title: Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF) system and gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST): present and future.
abstract: In the last decades, the concept that Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF) axis plays a key role in several steps of tumorigenesis, cancer growth and metastasis has been widely documented. The aberration of the IGF system has been described in many kinds of tumours, providing several lines of evidence in support of IGF receptor type 1 (IGF1R) as molecular target in cancer treatment. Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are the most common mesenchymal tumor of the gastrointestinal tract, commonly characterized in most cases by KIT and PDGFRA gain mutations. Beyond to the well recognized KIT and PDGFRA gain mutations, in the last years other molecular aberrations have been investigated. Recently, several lines of evidence about the involvement of the IGF system in GIST have been accumulated. The aim of this review is to report all current data about the IGF system involvement in GIST, focusing on the current clinical implication and future perspectives.
authors.affiliation: Department of Specialized, Experimental and Diagnostic Medicine, Sant'Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. maggie.nannini@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Margherita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nannini
authors.affiliation: Department of Specialized, Experimental and Diagnostic Medicine, Sant'Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, and "Giorgio Prodi" Cancer Research Center, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Biasco
authors.affiliation: "Giorgio Prodi" Cancer Research Center, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Astolfi
authors.affiliation: "Giorgio Prodi" Cancer Research Center, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Urbini
authors.affiliation: Department of Specialized, Experimental and Diagnostic Medicine, Sant'Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, and "Giorgio Prodi" Cancer Research Center, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pantaleo
mesh_terms: D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D046152:Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017526:Receptor, IGF Type 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020796:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D013002:Somatomedins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D013002:Somatomedins; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; D017526:Receptor, IGF Type 1; D020796:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alpha