New concepts in regulation and function of the insulin-like growth factors: implications for understanding normal growth and neoplasia.
The insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are a ubiquitous family of growth factors, binding proteins and receptors that are involved in normal growth and development. They are also implicated in numerous pathological states, including malignancy. IGF-II is a commonly expressed growth factor in many tumors and may enhance tumor growth, acting via the overexpressed IGF-I receptor, a cell-surface tyrosine kinase receptor. The IGF-I receptor may be overexpressed due to mutations in tumor suppression gene products such as p53 and WT-1 or growth factors such as bFGF and PDGF. Thus, this family of growth factors, especially the IGF-I receptor, may present an excellent target for new therapeutic agents in the treatment of cancer and other disorders of excessive cellular proliferation.
Werner
H
H
Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel.
Le Roith
D
D
D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D009857:Oncogenes / Q000502:physiology; D017526:Receptor, IGF Type 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013002:Somatomedins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D013002:Somatomedins; D017526:Receptor, IGF Type 1