Calcitonin targets extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling pathway in human cancers.
The mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) signaling pathway is a potential target in cancer therapy. Constitutive phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2), which is one of the MAPKs has been detected in a variety of tumors. Calcitonin (CT) is a polypeptide hormone secreted by the thyroid gland and has been used to treat the osteoporosis and humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy. We report that CT decreases ERK1/2 phosphorylation in cancer cells showing constitutive phosphorylated ERK1/2. In MDA-MB-231 cells, a breast cancer cell line showing constitutive phosphorylated ERK1/2, CT phosphorylated c-Raf at Ser(259) via the protein kinase A pathway, resulting in suppression of ERK1/2 phosphorylation. CT significantly reduced the tumor volume of MDA-MB-231 cells showing constitutive phosphorylated ERK1/2 compared with saline buffer. However, CT did not exert any significant effects on the proliferation of MCF-7 cells, a breast cancer cell line, showing non-constitutive phosphorylated ERK1/2. These novel findings indicate that CT may be used to target ERK in the treatment of cancer.
Department of Pathology, Wakayama Medical University, Kimiidera 811-1, Wakayama 641-0012, Japan. nakamuram@kawasakigakuen.ac.jp
Misa
M
Nakamura
Bo
B
Han
Toshihide
T
Nishishita
Yanhua
Y
Bai
Kennichi
K
Kakudo
D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D020536:Enzyme Activators / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D048369:MAP Kinase Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D010768:Phosphoserine / Q000378:metabolism; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000378:metabolism; D019908:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-raf / Q000378:metabolism
D020536:Enzyme Activators; D010768:Phosphoserine; C028815:salmon calcitonin; D002116:Calcitonin; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D019908:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-raf; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D048369:MAP Kinase Kinase 1; D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases