Hepatocyte Growth Factor and Macrophage-Stimulating Protein "Hinge" Analogs to Treat Pancreatic Cancer.

Hepatocyte Growth Factor and Macrophage-Stimulating Protein "Hinge" Analogs to Treat Pancreatic Cancer. Curr Cancer Drug Targets. 2019 Mar 26;: Authors: Wright JW, Church KJ, Harding JW Abstract Pancreatic cancer (PC) ranks twelfth in frequency of diagnosis but is the fourth leading cause of cancer related deaths with a 5 year survival rate of less than 7 percent. This poor prognosis occurs because the early stages of PC are often asymptomatic. Over-expression of several growth factors, most notably vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), has been implicated in PC resulting in dysfunctional signal transduction pathways and the facilitation of tumor growth, invasion and metastasis. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) acts via the Met receptor and has also received research attention with ongoing efforts to develop treatments to block the Met receptor and its signal transduction pathways. Macrophage-stimulating protein (MSP), and its receptor Ron, is also recognized as important in the etiology of PC but is less well studied. Although the angiotensin II (AngII)/AT1 receptor system is best known for mediating blood pressure and body water/electrolyte balance it also facilitates tumor vascularization and growth by stimulating the expression of VEGF. A metabolite of AngII, angiotensin IV (AngIV) has sequence homology with the "hinge regions" of HGF and MSP, key structures in the growth factor dimerization processes necessary for Met and Ron...
Source: Current Cancer Drug Targets - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: Curr Cancer Drug Targets Source Type: research