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The role of amphiregulin in breast cancer

  • Molecular Genetics in Breast Cancer — minisymposium
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Summary

Amphiregulin (AR) is an epidermal growth factor (EGF)-related peptide that operates exclusively through the EGF receptor and that can bind to heparin. AR also possesses nuclear localization sequences in the extended NH2-terminal region suggesting an additional intracellular site of action. AR mRNA and protein expression have been detected in primary human mammary epithelial cell strains, nontransformed human mammary epithelial cell lines, several human breast cancer cell lines, and primary human breast carcinomas. The frequency and levels of AR protein expression are generally higher in invasive breast carcinomas than in ductal carcinomasin situ or in normal, noninvolved mammary epithelium. In addition, AR can function as an autocrine and/or juxtacrine growth factor in human mammary epithelial cells that have been transformed by an activated c-Ha-ras proto-oncogene or by overexpression of c-erb B-2. AR expression is also enhanced by mammotrophic hormones such as estrogens and other growth factors such as EGF.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tumor Growth Factor Section, Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, 20892, Bethesda, MD, USA

    David S. Salomon, Nicola Normanno & Ralf Brandt

  2. Oncologia Sperimentale D, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori - Fondazione Pascale, 80131, Napoli, Italy

    Nicola Normanno

  3. Cattedra di Oncologia Medica, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Universtità degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, 80131, Napoli, Italy

    Fortunato Ciardiello

  4. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 98104, Seattle, WA, USA

    Mohammed Shoyab & George J. Todaro

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  1. David S. Salomon
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Salomon, D.S., Normanno, N., Ciardiello, F. et al. The role of amphiregulin in breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Tr 33, 103–114 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00682718

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