Wnt and Kras signaling-dark siblings in lung cancer

Oncotarget. 2011 Jul;2(7):569-74. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.305.

Abstract

Aberrant Kras signaling is observed in a high percentage of human lung cancers while activating mutations in the Wnt/b-catenin signaling pathway are only rarely found. Our recent work has shown that the combined activation of both Kras and Wnt/b-catenin signaling leads to a dramatic increase in both tumor incidence and size. Moreover, lung tumors generated by the combined activation of both of these pathways exhibit a distinct phenotype similar to embryonic progenitors found in the developing lung. Thus, combinatorial activation of Kras and Wnt/b-catenin pathways leads to a significant increase in lung tumor formation characterized by a more progenitor like phenotype.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / genetics
  • Lung Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology
  • Mice
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / metabolism*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)
  • Respiratory Mucosa / pathology
  • Signal Transduction*
  • Wnt Proteins / genetics
  • Wnt Proteins / metabolism*
  • beta Catenin / metabolism*
  • ras Proteins / genetics
  • ras Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • KRAS protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Wnt Proteins
  • beta Catenin
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)
  • ras Proteins