Environmental Health Perspectives 105, Supplement 5, September 1997: Article by Lechner et al.

Environmental Health Perspectives 105, Supplement 5, September 1997

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Oncogenes and Tumor-Suppressor Genes in Mesothelioma--A Synopsis

John F. Lechner, ¹ Johannes Tesfaigzi, ¹ and Brenda I. Gerwin ²

¹ Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, Albuquerque, New Mexico
² Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland

Abstract
Invariably mesothelioma is diagnosed late in the development of the disease when treatment is no longer effective. Therefore, a key to reducing the mortality rate of this neoplasm is knowledge of the general sequence of genetic events between initiation of mesothelial cells and the emergence of the metastatic tumor cells. Unfortunately, relatively little is known about the early changes in the genesis of this disease. Of the known changes, the most frequent are in the tumor-suppressor genes p16 ^INK4a and NF2 and possibly the SV40 virus large T-antigen oncogene. The molecular nature of the changes in these genes as well as other alterations are addressed in this overview. -- Environ Health Perspect 105(Suppl 5):1061-1067 (1997)

Key words : oncogenes, tumor-suppressor genes, PDGF, p16 ^INK4a , SV40 T-antigen, NF2, mesothelioma, human, fibers, cancer

This paper is based on a presentation at The Sixth International Meeting on the Toxicology of Natural and Man-Made Fibrous and Non-Fibrous Particles held 15-18 September 1996 in Lake Placid, New York. Manuscript received at EHP 27 March 1997; accepted 11 July 1997.

This work was supported in part by the U.S. Department of Energy/Office of Health Effects Research (contract DE-AC04-76EV01013).

Address correspondence to Dr. J.F. Lechner, Building 9200, Area Y Kirtland AFB East Albuquerque, NM 87115. Telephone: (505) 845-1121. Fax: (505) 845-1193. E-mail: jlechner@lrri.org

Abbreviations used: CDK, cyclin-dependent kinase; CKI, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor; EGFR, epidermal growth factor receptor; G-CSF, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor; GM-CSF, granulocyte-monocyte colony-stimulating factor; IGF-1, insulinlike growth factor 1; IL, interleukin; LIF, leukemia inhibitory factor; MCP-1, monocyte chemotatic protein-1; M-CSF, macrophage colony-stimulating factor; NF2, neurofibromatosis type 2; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; PDGF, platelet-derived growth factor; Rb, retinoblastoma; T-ag, SV40 virus T-antigen; TGF-ß, transforming growth factor beta; TNF- , tumor necrosis factor alpha; WT1, Wilms' tumor.

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Last Update: October 24, 1997