BACKGROUND Higher insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 and lower IGF binding protein (BP)-3 levels have been associated with higher commoncancer risk, including breast cancer. Dietary factors, genetic polymorphisms, and the combination of both may influence circulating IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 serum concentrations. METHODS From September 2011 to July 2012, we collected demographic, reproductive and di...

The relative contributions of type I and type II insulinlike growth factor (IGF) receptors and IGF carrier proteins to the binding of IGF-I tracer to cultured human fibroblasts were determined in competitive binding experiments that used unlabeled insulin and synthetic insulin-IGF-I hybrid molecules containing the A chain of insulin and the B domain of IGF-I. Whereas insulin binds only to type ...

Insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) and its receptors (type I and II IGF receptors) are expressed in the nervous system in a tissue and developmentally specific manner. We have previously shown that SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells synthesize and secrete high levels of IGF-II, and respond to it with increased neuritic outgrowth, DNA synthesis, and cell proliferation. SH-SY5Y cells also prod...

The insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are trophic factors whose growth-promoting actions are mediated via the IGF-I receptor and modulated by six IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs). In this study, we observed increased transcripts of both IGF-I and IGF-I receptor after rat sciatic nerve transection. Schwann cells (SCs) were the main source of IGF-I and IGFBP-5 immunoreactivity until 7 days after ne...

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) both overexpressed on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and are known cooperatively to promote tumor progression and drug resistance. This study was to construct a novel bispecific fusion protein EGF-IGF-LDP-AE consisting of EGFR and IGF-IR specific ligands (EGF and IGF-1) and lidamycin, an enediyne anti...

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) remains in the different classes of vertebrates including birds [1,2], reptiles, amphibians [3], fishes [4-6] and mammals [7]. Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is a protein comprising two major forms, IGF-I and IGF-II [8,9] . The IGF-I is produced from the liver Sjogren et al. [10] by the influence of growth hormone involving the axis of pituitary/hepatic sy...

BACKGROUND Epidemiological evidence supports a role for the insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and their receptor, IGF-IR, in the induction and progression of various cancers. Estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha), which plays a role in the etiology of ovarian cancer, both regulates and is influenced by the IGF family. PATIENTS AND METHODS We present a case control study conducted in the Northeas...

BACKGROUND The tyrosine kinase receptor insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-IR) contributes to the initiation and progression of many types of malignancies. We previously showed that IGF-2, which binds IGF-IR, is an extrinsic factor that supports the ex vivo expansion of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). We also demonstrated that IGF-IR is not required for HSC activity in vivo. METHODS ...

Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are key regulators of development, growth, and longevity. In most vertebrate species including humans, there is one IGF-1 gene and one IGF-2 gene. Here we report the identification and functional characterization of 4 distinct IGF genes (termed as igf-1a, -1b, -2a, and -2b) in zebrafish. These genes encode 4 structurally distinct and functional IGF peptides. I...

The IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR) has been studied as an anti-cancer target. However, monotherapy trials with IGF-IR targeted antibodies or with IGF-IR specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors have, overall, been very disappointing in the clinical setting. This review discusses potential reasons why IGF-I R targeted therapy fails to inhibit growth of human cancers. It has become clear that intracellular s...