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Encyclopedia of Cancer pp 1–7Cite as

Insulin-Like Growth Factors

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Definition

The insulin-like growth factors (IGF-I and IGF-II) are structurally related molecules that play essential roles in the regulation of cell survival, growth, proliferation, differentiation, and metabolism. The IGF family is comprised of (i) ligands (IGF-I, IGF-II, and insulin), (ii) six well-characterized high-affinity binding proteins (IGFBP-1−6), (iii) IGFBP proteases, and (iv) cell surface receptors that mediate the biological functions of IGFs. These transmembrane receptors include the IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR), IGF-II/mannose 6-phosphate receptor (IGF-II/M6PR), insulin receptor (IR), and insulin receptor-related receptor (IRR). In many tumor cells, the IGF-IR is often upregulated and/or hyperactivated. Furthermore, increased circulating IGF-I levels are considered a significant risk factor for the development of various types of cancers. Although the oncogenic role of IGFs (i.e., their ability to initiate carcinogenesis) is still under the debate, numerous lines of...

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References

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See Also

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  • (2012) MAPK. In: Schwab M (ed) Encyclopedia of Cancer, 3rd edn. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, p 2167. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_3532

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  • (2012) Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase. In: Schwab M (ed) Encyclopedia of Cancer, 3rd edn. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, p 2336. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_3770

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  • (2012) P53. In: Schwab M (ed) Encyclopedia of Cancer, 3rd edn. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, p 2747. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_4331

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  • (2012) Palliative. In: Schwab M (ed) Encyclopedia of Cancer, 3rd edn. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, p 2759. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_4350

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  • (2012) Radiation Therapy. In: Schwab M (ed) Encyclopedia of Cancer, 3rd edn. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, p 3144. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_4907

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  • (2012) Shc. In: Schwab M (ed) Encyclopedia of Cancer, 3rd edn. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, p 3401. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_5284

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cancer Immunobiology, Eli Lilly and Company, 450 E 29th Street, 10016, New York, NY, USA

    Ruslan Novosiadly

  2. Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Diseases, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Derek LeRoith

Authors
  1. Ruslan Novosiadly
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  2. Derek LeRoith
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ruslan Novosiadly .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Abt. Tumorgenetik, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Heidelberg, Germany

    Manfred Schwab

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Novosiadly, R., LeRoith, D. (2015). Insulin-Like Growth Factors. In: Schwab, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cancer. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_3080-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_3080-3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27841-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Biomedicine and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences

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