Interactions between IGFBP-3 and TGFbeta in the inhibition of breast cancer cell growth

Funded Activity Summary

A protein first identified by our research group, called insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 or IGFBP-3, has been shown to be a potent inhibitor of the growth of cancer cells. High levels of IGFBP-3 in the bloodstream are associated with a decreased risk of several cancer types, including breast cancer. However, the way in which this protein prevents cancer cells from growing is poorly understood. This project will investigate an entirely novel idea, developed in our laboratory, that the actions of IGFBP-3 are intimately connected with the actions of another known cell growth inhibitor called transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta). We have found that these two proteins initiate the same sequence of events leading to growth inhibition in breast cancer cells, and that a receptor protein required for TGFbeta activity is also needed for IGFBP-3 to be inhibitory. Our work has the potential to explain for the first time exactly how IGFBP-3 stops cancer cells from growing. This is important because it is an abundant protein in the body, and understanding how it acts may lead to the development of new approaches to cancer therapy that exploit our findings.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2002

End Date: 01-01-2004

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $662,970.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Nutritional science

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

There are no SEO codes available for this funding activity

Other Keywords

Endocrinology | breast cancer | cell growth | cell signaling | growth factor regulation | insulin-like growth factors | mechanisms inhibiting cancer cell growth | signaling pathways | structure-activity relationships | transforming growth factor

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