Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P04626 (erbB-2)
 5,251 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Cellular oncogenes have been shown to play crucial roles in the cell death process induced by cytotoxic agents. In this study, we have demonstrated that v-H-ras transformed NIH 3T3 cells but not other transformants (v-raf, v-src, v-erbB-2, v-fes and v-mos) exhibited a survival advantage to treatment by a DNA-damaging agent, methylmethanesulfonate (MMS). Subsequently, the biochemical and morphologic criteria of MMS-treated cells were examined. It was found that MMS induced v-H-ras transformants to go through necrosis, but it induced other transformed cells to undergo apoptosis. The levels of glutathione (GSH) within each transformant as well as in NIH 3T3 cells, were determined. The results showed that GSH levels within ras transformants were 2- to 7-fold higher than the levels in other transformants and normal NIH 3T3 cells. By using the GSH synthesis inhibitor buthionine sulfoximine, GSH levels were artificially reduced. This depletion, however, made ras transformed cells more sensitive to MMS killing, but the mode of cell death was still necrosis. Western blot analysis demonstrated that the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 was constitutively expressed in ras transformed cells but not in NIH 3T3 or other transformed cells. The level of Bcl-2 was correlated with the resistant phenotype of ras transformants during MMS treatment. These observations suggest that GSH and Bcl-2 levels may cooperatively confer the resistant phenotype of ras transformants in response to MMS. In addition, the mode of cell death may possibly be determined at least in part by Bcl-2 protein.
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PMID:Differential induction of apoptosis in oncogene-transformed NIH 3T3 cells by methylmethanesulfonate. 868 3

CD44 has diverse functions in cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions and may be a determinant of metastatic and invasive behaviour in carcinomas. The immunohistochemical expression of CD44 in a series of 110 colorectal carcinomas and 25 adenomas was examined using the monoclonal mouse anti-human phagocytic glycoprotein-1, CD44 (clone DF 1485) in correlation with the expression of basement membrane (BM) antigens (type IV collagen, laminin), fibronectin, cathepsin D, p53, Rb, bcl-2, c-erbB-2, EGFR, proliferation indices (Ki-67, PCNA) and with other conventional clinicopathological variables. In adenomas, low CD44 expression (<10% of neoplastic cells) was present in 16%, moderate (10-50% of neoplastic cells) in 52% and extensive (>50% of neoplastic cells) in 32% of cases. In carcinomas, low CD44 expression was found in 14.5%, moderate in 28.2% and extensive in 57.30%. Although the CD44 expression was higher in carcinomas than in adenomas, we found no statistically significant difference between these two groups. CD44 expression in carcinomas was positively correlated with tumour size (P=0.018), tumour cells cathepsin D (P=0.022), stromal cell cathepsin D (P=0.003) and Rb protein (P=0.021). An inverse correlation was observed between CD44 and the anti-apoptotic protein expression bcl-2 in adenocarcinomas (P=0.039) and in adenomas (P=0.021). These data suggest that CD44 may be involved in the process of invasion and metastasis, probably with the cooperation of cathepsin D. Its expression may be an indicator of poor prognosis in colorectal adenocarcinomas.
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PMID:Glycoprotein CD44 expression in colorectal neoplasms. An immuno-histochemical study including correlation with cathepsin D, extracellular matrix components, p53, Rb, bcl-2, c-erbB-2, EGFR and proliferation indices. 1007 Dec 34

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) has been shown to induce apoptosis in numerous transformed cell lines but not in most normal cells. Although this selectivity offers a potential therapeutic application in cancer, not all cancers are sensitive to TRAIL-mediated apoptosis. In this study, we observed that amiloride, a current clinically used diuretic drug, which had little or no cytotoxicity, sensitized TRAIL-resistant human prostate adenocarcinoma LNCaP and human ovarian adenocarcinoma SK-OV-3 cells. The TRAIL-mediated activation of caspase, and PARP cleavage, were promoted in the presence of amiloride. Western blot analysis showed that combined treatment with TRAIL and amiloride did not change the levels of TRAIL receptors (DR4, DR5, and DcR2) and anti-apoptotic proteins (FLIP, IAP, and Bcl-2). However, amiloride dephosphorylated HER-2/neu tyrosine kinase as well as Akt, an anti-apoptotic protein. Interestingly, amiloride also dephosphorylated PI3K and PDK-1 kinases along with PP1alpha phosphatase. In vitro kinase assay revealed that amiloride inhibited phosphorylation of kinase as well as phosphatase by competing with ATP. Taken together, the present studies suggest that amiloride enhances TRAIL-induced cytotoxicity by inhibiting phosphorylation of the HER-2/neu-PI3K-Akt pathway-associated kinases and phosphatase.
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PMID:Role of HER-2/neu signaling in sensitivity to tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand: enhancement of TRAIL-mediated apoptosis by amiloride. 1605 13

Endometrial adenocarcinoma is the most common malignant neoplasm of the female genital tract and, despite its relative frequency, the molecular events that contribute to the development and progression of the lesion remain poorly understood. The normal human endometrium is characterized by hormone-dependent variations during the menstrual cycle. This tightly controlled system is disturbed in endometrial hyperplasia and carcinomas and a series of changes initiate and promote progression towards the malignant phenotype. These changes can be subdivided into discrete steps, involving activation of oncogenes, inactivation of tumour suppressor genes, deregulation of cell cycle regulators or other proteins involved in tumour invasion and progression. Immunohistochemical expression of different biomarkers such as hormone receptor status (ER, PR), proliferation associated indices (PCNA, MIB1), oncogene (c-erbB-2), tumour suppressor gene products (pRb, p53 protein), cell cycle related proteins (cyclin D1, cyclin E, p21/WAF1), anti-apoptotic protein (bcl-2), adhesion molecule (CD44s), proteolytic enzyme (cathepsin D), heat shock protein (hsp27) and metallothionein (MT) has shown the contribution of these molecules to endometrial carcinogenesis in a hormone-dependent or independent manner as an early or late event. In addition, these biomarkers seem to be correlated with tumour differentiation or myometrial invasion, and therefore could be considered as indicators of the biological behaviour of endometrial carcinoma. Furthermore, the interrelationships of these molecular markers show that these genetic dysregulations could be implicated in the control of cell proliferation and differentiation, and thereby in the multistep process of endometrial carcinogenesis.
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PMID:Immunohistochemical tumour markers in endometrial carcinoma. 1612 80

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) (ErbB1) and HER-2/neu (ErbB2) are members of the ErbB family of receptor tyrosine kinases. These receptors are overexpressed in a variety of human tumors and overexpression generally correlates with poor prognosis and decreased survival. Lapatinib, a reversible inhibitor of both EGFR and HER-2/neu, has shown some success in achieving clinical responses in heavily pretreated advanced cancer patients. GW2974 is a reversible dual inhibitor similar to lapatinib, but GW2974 was not progressed to clinical trials due to pharmacokinetic issues. Bcl-2, an anti-apoptotic protein, is also overexpressed in a number of human tumors. Bcl-2 inhibitors induce apoptosis and sensitize cancer cells to other therapies. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of combining ErbB and Bcl-2 inhibitors on the growth of human breast cancer cell lines. EGFR/HER-2/neu tyrosine kinase inhibitors (lapatinib and GW2974) were combined with Bcl-2 inhibitors (HA14-1 or GX15-070) and the anti-proliferative effects were determined by the MTT tetrazolium dye assay. Combinations were tested in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells, a HER-2/neu transfected MCF-7 cell line (MCF/18), and a tamoxifen-resistant MCF-7 cell line (MTR-3). A synergistic inhibitory effect was observed with the combination of inhibitors of EGFR-HER-2/neu (lapatinib or GW2974) and Bcl-2 (GX15-070 or HA14-1) on the growth of the MCF-7, MCF/18, and MTR-3 human breast cancer cell lines. This study suggests that simultaneously blocking the ErbB family of receptor tyrosine kinases and Bcl-2 family of proteins may be a benefit to breast cancer patients.
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PMID:Synergistic inhibition of breast cancer cell lines with a dual inhibitor of EGFR-HER-2/neu and a Bcl-2 inhibitor. 1720 89