IMR Press / FBL / Volume 14 / Issue 1 / DOI: 10.2741/3237

Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark (FBL) is published by IMR Press from Volume 26 Issue 5 (2021). Previous articles were published by another publisher on a subscription basis, and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement with Frontiers in Bioscience.

Article
Epidermal growth factor receptor modulates the tumorigenic potential of melanoma
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1 Department of Experimental Immunotherapy, Center of Molecular Immunology, P.O. Box 16040, Havana 11600, Cuba
Front. Biosci. (Landmark Ed) 2009, 14(1), 159–166; https://doi.org/10.2741/3237
Published: 1 January 2009
Abstract

Potential contribution of the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) in melanoma immunobiology remains unclear, in part due to a lack of experimental models. We demonstrated previously that B16F10 melanoma transfected with the full length cDNA of the human EGFR increases the tumor cell proliferation in vitro. To further study its contribution in vivo, EGFR-transfected B16F10 cells were inoculated in syngenic C57BL/6 mice and its tumorigenic capacity was compared with the parental melanoma. Contrary to the observed in vitro effect, EGFR-transfected B16F10 cells displayed a delayed tumor growth rate in vivo, correlating inversely to the transgene expression. Interestingly, resulting tumors showed a downregulation of the EGFR transgene expression. Contrastingly, parental and EGFR-transfected B16F10 cells exhibited a similar tumorigenic potential in immunocompromised subjects, persisting the EGFR transgene expression. These results document the adaptability of melanoma to growth in immunocompetent individuals. Moreover, the potential EGFR expression during the melanoma outgrowth that would be downregulated by interacting with the host immune system during the tumor evolution is not excluded and which may be dissected in this model.

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