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

Interferons (IFNs) are known to possess potent antitumor properties. Previous studies have indicated that IFNs are capable of modulating the expression of various tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes. In this study, we looked at the effect of IFN-gamma on the neu/HER-2 proto-oncogene in the DU145, LNCaP, and PC-3 prostate cancer cell lines. IFN-gamma inhibited cell proliferation in both DU145 and PC-3 cells in a dose-dependent manner, whereas no inhibition of proliferation was seen in LNCaP cells. Correspondingly, IFN-gamma treatment of DU145 and PC-3 cells resulted in an increased production of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21(WAF1), whereas no increase in p21(WAF1) was seen in LNCaP cells. In addition, IFN-gamma induced phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 1 in DU145 and PC-3 cells, but not in LNCaP cells. Consistent with these findings, we found that IFN-gamma treatment of DU145 and PC-3 cells caused a reduction in neu/HER-2 expression, with no change seen in the LNCaP cell line. Transfection and overexpression of the transcriptional coactivator p300 in PC-3 cells suppressed the reduction in neu/HER-2 expression after IFN-gamma treatment, suggesting a role for p300 in neu/HER-2 expression. The antiproliferative activity and p21(WAF1) production of these cells after IFN-gamma treatment were found to be reduced as well. We propose that the down-regulation of neu/HER-2 by IFN-gamma occurs via the interaction of phosphorylated STAT1 with p300 because IFN-gamma activities requiring phosphorylated STAT1 are reduced in cells overexpressing p300. These findings suggest that neu/HER-2 may play a role in the growth of some prostate cancers and that IFN-gamma may suppress such cancers by down-regulation of neu/HER-2.
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PMID:Down-regulation of neu/HER-2 by interferon-gamma in prostate cancer cells. 1091 67

NK cells express an activating FcR (FcgammaRIIIa) that mediates Ab-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and the production of immune modulatory cytokines in response to Ab-coated targets. IL-21 has antitumor activity in murine models that depends in part on its ability to promote NK cell cytotoxicity and IFN-gamma secretion. We hypothesized that the NK cell response to FcR stimulation would be enhanced by the administration of IL-21. Human NK cells cultured with IL-21 and immobilized IgG or human breast cancer cells coated with a therapeutic mAb (trastuzumab) secreted large amounts of IFN-gamma. Increased secretion of TNF-alpha and the chemokines IL-8, MIP-1alpha, and RANTES was also observed under these conditions. NK cell IFN-gamma production was dependent on distinct signals mediated by the IL-21R and the FcR and was abrogated in STAT1-deficient NK cells. Supernatants derived from NK cells that had been stimulated with IL-21 and mAb-coated breast cancer cells were able to drive the migration of naive and activated T cells in an in vitro chemotaxis assay. IL-21 also enhanced NK cell lytic activity against Ab-coated tumor cells. Coadministration of IL-21 and Ab-coated tumor cells to immunocompetent mice led to synergistic production of IFN-gamma by NK cells. Furthermore, the administration of IL-21 augmented the effects of an anti-HER2/neu mAb in a murine tumor model, an effect that required IFN-gamma. These findings demonstrate that IL-21 significantly enhances the NK cell response to Ab-coated targets and suggest that IL-21 would be an effective adjuvant to administer in combination with therapeutic mAbs.
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PMID:Interleukin-21 enhances NK cell activation in response to antibody-coated targets. 1678 6

Ex vivo analysis of signaling pathways operating in tumor tissue is complicated by the three-dimensional structure, in particular by stroma-epithelial interactions. Studies performed with pure populations of tumor cells usually do not take into account this issue. One possibility to preserve the tissue architecture is the use of tumor slices. However, diffusion of oxygen and nutrients may become limiting factors, resulting in decreased cell viability and change of tissue morphology, especially after long-term incubation of slices. By using precision cut slices of defined thickness, we were able to establish culture conditions for tumor material obtained from MMTV-neu transgenic mice, which allow the study of the action of cytokines and cytotoxic drugs for up to 24 h. A slice thickness of 160 mum was found to be optimal for viability and handling of material. These slices were highly responsive to the action of the cytokine IFN-gamma, as evident form the increase of pY701 STAT1, detected by both immunohistochemistry and western blotting, and by the increase of mRNA levels of the IFN-gamma response genes IRF-1, SOCS-1, and STAT1, analyzed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Furthermore, induction of apoptosis and increase of DNA damage could be monitored after treatment with IFN-gamma or doxorubicin. The slices were also a convenient source for the establishment of explant cultures of tumor epithelial cells. It is concluded that cultivation of precision-cut tumor slices provides a convenient way for the ex vivo molecular analysis of MMTV-neu tumor tissue under conditions which closely simulate the situation in vivo and can provide an alternative to in vivo experiments.
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PMID:Precision-cut slice cultures of tumors from MMTV-neu mice for the study of the ex vivo response to cytokines and cytotoxic drugs. 1953 58

Type I and type II classes of interferons (IFNs) signal through the JAK/STAT1 pathway and are known to be important in adaptive and innate immune responses and in protection against tumors. Although STAT1 is widely considered a tumor suppressor, it remains unclear, however, if this function occurs in tumor cells (cell autonomous) or if STAT1 acts primarily through immune cells. Here, the question of whether STAT1 has a cell autonomous role in mammary tumor formation was addressed in a mouse model of ERBB2/neu-induced breast cancer in the absence and presence of STAT1. For this purpose, mice that carry floxed Stat1 alleles, which permit cell-specific removal of STAT1, were generated. To induce tumors only in mammary cells lacking STAT1, Stat1 floxed mice were crossed with transgenic mice that express cre recombinase and the neu oncogene under the mouse mammary tumor virus LTR (Stat1fl/fl NIC). Stat1 was effectively deleted in mammary epithelium of virgin Stat1fl/fl NIC females. Time-to-tumor onset was significantly shorter in Stat1fl/fl NIC females than in WT NIC (Wilcoxon rank sum test, P = .02). The median time-to-tumor onset in the Stat1fl/fl NIC mice was 49.4 weeks, whereas it was 62.4 weeks in the WT NIC mice. These results suggest that STAT1 in mammary epithelial cells may play a role in suppressing tumorigenesis. The Stat1 floxed allele described in this study is also a unique resource to determine the cellular targets of IFNs and STAT1 action, which should aid our understanding and appreciation of these pathways.
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PMID:Loss of STAT1 from mouse mammary epithelium results in an increased Neu-induced tumor burden. 2107 15