Juniper Publishers Gynecology and Women’s Health

           JUNIPER PUBLISHERS- JOURNAL OF GYNECOLOGY AND WOMEN’S HEALTH                            Journal of Gynecology and Women’s Health-Juniper Publishers     Authored by Ilan Bruchim* Abstract Over the last 20 years, accumulating evidence has identified the IGF axis as an important player in the carcinogenesis of several human malignancies including endometrial and serous ovarian carcinomas. The IGF system comprises the ligands (IGF-1, IGF-2), cell surface receptors (IGF1R, IGF2R) and at least six IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs) and is coupled to several intracellular messenger pathways including the RAS-RAF-MAPK and PI3K. The IGF1R expression and activation was shown to be a fundamental prerequisite for acquisition of a malignant cell phenotype. IGF1R expression was shown to be significantly higher in endometrial carcinoma than in normal endometrium. Furthermore, several factors appear to negotiate their effect on endometrial growth and proliferation through the eff