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Query: UNIPROT:P42345 (
mTOR
)
26,049
document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)
The proliferation signal inhibitors [PSIs;
mammalian target of rapamycin
(
mTOR
) inhibitors] are widely used for immunosuppression in transplant recipients. Alongside their immunosuppressive properties, PSIs also have substantial anti-neoplastic activity, as a result of their inhibition of cellular signalling pathways involved in critical functions such as cell division, T-cell activation, invasion and growth factor production. In vitro and in vivo studies have shown that PSIs can prevent the growth of experimentally transformed cells and tumour-derived cell lines, and can also increase the sensitivity of cells to apoptosis-inducing agents. The mechanisms of anti-tumour activities of PSIs identified in pre-clinical studies include up-regulation of adhesion molecules with reversion to less invasive phenotypes, and inhibition of angiogenesis resulting from both decreased
vascular endothelial growth factor
production and decreased endothelial sensitivity to such growth factors. In clinical trials of PSIs in transplant recipients, results show that the incidence of malignancies is substantially lower in patients receiving PSIs than in those receiving calcineurin inhibitor (CNI)-based immunosuppression, with significantly longer times to the development of malignancy. This protective effect of the PSIs is also present in patients receiving combination therapy with a CNI and a PSI. There is also evidence to suggest a role for PSIs in the management of post-transplantation malignancy, with reports of complete resolution of primary and metastatic tumours after conversion from a CNI to a PSI. These beneficial effects have led to the investigation of everolimus and an analogue of sirolimus as a treatment for patients with advanced solid tumours.
...
PMID:The role of proliferation signal inhibitors in post-transplant malignancies. 1736 Jul 68
The
mammalian target of rapamycin
(
mTOR
) is thought to play a critical role in regulating cell growth, cell cycle progression, and tumorigenesis. Because the AKT-
mTOR
pathway is frequently hyperactivated in ovarian cancer, we hypothesized that the
mTOR
inhibitor RAD001 (Everolimus) would inhibit ovarian tumorigenesis in transgenic mice that spontaneously develop ovarian carcinomas. We used TgMISIIR-TAg transgenic mice, which develop bilateral ovarian serous adenocarcinomas accompanied by ascites and peritoneal dissemination. Fifty-eight female TgMISIIR-TAg mice were treated with 5 mg/kg RAD001 or placebo twice weekly from 5 to 20 weeks of age. To monitor tumor development, mice were examined biweekly using magnetic resonance microimaging. In vivo effects of RAD001 on Akt-
mTOR
signaling, tumor cell proliferation, and blood vessel area were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. RAD001 treatment markedly delayed tumor development. Tumor burden was reduced by approximately 84%. In addition, ascites formation, together with peritoneal dissemination, was detected in only 21% of RAD001-treated mice compared with 74% in placebo-treated animals. Approximately 30% of RAD001-treated mice developed early ovarian carcinoma confined within the ovary, whereas all placebo-treated mice developed advanced ovarian carcinoma. Treatment with RAD001 diminished the expression of
vascular endothelial growth factor
in tumor-derived cell lines and inhibited angiogenesis in vivo. RAD001 also attenuated the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and inhibited the invasiveness of tumor-derived cells. Taken together, these preclinical findings suggest that
mTOR
inhibition, alone or in combination with other molecularly targeted drugs, could represent a promising chemopreventive strategy in women at high familial risk of ovarian cancer.
...
PMID:RAD001 (Everolimus) delays tumor onset and progression in a transgenic mouse model of ovarian cancer. 1736 57
To develop novel mechanism-based preventive approaches for lung cancer, we examined the effect of oral consumption of a human achievable dose of pomegranate fruit extract (PFE) on growth, progression, angiogenesis, and signaling pathways in two mouse lung tumor protocols. Benzo(a)pyrene [B(a)P] and N-nitroso-tris-chloroethylurea (NTCU) were used to induce lung tumors, and PFE was given in drinking water to A/J mice. Lung tumor yield was examined on the 84th day and 140 days after B(a)P dosing and 240 days after NTCU treatment. Mice treated with PFE and exposed to B(a)P and NTCU had statistically significant lower lung tumor multiplicities than mice treated with carcinogens only. Tumor reduction was 53.9% and 61.6% in the B(a)P + PFE group at 84 and 140 days, respectively, compared with the B(a)P group. The NTCU + PFE group had 65.9% tumor reduction compared with the NTCU group at 240 days. Immunoblot analysis and immunohistochemistry were used to determine effect on cell survival pathways and markers of cellular proliferation and angiogenesis. PFE treatment caused inhibition of (a) activation of nuclear factor-kappaB and IkappaBalpha kinase, (b) degradation and phosphorylation of IkappaBalpha, (c) phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase 1/2, and p38), (d) phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (p85 and p110), (e) phosphorylation of Akt at Thr(308), (f) activation of
mammalian target of rapamycin
signaling, (g) phosphorylation of c-met, and (h) markers of cell proliferation (Ki-67 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen) and angiogenesis (inducible nitric oxide synthase, CD31, and
vascular endothelial growth factor
) in lungs of B(a)P- and NTCU-treated mice. Thus, our data show that PFE significantly inhibits lung tumorigenesis in A/J mice and merits investigation as a chemopreventive agent for human lung cancer.
...
PMID:Oral consumption of pomegranate fruit extract inhibits growth and progression of primary lung tumors in mice. 1738 58
A better understanding of the molecular biology of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has led to a dramatic paradigm shift in the treatment of patients with metastatic disease. Historically, a nonspecific immune approach using cytokines was employed, but recently this has transitioned to a molecularly-targeted approach against
vascular endothelial growth factor
(
VEGF
) and related pathways. Several anti-
VEGF
agents, including ligand-binding agents such as bevacizumab and the small molecule inhibitors of
VEGF
and related receptors such as sunitinib and sorafenib, have demonstrated clinical activity in patients with metastatic RCC. Other agents that inhibit alternative targets such as the
mammalian target of rapamycin
(
mTOR
) have also demonstrated activity. This generation of novel molecular targeted therapies continues to show great promise. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current management and to discuss potential future directions in the management of metastatic RCC.
...
PMID:Recent progress in the management of advanced renal cell carcinoma. 1739 88
Tumor lymphangiogenesis is now known to play a causal role in lymph node metastasis, and thus its inhibition would have great significance for the prevention of lymph node metastasis in cancer therapy. VEGF-C has recently been identified as a key molecule that involved in tumor lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis. However, the expressional regulation of VEGF-C is not fully understood. We investigated the role of
mTOR
, which is a downstream kinase of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway, and the MAPK family (MEK1/2, p38, and JNK) in the regulation of VEGF-C and
VEGF-A
expression in B13LM cells, a lymphatic metastasis-prone pancreatic tumor cell line. We also investigated the antilymphangiogenic effect of rapamycin, a specific inhibitor of
mTOR
in vivo using male BALB/c nu/nu mice. VEGF-C expression was inhibited by the inhibitors for
mTOR
, p38, and JNK, but not by the inhibitor for MEK1/2, whereas
VEGF-A
expression was inhibited by all four of these inhibitors. The serum starvation-induced expression of VEGF-C was inhibited by rapamycin, whereas that of
VEGF-A
was incompletely inhibited. The metastatic experiment in vivo demonstrated that the number and the area of lymphatic vessels in the primary tumors were significantly decreased by rapamycin. Finally, the lymph node metastasis was significantly suppressed in rapamycin-treated mice. Our results suggest that
mTOR
, p38, and JNK play important roles in VEGF-C expression, and that rapamycin has an antilymphangiogentic effect and exerts the expected inhibition of lymphatic metastasis.
...
PMID:Rapamycin, a specific inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin, suppresses lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis. 1793 81
Human alpha3 chain, a noncollagenous domain of type IV collagen [alpha3(IV)NC1], inhibits angiogenesis and tumor growth. These biologic functions are partly attributed to the binding of alpha3(IV)NC1 to alphaVbeta3 and alpha3beta1 integrins. alpha3(IV)NC1 binds alphaVbeta3 integrin, leading to translation inhibition by inhibiting focal adhesion kinase/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt/
mTOR
/4E-BP1 pathways. In the present study, we evaluated the role of alpha3beta1 and alphaVbeta3 integrins in tube formation and regulation of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) on alpha3(IV)NC1 stimulation. We found that although both integrins were required for the inhibition of tube formation by alpha3(IV)NC1 in endothelial cells, only alpha3beta1 integrin was sufficient to regulate COX-2 in hypoxic endothelial cells. We show that binding of alpha3(IV)NC1 to alpha3beta1 integrin leads to inhibition of COX-2-mediated pro-angiogenic factors,
vascular endothelial growth factor
, and basic fibroblast growth factor by regulating IkappaBalpha/NFkappaB axis, and is independent of alphaVbeta3 integrin. Furthermore, beta3 integrin-null endothelial cells, when treated with alpha3(IV)NC1, inhibited hypoxia-mediated COX-2 expression, whereas COX-2 inhibition was not observed in alpha3 integrin-null endothelial cells, indicating that regulation of COX-2 by alpha3(IV)NC1 is mediated by integrin alpha3beta1. Our in vitro and in vivo findings demonstrate that alpha3beta1 integrin is critical for alpha3(IV)NC1-mediated inhibition of COX-2-dependent angiogenic signaling and inhibition of tumor progression.
...
PMID:Regulation of COX-2 mediated signaling by alpha3 type IV noncollagenous domain in tumor angiogenesis. 1742 56
Patients with metastatic gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors have traditionally been faced with few effective treatment options. Somatostatin analogs often successfully control symptoms of hormonal hypersecretion but seldom result in tumor regression. Some patients with hepatic metastases are also candidates for ablative therapies such as surgical debulking or embolization. The role of systemic agents such as interferon alfa or cytotoxic chemotherapy remains ill defined. The more prevalent use of these modalities has been restricted by low tumor response rates and the potential for toxicity. Novel agents, including radiolabeled somatostatin analogs, inhibitors of the
vascular endothelial growth factor
pathway, and inhibitors of
mammalian target of rapamycin
, have shown promising activity in recent clinical studies. Continued investigation of these agents should render a better understanding of their efficacy in patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumors.
...
PMID:New developments in the treatment of gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors. 1743 Jun 88
Levels of
vascular endothelial growth factor
(
VEGF
) are regulated, in part, through activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase/Akt pathway. Using pharmacologic inhibitors, we have examined the relative contributions of Akt and
mammalian target of rapamycin
(
mTOR
) signaling to
VEGF
production in neuroblastoma and rhabdomyosarcoma cells growing under normoxic (21% O(2)) or hypoxic (1% O(2)) conditions. Exogenous
VEGF
stimulated both Akt and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 phosphorylation in six of seven rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines but in only one of seven neuroblastoma cells, suggesting autocrine stimulation predominantly in rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines. In general, under normoxic conditions, neuroblastoma cells produced more
VEGF
(120-1,180 pg/10(6) cells/24 h) compared with rhabdomyosarcoma lines (0-200 pg/10(6) cells/24 h). Rapamycin, a selective inhibitor of
mTOR
, reduced
VEGF
production in rhabdomyosarcoma cells under normoxic conditions and partially suppressed hypoxia-driven increases in
VEGF
. However, it poorly inhibited
VEGF
production under either condition in the majority of neuroblastoma cell lines despite inhibition of
mTOR
signaling. Rapamycin failed to modulate levels of hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha (HIF-1alpha) under normoxic conditions and modestly reduced hypoxia-driven increases in HIF-1alpha only in rhabdomyosarcoma cells. In contrast to rapamycin, inhibition of Akt by A-443654 completely blocked signaling to glycogen synthase kinase 3beta and had more dramatic effects on
VEGF
production. Notably, A-443654 significantly inhibited
VEGF
production in rapamycin-refractory neuroblastoma cell lines. Importantly, whereas combining A-443654 with rapamycin had variable effect on cell proliferation, the combination essentially blocked hypoxia-driven increases in
VEGF
in all cell lines examined, suggesting that dual blockade at different levels in the phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase-initiated signaling pathway may be a reasonable strategy for preventing
VEGF
production in cancer cells derived from pediatric solid tumors. However, this will require formal testing in vivo using animal models of childhood cancer.
...
PMID:Differential regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor by Akt and mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors in cell lines derived from childhood solid tumors. 1748 38
Defibrotide (DF) is a polydisperse mixture of 90% single-stranded oligonucleotides with anti-thrombotic and anti-apoptotic functions. DF is used in the treatment of endothelial complications in the course of allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Recent preclinical evidence suggests that DF might also have anti-neoplastic properties. In the present study we hypothesized that DF might inhibit tumors via an anti-angiogenic effect. The anti-angiogenic potential of DF was tested in vitro using human microvascular endothelial cells forming vessel structures across a layer of dermal fibroblasts. Our results show that pharmacologic DF concentrations (100 mug/ml) significantly reduced vessel formation in this assay. Similarly, DF blocked sprouting from cultured rat aortic rings. In vivo, angiogenesis in a human gastric tumor (TMK1) implanted in dorsal skin-fold chambers (in nude mice) was inhibited by i.v. application of 450 mg/kg DF. Notably, due to its short half-life, DF was most effective when given on a daily basis. Although the precise mechanism of DF remains to be elucidated, initial Western blots show that DF reduces phosphorylation-activation of p70S6 kinase, which is a key target in the PI3K/Akt/
mTOR
signaling pathway linked to endothelial cell and pericyte proliferation and activation. However, in vitro data suggest that DF acts independently of
vascular endothelial growth factor
. Taken together, our data suggest that while DF is known for its endothelium-protecting function in SCT, it also inhibits formation of new blood vessels, and thus should be considered for further testing as an adjuvant anti-cancer agent, either alone, or in combination with other drugs.
...
PMID:Defibrotide: an endothelium protecting and stabilizing drug, has an anti-angiogenic potential in vitro and in vivo. 1749 22
Tumors that form as a result of heightened
mammalian target of rapamycin
(
mTOR
) signaling are highly vascularized. This process of angiogenesis is regulated through hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-mediated transcription of angiogenic factors. It is recognized that inhibition of
mTOR
with rapamycin can diminish the process of angiogenesis. Our work shows that activation of
mTOR
by Ras homologue enriched in brain (Rheb) overexpression potently enhances the activity of HIF1alpha and
vascular endothelial growth factor
(
VEGF
)-A secretion during hypoxia, which is reversed with rapamycin. Mutants of Rheb, which do not bind guanine nucleotide (D60K, D60V, N119I, and D122N) and are unable to activate
mTOR
, inhibit the activity of HIF when overexpressed. We show that regulatory associated protein of mTOR (Raptor) interacts with HIF1alpha and requires an
mTOR
signaling (TOS) motif located in the N terminus of HIF1alpha. Furthermore, a mutant of HIF1alpha lacking this TOS motif dominantly impaired HIF activity during hypoxia and was unable to bind to the co-activator CBP/p300. Rapamycin treatments do not affect the stability of HIF1alpha and modulate HIF activity via a Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL)-independent mechanism. We demonstrate that the high levels of HIF activity in cells devoid of TSC2 can be reversed by treatments with rapamycin or the readdition of TSC2. Our work explains why human cancers with aberrant
mTOR
signaling are prone to angiogenesis and suggests that inhibition of
mTOR
with rapamycin might be a suitable therapeutic strategy.
...
PMID:Hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha is regulated by the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) via an mTOR signaling motif. 1750 79
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