Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a member of the gp130 cytokine family and signals through the receptor complex of gp130 and the LIF receptor (LIFR) to activate the JAK/STAT signaling cascade. Since LIF activates STATs 1 and 3 in adipocytes, we examined the effects of LIF on 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Our studies clearly demonstrate that LIF treatment had minimal effects on adipocyte differentiation...

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a multi-functional cytokine protein. The role of LIF in tumorigenesis is not well-understood. Here, we found that LIF promotes tumorigenesis and metastasis of breast cancer. LIF promotes cell proliferation and anchorage-independent growth of breast cancer cells in vitro, and the growth of xenograft breast tumors in vivo. LIF also promotes invasion and migrati...

STAT transcription factors are induced by a number of growth factors and cytokines. Within minutes of induction, the STAT proteins are phosphorylated on tyrosine and serine residues and translocated to the nucleus, where they bind to their DNA targets. The leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) mediates pleiotropic and sometimes opposite effects both in vivo and in cultured cells. It is known, for ex...

Within the immune system there is an exquisite ability to discriminate between "self" and "non-self" that is orchestrated by T lymphocytes. Discriminatory pathways guide differentiation of these lymphocytes into either regulatory (Treg) or effector (Teff) T cells, influenced by cues from the naïve T cell's immediate micro-environment as it responds to cognate antigen. Reciprocal pathways may le...

Adequate differentiation or decidualization of endometrial stromal cells (ESC) is critical for successful pregnancy in humans and rodents. Here, we investigated the role of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) in human and murine decidualization. Ex vivo human (H) ESC decidualization was induced by estrogen (E, 10(-8) M) plus medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA, 10(-7) M). Exogenous LIF (≥50 ng/ml) in...

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), a secreted cytokine, plays an important role in a wide array of biological processes including inducing differentiation of leukemia cell, inflammatory response, neuronal development, embryonic implantation, stem cell self-renewal and cancer progression, etc. LIF exerts its biological functions mainly through the activation and regulation of JAK/STAT3, AKT, EKR1...

The aim of the present study was to determine the expression of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and LIF receptor (LIF‑R) in the endometrium of fertile and infertile women during the implantation window. A prospective study was conducted between March 2013 and March 2015 at Iakentro, Infertility Treatment Center (Thessaloniki, Greece) and the 3rd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aristot...

Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) provides measurements of flow speed, temperature, and density of ions or neutrals in a plasma. Traditionally, a LIF measurement requires two ports on a plasma device; one for laser injection and one for emission collection. Proper alignment of LIF optics is time consuming and sensitive to mechanical vibration. We describe a confocal configuration for LIF that re...

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a member of the interleukin-6 (IL-6) cytokine family. All members of this family activate signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), a transcription factor that influences stem and progenitor cell identity, proliferation and cytoprotection. The role of LIF in development was first identified when LIF was demonstrated to support the propagatio...