Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 29, 2026

A Novel Stromal Fibroblast-Modulated 3D Tumor Spheroid Model for Studying Tumor-Stroma Interaction and Drug Discovery
07:20

A Novel Stromal Fibroblast-Modulated 3D Tumor Spheroid Model for Studying Tumor-Stroma Interaction and Drug Discovery

Published on: February 28, 2020

Fibroblast growth factor 2 induces differentiation and apoptosis of Askin tumour cells

Min-Suk Kim1, Chong Jai Kim, Hyun Sook Jung

  • 1Department of Pathology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

The Journal of Pathology
|December 25, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) induces neuronal differentiation and apoptosis in peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumour (PNET) cells, including Askin tumour. This highlights FGF2 signaling as a potential therapeutic target for PNET.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Oncology
  • Cell Signaling

Background:

  • Peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumour (PNET)/Ewing's sarcoma (ES) and neuroblastoma (NB) are neural crest-derived tumors.
  • Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) influences neural crest cell biology, inducing apoptosis in PNET/ES and variable effects in NB.
  • The JK-GMS Askin tumor cell line differentiates with nerve growth factor (NGF), confirming differentiation machinery integrity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether FGF2 can induce differentiation in JK-GMS PNET cells.
  • To elucidate the signaling pathways involved in FGF2-mediated effects in PNET cells.
  • To compare FGF2 effects across different PNET and ES cell lines.

Main Methods:

  • Treatment of JK-GMS cells with FGF2 and pathway inhibitors (PD98059 for MEK1, JNK inhibitor).
  • Assessment of FGFR phosphorylation, ERK1/2 and JNK activation.
  • Analysis of biological effects including growth, differentiation, apoptosis, and gene expression (neurofilaments, c-myc, bcl-2, caspase 3).

Main Results:

  • FGF2 treatment activated FGFR1, ERK1/2, and JNK pathways in JK-GMS cells.
  • FGF2 induced growth inhibition, neuronal differentiation, apoptosis, increased neurofilaments, and altered c-myc/bcl-2 expression.
  • FGF2 promoted significant neuronal differentiation in the SK-N-MC PNET cell line, but not in CADO-ES or RD-ES Ewing's sarcoma cell lines.

Conclusions:

  • FGF2 effectively induces neuronal differentiation and apoptosis in PNET, including Askin tumor cells.
  • The ERK1/2 and JNK signaling pathways are critical mediators of FGF2's effects in PNET cells.
  • The FGF2 signaling pathway represents a promising therapeutic target for PNET.

More Related Videos

A 3D Spheroid Model as a More Physiological System for Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Differentiation and Invasion In Vitro Studies06:27

A 3D Spheroid Model as a More Physiological System for Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Differentiation and Invasion In Vitro Studies

Published on: August 8, 2019

Related Concept Videos

Introduction to Fibroblasts01:09

Introduction to Fibroblasts

Rudolph Virchow discovered spindle-shaped cells called fibroblasts in 1858. Inactive fibroblasts, called fibrocytes, become activated by various stimuli, such as growth factors and inflammatory cytokines. Activated fibroblasts play a crucial role in wound healing, inflammation, formation of new blood vessels, and cancer progression. Uncontrolled activation of fibroblasts results in fibrosis, the excess deposition of fibrous tissue, which can lead to scarring and affect normal organs. This...
The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway01:31

The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

Internal cellular stress, such as cellular injury or hypoxia, triggers intrinsic apoptosis. The B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family of proteins are the primary regulators of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. For example, during DNA damage, checkpoint proteins, such as Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM protein) and Checkpoints Factor-2 (Chk2) proteins, are activated. These proteins phosphorylate p53 which further activates pro-apoptotic proteins, such as Bax, Bak, PUMA, and Noxa, and inhibits...
TGF - β Signaling Pathway01:16

TGF - β Signaling Pathway

The TGF-β signaling pathway regulates cell growth, differentiation, adhesion, motility, and development. TGF-β ligands that induce TGF-β signaling are synthesized in their latent form. Several proteases or cell surface receptors such as integrins act upon the latent form, releasing the active ligand. There are three types of mammalian TGF-βs: (TGF-β1, TGF-β2, and TGF-β3) that bind as homodimers or heterodimers to TGF-β receptors. The TGF-β receptors are of three kinds RI, RII, and RIII. The RI...
The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway01:17

The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

The extrinsic apoptotic pathway is initiated when extracellular death-inducing signals, such as specific cytokines, activate the death receptors expressed on the cell surface. The immune cells involved in this pathway are natural killer cells (NK cells) and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. NK cells are critical in innate immune response, while cytotoxic T-lymphocytes are associated with adaptive immune response. These cells recognize specific receptors expressed on the altered cells and activate...