Ectopic expression of c-kit in small-cell lung cancer.
Accumulating evidence suggests that c-kit plays an important role in the regulation of growth of at least 3 lineages of stem cells, while only very limited data are available on the development of human solid tumors. Our recent studies have shown that c-kit transcripts are expressed in a very restricted sub-set of human solid tumors such as small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). We have also conducted an immunohistological study on in situ localization of the c-kit protein in various human solid tumors as well as in corresponding fetal and adult normal tissues. No c-kit expression was detected in normal bronchial epithelial cells or pneumocytes in lung parenchyma of human fetal and adult specimens, indicating that the c-kit protein is aberrantly expressed in lung-cancer cells. We also found that significant chemotactic response as well as moderate in vitro cell growth occurred in SCLC cell lines upon addition of recombinant human stem-cell factor.
Hida
T
T
Department of Internal Medicine, Aichi Cancer Center, Nagoya, Japan.
Ueda
R
R
Sekido
Y
Y
Hibi
K
K
Matsuda
R
R
Ariyoshi
Y
Y
Sugiura
T
T
Takahashi
T
T
Takahashi
T
T
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D002633:Chemotaxis / Q000187:drug effects; D005333:Fetus; D015870:Gene Expression; D016298:Hematopoietic Cell Growth Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D016184:Receptors, Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D012016:Reference Values; D019089:Stem Cell Factor; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D016298:Hematopoietic Cell Growth Factors; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016184:Receptors, Colony-Stimulating Factor; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019089:Stem Cell Factor; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases