surp09 signaling
DESCRIPTION
2009 presentation to summer undergraduates at Science Park participating in summer research program. Presentation on "signal transduction and cancer"TRANSCRIPT
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Signal Transduction and Cancer
SURP Program
July 7, 2009
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Outline of Today’s Lecture
Signal transduction overview Why important in cancer? Examples of important pathways How signaling is studied in the lab Signal transduction pathways as
therapeutic targets
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What is signal transduction?
The process by which extracellular signals are transmitted across the cell membrane and converted into a cellular response (e.g. gene expression, apoptosis…)
“the process by which a cell converts a signal or stimulus into another”. (www.wikipedia.com)
“How cells respond to environmental stimuli”
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Typical Components of Signaling Pathways
Ligand (Stimulus)
Receptor
Biological Response
Second Messengers
Effector/Adaptor proteins
Amplification of signal
Target
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Types of Signals Proteins:
– Cytokines (e.g. IL-1)– Growth factors (e.g. EGF, TGF)
Nutritional factors:– Sugars (glucose)– Amino Acids– Lipids– Vitamins
Hormones (e.g. adrenaline, estrogen, insulin) Other:
– Stress, heat, pH, radiation, etc
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Signals can act in a cell-type specific
manner
Important to note specific context when evaluating signaling literature!
TGF
Mesenchymal cells (e.g. fibroblasts)
Epithelial cellsEndothelial cellsHemopoietic cellsNeural cells
Growth promoting
Growth inhibiting
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Receptors Growth factors signal via receptor tyrosine kinases
(RTKs/RPTKs). Transmembrane proteins, containing an extracellular
domain of several hundred AAs, short alpha helix structured hydrophobic domain spanning the membrane, and an intracellular catalytic domain that is highly conserved among family members.
Ligand binding induces a change in conformation of receptors, allowing dimerization and transphosphorylation of Tyr residues.
Signaling intermediates are recruited to the phosphorylated (“active”) receptor to propagate the signal.
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Receptor Activation Schematic
Molecular Biology of the Cell, Alberts et al. Ch 3
Ligand
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Phosphorylation and dephosphorylation regulate
the activity of many proteins Kinases: Enzymes that
catalyze the removal of a phosphate group from ATP which is transferred to serine, threonine or tyrosine residues in proteins.– 2 classes: Ser/Thr and
Tyr kinases Phosphatases: Enzymes
which catalyze the removal of phosphate groups from proteins
Molecular Biology of the Cell, Alberts et al. Ch 3
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Effectors
Anchor proteins localize protein kinases and phosphatases in particular places in the cell– Increases efficiency and specificity of
responses Protein-protein complexes form via
interactions between specific protein domains (e.g. SH2 domains which recognize phospho-tyrosines)
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Biological outcomes Changes in gene
expression Regulate
translation Regulate the cell
cycle Migrate Reorganize the
cytoskeleton Initiate
angiogenesis etc
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Cancer and growth control
Normal cells respond to their environment to maintain a balance between proliferation, differentiation and cell death.
Cancer cells have defects in growth control, leading to…
Hahn and Weinberg Cell 2000
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Why study signal transduction in cancer?
Nearly all proto-oncogenes are members of signal transduction pathways involved in
regulating cell proliferation, differentiation or apoptosis
QuickTime™ and a decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
“Signal transduction” in title/abstract
Total: 57037 (as of 7/6/09)
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What goes wrong in cancer?
Tumors cells inappropriately secrete growth factors that activate cognate receptors on their cell surface - allows signaling independent of “true cell-cell communication”
Example: Renal cell carcinoma cells have an autocrine TGF - EGFR autocrine loop
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What goes wrong in cancer (2)
Upregulation of growth factor receptors
Deletions in receptor domains causing defects in ligand binding, or causing constitutive dimerization.
Normal cells contain 20,000-200,000 copies of EGFR; cancers cells can contain >1,000,000!
– Greatly increased upstream mitogenic signaling.
Classic example: Breast cancer cells can overexpress HER2 (an EGFR family member)
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What goes wrong in cancer? (3)
Increase in signal transduction– Loss of negative regulators (e.g. mutation or epigenetic
silencing of PTEN in endometrial carcinoma)– Defects in protein turnover– Defects in protein localization (e.g. sequestration of
p27 in to the cytoplasm in RCC)– Novel oncogenes from chromosomal translocations
that result in constitutive activity of a kinase (e.g. Bcr-Abl)
Increase in activation of transcription– Constitutive activation of transcription factors (e.g.
STAT3)
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Signal transduction pathways are targets of
carcinogens Carcinogen (e.g.
DMBA) causes an activating mutation in codon 61 of H-ras.
Tumor promoters like TPA promote clonal expansion of initiated cells. Multiple signaling pathways targeted by TPA including PI3K-Akt, and protein kinase C.
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Overview of most important signal
transduction pathways in cancer
PI3K-Akt-mTOR SURVIVAL (regulate protein translation, cell growth, autophagy)
Ras-MAPK PROLIFERATION JAK-STAT PROLIFERATION
(anti-apoptosis, immune response)
NFB INFLAMMATION WNT--Catenin DIFFERENTIATION
CROSSTALK
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How signal transduction is studied
Cell culture studies:– Use of inhibitors (e.g.
rapamycin, LY294002)– Phospho-specific antibodies– If no antibodies available,
can immunoprecipitate and western blot with broad phospho-tyr or phospho-ser/thr antibodies
– In vitro kinase reactions: determine whether a specific kinase can phosphorylate a given substrate in a test tube.
– Other enzyme assays which measure products
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How signal transduction is studied (2)
In vivo studies:– Phospho-specific
antibodies for immunohistochemistry
– Commercially available/custom tissue microarrays to look at many samples at once
– Transgenic/knockout mouse models
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Signal tranduction as a therapeutic target
Traditional cytotoxic chemotherapy has problems:– Non-specific, unpleasant side effects --> kills
proliferating cells, even normal ones such as hair follicles, GI epithelial cells
– Cells develop resistance mechanisms (e.g. upregulate proteins that pump drugs out of the cells so they can no longer accumulate)
Rationally designed targeted therapies that interfere with signaling the current rage in cancer therapeutics research.– Ideal target = a protein not involved in normal cellular
function (Bcr-Abl example in next few slides)
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Determining a good drug target
Determine what pathways are active in your tumor type
Determine whether any of these pathways are critical for tumor survival– “Oncogene addiction” phenomenon: Despite the fact
that tumors contain multiple genetic and epigenetic defects, their growth/survival can often be impaired by inactivation of a single oncogene (the “Achilles Heel”)!
Financially worthwhile - enough of a target market (large enough prevalence)
2 examples: Bcr-Abl and HER2/neu
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Bcr-Abl in CML Chromosomal
translocation results in a constitutively active tyrosine kinase.
Found in 95% of CML patients
Signals via a multitude of growth-promoting pathways (PI3K, JAK-STAT, Myc, NFB)
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Gleevec
Gleevec is a small molecule designed to bind to the ATP cleft and inhibit the tyrosine kinase activity of Bcr-Abl at low conc’s (40nM).– Later found to also inhibit
PDGFR and c-Kit Successfully used so far:
– 98% complete response rate in chronic phase CML (NEJM, 2001)
– Reduce total tumor cells from 1010/1012 to 106 (minimal residual disease)
– Now is the standard of care!
QuickTime™ and a decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
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HER2 as a target in breast cancer
Some breast cancers (~25%) overexpress the HER2 gene, a growth factor receptor in the EGFR family.
These tumors have a worse prognosis than non HER2-overexpressing tumors.
Antibodies such as Herceptin (trastuzumab) have been developed to block the aberrant mitogenic signaling.
Good results are seen in synergy with standard therapies (chemo and radiation)
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Sample of what pharma has done
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Take home points Signal transduction is the mechanism by which cells
communicate. Signal transduction networks are often bizarre in
cancer and result in an imbalance between cell death and cell survival.
Multiple mechanisms are employed by cancer cells to subvert normal regulation of proteins involved in signaling, including gene amplification, mutations, chromosomal translocations and epigenetic silencing of tumor suppressors.
Rationally designed signaling inhibition is a relevant therapeutic approach.
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Additional Resources Cell Signaling Technologies website -
www.cellsignal.com (lots of signaling diagrams) and www.phosphosite.org (information about kinases and their substrates)
Science Signal Transduction Knowledge Environment - http://stke.sciencemag.org
Calbiochem interactive pathways - http://www.emdbiosciences.com/html/EMD/interactivepathways.htm
Questions? [email protected]