the platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) transmembrane domain gene to express scFv on the cell surface. An African green monkey cell line, COS-1, was stably transfected with pMFverbB. Immunofluorescence assay experiments and microscopic observation showed that the cells expressing scFv bound to the human tumor cells overexpressing the ErbB-2 protein as well as to cells of a mouse fibroblast line (NIH-3T3) transfected with the erbB-2 gene. The cells expressing scFv could take up magnetite cationic liposomes as a model of particle-type drug and retained the ability to target ErbB-2-expressing cells. The fabricated cells have the potential to serve as drug carriers in drug targeting applications.
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PMID:Construction of tumor-specific cells expressing a membrane-anchored single-chain Fv of anti-ErbB-2 antibody. 1134 69

The c-kit tyrosine kinase inhibitor STI571 exhibits a substantial therapeutic activity in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia and gastrointestinal stromal tumors respectively associated with constitutive activation of the BCR-ABL and c-kit tyrosine kinases. Human colorectal tumors also express the c-kit proto-oncogene. The present study focuses on the anticancer activity of STI571 in human colorectal tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. The c-kit receptor was identified as a M(r) 145,000 immunoreactive band in human colon cancer cells HT29, HCT8/S11, and HCT116. Cellular invasion induced by 10 ng/ml stem cell factor (EC(50) = 3 ng/ml) in HT29 cells was blocked by 1 micro M STI571 (IC(50) = 56 nM) and pharmacological inhibitors of several oncogenic signaling pathways, namely, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (LY294002), Rho GTPases (Clostridium botulinum exoenzyme C3 transferase), and Rho-kinase (Y27632). STI571 inhibited HT29 cell proliferation (IC(50) = 6 micro M) and induced apoptosis in vitro. These cellular effects were associated with a decrease in tumor growth. We also demonstrated that stem cell factor is a proangiogenic factor in vivo and in vitro. These encouraging results warrant further preclinical investigations and clinical trials on the use of the c-kit inhibitor STI571 as a chemotherapeutic agent in colon cancer prevention and in treatment of advanced colorectal cancers associated with liver metastases.
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PMID:The c-kit tyrosine kinase inhibitor STI571 for colorectal cancer therapy. 1220 34

Mutations in the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene, which initiate almost all human colon cancers, directly target the proto-oncogene, c-myc, by elevating beta-catenin/T-cell factor (TCF) signaling. We have shown that agents ascribed chemopreventive activity for colon cancer in fact also stimulate beta-catenin/TCF activity in vitro. Their effects on c-myc transcription were assayed using a novel variant of fluorescence in situ hybridization that detects c-myc transcription sites in intact nuclei. Increased transcriptional initiation of c-myc induced by the short-chain fatty acid, butyrate, consistent with elevated beta-catenin/TCF activity, was efficiently abrogated by a block to transcriptional elongation, resulting in decreased c-myc expression. 1alpha,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D(3) also induced transcriptional blockage. In contrast, the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, sulindac, increased c-myc expression, an effect attributable at least in part to its failure to induce transcriptional blockage. We have described a novel approach for evaluating the effects of chemopreventive agents on the expression of a gene critical in colonic tumorigenesis.
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PMID:Novel detection and differential utilization of a c-myc transcriptional block in colon cancer chemoprevention. 1241 19

The RON receptor tyrosine kinase is a member of the MET proto-oncogene family that has been implicated in regulating motile-invasive phenotypes in certain types of epithelial cancers. The purpose of this study was to determine if RON expression is altered in primary human colorectal adenocarcinomas. Results from immunohistochemical staining showed that RON is highly expressed in the majority of colorectal adenocarcinomas (29/49 cases). Accumulated RON is also constitutively active with autophosphorylation in tyrosine residues. Moreover, three splicing variants of RON, namely RONdelta165, RONdelta160, and RONdelta155 were detected and cloned from two primary colon cancer samples. These RON variants were generated by deletions in different regions in extracellular domains of the RON beta chain. Functional studies showed that expression of RONdelta160 or RONdelta155 in Martin-Darby canine kidney cells resulted in increased cell dissociation (scatter-like activity). RON variants, RONdelta160 and RONdelta155, also exerted the ability to induce multiple focus formation and sustain anchorage-independent growth of transfected NIH3T3 cells. Moreover, NIH3T3 cells expressing RONdelta160 or RONdelta155 formed tumors in athymic nude mice and colonized in the lungs. These data suggest that RON expression is altered in certain primary colon cancers. Abnormal accumulation of RON variants may play a role in the progression of certain colorectal cancers in vivo.
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PMID:Altered expression of the RON receptor tyrosine kinase in primary human colorectal adenocarcinomas: generation of different splicing RON variants and their oncogenic potential. 1252 88

Hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer (HNPCC) is an autosomal dominant form of inherited predisposition to colorectal and other malignancies. It is associated with mutations in DNA mismatch-repair genes, especially hMSH2 and hMLH1. Management of HNPCC families is improved if the underlying mutation in each family can be discovered. We describe a Newfoundland kindred, meeting the Amsterdam Criteria for HNPCC, in which a mutation in the promoter region of the hMLH1 gene co-segregates with the disease phenotype. The -42C > T mutation is within a putative Myb proto-oncogene binding site. Using electrophoretic mobility shift assays, we demonstrated that the mutated Myb binding sequence is less effective in binding nuclear proteins than the wild-type promoter sequence. Using in vivo transfection experiments in HeLa cells, we further demonstrated that the mutated promoter has only 37% of the activity of the wild-type promoter in driving the expression of a reporter gene. The average age of onset in six family members affected with colorectal cancer is 62 years, which is substantially later than the typical age of onset in HNPCC families. This is consistent with a substantial decrease, but not total elimination, of mismatch repair function in affected members of this family. This is the first report of a heritable hMLH1 promoter mutation in any HNPCC family.
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PMID:Germline hMLH1 promoter mutation in a Newfoundland HNPCC kindred. 1291 37

The proto-oncogene c-Myc is overexpressed in 70% of colorectal tumours and can modulate proliferation and apoptosis after cytotoxic insult. Using an isogenic cell system, we demonstrate that c-Myc overexpression in colon carcinoma LoVo cells resulted in sensitisation to camptothecin-induced apoptosis, thus identifying c-Myc as a potential marker predicting response of colorectal tumour cells to camptothecin. Both camptothecin exposure and c-Myc overexpression in LoVo cells resulted in elevation of p53 protein levels, suggesting a role of p53 in the c-Myc-imposed sensitisation to the apoptotic effects of camptothecin. This was confirmed by the ability of PFT-alpha, a specific inhibitor of p53, to attenuate camptothecin-induced apoptosis. p53 can induce the expression of p21(Waf1/Cip1), an antiproliferative protein that can facilitate DNA repair and drug resistance. Importantly, although camptothecin treatment markedly increased p21(Waf1/Cip1) levels in parental LoVo cells, this effect was abrogated in c-Myc-overexpressing derivatives. Targeted inactivation of p21(Waf1/Cip1) in HCT116 colon cancer cells resulted in significantly increased levels of apoptosis following treatment with camptothecin, demonstrating the importance of p21(Waf1/Cip1) in the response to this agent. Finally, cDNA microarray analysis was used to identify genes that are modulated in expression by c-Myc upregulation that could serve as additional markers predicting response to camptothecin. Thirty-four sequences were altered in expression over four-fold in two isogenic c-Myc-overexpressing clones compared to parental LoVo cells. Moreover, the expression of 10 of these genes was confirmed to be significantly correlated with response to camptothecin in a panel of 30 colorectal cancer cell lines.
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PMID:c-Myc overexpression sensitises colon cancer cells to camptothecin-induced apoptosis. 1458 81

The aim of the study reported here was to investigate whether the azoxymethane (AOM)-induced colon cancer rat model mimics the human situation with regard to microsatellite stability, changes in expression of beta-catenin, and/or changes in the sequence of the proto-oncogene Ki-ras. Colon cancer was induced by administration of four weekly doses of AOM (15 mg/kg of body weight per week) separated by a one-week break between the second and third injections. As the histopathologic characteristics of this model resemble those of the human counterpart, further characterization of the genetic changes was undertaken. The animals were euthanized 28 to 29 weeks after the first AOM injection, and tumor specimens were taken for histologic and DNA analyses. Since microsatellite variation was found in only a few (< 2%) specimens, the model can be considered as having stable microsatellites. This result is in accordance with those of similar studies in other rat models and with most human colorectal cancers. Immunohistochemical analyses of beta-catenin did not reveal loss of gene activity, nor did the sequencing of Ki-ras reveal mutations. These results are in contrast to most findings in comparable rat studies. The deviations may be due to differences in exposure to the carcinogen or difference in strain and/or age. The lack of beta-catenin and Ki-ras alterations in this colon cancer model is unlike human sporadic colorectal cancers where these genetic changes are common findings.
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PMID:Analysis of beta-catenin, Ki-ras, and microsatellite stability in azoxymethane-induced colon tumors of BDIX/Orl Ico rats. 1472 11

Hyperthermia is used to treat intraperitoneal colorectal carcinomatosis. In this setting, the molecular effects of oxaliplatin and hyperthermia, in combination and alone, were deciphered in ovarian and colon cancer cells. The combined antiproliferative effects of hyperthermia and oxaliplatin (Eloxatine) on human IGROV-1 ovarian carcinoma, Caco-2 and HT-29 colon carcinoma cell lines were investigated by cell viability test, cell cycle analysis and modulation of expression of cell cycle-related proteins. Oxaliplatin inhibited growth of all cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. The efficacy of the drug was markedly enhanced by concurrent exposure to mild heat shock (1 h, 42 degree C). In IGROV-1 cells, a low concentration (15 microg/ml) of oxaliplatin in combination with hyperthermia induced a transient G2/M arrest. In both colon carcinoma cell lines, a G1/S arrest with a reduction of the G0/G1 population occurred. In IGROV-1 and Caco-2 cells, growth arrest was accompanied by apoptosis as suggested by the appearance of sub-G1 population. Time-course changes of cell cycle regulatory proteins levels revealed accumulation of cyclins A and B as well as of cdc2 and cdk2 upon exposure of IGROV-1 cells to hyperthermia and oxaliplatin. In this cell line, p53 appeared to be implicated in both G2/M arrest and apoptosis. G1/S arrest of HT-29 cells was linked to up-regulation of cyclin E and p27(Kip1) and accumulation of the hypophosphorylated form of pRB, whereas in Caco-2 cells only the hyperphosphorylated form was detected as well as a down-regulation of the proto-oncogene c-myc. Taken together, the results of these in vitro studies suggest that hyperthermia and oxaliplatin might elicit antiproliferative effects by modulating the expression of cell cycle regulatory proteins through different signalling pathways.
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PMID:Thermal enhancement of oxaliplatin-induced inhibition of cell proliferation and cell cycle progression in human carcinoma cell lines. 1520 21


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