IGF Family Effects on Development, Stability, and Treatment of Hematological Malignancies

Multiple factors, including growth factors, are shown to be culprits of cancer outset and persistence. Among growth factors, insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) family are of more importance in the prognosis of blood malignancies. After binding to their corresponding receptor, IGFs initiate PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and increase the translation of intracellular proteins, such as cell division-related proteins. They also stimulate the transcription of cell division-related genes using the Ras-GTP pathway. In addition to organs such as the liver, IGFs are secreted by tumor cells and can cause growth and proliferation of self or tumor cells via autocrine and paracrine methods. Current studies indicate that decreasing the effects of IGF by blocking them, their receptors, or PI3K/AKT pathway using various drugs could help to suppress the division of tumor cells. Here, we delineate the role of the IGF family in hematologic malignancies and their potential mechanisms.