Ectopic expression of c-kit in small-cell lung cancer.

Abstract

Accumulating evidence suggests that c-kit plays an important role in the regulation of growth of at least 3 lineages of stem cells, while only very limited data are available on the development of human solid tumors. Our recent studies have shown that c-kit transcripts are expressed in a very restricted sub-set of human solid tumors such as small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). We have also conducted an immunohistological study on in situ localization of the c-kit protein in various human solid tumors as well as in corresponding fetal and adult normal tissues. No c-kit expression was detected in normal bronchial epithelial cells or pneumocytes in lung parenchyma of human fetal and adult specimens, indicating that the c-kit protein is aberrantly expressed in lung-cancer cells. We also found that significant chemotactic response as well as moderate in vitro cell growth occurred in SCLC cell lines upon addition of recombinant human stem-cell factor.

• Authors: T Hida, R Ueda, Y Sekido, K Hibi, R Matsuda, Y Ariyoshi, T Sugiura, T Takahashi, T Takahashi
• Journal: International journal of cancer. Supplement = Journal international du cancer. Supplement (Int J Cancer Suppl) Vol. 8 Pg. 108-9 ( 1994) ISSN: 0898-6924 [Print] United States
• PMID: 7515024 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Hematopoietic Cell Growth Factors
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins
• RNA, Messenger
• Receptors, Colony-Stimulating Factor
• Recombinant Proteins
• Stem Cell Factor
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit
• Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases

Topics

• Adenocarcinoma (genetics, metabolism, pathology)
• Adult
• Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung (genetics, metabolism, pathology)
• Carcinoma, Squamous Cell (genetics, metabolism, pathology)
• Cell Division (drug effects)
• Cell Line
• Chemotaxis (drug effects)
• Fetus
• Gene Expression
• Hematopoietic Cell Growth Factors (biosynthesis, pharmacology)
• Humans
• Lung Neoplasms (genetics, metabolism, pathology)
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins (analysis, biosynthesis, genetics)
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit
• Proto-Oncogenes
• RNA, Messenger (biosynthesis)
• Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases (analysis, biosynthesis, genetics)
• Receptors, Colony-Stimulating Factor (analysis, biosynthesis, genetics)
• Recombinant Proteins (pharmacology)
• Reference Values
• Stem Cell Factor
• Tumor Cells, Cultured