title: Integrin-linked kinase: a hypoxia-induced anti-apoptotic factor exploited by cancer cells.
abstract: Based on cDNA microarray results, integrin-linked kinase (ILK) emerged as an interesting candidate in hypoxia-mediated survival mechanisms employed by cancer cells. This notion was confirmed here by the following observations: the 5' promoter region of the ilk gene contains hypoxia responsive elements (HRE) that bind hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) transcription factor complexes and drive HRE-luciferase gene expression in reporter assays; ILK protein and kinase activity are induced following hypoxia; downstream targets of ILK signaling are induced following hypoxia treatment; inhibition of ILK leads to increased apoptosis; and HIF and ILK are co-localized within human cancer tissues. The identification of ILK as a player in hypoxia survival signaling employed by cancer cells further validates ILK as a unique target for cancer therapy.
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Abboud
authors.forename: Seth B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Coffelt
authors.forename: Yanira G
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Figueroa
authors.forename: Kevin J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Zwezdaryk
authors.forename: Anne B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: Deborah E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: Cindy B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Barbara S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Beckman
authors.forename: Aline B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Scandurro
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000201:enzymology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D014162:Transfection; D000099200:Scaffold Protein ILK
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D000099200:Scaffold Protein ILK