PURPOSE Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) overexpression is associated with poor prognosis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Despite intensive biomarker studies, a consensual method for assessing EGFR protein expression is still lacking. Here we set out to compare three EGFR detection methods in tumor specimens from HNSCC patients. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Tumors were prospec...

Insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF-IR) and its ligands, IGF-I and IGF-II, are up-regulated in a variety of human cancers. In tumors, such as colorectal, non-small cell lung, ovarian, and pediatric cancers, which may drive their own growth and survival through autocrine IGF-II expression, the role of IGF-IR is especially critical. Here, we present a novel small-molecule IGF-IR kinase inh...

We have identified a putative signalling feature of the cytoplasmic domains of the tumour necrosis factor (TNF) family members based on available amino acid sequence data. A casein kinase I (CKI) consensus sequence is conserved in the cytoplasmic domain of six of 15 members of the type II integral membrane TNF ligand family. We examined the phosphorylation state of transmembrane tumour necrosis...

PURPOSE The combinations of various chemotherapeutic drugs currently used to treat advanced small cell lung cancer (SCLC) led to similarly poor survival outcomes, which is why new molecular biology approaches are needed to design and select targeted therapies. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Thirteen stage I SCLC surgical specimens were screened for c-Kit gene mutations by sequencing whole cDNA and for K...

Membrane receptors are internalized either constitutively or upon ligand engagement. Whereas there is evidence for differential regulation of the two processes, little is known about the molecular machinery involved. Previous studies have shown that an unidentified kinase substrate is required for endocytosis of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), the prototypical ligand-inducible rece...

background: the mitogen-activated protein kinase (mapk) pathway is one of the major signaling pathways that transmit intracellular signals initiated by extracellular stimuli to the nucleus. the stress-activated protein kinase (sapk)/c-jun nh2-terminal kinase is a subfamily of map kinases implicated in cytokine and stress responses. objective: in this study, we have examined total and phosphoryl...

The Met tyrosine kinase receptor is a widely expressed molecule which mediates pleiotropic cellular responses following activation by its ligand, hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF). In this communication we demonstrate that significant Met degradation is induced by HGF/SF and that this degradation can be blocked by lactacystin, an inhibitor of proteasome activity. We also show tha...

Successful implantation of the embryo into the human receptive endometrium is substantial for the establishment of a healthy pregnancy. This study focusses on the role of Syndecan-1 at the embryo-maternal interface, the multitasking coreceptor influencing ligand concentration, release and receptor presentation, and cellular morphology. CXC motif ligand 1, being involved in chemotaxis and angiog...

Background Hypopharyngeal cancer is one of the most frequent head and neck cancers associated with a poor prognosis because recurrence metastases. Therefore, there need to improve prognosis, which requires identification prognostic factors elucidation mechanisms involved in tumor progression. Accumulated evidence has demonstrated that cluster differentiation 147 (CD147) strongly expressed malig...

Expression of the leukocyte (beta 2) integrins is required for many functions of activated neutrophils (PMN), even when there is no recognized ligand for any beta 2 integrin. To investigate the hypothesis that beta 2 integrins may be involved in a signal transduction pathway related to cytoskeletal reorganization, we examined whether beta 2 integrins have a role in tyrosine phosphorylation of t...