Lung cancers are the major cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide with most patients dying within a year, mainly because of the ease at which the tumours spread to other organs. Previous reports are mainly focused on the overexpression of EphB3 in human non-small-cell lung cancer.
A team of researchers, led by Professor XIE Dong, at the Institute for Nutritional Sciences (INS), Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, CAS, found that switching on the kinase activity of the receptor EphB3 can turn this protein from a potential oncogene to a tumour suppressor.
Dr. XIE and his colleagues show that activation of the kinase function of the receptor EphB3 by its ligands suppresses the ability of non-small-cell lung cancers to spread. They also identify a novel interacting partner for EphB3, the protein RACK1, which facilitates activation of the kinase and of its tumour suppressive function.
This suggests that finding ways to activate the kinase function of this receptor may prove useful in blocking spread of non-small-cell lung cancers, which comprise approximately 80% of all lung cancers. The finding has the potential to provide a new therapeutic strategy for combating lung cancer.
This research entitled "EphB3 suppresses non-small-cell lung cancer metastasis via a PP2A/RACK1/Akt signaling complex" was published in Nature Communications on February 7, 2012.
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