Selective inhibition of proliferation in colorectal carcinoma cell lines expressing mutant APC or activated B-Raf

Abstract

Tumor-derived cell lines are indispensable tools for understanding the contribution of activated signaling pathways to the cancer phenotype and for the design and testing of targeted signal therapies. In our study, we characterize 10 colorectal carcinoma cell lines for the presence of mutations in the wnt, Ras/MAPK, PI3K and p53 pathways. The mutational spectrum found in this panel of cell lines is similar to that detected in primary CRC, albeit with higher frequency of mutation in the b-catenin and B-Raf genes. We have monitored activation of the wnt and Ras/MAPK pathways in these cells and analyzed their sensitivity to selective signaling inhibitors. Using b-catenin subcellular distributio..