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

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Query: UMLS:C1519670 (tumor angiogenesis)
6,052 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an endothelial cell-specific mitogen and a key mediator of aberrant endothelial cell proliferation and vascular permeability in a variety of human pathological situations such as tumor angiogenesis, diabetic retinopathy, or psoriasis. By amino-terminal deletion analysis and by site-directed mutagenesis we have identified a new domain within the amino-terminal alpha-helix that is essential for dimerization of VEGF. VEGF121 variants containing amino acids 8 to 121 or 14 to 121, respectively, either expressed in Escherichia coli and refolded in vitro, or expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells, were in a dimeric conformation and showed full binding activity to VEGF receptors and stimulation of endothelial cell proliferation as compared with wild-type VEGF. In contrast, a VEGF121 variant covering amino acids 18 to 121, as well as a variant in which the hydrophobic amino acids Val14, Val15, Phe17, and Met18 within the amphipathic alpha-helix near the amino terminus were replaced by serine, failed to form biological active VEGF dimers. From these data we conclude that a domain between amino acids His12 and Asp19 within the amino-terminal alpha-helix is essential for formation of VEGF dimers, and we propose hydrophobic interactions between VEGF monomers to stabilize or favor dimerization.
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PMID:The alpha-helical domain near the amino terminus is essential for dimerization of vascular endothelial growth factor. 955 97

VEGF mutants in which Cys51 or Cys60 are converted into a serine are poor inducers of proliferation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells, but they have wild-type activity in the Miles vascular permeability assay. To assess the contribution of proliferation vs. other VEGF activities such as vascular permeability, to tumor angiogenesis and growth, C127I cells, transfected with BPV-based expression plasmids carrying wild-type or mutated VEGF cDNAs, were injected subcutaneously in BALB/c nu/nu mice. From C127I cells expressing wtVEGF(165), intensely vascularized and invasive tumors developed within 2 to 3 weeks. From cells expressing VEGF-Cys51Ser or VEGF-Cys60Ser, tumors developed only after 2 to 3 months, comparable to the time of development of control tumors, i.e., tumors from cells transfected with empty vector. Despite the late take, the VEGF-Cys51Ser and VEGF-Cys60Ser tumors developed an extensive vascular bed with an architecture comparable to that of recombinant wtVEGF-producing tumors whereas control tumors had a considerably lower vascular density. No metastases were detected in mice carrying either wtVEGF or mutant VEGF expressing tumors. Thus, because proliferation-defective VEGF-mutants cannot induce angiogenesis, we conclude that the proliferation-inducing effect of VEGF is crucial for tumor angiogenesis and growth. The hypervasculature in the tumors expressing these VEGF-mutants suggests, however, that other VEGF-activities, such as the induction of vascular permeability, strongly affects vascular density and vascular structure. Furthermore, neither overexpression of VEGF or a high vascular density or hyperpermeability of tumor vasculature is necessarily followed by metastasis.
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PMID:In vivo activities of mutants of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) with differential in vitro activities. 1116 55

Cancer patients are prone to venous thromboembolism (VTE), and this hypercoagulability favors tumor growth and metastasis. After a brief review of the clinical aspects of VTE and cancer, we discuss the pathogenesis of hypercoagulability with an emphasis on the role of tissue factor (TF). The discovery that, in addition to tumor cells, TF is expressed by tumor-associated macrophages and tumor-associated endothelial cells led to studies of the role of TF in the regulation of tumor angiogenesis. In human lung cancer, melanoma, and breast cancer, TF and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) co-localize in tumor cells; a close correlation exists between TF and VEGF synthesis (P = .001) in tumor cell lines and with angiogenesis in vivo in a severe, combined immunodeficient mouse model. Transfection of a TF/VEGF low-producing human tumor cell line with full length TF complementary DNA (cDNA) results in conversion to a high producer of TF and VEGF; transfection of a deletion-mutant TF cDNA lacking cytoplasmic serine residues restores full TF procoagulant activity but not VEGF synthesis to the cells. These results suggest that the cytoplasmic tail of TF is necessary for tumor cell VEGF synthesis. Targeting of TF in tumors and tumor-associated blood vessels is discussed as a strategy for drug delivery and rational anti-cancer and anti-angiogenesis drug design.
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PMID:The role of the hemostatic system in tumor growth, metastasis, and angiogenesis: tissue factor is a bifunctional molecule capable of inducing both fibrin deposition and angiogenesis in cancer. 1137 24

Activation of hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) is a critical limiting step in the HGF/SF-induced signaling pathway mediated by MET receptor tyrosine kinase. Although HGF/SF-MET signaling could have potentially important roles in the invasive growth of tumors and tumor angiogenesis, little is known about the regulation of HGF/SF activation in the tumor tissues. This activation occurs in the extracellular milieu caused by proteolytic cleavage at the bond between Arg194-Val195 in the single-chain HGF precursor to generate the active two-chain heterodimeric form. Here we show that activation of HGF/SF is significantly enhanced in colorectal carcinoma tissues compared with normal colorectal mucosa, and HGF activator (HGFA), a recently identified factor XII-like serine proteinase, is critically involved in this process. Furthermore, we also show that HGF activator inhibitor type 1 (HAI-1) should have an important regulatory role in the pericellular activation of HGF/SF having diverse roles acting as a cell surface specific inhibitor of active HGFA and a reservoir of this enzyme on the cell surface. The latter property might paradoxically ensure the concentrated pericellular HGFA activity in certain cellular conditions in which shedding of HAI-1/HGFA complex from the plasma membrane is upregulated.
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PMID:Pericellular activation of hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) in colorectal carcinomas: roles of HGF activator (HGFA) and HGFA inhibitor type 1 (HAI-1). 1143 57

Previous studies of tumor cell-associated procoagulants and fibrinolytic factors have strongly suggested that local thrombin and plasmin generation may be important in tumor growth and dissemination. Given that one central target of both of these serine proteases is fibrin(ogen), a logical extension of this hypothesis is that local fibrin deposition and dissolution may be key determinants of tumor progression. In this paper, the role of fibrin(ogen) and its degradation products in the growth and spontaneous metastasis of Lewis lung carcinoma was directly examined by comparative studies of control and fibrinogen-deficient mice. Fibrinogen deficiency was found to have no effect on the time required for the formation of palpable tumors, tumor angiogenesis, overall tumor architecture, or primary (s.c.) or secondary (pulmonary) tumor growth. However, fibrinogen deficiency markedly reduced the incidence of spontaneous macroscopic metastases in the lung and regional lymph nodes, a process that occurred relatively late in tumor development. Furthermore, a significant quantitative reduction in pulmonary micrometastases was observed in fibrinogen-deficient mice. Quantitative analyses of pulmonary micrometastases in primary tumor-bearing mice indicated that spontaneous showering of tumor cell emboli into the lung was robust, regardless of animal genotype. Hence, our results suggest fibrin(ogen) plays an important role in spontaneous metastasis, facilitating the stable adhesion and/or survival of metastatic emboli after tumor cell intravasation. These studies suggest that therapeutic strategies focusing on hemostatic factors may be effective in controlling solid tumor metastasis, particularly if used for the treatment of micrometastatic disease.
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PMID:Spontaneous hematogenous and lymphatic metastasis, but not primary tumor growth or angiogenesis, is diminished in fibrinogen-deficient mice. 1246 Sep 14

Gabexate mesilate (GM), a synthetic protease inhibitor, has an antiproteinase activity on various types of plasma serine proteases. However, its role on matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) has not been identified. In this study, we investigated the effect of GM on MMPs and on the invasion and metastasis of human colon cancer cell lines and neoangiogenesis. The activities of MMPs secreted from these cells were significantly reduced by GM but unaffected by the serine protease inhibitor aprotinin. GM directly inhibited purified progelatinase A derived from T98G human glioblastoma cells. In vitro, GM significantly reduced the invasive ability of colon cancer cells but not cellular motility, whereas aprotinin affected neither. Liver metastatic ability and tumorigenic potential in nude mice were remarkably reduced on treatment with GM. Immunohistochemical analysis of GM-treated tumors in mice showed a marked increase in apoptosis and a significant reduction in tumor angiogenesis. Human umbilical vein endothelial cell proliferation, tube formation, and neoangiogenesis in the rabbit cornea and Matrigel implanted in mice were significantly inhibited by GM. These results suggest that GM is a novel inhibitor of MMPs and that it may inhibit the invasion and metastasis of human colon cancer cells by blocking MMPs and neoangiogenesis.
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PMID:Gabexate mesilate inhibits colon cancer growth, invasion, and metastasis by reducing matrix metalloproteinases and angiogenesis. 1524 May 44

New drugs aiming at the development of targeted therapies have been assayed in combination with ionizing radiation over the past few years. The rationale of this concept comes from the fact that the cytotoxic potential of targeted drugs is limited, thus requiring concomitant association with a cytotoxic agent for the eradication of tumor cells. Conversely a low level of cumulative toxicity is expected from targeted drugs. Most targeted drugs act through inhibition of post-translational modifications of proteins, such as dimerization of growth factor receptors, prenylation reactions, or phosphorylation of tyrosine or serine-threonine residues. Many systems involving the proteasome, neoangiogenesis promoters, TGF-beta, cyclooxygenase or the transcription factor NF-kappaB, are currently under investigation in hopes they will allow a control of cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle progression, tumor angiogenesis and inflammation. A few drugs have demonstrated an antitumor potential in particular phenotypes. In most instances, however, radiation-drug interactions proved to be strictly additive in terms of cell growth inhibition or induced cell death. Strong potentiation of the response to radiotherapy is expected to require interaction with DNA repair mechanisms.
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PMID:[Targeted drugs in radiation therapy]. 1567 56

c-Jun is a component of the transcription factor activator protein 1 (AP-1), which binds and activates transcription at TRE/AP-1 elements. Extra- or intracellular signals, including growth factors, transforming oncoproteins, and UV irradiation, stimulate phosphorylation of c-Jun at serine 63/73 and activate c-Jun-dependent transcription. Therefore, activated c-Jun potentially plays an important role in carcinogenesis and cancer progression. To evaluate expression patterns of activated c-Jun in breast cancer in relation to angiogenesis and proliferation, we performed immunohistochemistry on 103 cases of invasive breast cancer with an antibody recognizing phosphorylated c-Jun at serine 73. Activated c-Jun showed a predominantly nuclear expression at the invasive front in 38% of invasive breast cancer cases. Furthermore, expression of activated c-Jun was seen in mitotic cells of the invasive front in 50% of cases. Occasionally, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and benign breast cells showed nuclear expression. Activated nuclear c-Jun expression showed positive correlations with expression of hyperphosphorylated pRb, vascular endothelial growth factor, and with microvessel density. Mitotic c-Jun expression was associated with pRb and microvessel density. Stromal c-Jun expression showed positive relations with microvessel density. In survival analysis, no significant relation was found with activated c-Jun expression and survival, although a trend with poor survival was found for mitotic cells overexpressing activated c-Jun (P = .09). Our results show that activated c-Jun is predominantly expressed at the invasive front in breast cancer and is associated with proliferation and angiogenesis. Earlier studies have established a functional, in vitro link between activated c-Jun and tumor angiogenesis. Our present results in breast cancer patients confirm this relation in vivo for the first time. Therefore, c-Jun/AP-1 targeting may provide new ways to block tumor angiogenesis.
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PMID:c-Jun activation is associated with proliferation and angiogenesis in invasive breast cancer. 1673 6

Protein kinase C (PKC) family comprises more than 12 serine-/threonine-specific isoenzymes. PKC isoenzymes play a complex role in the transduction of signal from tyrosine kinase receptor modulating proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, invasion, differentiation, and senescence in both cancer cells and endothelial cells. Thereby, inhibition and/or activation of specific PKCs is thought to control tumor growth by interacting directly with cancer cells and indirectly by blocking tumor angiogenesis. Furthermore, PKCs are known to modulate multi-drug resistance, providing a rational for the combination of PKCs modulators with classical cytotoxic drugs. During the past few years, preclinical and clinical data with first-generation PKC inhibitors/activators provided insight that PKCs may indeed represent attractive targets for the discovery of small molecules with new anticancer properties. In this review, we will provide an overview on the current understanding of PKC participation in chemotherapeutic resistance, the possible implications in cancer treatment, and the potential of most recent PKC inhibitors in molecular cancer therapeutics.
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PMID:Preclinical and clinical development of novel agents that target the protein kinase C family. 1689 Aug 1

We have previously demonstrated that phosphorylation by Erk of Sp1 was essential for its full activity in the context of the VEGF promoter. Here, we show that Sp3, which, as Sp1, belongs to the GC-rich binding transcription factor family, is also phosphorylated by Erk in vitro on serine 73. We have established cell lines in which expression of wild-type Sp3 or a serine 73 to alanine (S73A) mutant is controlled by tetracycline. One of these cells lines also express the Raf:ER chimera which permits stimulation of Erk by tamoxifen. Difference in electrophoretic mobility and antibody directed against the phosphorylated serine 73 demonstrate that it is phosphorylated in vivo. Wild-type Sp3 half-life is increased upon Erk activation but the S73 is poorly implicated in this mechanism suggesting that Erk-dependent Sp3 stability depends on other(s) domain(s) of the protein. Electro-mobility shift assays and utilization of Gal4/Sp3 chimeric proteins show that Erk does not alter Sp3 DNA binding capacity but enhances its transcriptional activity. The S73A mutant Sp3 posses a reduced activity in Erk-stimulated cells. In the inducible cell lines, expression of wild-type form of Sp3 increases VEGF production whereas the S73A form has a reduced potential reflecting its lower transcriptional activity. Altogether our results described a new link between constitutive Erk activity and the regulation of VEGF expression two common denominators implicated in tumor angiogenesis.
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PMID:Sp3-mediated VEGF regulation is dependent on phosphorylation by extra-cellular signals regulated kinases (Erk). 1768 27


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