Targeting MET Amplification as a New Oncogenic Driver
Certain genetically defined cancers are dependent on a single overactive oncogene for their proliferation and survival, a phenomenon known as “oncogene addiction”. A new generation of drugs that selectively target such “driver oncogenes” manifests a clinical efficacy greater than that of conventiona...
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doaj-3670f32d6e1e464f943546bdbdc411d72020-11-25T01:00:50ZengMDPI AGCancers2072-66942014-07-01631540155210.3390/cancers6031540cancers6031540Targeting MET Amplification as a New Oncogenic DriverHisato Kawakami0Isamu Okamoto1Wataru Okamoto2Junko Tanizaki3Kazuhiko Nakagawa4Kazuto Nishio5Department of Medical Oncology, Kinki University Faculty of Medicine, 377-2 Ohno-higashi, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka 589-8511, JapanDepartment of Medical Oncology, Kinki University Faculty of Medicine, 377-2 Ohno-higashi, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka 589-8511, JapanDepartment of Medical Oncology, Kinki University Faculty of Medicine, 377-2 Ohno-higashi, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka 589-8511, JapanDepartment of Medical Oncology, Kinki University Faculty of Medicine, 377-2 Ohno-higashi, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka 589-8511, JapanDepartment of Medical Oncology, Kinki University Faculty of Medicine, 377-2 Ohno-higashi, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka 589-8511, JapanDepartment of Genome Biology, Kinki University Faculty of Medicine, 377-2 Ohno-higashi, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka 589-8511, JapanCertain genetically defined cancers are dependent on a single overactive oncogene for their proliferation and survival, a phenomenon known as “oncogene addiction”. A new generation of drugs that selectively target such “driver oncogenes” manifests a clinical efficacy greater than that of conventional chemotherapy in appropriate genetically defined patients. MET is a proto-oncogene that encodes a receptor tyrosine kinase, and aberrant activation of MET signaling occurs in a subset of advanced cancers as result of various genetic alterations including gene amplification, polysomy, and gene mutation. Our preclinical studies have shown that inhibition of MET signaling either with the small-molecule MET inhibitor crizotinib or by RNA interference targeted to MET mRNA resulted in marked antitumor effects in cancer cell lines with MET amplification both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, patients with non-small cell lung cancer or gastric cancer positive for MET amplification have shown a pronounced clinical response to crizotinib. Accumulating preclinical and clinical evidence thus suggests that MET amplification is an “oncogenic driver” and therefore a valid target for treatment. However, the prevalence of MET amplification has not been fully determined, possibly in part because of the difficulty in evaluating gene amplification. In this review, we provide a rationale for targeting this genetic alteration in cancer therapy.http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/6/3/1540METgene amplificationnon-small cell lung cancergastric cancerfluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)polymerase chain reaction (PCR)crizotinib |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Hisato Kawakami Isamu Okamoto Wataru Okamoto Junko Tanizaki Kazuhiko Nakagawa Kazuto Nishio |
spellingShingle |
Hisato Kawakami Isamu Okamoto Wataru Okamoto Junko Tanizaki Kazuhiko Nakagawa Kazuto Nishio Targeting MET Amplification as a New Oncogenic Driver Cancers MET gene amplification non-small cell lung cancer gastric cancer fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) crizotinib |
author_facet |
Hisato Kawakami Isamu Okamoto Wataru Okamoto Junko Tanizaki Kazuhiko Nakagawa Kazuto Nishio |
author_sort |
Hisato Kawakami |
title |
Targeting MET Amplification as a New Oncogenic Driver |
title_short |
Targeting MET Amplification as a New Oncogenic Driver |
title_full |
Targeting MET Amplification as a New Oncogenic Driver |
title_fullStr |
Targeting MET Amplification as a New Oncogenic Driver |
title_full_unstemmed |
Targeting MET Amplification as a New Oncogenic Driver |
title_sort |
targeting met amplification as a new oncogenic driver |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Cancers |
issn |
2072-6694 |
publishDate |
2014-07-01 |
description |
Certain genetically defined cancers are dependent on a single overactive oncogene for their proliferation and survival, a phenomenon known as “oncogene addiction”. A new generation of drugs that selectively target such “driver oncogenes” manifests a clinical efficacy greater than that of conventional chemotherapy in appropriate genetically defined patients. MET is a proto-oncogene that encodes a receptor tyrosine kinase, and aberrant activation of MET signaling occurs in a subset of advanced cancers as result of various genetic alterations including gene amplification, polysomy, and gene mutation. Our preclinical studies have shown that inhibition of MET signaling either with the small-molecule MET inhibitor crizotinib or by RNA interference targeted to MET mRNA resulted in marked antitumor effects in cancer cell lines with MET amplification both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, patients with non-small cell lung cancer or gastric cancer positive for MET amplification have shown a pronounced clinical response to crizotinib. Accumulating preclinical and clinical evidence thus suggests that MET amplification is an “oncogenic driver” and therefore a valid target for treatment. However, the prevalence of MET amplification has not been fully determined, possibly in part because of the difficulty in evaluating gene amplification. In this review, we provide a rationale for targeting this genetic alteration in cancer therapy. |
topic |
MET gene amplification non-small cell lung cancer gastric cancer fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) crizotinib |
url |
http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/6/3/1540 |
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