elafin and Neoplasms

Research of the past view years expanded our understanding of the various physiological functions the cell-fate determining transcription factor SOX2 exerts in ontogenesis, reprogramming, and cancer. However, while scientific reports featuring novel and exciting aspects of SOX2-driven biology are published in near weekly routine, investigations in the underlying protein-biochemical processes that transiently tailor SOX2 activity to situational demand are underrepresented and have not yet been comprehensively summarized. Largely unrecognizable to modern array or sequencing-based technology, various protein secondary modifications and concomitant function modulations have been reported for SOX2. The chemical modifications imposed onto SOX2 are inherently heterogeneous, comprising singular or clustered events of phosphorylation, methylation, acetylation, ubiquitination, SUMOylation, PARPylation, and O-glycosylation that reciprocally affect each other and critically impact SOX2 functionality, often in a tissue and species-specific manner. One recurring regulatory principle though is the canonical PI3K/AKT signaling axis to which SOX2 relates in various entangled, albeit not exclusive ways. Here we provide a comprehensive review of the current knowledge on SOX2 protein modifications, their proposed relationship to the PI3K/AKT pathway, and regulatory influence on SOX2 with regards to stemness, reprogramming, and cancer.

Topics: Cell Proliferation; Cellular Reprogramming; Elafin; Humans; Neoplasms; Neoplastic Stem Cells; Oncogene Protein v-akt; Protein Processing, Post-Translational; Signal Transduction; SOXB1 Transcription Factors

AKT/PKB serine threonine kinase, a critical signaling molecule promoting cell growth and survival pathways, is frequently dysregulated in many cancers. Although phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase (PI3K), a lipid kinase, is well characterized as a major regulator of AKT activation in response to a variety of ligands, recent studies highlight a diverse group of tyrosine (Ack1/TNK2, Src, PTK6) and serine/threonine (TBK1, IKBKE, DNAPKcs) kinases that activate AKT directly to promote its pro-proliferative signaling functions. While some of these alternate AKT activating kinases respond to growth factors, others respond to inflammatory and genotoxic stimuli. A common theme emerging from these studies is that aberrant or hyperactivation of these alternate kinases is often associated with malignancy. Consequently, evaluating the use of small molecular inhibitors against these alternate AKT activating kinases at earlier stages of cancer therapy may overcome the pressing problem of drug resistance surfacing especially in patients treated with PI3K inhibitors.

Topics: Cell Cycle; Cell Proliferation; Elafin; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; MicroRNAs; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Mutation; Neoplasms; Oncogene Protein v-akt; Phosphorylation; Signal Transduction; Transcriptional Activation

Severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs) are frequent in inpatient oncology. Early intervention might reduce morbidity, mortality, and hospitalization costs; however, current clinical and histologic features are unreliable SCAR predictors. There is a need to identify rational markers of SCARs that could lead to effective therapeutic interventions.. To characterize the clinical and serologic features of hospitalized patients with cancer who developed SCARs.. Retrospective review of 49 hospitalized cancer patients with a morbilliform rash, recorded testing for serum cytokines (interleukin [IL] 6, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor [TNF] α) or elafin, and a prior dermatology consultation. Patients were categorized as having a simple morbilliform rash without systemic involvement or complex morbilliform rash with systemic involvement.. Fifteen out of 49 patients (30.6%) were deceased at 6 months from time of dermatologic consultation. Elafin, IL-6, and TNF-α were significantly higher in patients who died compared with patients who were still alive at 6 months. IL-6 and IL-10 were significantly higher in patients with a drug-related complex rash.. Retrospective design, limited sample size, and high-risk patient population.. In cancer patients with SCARs, elafin, IL-6, and TNF-α levels might predict a poor outcome. Agents directed against these targets might represent rational treatments for the prevention of fatal SCARs.

Topics: Adult; Antineoplastic Agents; Biomarkers; Body Surface Area; Cytokines; Drug Hypersensitivity Syndrome; Edema; Elafin; Eosinophilia; Face; Female; Fever; Graft vs Host Disease; Hospital Mortality; Hospitalization; Humans; Interleukin-10; Interleukin-6; Lymphocytes; Male; Neoplasms; Purpura; Retrospective Studies; Stevens-Johnson Syndrome; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

P-Rex proteins are Rho/Rac guanine nucleotide exchange factors that participate in the regulation of several cancer-related cellular functions such as proliferation, motility, and invasion. Expectedly, a significant portion of these actions of P-Rex proteins must be related to their Rac regulatory properties. In addition, P-Rex proteins control signaling by the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) route by interacting with PTEN and mTOR. The interaction with PTEN inhibits its phosphatase activity, leading to AKT activation. The interaction with mTOR may be important in nutrient-stimulated Rac activation and migration. In humans, several studies have implicated P-Rex proteins in the pathophysiology of various neoplasias. Thus, overexpression of P-Rex proteins has been linked to poor patient outcome in breast cancer and may facilitate metastatic dissemination of prostate cancer cells. In addition, whole-genome sequencing described P-Rex2 as a significantly mutated gene in melanoma. Furthermore, expression in melanocytes of mutated forms of P-Rex2 found in patients with melanoma showed the protumorigenic role of these P-Rex mutations in melanoma genesis. These findings open interesting opportunities for P-Rex targeting in cancer. Moreover, the implication of P-Rex partner proteins such as Rac, mTOR, or PTEN in cancer has opened the possibility of acting on P-Rex to restrict protumorigenic signaling through these pathways.

Topics: Cell Movement; Cell Proliferation; Elafin; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors; Humans; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Mutation; Neoplasms; Oncogene Protein v-akt; PTEN Phosphohydrolase; Signal Transduction; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases

Previously, we have shown that p55PIK, an isoform of class I(A) phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), specifically interacts with important cell-cycle regulators, such as retinoblastoma (Rb), to promote cell-cycle progression. Here, we used the glutathione S-transferase pull-down assay to identify other p55PIK-interacting proteins besides Rb in a Rb-deficient cell line and found that p55PIK interacted with proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), which plays a key role in coordinating both initiation of the leading strand DNA replication and discontinuous lagging strand synthesis. Overexpression of p55PIK increased, and knockdown decreased, DNA synthesis and DNA replication by modulating the binding of DNA polymerase δ (Polδ) to PCNA. Moreover, a cell-permeable peptide containing the N-terminal-binding domain of p55PIK (TAT-N24) disrupted the p55PIK-PCNA interaction in cancer cells, and also inhibited the DNA synthesis and tumor growth in cell culture and in vivo. Altogether, our results show that the p55PIK-PCNA interaction is important in regulating DNA synthesis and contributes to tumorigenesis. Furthermore, the p55PIK-PCNA interaction provides a potential new target for anticancer drug development.

Topics: Carcinogenesis; Cell Cycle Checkpoints; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; DNA; DNA Replication; Elafin; Glutathione Transferase; Humans; Neoplasms; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; Protein Binding; Protein Interaction Maps

The ER chaperone GRP78 translocates to the surface of tumor cells and promotes survival, metastasis, and resistance to therapy. An oncogenic function of cell surface GRP78 has been attributed to the activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway. We intend to use a novel anti-GRP78 monoclonal antibody (MAb159) to attenuate PI3K signaling and inhibit tumor growth and metastasis.. MAb159 was characterized biochemically. Antitumor activity was tested in cancer cell culture, tumor xenograft models, tumor metastasis models, and spontaneous tumor models. Cancer cells and tumor tissues were analyzed for PI3K activity. MAb159 was humanized and validated for diagnostic and therapeutic application.. MAb159 specifically recognized surface GRP78, triggered GRP78 endocytosis, and localized to tumors but not to normal organs in vivo. MAb159 inhibited tumor cell proliferation and enhanced tumor cell death both in vitro and in vivo. In MAb159-treated tumors, PI3K signaling was inhibited without compensatory MAPK pathway activation. Furthermore, MAb159 halted or reversed tumor progression in the spontaneous PTEN-loss-driven prostate and leukemia tumor models, and inhibited tumor growth and metastasis in xenograft models. Humanized MAb159, which retains high affinity, tumor specific localization, and the antitumor activity, was nontoxic in mice, and had desirable pharmacokinetics.. GRP78-specific antibody MAb159 modulates the PI3K pathway and inhibits tumor growth and metastasis. Humanized MAb159 will enter human trials shortly.

Topics: Animals; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; Apoptosis; Cell Proliferation; Elafin; Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP; Heat-Shock Proteins; HT29 Cells; Humans; Mice; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neoplasms; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Signal Transduction; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays