RT Book, Section
A1 Reedijk, Michael
A1 McGlade, C. Jane
A2 Tannock, Ian F.
A2 Hill, Richard P.
A2 Bristow, Robert G.
A2 Harrington, Lea
SR Print(0)
ID 1127472031
T1 Cellular Signaling Pathways
T2 The Basic Science of Oncology, 5e
YR 2016
FD 2016
PB McGraw-Hill Education Medical
PP New York, NY
SN 9780071745208
LK accessbiomedicalscience.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1127472031
RD 2024/04/18
AB The  ability  of  cells  to  receive  and  respond  to  extracellular  signals  is  a  critical  process  in  the  embryonic  development  of  multicellular  organisms  as  well  as  for  the  maintenance  and  survival  of  mature  tissues  in  the  adult.  Changes  in  the  physical  or  chemical  environment  of  the  cell  can  result  in  modifications  of  cell  metabolism,  morphology,  movement,  or  proliferation.  These  responses  are  brought  about  by  elaborate  networks  of  intracellular  signals  transmitted  by  changes  in  protein  phosphorylation  and  enzymatic  activity,  localization  and  the  formation  of  protein–protein  complexes.  Cellular  responses  are  triggered  by  the  recognition  of  extracellular  signals  at  the  cell  surface,  resulting  in  the  activation  of  linked  cytoplasmic  and  nuclear  biochemical  cascades.  These  signal  transduction  pathways  control  cellular  processes  that  range  from  the  generalized  control  of  cell  proliferation  and  survival  to  specialized  functions  such  as  the  immune  response  and  angiogenesis.  When  dysregulated,  signaling  pathways  involved  in  normal  growth,  adhesion  and  development  contribute  to  malignant  transformation  in  human  cells.  This  knowledge  has  led  to  the  development  of  new  cancer  therapeutics  that  specifically  target  aberrant  signal  transduction  pathways.  This  chapter  explores  how  signal  transduction  pathways  are  organized  and  highlights  ongoing  drug  discovery  efforts  to  target  these  pathways.