title: Insulin-like growth factor ligands, receptors, and binding proteins in cancer.
abstract: This review aims to summarize experimental evidence supporting the role of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signalling system in the progression, maintenance, and treatment of cancer. These data implicate the IGF system as an important modifier of cancer cell proliferation, survival, growth, and treatment sensitivity. The role of the IGF system in cancer should be examined in the context of the extra-cellular and intra-cellular signalling networks, in particular: phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (Akt/PKB), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and forkhead transcription factors (FOXO). This review highlights evidence derived from molecular structure and functional genetics with respect to how the extra-cellular components of the IGF system function normally, and their subsequent modifications in cancer. The therapeutic relevance of the research evidence described is also addressed, as the challenge is to apply this knowledge to human health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Microbiology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Foulstone
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Prince
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Zaccheo
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harper
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Church
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Hassan
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008024:Ligands; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D017451:Receptors, Somatomedin / Q000502:physiology*; D013002:Somatomedins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008024:Ligands; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D017451:Receptors, Somatomedin; D013002:Somatomedins