title: The role of STATs in lung carcinogenesis: an emerging target for novel therapeutics.
abstract: The signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins are a family of latent cytoplasmic transcription factors, which form dimers when activated by cytokine receptors, tyrosine kinase growth factor receptors as well as non-receptor tyrosine kinases. Dimeric STATs translocate to the nucleus, where they bind to specific DNA-response elements in the promoters of target genes, thereby inducing unique gene expression programs often in association with other transcription regulatory proteins. The functional consequence of different STAT proteins activation varies, as their target genes play diverse roles in normal cellular/tissue functions, including growth, apoptosis, differentiation and angiogenesis. Certain activated STATs have been implicated in human carcinogenesis, albeit only few studies have focused into their role in lung tumours. Converging evidence unravels their molecular interplays and complex multipartite regulation, rendering some of them appealing targets for lung cancer treatment with new developing strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Chemistry, Medical School, University of Athens, 75, M. Asias Street, 11527, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Michalis V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Karamouzis
authors.forename: Panagiotis A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Konstantinopoulos
authors.forename: Athanasios G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Papavassiliou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D052158:Aptamers, Peptide / Q000494:pharmacology; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019281:Dimerization; D015195:Drug Design; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D053612:Janus Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000494:pharmacology; D050791:STAT Transcription Factors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D052158:Aptamers, Peptide; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D050791:STAT Transcription Factors; D053612:Janus Kinases