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)

Elevated expression of protein kinase C beta II (PKC beta II) is an early promotive event in colon carcinogenesis (Gokmen-Polar, Y., Murray, N. R., Velasco, M. A., Gatalica, Z., and Fields, A. P. (2001) Cancer Res. 61, 1375-1381). Expression of PKC beta II in the colon of transgenic mice leads to hyperproliferation and increased susceptibility to colon carcinogenesis due, at least in part, to repression of transforming growth factor beta type II receptor (TGF-beta RII) expression (Murray, N. R., Davidson, L. A., Chapkin, R. S., Gustafson, W. C., Schattenberg, D. G., and Fields, A. P. (1999) J. Cell Biol., 145, 699-711). Here we report that PKC beta II induces the expression of cyclooxygenase type 2 (Cox-2) in rat intestinal epithelial (RIE) cells in vitro and in transgenic PKC beta II mice in vivo. Cox-2 mRNA increases more than 10-fold with corresponding increases in Cox-2 protein and PGE2 production in RIE/PKC beta II cells. PKC beta II activates the Cox-2 promoter by 2- to 3-fold and stabilizes Cox-2 mRNA by at least 4-fold. The selective Cox-2 inhibitor Celecoxib restores expression of TGF-beta RII both in vitro and in vivo and restores TGF beta-mediated transcription in RIE/PKC beta II cells. Likewise, the omega-3 fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which inhibits PKC beta II activity and colon carcinogenesis, causes inhibition of Cox-2 protein expression, re-expression of TGF-beta RII, and restoration of TGF-beta1-mediated transcription in RIE/PKC beta II cells. Our data demonstrate that PKC beta II promotes colon cancer, at least in part, through induction of Cox-2, suppression of TGF-beta signaling, and establishment of a TGF-beta-resistant, hyperproliferative state in the colonic epithelium. Our data define a procarcinogenic PKC beta II --> Cox-2 --> TGF-beta signaling axis within the colonic epithelium, and provide a molecular mechanism by which dietary omega-3 fatty acids and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents such as Celecoxib suppress colon carcinogenesis.
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PMID:Role of cyclooxygenase 2 in protein kinase C beta II-mediated colon carcinogenesis. 1248 Sep 28

Dendritic cell (DC)-based antitumor vaccine is a novel cancer immunotherapy that is promising for reducing cancer-related mortality. However, results from early clinical trials were suboptimal. A possible explanation is that many tumors secrete immunosuppressive factors such as TGF-beta, which may hamper host immune response to DC vaccine. In this study, we demonstrated that TGF-beta produced by tumors significantly reduced the potency of DC/tumor fusion vaccines. TGF-beta-secreting (CT26-TGF-beta) stable mouse colon cancer cell lines were generated using a retroviral vector expressing TGF-beta. A non-TGF-beta-secreting (CT26-neo) cell line was generated using an empty retroviral vector. The efficacies of DC/tumor fusion vaccines were assessed in vitro and in vivo. DC/CT26-TGF-beta fusion cells failed to induce a strong T cell proliferative response in vitro, mainly due to the effect of TGF-beta on T cell responsiveness rather than DC stimulatory capability. Animals vaccinated with DC/CT26-TGF-beta fusion vaccine had lower tumor-specific CTL activity and had significantly lower survival after tumor challenge as compared with animals immunized with DC/CT26-neo hybrids (45 vs 77%, p < 0.05). Ex vivo exposure of DCs to TGF-beta did not appear to lessen the efficacy of DC vaccine. These data suggest that tumor-derived TGF-beta reduces the efficacy of DC/tumor fusion vaccine via an in vivo mechanism. Neutralization of TGF-beta produced by the fusion cells may enhance the effectiveness of DC-based immunotherapy.
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PMID:Tumor-derived TGF-beta reduces the efficacy of dendritic cell/tumor fusion vaccine. 1264 47

To identify potential effectors of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta-mediated suppression of colon cancer, we used GeneChip expression microarrays to identify TGF-beta-induced genes in VACO 330, a nontransformed TGF-beta-sensitive cell line derived from a human adenomatous colon polyp. PMEPA1 was identified as a gene highly up-regulated by TGF-beta treatment of VACO 330. Northern blot analysis confirmed TGF-beta induction of PMEPA1 in VACO 330, as well as a panel of three other TGF-beta-sensitive colon cell lines. PMEPA1 induction could be detected as early as 2 h after TGF-beta treatment and was not inhibited by pretreatment of cells with cycloheximide, suggesting that PMEPA1 is a direct target of TGF-beta signaling. Wild-type PMEPA1 and an alternative splice variant lacking the putative transmembrane domain were encoded by the PMEPA1 locus and were shown by epitope tagging to encode proteins with differing subcellular localization. Both variants were found to be expressed in normal colonic epithelium, and both were shown to be induced by TGF-beta. Consistent with TGF-beta playing a role in terminal differentiation of colonocytes, in situ hybridization of normal colonic epithelium localized PMEPA1 expression to nonproliferating, terminally differentiated epithelium located at the top of colonic crypts. Intriguingly, in situ hybridization and Northern blot analysis showed that the expression of PMEPA1 was well maintained both in colon cancer primary tumors and in colon cancer liver metastases. PMEPA1 is thus a novel TGF-beta-induced marker of a differentiated crypt cell population. Moreover, as PMEPA1 expression is maintained, presumptively in a TGF-beta-independent manner after malignant transformation and metastasis, it demonstrates that even late colon cancers retain a strong capacity to execute many steps of the normal colonic differentiation program.
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PMID:PMEPA1, a transforming growth factor-beta-induced marker of terminal colonocyte differentiation whose expression is maintained in primary and metastatic colon cancer. 1267 Sep 6

Cripto, a cell surface-associated protein belonging to the EGF-CFC family of growth factor-like molecules, is overexpressed in many human solid tumors, including 70-80% of breast and colon tumors, yet how it promotes cell transformation is unclear. During embryogenesis, Cripto complexes with Alk4 via its unique cysteine-rich CFC domain to facilitate signaling by the TGF-beta ligand Nodal. We report, for the first time to our knowledge, that Cripto can directly bind to another TGF-beta ligand, Activin B, and that Cripto overexpression blocks Activin B growth inhibition of breast cancer cells. This result suggests a novel mechanism for antagonizing Activin signaling that could promote tumorigenesis by deregulating growth homeostasis. We show that an anti-CFC domain antibody, A8.G3.5, both disrupts Cripto-Nodal signaling and reverses Cripto blockade of Activin B-induced growth suppression by blocking Cripto's association with either Alk4 or Activin B. In two xenograft models, testicular and colon cancer, A8.G3.5 inhibited tumor cell growth by up to 70%. Both Nodal and Activin B expression was found in the xenograft tumor, suggesting that either ligand could be promoting tumorigenesis. These data validate that functional blockade of Cripto inhibits tumor growth and highlight antibodies that block Cripto signaling mediated through its CFC domain as an important class of antibodies for further therapeutic development.
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PMID:Antibody blockade of the Cripto CFC domain suppresses tumor cell growth in vivo. 1292 90

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) inhibits cell growth via promoting apoptosis. Human colorectal cancer tissues had abundant PPARgamma but the incidence of apoptosis was very low, suggesting a defect in the PPARgamma pathway. Here, we found that 15-hydroxy-eicosatetraenoic acid (15S-HETE), an endogenous ligand for PPARgamma, was significantly decreased in the serum of patients with colorectal cancer. Treatment of colon cancer cells with 15S-HETE inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis, which was preceded by an increase in TGF-beta-inducible early gene (TIEG) and a decrease in Bcl-2. The action of 15S-HETE could be blocked when PPARgamma was suppressed. Overexpression of Bcl-2 prevented the apoptosis. The levels of TIEG and 15-lipoxygenase (15-LOX), the enzyme responsible for 15S-HETE production, was decreased in colorectal cancer. Therefore, colorectal cancer is associated with decreased 15S-HETE. Treatment of colon cancer cells with 15S-HETE inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in a PPARgamma-dependent pathway involving augmentation of TIEG and reduction of Bcl-2 expression.
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PMID:15-hydroxy-eicosatetraenoic acid arrests growth of colorectal cancer cells via a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma-dependent pathway. 1456 36

Transcriptional repression of the TGF-beta type II receptor (RII) is one of the mechanisms leading to TGF-beta resistance. The newly identified epithelium-specific ets transcription factor ERT/ESX/ESE-1 binds to the TGF-beta RII promoter and induces promoter activity. This study aims to investigate the mechanisms underlying development of ERT-mediated TGF-beta resistance using antisense ERT oligonucleotide. We performed Northern blot analysis of TGF-beta RII expression in human colon cancer cell line, RKO, after transfecting these cells with MFG-antisense-ERT retroviral construct. The plasmid containing the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene alone was used as the control. The amount of TGF-beta RII mRNA appears to be poor in RKO cells expressing antisense ERT compared with both parental RKO and control cells. In conclusion, transfection of MFG-antisense-ERT construct into the colon cancer cell line could result in lower levels of TGF-beta RII mRNA expression, which means that ERT mediates the expression of TGF-beta RII and the transcriptional inhibition of ERT could be a one of the mechanisms of colonic carcinogenesis. More in vitro and in vivo studies should be required to evaluate this treatment in clinical setting.
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PMID:Effect of ets-related transcription factor (ERT) on transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta type II receptor gene expression in human cancer cell lines. 1458 9

Several epidemiological studies have supported the concept that high energy intake, obesity, and/or hyperinsulinemia are risk factors for colon cancer. Previously, it was shown that Zucker obese rats are more sensitive to chemically induced colon cancer than their lean counterparts. The present study investigated whether moderate (20-25%) dietary energy restriction (ER) would attenuate colon carcinogenesis in the Zucker obese rat model. Six-week-old Zucker obese (fa/fa) rats and lean (Fa/Fa) rats received s.c. injections of azoxymethane at a dose of 10 mg/kg body weight once weekly for 2 weeks. A week later, obese rats (n = 16) were assigned to an ER diet (Ob-ER group), based on a low-fat AIN-93G semisynthetic diet. The remaining obese and lean rats (n = 16 rats/group) were fed the low-fat diet ad libitum (Ob group and Ln group, respectively). All rats were euthanized after 8 weeks, and their colons were assessed for aberrant crypt foci (ACF; n = 8/group) or for the expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta and cyclooxygenase (COX) isoforms at the protein and mRNA transcript levels (n = 8/group). Ob rats had a higher number of advanced ACF (crypt multiplicity >or=7) than Ln rats. Dietary ER significantly reduced the appearance of advanced ACF in Ob-ER rats without significantly affecting the blood insulin level or body weights. TGF-beta and COX isoforms were differentially expressed in the colonic mucosae of Ob and Ln rats. Dietary ER significantly reduced TGF-beta1/beta2 and COX-1/2 protein expression in obese rats. This study is the first to demonstrate that moderate ER attenuated TGF-beta and COX protein expression and the carcinogenic process in Zucker obese rats. These findings provide insights leading to the proposal that the mechanism(s) underlying the early events of colon carcinogenesis in Zucker obese rats may extend beyond the role of excessive body weight and hyperinsulinemia per se.
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PMID:Energy restriction reduces the number of advanced aberrant crypt foci and attenuates the expression of colonic transforming growth factor beta and cyclooxygenase isoforms in Zucker obese (fa/fa) rats. 1458 51

Bcl-2 and TGF-beta receptors type II (RII) in colon carcinomas were studied in a series of 113 patients, to determine their prognostic significance and to correlate their expression with other prognostic indicators. Bcl-2 expression in the tumor cells showed a reverse relation with tumor size (P = 0.018), histological grade (P = 0.04), and stage (P = 0.013). Univariate survival analysis using the log rank test showed that the survival of patients with bcl-2-positive tumors was significantly better than the survival of patients with bcl-2-negative tumors (P = 0.02). However, when entered into a multivariate analysis model, it was not found to be of independent prognostic significance. TGF-beta RII expression was correlated with stage (P = 0.03), while no statistically significant correlation was found between TGF-beta RII expression and histological grade or survival. In conclusion, these results provide additional evidence for the role of bcl-2 and TGF-beta RII in carcinogenesis of the colon, while they do not support the use of these factors as prognostic markers in patients with colon cancer.
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PMID:Prognostic significance and correlation with survival of bcl-2 and TGF-beta RII in colon cancer. 1471 14

Myofibroblasts are present at the invasion front in colon cancer. In an attempt to understand their putative proinvasive activity, we have developed an in vitro model. Myofibroblasts isolated from colon cancer tissue or obtained through transdifferentiation of colon fibroblasts by transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta stimulate invasion of colon cancer cells into collagen type I and Matrigel. We identified two convergent proinvasive agents secreted by myofibroblasts: namely scatter factor/hepatocyte growth factor (SF/HGF) and the TGF-beta-upregulated extracellular matrix glycoprotein tenascin-C (TNC), each of which is necessary though not sufficient for invasion. Myofibroblast-stimulated invasion into collagen type I is characterized by a change from a round, nonmigratory morphotype with high RhoA and low Rac activity to an elongated, migratory morphotype with low RhoA and high Rac activity. RhoA inactivation is determined by the epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like repeats of TNC through EGF-receptor signaling that confers a permissive and priming signal for the proinvasive activity of SF/HGF that activates Rac via c-Met. We confirmed the validity of this mechanism by using pharmacological modulators and dominant negative or constitutive active mutants that interfere with RhoA-Rho kinase and Rac signaling. Our in vitro results point to a new putative proinvasive signal for colon cancer cells provided by myofibroblasts in the tumor stroma.
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PMID:Tenascin-C and SF/HGF produced by myofibroblasts in vitro provide convergent pro-invasive signals to human colon cancer cells through RhoA and Rac. 1505 78

Transforming growth factor (TGF) beta is a potent regulator of cell-matrix and cell-cell adhesions (collectively termed cellular adhesions). Cellular adhesions play crucial roles in controlling the differentiation of epithelial cells and in maintaining the integrity of the epithelium. Loss of TGF beta-responsiveness is thought to be an important early initiating event in the malignant progression of epithelial cancer. In the TGFbeta-responsive human colon adenocarcinoma Moser cells, TGFbeta promotes cellular adhesions and suppresses their malignant phenotype. TGFbeta promotes cell-matrix adhesion by inducing the synthesis of extracellular matrix (ECM) adhesion molecules and the expression of integrin receptors for these molecules (termed ECM remodeling). TGFbeta promotes cell-cell adhesion through the induction of E-cadherin expression, an epithelial associated homotypic cell-cell adhesion molecule, which also functions as a tumor suppressor in colon cancer. How TGFbeta regulates E-cadherin expression is not known. In this study, we showed that the induction of E-cadherin by TGFbeta was mediated through the activation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), a major signaling molecule in focal adhesion contacts and that the activation of FAK was due to ECM remodeling and increased cell-matrix interactions. Thus, TGFbeta regulates cell-cell adhesion through its ability to remodel the ECM and to activate FAK through ECM remodeling.
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PMID:Transforming growth factor beta regulates cell-cell adhesion through extracellular matrix remodeling and activation of focal adhesion kinase in human colon carcinoma Moser cells. 1513 93


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