STAT5

Abstract: Tumour cells acquire the ability to proliferate uncontrollably, resist apoptosis, sustain angiogenesis and evade immune surveillance. STAT proteins — especially STAT3 and STAT5 — regulate all of these processes and are persistently activated in a surprisingly large number of human cancers. Consequently, STAT proteins are emerging — unexpectedly — as ideal targets for cancer therapy.

Abstract: Cytokines and growth factors regulate multiple aspects of cell growth through their interactions with specific receptors. These receptors initiate signals directed at both the cytoplasmic and the nuclear compartments. Many of the nuclear signals culminate in the induction of new genes. Characterization of the ability of IFN-alpha to rapidly induce new genes has led to the identification of a new signaling paradigm, the JAK-STAT (Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription) pathway. In the IFN-alpha pathway, two receptor associated tyrosine kinases from the JAK family, Jak1 and Tyk2, mediate the activation of two latent cytoplasmic transcription factors, Stat1 and Stat2. More recent studies have not only determined that this pathway is used extensively, but have led to the identification of additional components (e.g., Jak2, Jak3, Stat3, Stat4, Stat5, and Stat6). This review will examine how these components mediate the transduction of signal directly from receptor to nucleus.

Abstract: Since their discovery as key mediators of cytokine signaling, considerable progress has been made in defining the structure-function relationships of Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription (STATs). In addition to their central roles in normal cell signaling, recent studies have demonstrated that diverse oncoproteins can activate specific STATs (particularly Stat3 and Stat5) and that constitutively-activated STAT signaling directly contributes to oncogenesis. Furthermore, extensive surveys of primary tumors and cell lines derived from tumors indicate that inappropriate activation of specific STATs occurs with surprisingly high frequency in a wide variety of human cancers. Together, these findings provide compelling evidence that aberrant STAT activation associated with oncogenesis is not merely adventitious but instead contributes to the process of malignant transformation. These studies are beginning to reveal the molecular mechanisms leading to STAT activation in the context of oncogenesis, and candidate genes regulated by STATs that may contribute to oncogenesis are being identified. Recent studies suggest that activated STAT signaling participates in oncogenesis by stimulating cell proliferation and preventing apoptosis. This review presents the evidence for critical roles of STATs in oncogenesis and discusses the potential for development of novel cancer therapies based on mechanistic understanding of STAT signaling. Oncogene (2000).