Inhibition of pulmonary and skeletal metastasis by a transforming growth factor-beta type I receptor kinase inhibitor

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) signaling has been shown to promote invasion and metastasis in various models of human cancers. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of a TGF-beta type I receptor kinase inhibitor (TbetaRI-I) to limit early systemic metastases in an orthotopic xenograft model of lung metastasis and in an intracardiac injection model of experimental bone and lung metastasis using human breast carcinoma MDA-MB-435-F-L cells, a highly metastatic variant of human breast cancer MDA-MB-435 cells, expressing the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). Treatment of the cells with the TbetaRI-I had no effect on their growth but blocked TGF-beta-stimulated expression of integrin alpha(v)beta(3) and cell migration in vitro. Systemic administration of the TbetaRI-I via i.p. injection effectively reduced the number and size of the lung metastasis in both orthotopic xenograft and experimental metastasis models with no effects on primary tumor growth rate compared with controls. TbetaRI-I treatment also reduced the incidence of widespread early skeletal metastases in the femur, tibia, mandible, and spine detected by whole-body EGFP fluorescence imaging. Tumor burden in femora and tibiae was also reduced after TbetaRI-I treatment as detected by histomorphometry analysis compared with the placebo controls. Our results indicate for the first time that abrogation of TGF-beta signaling by systemic administration of the TbetaRI-I can inhibit both early lung and bone metastasis in animal model systems and suggest antimetastatic therapeutic potential of the TbetaRI-I.     

Reduced levels of transforming growth factor-beta type I receptor in human gastric carcinomas.

The expressions of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) and its receptor and TGF-beta inhibitory element (TIE)-binding protein were examined on human gastric carcinomas by Northern blot hybridization, immunohistochemistry, affinity labeling and gel retardation analysis. TGF-beta mRNA was expressed in tumor and normal tissues at various levels. Immunohistochemically, TGF-beta expression was confirmed to be present within tumor cells. Out of the 17 human gastric carcinoma tissues, 14 (82%) showed a reduction in the level of type I receptor (65 kDa) for TGF-beta when compared to corresponding normal mucosas. Interestingly, in seven of the 14 tumors the level of TIE-binding protein in the tumor tissue was lower than that in normal mucosa. Human gastric carcinoma cell line TMK-1, whose growth was inhibited by TGF-beta, had only type I receptor for TGF-beta and showed a high level of TIE-binding protein. Conversely, MKN-1, a TGF-beta-resistant cell line, exhibited an extremely low level of TGF-beta receptor and had no TIE-binding protein. These results overall indicate that although human gastric carcinoma cells produced TGF-beta, they showed a reduction in TGF-beta type I receptor and a low level of TIE-binding protein, resulting in escape from growth inhibition by TGF-beta.     

Novel inactivating mutations of transforming growth factor-beta type I receptor gene in head-and-neck cancer metastases

Carcinoma cell lines are frequently refractory to transforming growth factor-beta (TGF beta)-mediated cell cycle arrest. Whether and how TGF beta signaling is disrupted in the majority of human tumors, however, remains unclear. To investigate whether TGF beta signaling might be disrupted by inactivation of the key signaling molecule, the TGF beta type I (T beta R-I) receptor, and whether or not T beta R-I inactivation is associated with late stage disease, we conducted a comprehensive structural analysis of the T beta R-I gene in fine-needle aspirates of 23 head-&-neck cancer metastases. We encountered 4 different mutations of T beta R-I, 3 of which have not been previously identified. In 1 case, we found a somatic intragenic 4-bp deletion predicting for a truncation of the receptor protein. This is the first example of a true loss-of-function mutation of T beta R-I in a human epithelial neoplasm. In 2 other cases, we identified missense mutations located between the juxtamembrane- and serine-threonine kinase domains. One of these resulted in an alanine-to-threonine substitution (A230T), which disrupts receptor signaling activity by causing rapid protein degradation within the endoplasmatic reticulum. This represents a novel mechanism of inactivation of a TGF beta signaling intermediate. Finally, we identified a serine-to-tyrosine substitution at codon 387 (S387Y) in a metastasis but not in the corresponding primary tumor. We had previously shown this S387Y mutant to be predominantly associated with breast cancer metastases and to have a diminished ability to mediate TGF beta-dependent signaling. In aggregate, these findings provide further support for the hypothesis that inactivation of the TGF beta signaling pathway occurs in a significant subset of human cancers.     

Reduced PTEN expression in the pancreas overexpressing transforming growth factor-beta 1

PTEN is a candidate tumour suppressor gene and frequently mutated in multiple cancers, however, not in pancreatic cancer. Recently, it has been demonstrated that PTEN expression is regulated by TGF-beta1. Using TGF-beta1 transgenic mice (n=7) and wildtype littermates (n=6), as well as pancreatic tissues obtained from organ donors (n=10) and patients with pancreatic cancer (n=10), we assessed the expression of PTEN by means of immunohistochemistry and semiquantitative PCR analysis. In addition, PANC-1 cells were treated with TGF-beta1 in vitro and the levels of PTEN mRNA were determined in these cells. In human pancreatic cancers PTEN mRNA levels were significantly decreased (P<0.05). In addition, in the pancreas of TGF-beta1 transgenic mice the expression of PTEN was significantly reduced (P<0.01), as compared to wildtype littermates and incubation of PANC-1 cells with TGF-beta1 decreased PTEN mRNA levels after 24 h. Inasmuch as TGF-beta1 decreases PTEN expression in human pancreatic cancer cells and human pancreatic cancers overexpress TGF-beta1, the reduced expression of PTEN in pancreatic cancer may be mediated by TGF-beta1 overexpression. Thus, although PTEN is not mutated in pancreatic cancers, the reduction of its expression may give pancreatic cancer cells an additional growth advantage.     

Relation of type II transforming growth factor-beta receptor to hepatic fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocarcinogenesis is closely related to hepatic fibrosis. In this study, we investigated the relationship of type II transforming growth factor-beta receptor (T beta RII) to hepatic fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In vivo: liver tissues were obtained from 30 patients (10 chronic hepatitis, 7 cirrhosis, 13 HCC). Protein expression and immunolocalization of T beta RII were examined by Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. In vitro: T beta RII protein expression in hepatoma cell lines (HepG2, Hep3B, HLE, HLF and Huh7) was examined by Western blot analysis. Next, we transfected T beta RII cDNA to Huh7, and compared the change of cell number and observed the induction of apoptosis after TGF-beta1 treatment using a FACScan flow cytometer. In vivo: T beta RII immunolocalization in liver tissues was significantly decreased in patients with HCC compared with that of patients with chronic hepatitis or liver cirrhosis. In Western blot analysis, T beta RII expression in tissues attenuated in comparison with that in non-tumor tissues in some patients with HCC. In vitro: T beta RII protein expression in HLE, HLF and Huh7 cells was weaker than that in HepG2 and Hep3B cells. In Huh7 cells transfected T beta RII cDNA, cell arrest and apoptosis were obviously induced. These results indicated that human HCC has a reduced expression of T beta RII for TGF-beta1. This may provide a selective growth advantage to HCC to escape the inhibitory growth signals of TGF-beta1, and may be linked with critical steps in the growth of hepatoma cells.     

Modulation of epidermal growth factor receptor gene expression by transforming growth factor-beta in a human breast carcinoma cell line

Modulation of epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor expression determines cellular responsiveness to EGF and might play an important role in growth inhibition. We have investigated the actions of EGF and/or transforming growth factor type beta (TGF beta) on EGF receptor gene expression in MDA-468 human breast carcinoma cell line, which responds to EGF and/or TGF beta with growth inhibition. Using the cDNA clone pE7, which encodes 2.4 kilobases of the human EGF receptor mRNA, as a hybridization probe, we have found that exposure of MDA-468 cells to EGF results in elevated levels of EGF receptor mRNA. This increase in mRNA accumulation showed time and dose dependence. Addition of TGF beta enhances the accumulation of EGF receptor mRNA induced by EGF. Under this condition, stimulation could be detected after 1 h exposure to TGF beta with a maximum at 6-8 h. A concentration of 10 pM TGF beta gave detectable stimulation with maximal stimulation occurring at 300 pM in the presence of EGF (50 ng/ml). In contrast, TGF beta alone had no significant effect on EGF receptor mRNA accumulation. In the presence of cycloheximide, the EGF receptor mRNA was super-induced in response to EGF. Treatment of the cells with TGF beta enhances the EGF-dependent superinduction of EGF receptor mRNA produced by cycloheximide, suggesting that the stimulatory action of TGF beta does not depend on continuous protein synthesis. The results described here are consistent with the hypothesis that the growth inhibitory action of TGF beta in MDA-468 cells may be mediated, at least in part, by modulation of EGF receptor gene expression.     

Int7G24A variant of transforming growth factor-beta receptor type I is associated with invasive breast cancer.

PURPOSE: The transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) signaling pathway has been frequently implicated in breast cancer. An intronic variant (Int7G24A) of TGF-beta receptor type I (TGFBR1) is associated with kidney and bladder cancers in our recent study. We hypothesize that this germline variant may be involved in development and progression of breast cancer.EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Case-control studies were designed from archived paraffin-embedded tissue specimens from the same geographic area with a homogenous ethnic population. We analyzed 223 patients (25 with preinvasive tumors and 198 with invasive and metastatic breast cancers) and 153 noncancer controls. The Int7G24A was identified by PCR-RFLP. Another germline deletion (TGFBR1*6A) and somatic mutations in the TGFBR1 were also analyzed by PCR and single-strand conformational polymorphism.RESULTS: The Int7G24A allele was evident in 32% of patients with preinvasive neoplasms and 48% of patients with invasive breast cancers compared with 26% controls (P = 0.00008). In addition, 11 (5.6%) homozygous Int7G24A carriers were found in patients with invasive breast cancers, whereas only 3 (2%) homozygous carriers were found in the control group. The TGFBR1*6A allele was not significantly associated with breast cancer patients and only one somatic mutation was found in 71 breast cancers.CONCLUSION: These data suggest that the germline Int7G24A variant may represent a risk factor for invasive breast cancer and a marker for breast cancer progression. A separate study with a larger sample size is warranted to validate the association of the Int7G24A with human breast cancer.     

胃癌组织Ⅱ型β转化生长因子受体基因突变的研究

目的　 β转化生长因子 ( transforming growth factorβ,TGF- β) 型受体 TGF- βR 基因突变是某些肿瘤细胞逃逸 TGF- β生长抑制调控的机制之一。有报道表明 TGF- βR 基因的两个突变热点 ( c DNA70 9- 718,1931- 1936)在人类结肠癌细胞系有高的突变率。据此我们检测了 TGF- βR 基因这两个热点在 4 4例人胃癌组织的改变。方法　组织 DNA提取后进行 PCR- SSCP银染分析 ,将阳性标本进行荧光测序。结果　在 TGF- β R 的 c DNA70 9- 718位点突变率为 6.8% ( 3/ 4 4 ) ,而另一位点 c DNA1931- 1936未发现突变 ( 0 / 4 4 )。结论　TGF- β R 基因在人胃癌组织较之结肠癌具有低的突变率。     

Differential expression of transforming growth factor-beta 1 gene in 3LL metastatic variants

In vitro and in vivo metastatic variants derived from Lewis lung carcinoma (3LL) were examined for the level of the expression of several growth-regulated genes, oncogenes, and transforming growth factor (TGF) genes. To determine whether the proliferative advantage of metastatic cells is due to an increased growth fraction of the cell population or to a deregulated expression of some growth-regulated genes, the mRNA levels of the S-phase-specific H3 histone gene were compared with that of some cell cycle-related genes (vimentin, calcyclin, c-myc, and p53) and oncogenes (Ki-ras, Ha-ras, c-sis, c-src, c-fes, and c-erb). In addition, to evaluate whether an autocrine pattern of cell proliferation is responsible for the proliferative advantage of metastatic cells, the level of the expression of TGF genes (alpha and beta 1) was studied. Northern blot analysis demonstrated that in 3LL metastatic variants the expression of TGF-alpha as well as the expression of all growth-regulated genes and oncogenes studied are similar. Only the TGF-beta 1 gene is expressed at higher levels in highly metastatic 3LL variants maintained either in vitro or in vivo. Data suggest that the proliferative advantage of 3LL metastatic cells is not due to a deregulated expression of some growth-regulated genes and oncogenes, but more likely is acquired through the expression of genes which might interfere with the ability of the tumor cells to escape hostile microenvironmental conditions.