Involvement of IGF-II in human cancer

Introduction Insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) is a regulatory peptide which is critical for normal organismal growth and differentiation, and which is implicated in tumor progression and metastasis by a variety of mechanisms, in many otherwise unrelated tumors. IGF-II signaling pathways involve two specific receptors. A family of six unique binding proteins for IGF-II exist, as well as binding protein proteases which, in turn, regulate IGF-II-binding protein levels. This report briefly describes the structural and functional characteristics of the IGF-II molecule and discusses the various mechanisms of IGF-II overactivity leading to tumor growth. Wilms' tumor, rhabdomyosarcoma, and neuroblastoma illustrate the involvement of IGF-II in tumor growth and metastasis. In tumors where IGF-II is thought to play a role in pathogenesis, the IGF-II signaling pathway may serve as a potential therapeutic target. Components of the IGF-II signaling pathways IGF-II overexpression The gene for human IGF-II is found on the short