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The role of STATs in lung carcinogenesis: an emerging target for novel therapeutics

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Abstract

The signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins are a family of latent cytoplasmic transcription factors, which form dimers when activated by cytokine receptors, tyrosine kinase growth factor receptors as well as non-receptor tyrosine kinases. Dimeric STATs translocate to the nucleus, where they bind to specific DNA-response elements in the promoters of target genes, thereby inducing unique gene expression programs often in association with other transcription regulatory proteins. The functional consequence of different STAT proteins activation varies, as their target genes play diverse roles in normal cellular/tissue functions, including growth, apoptosis, differentiation and angiogenesis. Certain activated STATs have been implicated in human carcinogenesis, albeit only few studies have focused into their role in lung tumours. Converging evidence unravels their molecular interplays and complex multipartite regulation, rendering some of them appealing targets for lung cancer treatment with new developing strategies.

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  1. Department of Biological Chemistry, Medical School, University of Athens, 75, M. Asias Street, 11527, Athens, Greece

    Michalis V. Karamouzis, Panagiotis A. Konstantinopoulos & Athanasios G. Papavassiliou

  2. Division of Hematology–Oncology, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA

    Panagiotis A. Konstantinopoulos

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  1. Michalis V. Karamouzis
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Correspondence to Athanasios G. Papavassiliou.

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Karamouzis, M.V., Konstantinopoulos, P.A. & Papavassiliou, A.G. The role of STATs in lung carcinogenesis: an emerging target for novel therapeutics. J Mol Med 85, 427–436 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00109-006-0152-3

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