Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UNIPROT:P04141 (granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor)
 6,790 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Clinical observations in the interleukin (IL) 2-based immunotherapies suggest that T cells play a central role in the rejection of melanoma. Using cDNA expression cloning, we have isolated genes encoding melanoma antigens recognized by tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes. These antigens are categorized as (a) melanocyte-specific melanosomal proteins (MART-1/melan A, gp100, tyrosinase, TRP-1, and TRP-2), (b) tumor-specific mutated proteins (beta-catenin), and (c) others (p15). A variety of mechanisms has been identified for the generation of T cell epitopes on tumor cells. Some of the HLA-A2 binding epitopes from the melanosomal antigens appear to be subdominant self-determinants with relatively low major histocompatibility complex binding affinity. The effectiveness of adoptive transfer into patients of cytotoxic T lymphocytes recognizing the melanosomal antigens, the significant correlation between vitiligo development and clinical response in patients receiving IL-2-based immunotherapies, and the sporadic tumor regressions observed in some patients following immunization with the MART-1 or gp100 peptides in incomplete Freund's adjuvant or recombinant viruses expressing the MART-1 antigen suggest that these epitopes may represent tumor rejection antigens. Phase I immunization trials using peptides or recombinant viruses containing genes encoding the melanosomal antigens MART-1 or gp100, with or without co-administration of cytokines such as IL-2, IL-12, or granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, are being conducted in the Surgery Branch of the National Cancer Institute. These studies may demonstrate the feasibility of using melanosomal proteins for the immunotherapy of patients with melanoma.
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PMID:The use of melanosomal proteins in the immunotherapy of melanoma. 967 45

Melanocytes characterized by the activities of tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein (TRP)-1 and TRP-2 as well as by melanosomes and dendrites are located mainly in the epidermis, dermis and hair bulb of the mammalian skin. Melanocytes differentiate from melanoblasts, undifferentiated precursors, derived from embryonic neural crest cells. Because hair bulb melanocytes are derived from epidermal melanoblasts and melanocytes, the mechanism of the regulation of the proliferation and differentiation of epidermal melanocytes should be clarified. The regulation by the tissue environment, especially by keratinocytes is indispensable in addition to the regulation by genetic factors in melanocytes. Recent advances in the techniques of tissue culture and biochemistry have enabled us to clarify factors derived from keratinocytes. Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, adrenocorticotrophic hormone, basic fibroblast growth factor, nerve growth factor, endothelins, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, steel factor, leukemia inhibitory factor and hepatocyte growth factor have been suggested to be the keratinocyte-derived factors and to regulate the proliferation and/or differentiation of mammalian epidermal melanocytes. Numerous factors may be produced in and released from keratinocytes and be involved in regulating the proliferation and differentiation of mammalian epidermal melanocytes through receptor-mediated signaling pathways.
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PMID:Role of keratinocyte-derived factors involved in regulating the proliferation and differentiation of mammalian epidermal melanocytes. 1564 47