Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 20, 2026

Primary Culture of Rat Adrenocortical Cells and Assays of Steroidogenic Functions
04:33

Primary Culture of Rat Adrenocortical Cells and Assays of Steroidogenic Functions

Published on: March 12, 2019

8.6K

Effects of Type 1 Insulin-Like Growth Factor Receptor Silencing in a Human Adrenocortical Cell Line

T C Ribeiro1, A A Jorge1,2, L R Montenegro1

  • 1Unidade de Endocrinologia do Desenvolvimento, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular, LIM/42, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.

Hormone and Metabolic Research = Hormon- Und Stoffwechselforschung = Hormones Et Metabolisme
|June 2, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Decreasing insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) in adrenocortical tumor cells reduced cell growth and increased apoptosis. This suggests targeting IGF-1R is a promising therapeutic strategy for adrenal cancers.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) is frequently overexpressed in various human cancers.
  • Adrenocortical tumors, including malignant forms, exhibit IGF-1R overexpression, indicating its potential role in tumorigenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the therapeutic potential of downregulating IGF-1R in human adrenocortical cancer cells.
  • To assess the impact of IGF-1R inhibition on cell proliferation and apoptosis in an adrenocortical tumor cell line.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized small interfering RNA (siRNA) to specifically target and reduce IGF-1R expression in the NCI H295R human adrenocortical cell line.
  • Quantified IGF-1R mRNA levels using quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (qRTPCR) and protein levels via Western blot.
  • Evaluated the effects of IGF-1R downregulation on cell proliferation and apoptosis in vitro.

Main Results:

  • Transfection with IGF-1R-specific siRNAs significantly decreased both IGF-1R mRNA (approx. 50%) and protein (approx. 30%) levels.
  • Downregulation of IGF-1R led to a notable reduction in cell growth (approx. 40%) and a significant increase in apoptosis (approx. 45%) in NCI H295R cells.
  • The observed effects were more pronounced with one of the two tested IGF-1R siRNAs (siRNA #2).

Conclusions:

  • Reducing IGF-1R expression in adrenocortical tumor cells effectively inhibits tumor cell growth in vitro.
  • Targeting IGF-1R represents a promising therapeutic avenue for pediatric malignant adrenocortical tumors.
  • IGF-1R inhibition may also be a viable treatment option for adult adrenocortical cancer, particularly when guided by personalized genomic tumor profiling.

More Related Videos

An Adipocyte Cell Culture Model to Study the Impact of Protein and Micro-RNA Modulation on Adipocyte Function09:20

An Adipocyte Cell Culture Model to Study the Impact of Protein and Micro-RNA Modulation on Adipocyte Function

Published on: May 4, 2021

4.4K
Lentiviral Mediated Gene Silencing in Human Pseudoislet Prepared in Low Attachment Plates11:24

Lentiviral Mediated Gene Silencing in Human Pseudoislet Prepared in Low Attachment Plates

Published on: May 14, 2019

5.9K

Related Concept Videos

Insulin: The Receptor and Signaling Pathways01:28

Insulin: The Receptor and Signaling Pathways

Insulin action is mediated through a receptor tyrosine kinase, akin to the IGF-1 receptor. The number of receptors per cell varies significantly, from 40 on erythrocytes to 300,000 on adipocytes and hepatocytes. The insulin receptor consists of linked α/β subunit dimers, forming a heterotetramer glycoprotein with two extracellular α subunits and two β subunits spanning the membrane. The α subunits inhibit the inherent tyrosine kinase activity of the β subunits, but...
5.7K
Mitogens and the Cell Cycle02:38

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle

Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...
8.3K
Hormones of the Adrenal Glands01:31

Hormones of the Adrenal Glands

Adrenal hormones play a pivotal role in maintaining the body's electrolyte balance and orchestrating responses to stress, showcasing the intricate functions of the adrenal cortex and medulla.
The adrenal cortex, a powerhouse of hormone synthesis, generates over two dozen corticosteroid hormones. The zona glomerulosa produces mineralocorticoids, exemplified by aldosterone, influencing the electrolyte composition of body fluids. The synthesis of glucocorticoids such as cortisol and...
6.4K
Target Cell Response to Hormones01:22

Target Cell Response to Hormones

Hormones intricately bind to receptors on the surface or within target cells, initiating a cascade of cellular responses.
Notably, the cellular response can be regulated by altering the number of receptors expressed in the cell. For example, prolonged exposure to elevated hormone levels results in a gradual decline or down-regulation in the number of receptors for that specific hormone on the cell surface. Conversely, in response to low hormone levels, cells may use up-regulation, producing an...
6.1K
GPCRs Regulate Adenylyl Cylase Activity01:09

GPCRs Regulate Adenylyl Cylase Activity

Some GPCRs transmit signals through adenylyl cyclase (AC), a transmembrane enzyme. AC helps synthesize second messenger cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). AC catalyzes cyclization reaction and converts ATP to cAMP by releasing a pyrophosphate. The pyrophosphate is further hydrolyzed to phosphate by the enzyme pyrophosphatase, which drives cAMP synthesis to completion. However, cAMP is rapidly degraded to 5′ AMP by the enzymes phosphodiesterase (PDE), preventing overstimulation of...
8.2K
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...
10.9K