title: The role of PIM1/PIM2 kinases in tumors of the male reproductive system.
abstract: The PIM family of serine/threonine kinases has three highly conserved isoforms (PIM1, PIM2 and PIM3). PIM proteins are regulated through transcription and stability by JAK/STAT pathways and are overexpressed in hematological malignancies and solid tumors. The PIM kinases possess weak oncogenic abilities, but enhance other genes or chemical carcinogens to induce tumors. We generated conditional transgenic mice that overexpress PIM1 or PIM2 in male reproductive organs and analyzed their contribution to tumorigenesis. We found an increase in alterations of sexual organs and hyperplasia in the transgenic mice correlating with inflammation. We also found that PIM1/2 are overexpressed in a subset of human male germ cells and prostate tumors correlating with inflammatory features and stem cell markers. Our data suggest that PIM1/2 kinase overexpression is a common feature of male reproductive organs tumors, which provoke tissue alterations and a large inflammatory response that may act synergistically during the process of tumorigenesis. There is also a correlation with markers of cancer stem cells, which may contribute to the therapy resistance found in tumors overexpressing PIM kinases.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, IBIS/Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Universidad de Sevilla/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Avda. Manuel Siurot s/n 41013, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: Manuel Pedro
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Jiménez-García
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, IBIS/Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Universidad de Sevilla/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Avda. Manuel Siurot s/n 41013, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lucena-Cacace
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, IBIS/Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Universidad de Sevilla/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Avda. Manuel Siurot s/n 41013, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: María José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Robles-Frías
authors.affiliation: Experimental Therapeutics Programme, Spanish National Cancer Centre (CNIO), C/Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, 28029, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Narlik-Grassow
authors.affiliation: Experimental Therapeutics Programme, Spanish National Cancer Centre (CNIO), C/Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, 28029, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blanco-Aparicio
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, IBIS/Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Universidad de Sevilla/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Avda. Manuel Siurot s/n 41013, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: Amancio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carnero
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D051573:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-pim-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C490587:PIM2 protein, human; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; C496634:PIM1 protein, human; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D051573:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-pim-1