Highlights on selected growth factors and their receptors as promising anticancer drug targets. (November 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mansour, Mohammed A.; Caputo, Valentina S.; Aleem, Eiman
• Is Part Of: International journal of biochemistry & cell biology. Volume 140(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-11
• Subjects: ADCC Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity -- AKI Aurora kinase inhibitor -- AXL/UFO AXL tyrosine receptor kinase -- CLL Chronic lymphocytic leukemia -- CNA Copy number alteration -- DLBCL Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma -- EGFR Epidermal growth factor receptor -- EPHA Ephrin type-A receptor -- EPHB Ephrin type-B receptor -- FGFR Fibroblast growth factor receptor -- GF Growth factor -- GFR Growth factor receptor -- HER Human epidermal growth factor receptor -- Hsp90, Heat shock protein 90 -- IR, Insulin receptor -- IGFR Insulin-like growth factor receptor -- KDR Kinase insert domain receptor -- KI, Tyrosine kinase inhibitor -- mAb Monoclonal antibody -- MAPK Mitogen-activated protein kinase -- MEK or MAPKK Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase -- MET Mesenchymal epithelial transition receptor -- mTOR, mammalian target of rapamycin -- NSCLC Non-small cell lung cancer -- PDGFR Platelet-derived growth factor receptor -- PI3K Phosphoinositide or phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase -- RTK Receptor tyrosine kinase -- SCF Stem cell factor -- SELEX Systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment -- ShRNA Short hairpin RNA -- siRNA Short interfering RNA -- STAT3 Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 -- TCGA The Cancer Genome Atlas -- TGFβR Transforming growth factor-beta receptor -- TRK Tyrosine receptor kinase -- Trk Tropomyosin receptor kinase -- VEGFR Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor; Growth factors -- Growth factor receptors -- Tyrosine receptor kinase -- Inhibitors -- Cancer; Biochemistry -- Periodicals; Cytology -- Periodicals; Biochemistry -- Periodicals; Cell Biology -- Periodicals; Biochimie -- Périodiques; Cytologie -- Périodiques; Biochimie; Cytologie; Biochemistry; Cytology; Ressource Internet (Descripteur de forme); Périodique électronique (Descripteur de forme); Periodicals; 572.05
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2021.106087
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1357-2725

Abstract

Abstract: Growth factor receptors (GFRs) and receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) are groups of proteins mediating a plethora of physiological processes, including cell growth, proliferation, survival, differentiation and migration. Under certain circumstances, expression of GFRs and subsequently their downstream kinase signaling are deregulated by genetic, epigenetic, and somatic changes leading to uncontrolled cell division in many human diseases, most notably cancer. Cancer cells rely on growth factors to sustain the increasing need to cell division and metabolic reprogramming through cancer-associated activating mutations of their receptors (i.e., GFRs). In this review, we highlight the recent advances of selected GFRs and their ligands (growth factors) in cancer with emphasis on structural and functional differences. We also interrogate how overexpression and/or hyperactivation of GFRs contribute to cancer initiation, development, progression, and resistance to conventional chemo- and radiotherapies. Novel approaches are being developed as anticancer agents to target growth factor receptors and their signaling pathways in different cancers. Here, we illustrate how the current knowledge of GFRs biology, and their ligands lead to development of targeted therapies to inhibit and/or block the activity of growth factors, GFRs and downstream kinases to treat diseases such as cancer.