scholarly journals The Role of BRAF in Metastatic Colorectal Carcinoma–Past, Present, and Future

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (23) ◽  
pp. 9001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Djanani ◽  
Silvia Eller ◽  
Dietmar Öfner ◽  
Jakob Troppmair ◽  
Manuel Maglione
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Clinical Aspects ◽  
New Era ◽  
Dismal Prognosis ◽  
Negative Prognostic Factor ◽  
Extracellular Signal ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein

With a global incidence of 1.8 million cases, colorectal cancer represents one of the most common cancers worldwide. Despite impressive improvements in treatment efficacy through cytotoxic and biological agents, the cancer-related death burden of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) is still high. mCRC is not a genetically homogenous disease and various mutations influence disease development. Up to 12% of mCRC patients harbor mutations of the signal transduction molecule BRAF, the most prominent being BRAFV600E. In mCRC, BRAFV600E mutation is a well-known negative prognostic factor, and is associated with a dismal prognosis. The currently approved treatments for BRAF-mutated mCRC patients are of little impact, and there is no treatment option superior to others. However, the gradual molecular understanding over the last decades of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, resulted in the development of new therapeutic strategies targeting the involved molecules. Recently published and ongoing studies administering a combination of different inhibitors (e.g., BRAF, MEK, and EGFR) showed promising results and represent the new standard of care. In this review, we present, both, the molecular and clinical aspects of BRAF-mutated mCRC patients, and provide an update on the current and future treatment approaches that might direct the therapy of mCRC in a new era.

ERK5 and its role in tumour development

2012 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 251-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela A. Lochhead ◽  
Rebecca Gilley ◽  
Simon J. Cook
Keyword(s):  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Invasion And Migration ◽  
Extracellular Signal Regulated Kinase ◽  
Protein Levels ◽  
Extracellular Signal ◽  
Mapk Signalling ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein ◽  
Tumour Cell Invasion ◽  
And Migration

The MEK5 [MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase)/ERK (extracellular-signal-regulated kinase) kinase 5]/ERK5 pathway is the least well studied MAPK signalling module. It has been proposed to play a role in the pathology of cancer. In the present paper, we review the role of the MEK5/ERK5 pathway using the ‘hallmarks of cancer’ as a framework and consider how this pathway is deregulated. As well as playing a key role in endothelial cell survival and tubular morphogenesis during tumour neovascularization, ERK5 is also emerging as a regulator of tumour cell invasion and migration. Several oncogenes can stimulate ERK5 activity, and protein levels are increased by a novel amplification at chromosome locus 17p11 and by down-regulation of the microRNAs miR-143 and miR-145. Together, these finding underscore the case for further investigation into understanding the role of ERK5 in cancer.

scholarly journals Impact of ERK5 on the Hallmarks of Cancer

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 1426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Stecca ◽  
Elisabetta Rovida
Keyword(s):  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Extracellular Signal Regulated Kinase ◽  
Biological Features ◽  
Promising Strategy ◽  
Biological Responses ◽  
Extracellular Signal ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein ◽  
Relevant Role ◽  
Almost All

Extracellular signal-regulated kinase 5 (ERK5) belongs to the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family that consists of highly conserved enzymes expressed in all eukaryotic cells and elicits several biological responses, including cell survival, proliferation, migration, and differentiation. In recent years, accumulating lines of evidence point to a relevant role of ERK5 in the onset and progression of several types of cancer. In particular, it has been reported that ERK5 is a key signaling molecule involved in almost all the biological features of cancer cells so that its targeting is emerging as a promising strategy to suppress tumor growth and spreading. Based on that, in this review, we pinpoint the hallmark-specific role of ERK5 in cancer in order to identify biological features that will potentially benefit from ERK5 targeting.

scholarly journals Activation of Extracellular Signal-Related Protein Kinases 1 and 2 of the Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Family by Lipopolysaccharide Requires Plasma in Neutrophils from Adults and Newborns

2001 ◽  
Vol 69 (5) ◽  
pp. 3143-3149 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Bonner ◽  
S. R. Yan ◽  
D. M. Byers ◽  
R. Bortolussi
Keyword(s):  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Protein Kinases ◽  
Oxidative Burst ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Related Protein ◽  
Extracellular Signal ◽  
Oxidative Response ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein ◽  
Mediated Priming

ABSTRACT Neutrophils exposed to low concentrations of gram-negative lipopolysaccharide (LPS) become primed and have an increased oxidative response to a second stimulus (e.g., formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine [fMLP]). In studies aimed at understanding newborn sepsis, we have shown that neutrophils of newborns are not primed in response to LPS. To further understand the processes involved in LPS-mediated priming of neutrophils, we explored the role of extracellular signal-related protein kinases (ERK 1 and 2) of the mitogen-activated protein kinase family. We found that LPS activated ERK 1 and 2 in cells of both adults and newborns and that activation was plasma dependent (maximal at ≥5%) through LPS-binding protein. Although fibronectin in plasma is required for LPS-mediated priming of neutrophils of adults assessed by fMLP-triggered oxidative burst, it was not required for LPS-mediated activation of ERK 1 and 2. LPS-mediated activation was dose and time dependent; maximal activation occurred with approximately 5 ng of LPS per ml and at 10 to 40 min. We used the inhibitor PD 98059 to study the role of ERK 1 and 2 in the LPS-primed fMLP-triggered oxidative burst. While Western blotting showed that 100 μM PD 98059 completely inhibited LPS-mediated ERK activation, oxidative response to fMLP by a chemiluminescence assay revealed that the same concentration inhibited the LPS-primed oxidative burst by only 40%. We conclude that in neutrophils, LPS-mediated activation of ERK 1 and 2 requires plasma and that this activation is not dependent on fibronectin. In addition, we found that the ERK pathway is not responsible for the lack of LPS priming in neutrophils of newborns but may be required for 40% of the LPS-primed fMLP-triggered oxidative burst in cells of adults.

scholarly journals MAPK signalling in cardiovascular health and disease: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic targets

2008 ◽  
Vol 115 (7) ◽  
pp. 203-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony J. Muslin
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
Mapk Pathway ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Pharmacological Therapy ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Extracellular Signal ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein

Intracellular MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) signalling cascades probably play an important role in the pathogenesis of cardiac and vascular disease. A substantial amount of basic science research has defined many of the details of MAPK pathway organization and activation, but the role of individual signalling proteins in the pathogenesis of various cardiovascular diseases is still being elucidated. In the present review, the role of the MAPKs ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase), JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase) and p38 MAPK in cardiac hypertrophy, cardiac remodelling after myocardial infarction, atherosclerosis and vascular restenosis will be examined, with attention paid to genetically modified murine model systems and to the use of pharmacological inhibitors of protein kinases. Despite the complexities of this field of research, attractive targets for pharmacological therapy are emerging.

scholarly journals p38α Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Sensitizes Cells to Apoptosis Induced by Different Stimuli

2004 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 922-933 ◽  
Author(s):  
Almudena Porras ◽  
Susana Zuluaga ◽  
Emma Black ◽  
Amparo Valladares ◽  
Alberto M. Alvarez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Map Kinase ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Extracellular Signal Regulated Kinase ◽  
Survival Pathways ◽  
Proapoptotic Protein ◽  
Extracellular Signal ◽  
Survival Pathway ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein

p38α mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase is a broadly expressed signaling molecule that participates in the regulation of cellular responses to stress as well as in the control of proliferation and survival of many cell types. We have used cell lines derived from p38α knockout mice to study the role of this signaling pathway in the regulation of apoptosis. Here, we show that cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts lacking p38α are more resistant to apoptosis induced by different stimuli. The reduced apoptosis of p38α-deficient cells correlates with decreased expression of the mitochondrial proapoptotic protein Bax and the apoptosis-inducing receptor Fas/CD-95. Cells lacking p38α also have increased extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERKs) MAP kinase activity, and the up-regulation of this survival pathway seems to be at least partially responsible for the reduced levels of apoptosis in the absence of p38α. Phosphorylation of the transcription factor STAT3 on Ser-727, mediated by the extracellular signal-regulated kinase MAP kinase pathway, may contribute to the decrease in both Bax and Fas expression in p38α-/- cells. Thus, p38α seems to sensitize cells to apoptosis via both up-regulation of proapoptotic proteins and down-regulation of survival pathways.

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