Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Precise Visualization of Insulin Receptors A and B in Murine Brain with an RNA In Situ Hybridization Assay
Published on: July 15, 2025
Insulin receptor activation in solitary fibrous tumours
1Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Abstract:
Solitary fibrous tumours (SFTs) are known to overexpress insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF-2). The down-stream oncogenic pathways of IGF-2, however, are not clear. Here we report uniform activation of the insulin receptor (IR) pathway in SFTs, which are mesenchymal tumours frequently associated with hypoglycaemia. Whereas the IR and its downstream signalling pathways were constitutively activated in SFTs, insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) was not expressed in these tumours. We also find that SFT cells secrete IGF-2 and proliferate in serum-free medium, consistent with an IGF-2/IR autocrine loop. The aetiological relevance of IGF-2 is supported by expression of IR-A, the IR isoform with high affinity for IGF-2, in all SFTs. Our studies suggest that IR activation plays an oncogenic role in SFTs.
Related Concept Videos
Insulin: The Receptor and Signaling Pathways
Insulin Secretory Vesicles
PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...
Glucose Homeostasis: Pancreatic Islets and Insulin Secretion
Insulin and C-peptide are co-secreted in...
