The insulin-like growth factor-I receptor signaling pathways are important for tumorigenesis and inhibition of apoptosis.
The biological actions of the insulin-like growth factors IGF-I and IGF-II are mediated by their activation of the IGF-IR, a transmembrane tyrosine kinase linked to the ras-raf-MAPK cascade. Functional IGF-IRs are required for the cell to progress through the cell cycle. Most importantly, cells lacking this receptor cannot be transformed by any of a number of dominant oncogenes, a finding that proves that the presence of the IGF-IR is important for the development of a malignant phenotype. Consistent with this role, the IGF-IR displays a potent antiapoptotic effect, both in vitro and in vivo. Because of its key role in the transformation process, the IGF-IR is actively studied as a potential therapeutic target in different types of neoplastic growth.
Werner
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Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel.
Le Roith
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D
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002453:Cell Cycle; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009857:Oncogenes; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017451:Receptors, Somatomedin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction
D017451:Receptors, Somatomedin