Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:O76050 (neu)
 3,969 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Tyrosine kinase (TK) inhibition has been identified as a promising strategy in the treatment of human malignancies and several synthetic inhibitors have been developed. While the selective blockage of specific TKs is highly effective in vitro, clinical results have been less impressive. It has been suggested that the simultaneous inhibition of multiple TKs might lead to more favorable therapeutic results in vivo. We have therefore performed a systematic analysis of intratumoral TK expression in order to identify potential targets for a simultaneous kinase inhibition. To this end, we have analyzed the protein expression of membrane-associated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R), Her-2/neu, platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGF-R), insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-R), c-Kit and of cytoplasmatic c-Abl in 500 human tumors of epithelial, stromal and mesenchymal origin by immunohistochemistry, and found a distinct pattern of kinase expression: EGF-R, PDGF-R and c-Abl were expressed in the majority of malignant tumors, whereas c-Kit, Her-2/neu and IGF-R protein expression was considerably less frequent. Overall, the EGF-R protein expression was correlated with PDGF-R, c-Kit and c-Abl immunoreactivity (P = 0.003, P = 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively). c-Abl was co-expressed with IGF-R and PDGF-R (P = 0.003 and P < 0.001, respectively). Kinase co-expression was also seen in tumor subgroups and was particularly significant in breast cancer where IGF-R protein was expressed together with PDGF-R and c-Abl (P = 0.003 and P = 0.004, respectively), and in colon cancer where PDGF-R was correlated with EGF-R (P < 0.001). With the exception of Her-2/neu expression and age, intra-tumoral TK expression was not associated with parameters such as grading or histological subtypes. Taken together, we have found a specific pattern of kinase co-expression and have identified several potential targets for a tumor-specific multimodal TK inhibition.
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PMID:Expression of tyrosine kinases in human malignancies as potential targets for kinase-specific inhibitors. 1561 59

Carcinomas of an unknown primary site (CUP) are heterogeneous tumours with a median survival of only 8 months. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors are promising new drugs. The aim of this study was to determine the expression of EGF-receptor, Her-2/neu, and c-Kit tyrosine kinases in CUP. Paraffin-embedded specimens were obtained from 54 patients with a CUP who were included in the GEFCAPI 01 randomised phase II trial. Immunohistochemistry was performed using the Dako autostainer with antibodies directed against HER-2/neu protein, EGFR protein, and c-Kit protein (CD117). EGFR expression was found in 36 out of 54 samples (66%). In contrast, Her-2/neu overexpression and c-Kit positivity were only detected in 4 and 10% of patients, respectively. No significant association was found between the expression of the tyrosine kinase receptors and prognosis. EGFR expression was significantly associated with response to cisplatin-based chemotherapy: the response rates were 50 and 22% in patients with EGFR-positive tumours and EGFR-negative tumours, respectively (P<0.05). This study shows that EGFR is frequently expressed in CUP. This finding may prompt clinical trials investigating EGFR inhibitors in this setting. In contrast, c-Kit expression and Her-2/neu overexpression occur infrequently in CUP. EGFR expression was correlated to tumour chemosensitivity.
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PMID:Carcinoma of an unknown primary: are EGF receptor, Her-2/neu, and c-Kit tyrosine kinases potential targets for therapy? 1787 36

Tyrosine kinase receptor HER2/neu plays an important role in a number of processes including carcinogenesis. The oncogenic characteristics of HER2/neu are associated with its ability to affect a variety of apoptotic pathways creating, this way, an antiapoptotic environment in the cells overexpressing this protein. The aim of our work was to investigate the features of apoptosis regulation in hypothalamic neurosecretory cells of HER2/neu transgenic mice in aging. We detected the apoptosis protein expression (Bax, c-Raf) in comparison with apoptosis level and functional activity (vasopressin concentration) in neuroendocrine system. Besides, we studied the level of 17beta-estradiol in blood plasma. 17beta-estradiol is one of possible antiapoptotic factors in neurons. We show that the apoptosis of neuroendocrine cells increases in aged wild type mice, but not in HER2/neu ones. Recently we obtained that the mechanism of apoptosis suppression in transgenic mice is the block of p53-dependent apoptosis cascade, and it is the cause of caspadse-8 decrease and dysregulation of Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 antiapoptotic protein synthesis. In this study it has been shown that Bax concentration decreases and c-Raf-1 expression does not change. 17beta-estradiol does not decrease in plasma of aged transgenic mice and it is the factor, which can play a positive role in neuroendocrine cells survival. Besides, the vasopressin synthesis increases in young and old HER2 mice. These facts result in the increased survival of neurosecretory cells in old transgenic mice.
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PMID:[Apoptosis regulation in hypothalamic neurosecretory cells of HER2/neu transgenic mice in ontogenesis]. 1838 7

High-grade gliomas, including glioblastoma, are among the most malignant and treatment-refractory human neoplasms. The tumors show high levels of resistance to conventional therapies (i.e. surgery, irradiation, and chemotherapy), and despite treatment advances patient outcome remains poor. New therapeutic options are needed. An especially interesting idea is the rational development of new therapies targeting molecules in cancer specific signaling pathways, thereby ideally increasing treatment efficacy and minimizing toxicity. Clearly, rational design requires thorough understanding of the molecular pathogenesis and resistance mechanisms. One highly promising approach is the targeted inhibition of ErbB growth factor receptors, which are recognized as key signaling pathways in many types of human tumors, including high-grade glioma. The ErbB receptor family of tyrosine kinases comprises four members: epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR/ErbB1/HER1), ErbB2 (HER2/neu), ErbB3 (HER3) and ErbB4 (HER4). Physiologically, signaling is induced by ligand initiated receptor homo- or heterodimerization, activating intracellular downstream signaling pathways and leading to increased cell proliferation, anti-apoptosis and migration. A truncated, constitutively activated mutant EGFR (EGFRvIII) is associated with poor survival in GBM. Thus, to date anti-ErbB approaches are mainly focused on EGFR. The two major classes of anti-ErbB therapeutics are monoclonal antibodies (e.g. cetuximab, panitumumab) and small molecule Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI, e.g. gefitinib, erlotinib, lapatinib). Some compounds entered clinical trials already, but clinical efficacy needs to be enhanced. Here we review current therapeutic advances targeting ErbB receptors in high-grade gliomas, and give a concise overview on current understanding of ErbB biology in gliomas, paving the way to novel rational therapeutic development.
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PMID:Targeting ErbB receptors in high-grade glioma. 2182 13

Oncogenic driver mutations identified in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have triggered the development of drugs capable of interfering in intracellular signaling pathways involved in tumorigenesis. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors, such as erlotinib or gefitinib, have demonstrated promising results in patients with advanced NSCLC that harbor EGFR mutations. Human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2/ERBB2/neu) is a member of the ERBB family of tyrosine kinase receptors, and is activated by homodimerization or heterodimerization with other ERBB receptors. Deregulation of HER2 gene, by overexpression and/or gene amplification has been proved important in breast and gastric cancer, in which overexpression of HER2 confers greater response to specific anti-HER2 treatment, including trastuzumab. In lung carcinogenesis, HER2 mutations are thought to be more clinically relevant than overexpression or gene amplification. HER2 mutations in NSCLC, described exclusively in adenocarcinoma histology, are present in approximately 4% of this subset of lung cancer patients, suggesting that thousands of patients per year may possibly benefit from targeted therapy. Therefore, we conclude that systematic genotypic testing in this subgroup of NSCLC patients should include detection of HER2 mutations. In addition, clinical trials with standard antiHER2 agents and new investigational therapies are ongoing, with promising preliminary results, as illustrated in this review, although further research is warranted in this field.
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PMID:HER2 driven non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): potential therapeutic approaches. 2580 23