Role of EGF Pathway in Regulating Bronchial Carcinoid Cell Proliferation

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Introduction: Bronchial carcinoids (BC) are rare neuroendocrine tumors. Surgery is not feasible for infiltrating and metastatic disease. Medical therapy is often tried but is represented by chemotherapy and radiation, while somatostatin analogues are employed for symptomatic control. It is necessary to identify new molecules capable of providing medical treatment in cases for which surgical removal is not feasible. EGF, TGFα are growth factors which were demonstrated to be important in neuroendocrine tumors. EGF and TGFα bind to the EGF receptor and lead to the transcription of genes that regulate cell proliferation.

Aim(s): To evaluate the effects of Sunitinib, a multi-targeted receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) inhibitor, and NVP-BEZ235, a PI3K/mTOR inhibitor alone or in combination with EGF, on primary BC cell cultures, to verify the involvement of EGF pathway in regulating crucial cellular processes.

Materials and methods: BC primary cultures were treated with Sunitinib and NVP-BEZ235 alone or with EGF. We assessed the presence of EGFR in all cell cultures by immunofluorescences, and found that EGFR is present in all samples analysed.

Conference: 10th Annual ENETSConcerence (2013)

Presenting Author:

Authors: Gagliano T, Bellio M, Molè D, Gentilin E, Minoia M,

Keywords: EGF, EGFR, BC,

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