PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Single protein mimics retinoic acid therapy to help leukemia cells mature

“This study reveals that the expression of the Src-family kinase (SFK), FGR, alone can induce cell differentiation similar to RA.”

Single protein mimics retinoic acid therapy to help leukemia cells mature
2025-03-31
(Press-News.org)

“This study reveals that the expression of the Src-family kinase (SFK), FGR, alone can induce cell differentiation similar to RA.”

BUFFALO, NY – March 31, 2025 – A new research paper was published in Oncotarget, Volume 16, on March 21, 2025, titled “FGR Src family kinase causes signaling and phenotypic shift mimicking retinoic acid-induced differentiation of leukemic cells.”

A research team led by first author Noor Kazim and corresponding author Andrew Yen from Cornell University discovered that the FGR protein—traditionally considered a cancer-promoting molecule—can instead trigger leukemia cells to mature.  This effect mirrors the response usually induced by retinoic acid (RA); a compound derived from vitamin A that is widely used in cancer therapy. Their finding presents a potential new path for therapies targeting acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and related cancers.

Acute myeloid leukemia is often treated using RA-based therapies that force immature white blood cells to mature, slowing their rapid growth. Retinoic acid works through complex signaling and gene regulation involving a group of proteins that orchestrate this transformation. In this study, the team used HL-60 cells, a model for human leukemia, and engineered them to express FGR. Surprisingly, the presence of FGR alone was enough to make these cells mature in a way almost identical to what happens with RA treatment. They began producing well-known markers of maturation such as CD38 and CD11b, generated reactive oxygen species (ROS), and expressed the inhibitor of the cell cycle, p27, all signs that the cells had shifted from a cancer-like, fast-dividing state to a more specialized, mature form. 

Further analysis revealed that FGR activated a group of proteins known as the “signalsome,” which helps trigger the changes needed for cells to differentiate. This same group is typically activated by RA. 

“Notably, FGR induces the expression of genes targeted by RAR/RXR, such as cd38 and blr1, even without RA.”

To test its potential use in treatment-resistant leukemias, the researchers introduced FGR into RA-resistant HL-60 cells. In these, FGR did not cause the same maturation process, which suggests that there are other problems with cell signaling that stop both the RA and FGR pathways. This result highlights the complexity of resistance mechanisms and the need for additional research.

These findings challenge the traditional view of FGR as strictly a cancer-driving protein. Instead, in this specific context, it appears to initiate anti-cancer behavior. That a single protein can reproduce the effects of a complex therapeutic compound like RA is both surprising and promising. If future research confirms this study’s results in more advanced models, FGR could become a new tool for developing therapies for AML and potentially other blood cancers.


Continue reading: DOI: https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.28705

Correspondence to: Andrew Yen — ay13@cornell.edu

Keywords: cancer, cancer biology and cell cycle regulation, retinoic acid(RA), FGR Src-family-kinase, cancer differentiation-therapy, leukemia

Click here to sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article.

About Oncotarget:  

Oncotarget (a primarily oncology-focused, peer-reviewed, open access journal) aims to maximize research impact through insightful peer-review; eliminate borders between specialties by linking different fields of oncology, cancer research and biomedical sciences; and foster application of basic and clinical science.

Oncotarget is indexed and archived by PubMed/Medline, PubMed Central, Scopus, EMBASE, META (Chan Zuckerberg Initiative) (2018-2022), and Dimensions (Digital Science).

To learn more about Oncotarget, visit Oncotarget.com and connect with us on social media:

X
Facebook
YouTube
Instagram
LinkedIn
Pinterest
Spotify, and available wherever you listen to podcasts

Click here to subscribe to Oncotarget publication updates.

For media inquiries, please contact media@impactjournals.com.  

 Oncotarget Journal Office
6666 East Quaker St., Suite 1
Orchard Park, NY 14127

END


[Attachments] See images for this press release:
Single protein mimics retinoic acid therapy to help leukemia cells mature Single protein mimics retinoic acid therapy to help leukemia cells mature 2 Single protein mimics retinoic acid therapy to help leukemia cells mature 3

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Research: Top scientists issue urgent warning on fossil fuels

2025-03-31
WASHINGTON— In a review published today in the peer-reviewed journal Oxford Open Climate Change, top scientists issued an urgent warning that fossil fuels and the fossil fuel industry are driving interlinked crises that threaten people, wildlife, and a livable future.  Today’s review synthesizes the extensive scientific evidence showing that fossil fuels and the fossil fuel industry are fueling not only the climate crisis but also public health harms, environmental injustice, biodiversity loss, and the plastics ...

Thinner Arctic sea ice may affect the AMOC

Thinner Arctic sea ice may affect the AMOC
2025-03-31
One of the ocean currents in the Arctic Ocean is at risk of disappearing this century because of climate change, according to a new joint study from the University of Gothenburg and the German Alfred Wegener Institute. As a result, the North Atlantic could be flooded with freshwater which would weaken the global ocean circulation.   The weakening of the AMOC, Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, is a hot topic among the world's climate scientists. However, it is unclear what the consequences will be when ...

How dreams, novelty, and emotions can shape memories: lessons from smartphone studies

2025-03-31
BOSTON - March 31, 2025 - A memory is not a straight line from one point to another, even if we sometimes think of them like linear stories. This key insight that cognitive neuroscientists have known for many years is now guiding a new type of research—to explore not only how memories evolve over time but also how they can be strengthened or changed. Assisting researchers with this new exploration is a powerful tool: smartphones. “Smartphones are an incredible tool for understanding patterns of feelings, behavior, ...

Leveraging Preexisting Cardiovascular Data to Improve the Detection and Treatment of Hypertension

2025-03-31
About The Study: In the NOTIFY-LVH randomized clinical trial, a centralized population health coordinator–led notification and clinical support pathway for individuals with left ventricular hypertrophy on prior echocardiograms increased the initial treatment of hypertension. This work highlights the potential benefit of leveraging preexisting but potentially underutilized cardiovascular data to improve health care delivery through mechanisms augmenting the traditional ambulatory care system. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Jason H. Wasfy, MD, MPhil, email jwasfy@mgh.harvard.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit ...

Study highlights barriers to including non-English speakers in research

Study highlights barriers to including non-English speakers in research
2025-03-31
Health researchers omit including speakers of languages other than English (LOE) in their studies due to lack of training, challenges securing interpreter services, budget constraints and other barriers, according to a new JAMA Network Open study. “Non-English-speaking individuals are being excluded from research, and we wanted to understand why,” said senior author Maya Ragavan, M.D., M.P.H., M.S., associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh. “Ensuring that everyone can participate in research, regardless of the languages that they speak, helps ensure that the findings are representative of the entire community, ...

Queen Mary launches new regenerative medicine spinout to repair joint damage and prevent arthritis

2025-03-31
The method is substantially cheaper and easier to administer than even the best of today’s approaches – making it significantly more viable for healthcare providers.   The invention paves the way for a future restorative treatment for osteoarthritis.  Scientists at Queen Mary University of London have invented a new way to repair osteochondral defects – a common form of joint damage often caused by sports injuries or trauma – and to prevent progression to osteoarthritis.   The treatment uses Agrin, the protein which builds and maintains the link between our motor neurons and muscle fibres. A small soluble polypeptide ...

Make these scientific sessions part of your media coverage

2025-03-31
New York, NY – March 31, 2025 – Register now for a complimentary media pass for the ATS 2025 International Conference in San Francisco. We will have breaking news from the leading international conference for pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine. See what scientific sessions we have planned: Allergy/Immunology  Critical Care  Cellular/Molecular Biology Bronchiectasis and COPD  Health Equity/Health Disparities  ILD  Pediatrics  Sleep All registered media will receive a press release one week prior to the conference with ...

Common anticancer drugs may offer new hope to PTEN Hamartoma Tumour Syndrome patients

Common anticancer drugs may offer new hope to PTEN Hamartoma Tumour Syndrome patients
2025-03-31
During development, cells grow, expand, and migrate to generate tissues and organs in a highly controlled manner. Many intracellular pathways – series of signalling cascades within a cell – regulate these actions to avoid non-programmed growth that could lead to malformations or cancer. One of these pathways is the PTEN / PI3K axis, a complex series of perfectly balanced chemical reactions. Mutations in the PTEN gene usually result in the overactivation of PI3K and the imbalance of the system. This may trigger the onset of different types ...

Boehringer Ingelheim and Lieber Institute for Brain Development advance development of COMT inhibitors to treat cognitive impairment in neuropsychiatric disorders

2025-03-31
Baltimore, Maryland (March 31, 2025) — The Lieber Institute for Brain Development, a nonprofit research institution dedicated to treating and preventing developmental brain disorders, today announced the progression toward clinical testing of a unique, centrally acting catechol Omethyltransferase (COMT) inhibitor from its collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim.   COMT is a dopamine-metabolizing enzyme involved in the regulation of neurotransmitter levels. These are critical for cognitive and behavioral processes that are impaired in several neuropsychiatric disorders. While peripherally ...

WSU researchers develop machine learning model to predict virus reservoirs

WSU researchers develop machine learning model to predict virus reservoirs
2025-03-31
PULLMAN, Wash. — A new artificial intelligence tool could aid in limiting or even prevent pandemics by identifying animal species that may harbor and spread viruses capable of infecting humans. Created by Washington State University researchers, the machine learning model analyzes host characteristics and virus genetics to identify potential animal reservoirs and geographic areas where new outbreaks are more likely to occur. The model focuses on orthopoxviruses — which includes the viruses that cause smallpox and mpox. The researchers recently published a study on their work using the model ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

KAIST Develops Retinal Therapy to Restore Lost Vision​

Adipocyte-hepatocyte signaling mechanism uncovered in endoplasmic reticulum stress response

Mammals were adapting from life in the trees to living on the ground before dinosaur-killing asteroid

Low LDL cholesterol levels linked to reduced risk of dementia

Thickening of the eye’s retina associated with greater risk and severity of postoperative delirium in older patients

Almost one in ten people surveyed report having been harmed by the NHS in the last three years

Enhancing light control with complex frequency excitations

New research finds novel drug target for acute myeloid leukemia, bringing hope for cancer patients

New insight into factors associated with a common disease among dogs and humans

Illuminating single atoms for sustainable propylene production

New study finds Rocky Mountain snow contamination

Study examines lactation in critically ill patients

UVA Engineering Dean Jennifer West earns AIMBE’s 2025 Pierre Galletti Award

Doubling down on metasurfaces

New Cedars-Sinai study shows how specialized diet can improve gut disorders

Making moves and hitting the breaks: Owl journeys surprise researchers in western Montana

PKU Scientists simulate the origin and evolution of the North Atlantic Oscillation

ICRAFT breakthrough: Unlocking A20’s dual role in cancer immunotherapy

How VR technology is changing the game for Alzheimer’s disease

A borrowed bacterial gene allowed some marine diatoms to live on a seaweed diet

Balance between two competing nerve proteins deters symptoms of autism in mice

Use of antifungals in agriculture may increase resistance in an infectious yeast

Awareness grows of cancer risk from alcohol consumption, survey finds

The experts that can outsmart optical illusions

Pregnancy may reduce long COVID risk

Scientists uncover novel immune mechanism in wheat tandem kinase

Three University of Virginia Engineering faculty elected as AAAS Fellows

Unintentional drug overdoses take a toll across the U.S. unequally, study finds

A step toward plant-based gelatin

ECMWF unveils groundbreaking ML tool for enhanced fire prediction

[Press-News.org] Single protein mimics retinoic acid therapy to help leukemia cells mature
“This study reveals that the expression of the Src-family kinase (SFK), FGR, alone can induce cell differentiation similar to RA.”