title: EGFR signaling inhibits E2F1-induced apoptosis in vivo: implications for cancer therapy.
abstract: The retinoblastoma tumor suppressor (RB) restricts cell proliferation by regulating members of the E2F family of transcription factors. In human tumors RB is often inactivated, resulting in aberrant E2F-dependent transcription and uncontrolled proliferation. One of the E2F proteins, E2F1, can also induce apoptosis. The extent of E2F1-induced apoptosis is known to be tissue- and cell-specific, but until now, it has been unclear what variables determine cellular sensitivity to E2F1-induced apoptosis in vivo. A recent study reveals epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling to be one such variable, as EGFR signaling cooperates with RB in inhibiting E2F1-induced apoptosis. This finding raises the possibility that therapeutic manipulation of EGFR signaling may specifically trigger the death of cancer cells with inactive RB, thereby enabling "targeted" cancer treatments.
authors.affiliation: Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Science, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 52900, Israel. ginsbed@mail.biu.ac.il
authors.forename: Doron
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ginsberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D017209:Apoptosis; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D050687:E2F1 Transcription Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D016160:Retinoblastoma Protein / Q000235:genetics; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D050687:E2F1 Transcription Factor; D016160:Retinoblastoma Protein; D066246:ErbB Receptors