This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Budillon, A. Articles by Bianco, A. R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Budillon, A. Articles by Bianco, A. R.

Upregulation of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Induced by -Interferon in Human Epidermoid Cancer Cells¹

Cattedra di Oncologia Medica, II Facoltà di Medicina, Università di Napoli, Napoli [A. B., P. T., M. C., N. N., G. P., A. R. B.]; Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Università La Sapienza, Roma [M. R. T., L. F.]; Cattedra di Oncologia Clinica, Università G. D'Annunzio, Chieti [S. I.]; and Istituto Internazionale di Genetica e Biofisica, Napoli [M. P. S.]; Italy

Unregulated or increased expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) is a common event in neoplastic transformation; modulation of such a receptor by physiological agents could be, therefore, of clinical interest. We have studied the binding ability, the availability at cell surface, and the synthesis of EGF-R in the A431 and KB human epidermoid cancer cell lines after treatment with recombinant -interferon (IFN-). After 48 h of treatment, IFN- induces, in both cell lines, growth inhibition and enhances class I major histocompatibility HLA complex expression, which is a common marker of IFN action. [¹²⁵I]EGF total binding assessed after 48 h of treatment with IFN- shows a dose-dependent upregulation of EGF-R binding capacity. Saturation plots of the binding data show that IFN- treatment does not dramatically alter the affinity of the EGF-R and indicate that IFN- only increases the number of low affinity receptors. We show that this effect is due to a specific increase in the synthesis of the receptor protein, as assessed by immunoprecipitation of [³⁵S]methionine-labeled cell extracts. Electron microscopy analysis has confirmed an increase of EGF-R proteins at cell surface without major changes in the morphology of the cells. Taken together, these results indicate that IFN- consistently induces both the binding capacity and the synthesis of EGF-R in human epidermoid cancer cells and suggest the use of such a mechanism for new anticancer therapies.

¹ Supported by the Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC).

² To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Cattedra di Oncologia Medica, II Facoltà di Medicina, Università di Napoli, via S. Pansini 5, 80131, Napoli, Italy.

Received 8/ 9/90. Accepted 11/30/90.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				F. Bruzzese, E. Di Gennaro, A. Avallone, S. Pepe, C. Arra, M. Caraglia, P. Tagliaferri, and A. Budillon Synergistic Antitumor Activity of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Gefitinib and IFN-{alpha} in Head and Neck Cancer Cells In vitro and In vivo Clin. Cancer Res., January 15, 2006; 12(2): 617 - 625. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J-L Yang, X-J Qu, P J Russell, and D Goldstein Regulation of epidermal growth factor receptor in human colon cancer cell lines by interferon {alpha} Gut, January 1, 2004; 53(1): 123 - 129. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Caraglia, M. Marra, G. Giuberti, A. M. D'Alessandro, A. Baldi, P. Tassone, S. Venuta, P. Tagliaferri, and A. Abbruzzese The Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 5A Is Involved in the Regulation of Proliferation and Apoptosis Induced by Interferon-{alpha} and EGF in Human Cancer Cells J. Biochem., June 1, 2003; 133(6): 757 - 765. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Szepeshazi, A. V. Schally, G. Halmos, N. Lamharzi, K. Groot, and J. E. Horvath A single in vivo administration of bombesin antagonist RC-3095 reduces the levels and mRNA expression of epidermal growth factor receptors in MXT mouse mammary cancers PNAS, September 30, 1997; 94(20): 10913 - 10918. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]