Malignant gliomas are the most common primary brain tumors in adults. Patients with these highly malignant tumors have an extremely poor prognosis. The situation with a highly proliferative tumor in a non-proliferating tissue should favor cytostatic treatment but so far the role of conventional chemotherapy has been adjunctive. The concentrations of three sex steroids, estradiol, progesterone and testosterone, were analyzed by radioimmunoassay after celite chromatography in brain tumor samples. Some malignant gliomas had high tissue concentrations of estradiol. Low progesterone levels may suggest steroid consumption. Estramustine (EM), a conjugate of estradiol-17ß and nornitrogen mustard had a dose-dependent antiproliferative effect on several human malignant glioma cell lines. At equimolar concentrations the inhibitory effects of the EM complex were clearly more pronounced than those of estradiol and nornitrogen mustard given alone or in combination. A specific binding protein (EMBP) is important for the cytotoxic action of EM. Using a mouse monoclonal antibody and an indirect antibodyperoxidase technique, EMBP was demonstrated in human glioma cells. Significant amounts of EMBP were also detected in human brain tumor tissue by radioimmunoassay. The mean concentrations (ng/mg protein) in 16 astrocytomas (2.6) and 7 meningiomas (5.1) were higher (p&lt;0.001) than in 18 samples of normal brain (0.5). The presence of the specific binding protein may suggest a selective binding and effect of EM in human brain tumor tissue. Human glioma cells displayed significant uptake, retention and metabolism of estramustine phosphate (EMP). After incubation with ^H-EMP a progressive uptake of radioactivity was recorded during 24 hours. Metabolism of parent EMP into estramustine and estromustine, which is a well known part of the metabolic pathway in man, was also demonstrated. A dose- dependent increase in DNA strand breaks was recorded at EMP- concentrations ranging 10-40 yg/ml. The uptake of ®^Rb, used as a tracer for potassium to study ion transport and membrane permeability, was reduced after incubation with EMP. Scanning electron microscopy gave further evidence for membrane damage. According to flow cytometric analyses exponentially growing glioma cells were accumulated in the G2/M stage and the fraction of Gi/Gq was reduced. EM seems to attack malignant cells in a multifocal fashion on several vital functions including the microtubule, the nucleus, and the cell membrane. The intact EM complex may be important for effects related to microtubule function which add to the cytotoxic potential of its constituents. These experimental findings justify further investigations on the role of sex hormones in brain tumor growth and development and of hormone-linked cytostatics in clinical treatment. / <p>Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Umeå universitet, 1990, härtill 6 uppsatser.</p> / digitalisering@umu

Le mésothéliome pleural malin (MPM) est un cancer au pronostic sombre, en lien avec des traitements décevants. Quand la chirurgie fait partie d’un traitement multimodal, il est essentiel de l’associer avec un traitement adjuvant local pour tuer les cellules tumorales résiduelles. Récemment, la thérapie photodynamique (PDT) intrapleurale intra-opératoire, après exérèse tumorale chirurgicale, est apparue comme un traitement prometteur. Son succès repose sur l’illumination la plus complète et homogène de la cavité pleurale, contrôlée par une dosimétrie de lumière. Celle utilisée aujourd’hui en pratique clinique aux Etats-Unis repose sur la dosimétrie ponctuelle de sept capteurs intrathoraciques, mais ne permet pas d’avoir un reflet de la lumière délivrée sur l’ensemble des surfaces pleurales. Mon projet de recherche se décline sur un axe clinique et un axe expérimental : 1) mettre en place un essai de clinique de phase II au CHRU de Lille, associant la PDT intrapleurale au traitement multimodal du MPM, 2) développer une méthode de dosimétrie de lumière peropératoire innovante par la caractérisation du dispositif lumineux et l’utilisation de l’imagerie.L’essai clinique a démarré en Février 2016, en utilisant la dosimétrie de référence avec les sept capteurs en suivant le protocole américain. Une baguette lumineuse innovante a été conçue au laboratoire, ainsi que le système de dosimétrie. Quatre patients ont bénéficié d’une pleurectomie/décortication suivie d’une PDT intrapleurale (avec le photosensibilisateur Photofrin®) et d’une chimiothérapie adjuvante, sans toxicité majeure. Concernant le projet expérimental, un profil d’illumination de la baguette lumineuse a été défini en combinant les mesures de puissance ponctuelles (Watt) et celles de pixel à partir d’une photographie digitale. Un coefficient d’atténuation effectif a été calculé : µeff = 0,705 cm-1. A l’aide d’un système de repérage spatial électromagnétique (TrackStar®), la position de la baguette lumineuse est connue à l’intérieur de la cavité pleurale en temps réel, et ses coordonnées spatiales sont projetées sur le TDM thoracique en 3D. Après avoir intégré le profil d’illumination de la baguette au système de repérage, un logiciel dédié permet la représentation spatiale sur imagerie de la dose cumulée de lumière délivrée. Ce travail a été réalisé et validé sur un fantôme de cavité thoracique intra opératoire, puis notre méthode de dosimétrie a été comparée à celle de référence.Les perspectives sont de pouvoir tester la faisabilité cette nouvelle méthode de dosimétrie chez l’homme et de développer des dispositifs lumineux innovants pour une meilleure standardisation de la PDT pour le MPM. / Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a cancer with a poor prognosis due to deceiving treatments. When surgery is part of a multimodal treatment for MPM, it is crucial to combine it with a local adjuvant treatment to kill residual tumour cells. Recently, intrapleural photodynamic therapy (PDT) after surgical resection has appeared to be a promising treatment for MPM. Its success relies essentially on the most complete and homogeneous illumination of the pleural cavity, monitored by light dosimetry. The dosimetry method used today in the United States, with intrathoracic probes collecting the light at 7 strategic locations, does not give information about the light delivered on the whole pleural surface. This research project has a clinical and experimental axis: 1) to set up a phase II clinical trial in Lille University Hospital, combining intrapleural PDT to surgery within a multimodal treatment, 2) to develop an innovative peroperative light dosimetry method by the characterization of a light device and use of imaging.Clinical trial has started in February 2016, with the seven probes dosimetry method of reference, following the American protocol. An innovative light wand was conceived within the laboratory, as well as the dosimetry sytem. Four patients have undergone pleurectomy/decortications, intrapleural PDT (with photosensitizer Photofrin®) and adjuvant chemotherapy, without major toxicity. Regarding the experimental project, an illumination profile of the light wand was defined using two complementary methods: power measurements (Watt) and pixel intensity from digital photography. An effective attenuation coefficient was calculated: µeff = 0.705 cm-1. With an electromagnetic spatial tracking system (TrackStar®), we localized in real time the position of the light wand within the pleural cavity and projected its spatial coordinates to the 3D CT scan images. After having inserted the illumination profile of the light wand to the tracking system, a dedicated software allowed the spatial representation on CT images of the cumulated light dose. This work has been completed on an intraoperative thoracic cavity phantom. Our dosimetry method was validated on this phantom and compared to the one of reference.The perspectives are to test the feasibility of this new dosimetry method in humans, and to develop alternative light devices for a better standardization of the intrapleural PDT technique for MPM.

En 2016, les lymphoproliférations malignes [lymphome malin non hodgkinien (LNH) et lymphome de Hodgkin (LH)] restent un problème majeur chez les patients porteurs du VIH (PPVIH) car chaque année de 1 à 6 % de ces patients développent des lymphomes. Ces pathologies apparaissent actuellement comme une des principales causes de mortalité chez les PPVIH.Le virus d’Epstein-Barr (EBV), connu de longue date pour son pouvoir immortalisant des lymphocytes B et les propriétés oncogènes de certaines de ses protéines, apparait comme un cofacteur favorisant plus ou moins important de ces lymphomes chez les PPVIH. Quand le virus est présent dans la cellule tumorale ; on parle de cancer associé à l’EBV.Une des questions toujours en suspens est de savoir si la quantification de l’ADN viral EBV (charge virale) et le profil sérologique EBV dans le sang des PPVIH peuvent aider à mieux comprendre la physiopathologie de ces lymphomes et à mieux prendre en charge les PPVIH qui en souffrent.Ce travail de thèse effectuée en co-tutelle entre l’université de Grenoble-Alpes et l’université médicale d’Irkoutsk vise à contribuer à répondre à cette question.La partie bibliographique de cette thèse synthétise (i) les connaissances actuelles sur l’épidémiologie et la physiopathologie des LH (synthèse non publiée en français) et sur le rôle de l’EBV dans les LNH chez les PPVIH (article publié en russe dans « Siberian Medical Journal » en 2015); (ii) les études publiées sur la mesure de la charge virale et la sérologie EBV chez les PPVIH.La partie expérimentale de cette thèse est constituée de trois articles. Le premier article publié dans Journal of Clinical Microbiology en 2016 rapporte la démonstration que l’utilisation d’un standard international développé par l’OMS peut améliorer la précision de la mesure de la charge virale EBV dans le sang. Le deuxième article en cours d’écriture concerne les résultats préliminaires d’une étude de cohorte mise en place par l’ANRS qui suit des PVVIH atteints de LH. Dans cette étude, l’objectif principal était de savoir si la charge virale et la sérologie EBV lors de la découverte du LH pouvaient constituer des marqueurs pronostiques de cette maladie comme cela été décrit dans des LH survenant chez des patients non infectés par le VIH. Nos résultats préliminaires ne vont pas dans ce sens et ces marqueurs ne semblent donc pas utiles pour une amélioration de la prise en charge des LH chez les PPVIH. Le troisième article publié en russe en 2015 dans « HIV infection and Iimmunosuppressive Disorders » décrit l’épidémiologie des lymphomes chez PPVIH de l’Université Médicale d’Irkoutsk. Il montre une importante augmentation des LNH chez les PPVIH entre 2000 et 2014 liée à une épidémie VIH non contrôlée dans cette région de Russie. / In 2016, malignant lymphoproliférations [non Hodgkin's (NHL) and Hodgkin's lymphomas (HL)] remain a major concern in patients living with HIV (PLHIV), that each year 1-6% of these patients develop lymphomas. Lymphomas are the major cause of mortality in this population.Epstein-Bar Virus (EBV), long known for his immortalizing B cells power and oncogenic properties of some of its proteins, emerges as a cofactor favoring lymphoproliferations, more or less important, depending on the type of lymphoproliferation.One of the outstanding questions is whether the molecular and/or serological characterizations of EBV infection may help to better understand the pathophysiology of these diseases and better manage patients suffering from HIV-associated lymphomas.This dissertation under joint supervision between the University Grenoble Alpes and Irkutsk State Medical University aims to answer this question.The literature review of this thesis summarizes: (i) the role of EBV in LNH development in PLHIV (article published in Russian journal “Siberian Medical Journal” in 2015) and the current knowledge on the epidemiology and pathophysiology of Hodgkin's lymphoma (non published in French); (ii) published studies on the EBV viral load and serological evolutions in PLHIV.The experiments consist of three articles. The first article published in Journal of Clinical Microbiology in 2016, reports the demonstration that the application of international standard EBV developed by WHO can improve the quantification of EBV viral load in whole blood. The second study (in writing for publication) contains preliminary results of French National Agency for Research of HIV and hepatitis cohort study investigating PLHIV suffering from Hodgkin's lymphoma. The study focuses on whether the EBV viral load and serology of newly diagnosed lymphoma could provide prognostic information for this disease, as has been described in HIV-negative patients with HL. Our preliminary results don’t support this hypothesis; than EBV markers don’t can be used for best management of HL in PLHIV. The third study published in Russian Journal “HIV infection and Immunosuppressive disorders” (2015) describes the epidemiology of HIV-associated lymphoma in Irkutsk Oblast. The article shows that non-Hodgkin lymphoma incidence rates in PLHIV during 2007-2014 are probably due to HIV epidemic non-controlled in this Russian region.

Thesis on the topic "Search of New biomakers suitable for screening and early diagnostics of cancer" is dedicated to the issue of cancer, a cancer of the breast, prostate, ovarian and after the new findings out as melanom determination of tumor markers and their implications for clinical practice. Their aim is skouted up biomaker suitable for screening and early diagnostics of carcinoma( cancer ) of the breast, ovarian, prostate and malignant melanoma with utilization of various kinds of immunoassay. The theoretical part gives a brief and comprehensive overview of the epidemiology of selected tumors and tumor markers used and their qualities. In the methodological part are given principles applied iminoanalytics methods a list of the statistical methods and a detailed description of the groups of patients. Results section contains tables with results of biomarkers diveded by sort of avalueted tumors. In the discussion are then analyzed facts that follow from the results. It discussed the process and actualy status of searching convenients biomekers and their combinations that can distinguish a population of benign tumors of the population with malignant tumors and markers which are able to distinguish healthy population from the population with malignant tumors of the breast, ovary, prostate and melanoma. This work may serve as a source of knowledge and results to continue in search of such marker that could be used for screening and early diagnosis of cancer and so to improve the prevention of these illneses in the population.

Nos últimos anos, o desenvolvimento da computação tem auxiliado profissionais da saúde no tratamento, prevenção e diagnóstico de doenças. Um dos grandes desafios do campo tem sido o desenvolvimento de métodos para a discriminação do câncer de pele do tipo melanoma maligno em relação à outras lesões benignas. Para tal, pesquisadores usam técnicas de processamento e análise de imagens, explorando métricas baseadas na regra ABCD, para o desenvolvimento de métodos de diagnóstico de melanoma através de imagens. Enquanto diversos estudos abordam a coloração e textura do melanoma, um tratamento sistemático da irregularidade dos melanomas ainda não foi relatado. O presente trabalho traz um estudo dos fatores que influenciam a discriminação de lesões melanocíticas malignas e benignas, tomando como referência a assimetria das lesões e as irregularidades contidas em sua borda. Foram coletadas 143 imagens de casos clínicos de melanoma maligno, nevos regulares e nevos atípicos. Após tratamentos iniciais das imagens e posterior segmentação das lesões, extraiu-se 52 métricas referentes ao propósito do trabalho. A visualização da projeção LDA das três categorias revelou boa discriminação entre as categorias melanoma com relação as demais, reforçando a premissa original da acentuada irregularidade dos melanomas. Este resultado foi confirmado pela validação cruzada da projeção, com acertos da ordem de 75% para o grupo melanoma e 54% e 40% para os respectivos grupos nevo regular e nevo atípico. Deste resultado prevê-se uma das aplicações do sistema, na discriminação geral entre melanoma dos demais nevos. Para tal, uniu-se os grupos benignos em uma única categoria para a validação cruzada, gerando cálculos de sensibilidade e especificidade da ordem de 90% e 73% respectivamente. Outro importante resultado foi a comparação desses valores com as informações sobre o diâmetro das lesões. Conclui-se que ambas medidas (borda e tamanho) são igualmente relevantes no diagnóstico do melanoma, reflexo da própria patologia do melanoma, na qual acentuam-se ambas características em relação as demais lesões. Porém, a junção de ambas informações num único processamento não melhora a qualidade do diagnóstico, que nos permite prever que possa ser mais vantajoso proceder duas validações distintas com pesos iguais para o diagnóstico final. Por fim, um teste realizado com clínicos gerais e especialistas em melanoma revelou uma importante contribuição do método no auxílio de triagens ambulatoriais de casos suspeitos, principalmente para médicos com baixa ou nenhuma experiência em diagnóstico de melanoma. / Recent development in computer science have helped health professionals in the heath area in the treatment, prevention and diagnostic of illnesses. One of the leading challenges in this field has been the development of methods for the skin cancer discrimination between the types of malignant melanoma in relation to other benign lesions. For this, researchers have been using techniques of image processing and analysis, exploring metrics based on the ABCD rule, to the development of methods of diagnostic of melanoma through images. While plenty of studies are about the color and texture of the melanoma, a systematic treatment of the irregularity of the melanoma has not been reported yet. The present work presents a study of the factors which influence the discrimination among the malignant melanocytic and benign lesions, having as a reference the asymmetry of the lesions and the irregularities in their edges. It was collected 143 images of clinic cases of malignant melanoma, regular nevus and atypical nevus. After initial treatment of the images, followed by a segmentation of the lesions, it was extracted 52 metrics referent to the purpose of this study. The visualization of the projection LDA in three categories revealed a good discrimination among the categories of melanoma in relation to the others, reinforcing the original premise of the melanomas´ sharp irregularity. This result was confirmed by the cross-validation of the projection, with successes of 75 % to the melanoma group and 54 %-40 % to the regular nevus group and atypical nevus group, respectively. This result predicts one of the applications of the system in the general discrimination between the melanoma and the other nevus. In this regard, it was joined together the benign groups in one category to the cross-validation, generating calculations of sensibility and specificity of 90 % and 73 % respectively. Another important result was the comparison among these metrics with the information about the diameter of the lesions. It was concluded that both measurements (edges and size) are equally relevant in the diagnostic of the melanoma, reflection of the melanoma´s own pathology, in which both characteristics are enhanced in relation to the other lesions. However, the combination of both measurement in only one processing does not improve the quality of the diagnostic, which allows the prediction that it can be more advantageous to produce two distinct validations with the same weighs to the final diagnostic. To sum up, an accomplished test with doctors who are general practioner and specialists in melanoma revealed a significant contribution in the method to help in the triage of medical consultations in suspicious cases, mainly to doctors with little or no experience in the diagnostic of melanoma.

Background: Cancer in the head and neck region is an unusual form of cancer. The treatment for this cancer can cause permanent damage to vital functions. Nurses' have expressed frustration about feeling insufficient to accommodate the patients' needs. Patients' with head and neck cancer are reported to have low quality of life. Aim Describe patients' experiences of undergoing treatment of cancer in the head and/or neck region. Method: A qualitative systematic literature review with descriptive approach of qualitative articles. Result: Undergoing treatment for cancer in the head and neck region created challenges for the patients'. Many patients' have had experienced that the time between the diagnose and treatment went fast. The treatment caused side effects that led to constraints in daily life and many created a new identity because they did not recognize themselves in the same way as before the diagnose. Patients became dependent to the medical care and made them omitted to others. They had to handle a new life situation, and to manage that, the patients created strategies. Conclusion: The treatment provided side effects that affected the everyday lives of the patients. The side effects impacted on patients both physically, psychologically, socially and existentially. More knowledge is needed in order to improve the health care for patients with head and neck cancer.

One hundred women aged 20 to 50 were asked to compare their sexual experience before diagnosis and following treatment for benign and malignant cervical disease. The subjects were divided into five groups: three groups had definite cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), (Class II or III). Two groups were treated with cryotherapy, and one with hysterectomy. One group had a provisional diagnosis of CIN I, but received no treatment. Subjects in the last group had microinvasive cervical carcinoma and were also treated with hysterectomy. All subjects had ovarian function; all were sexually active at the time of treatment. They were interviewed at least six months post-cryotherapy and 15 months post-hysterectomy. All subjects completed a variant version of the Derogatis Sexual Function Inventory (DSFI).

Malignant melanoma (MM) is the deadliest skin cancer with an ever-increasing incidence. New treatments have improved the prognosis for patients with advanced MM. Still, most patients do not respond, and the side effects can be severe, underlining the need for better therapies. The overall aim of this thesis was to evaluate new means to improve the treatment for patients with advanced MM. Immunostimulatory gene therapy (AdCD40L) was evaluated in a clinical study and BRAF-inhibitory treatment in rare cases of BRAF-mutated MM. Due to its immunogenicity, MM is an attractive target for immunostimulatory gene therapy. AdCD40L is an adenovirus carrying the human gene for CD40 ligand, which in different ways can stimulate the immune system to combat cancer. We conducted a Phase I/IIa study with AdCD40L in patients with metastatic MM having received established treatments. In cohort 1 (n=6), four weekly, intratumoural AdCD40L injections were given. In cohort 2 (n=9), low dose cyclophosphamide was added to increase the immune response. Since irradiation may act synergistically with immunotherapy, patients in cohort 3 (n=9) also received a single fraction of radiotherapy (8 Gy). This fraction was given towards the lesion selected for injections. The primary objectives were to assess the feasibility and safety of AdCD40L-treatment and secondarily its anti-tumour effects. Patients were thoroughly assessed for toxicity. The anti-tumour response was evaluated by imaging techniques (FDG-PET/CT, DW-MRI scans), tumour biopsies and blood tests. Plasma protein markers were measured with a multiplex platform. Another objective was to evaluate the potential of DW-MRI and FDG-PET/CT for prediction of AdCD40L treatment response, in terms of overall survival (OS). AdCD40L was well tolerated with mild transient reactions. Local and distant responses in PET/CT scans along with a significantly better 6-month survival in the cohorts that received cyclophosphamide conditioning were observed. Effector lymphocyte responses were elicited. All patients had an increased T effector/T regulatory-cell ratio and death receptors were significantly up-regulated post therapy. Inflammatory cytokines and other plasma proteins were altered in favourable ways by the AdCD40L treatment. The analyses support that the functional DWI parameters may be better early predictors of OS than the established metabolic and morphologic criteria of FDG-PET/CT and CT/MRI, respectively. In conclusion, the stimulation of the CD40 pathway to initiate anti-tumour immunity is a promising treatment alternative for MM patients. However, further studies with developed treatment schemes are warranted. In the first report ever on treatment of a pregnant patient with a BRAF-inhibitor, the therapy was initiated in the second trimester. The treatment with vemurafenib enabled prolonged gestation, hence reducing the risk of immaturity-related complications. Further, we report the first case worldwide of a patient with metastatic conjunctival melanoma who benefitted from treatment with vemurafenib. Additional studies are needed to assess the efficacy of BRAF -inhibitors in the different subtypes of ocular melanoma.

The thesis has been prepared in a paper-based format and includes three papers: Paper 1, a systematic review; Paper 2, an empirical study; and Paper 3, a critical appraisal and reflection on the work. Paper 1 has been prepared for submission to Neuro-Oncology. The paper presents a systematic review of 21 studies concerning the relationships of demographic, clinical and mental health factors on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and psychological functioning in adults with primary malignant brain tumours. The review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) principles. Methodological qualities of studies included were appraised using a checklist based on the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (Wells et al, n.d.).Findings were synthesised narratively adhering to published guidelines (Popay et al, 2006). The review identified evidence for factors relating to HRQoL and psychological functioning, offered several considerations for clinical practice, and outlined recommendations for improving the methodological rigour of future research. Paper 2 has been prepared for submission to Psycho-Oncology and presents the findings of a qualitative study of patients’ psychological adjustment to glioblastoma, the most aggressive and most common form of brain tumour in adults. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 participants 3.3-5.1 months post-diagnosis. Data were analysed using a constructivist grounded theory methodology (Charmaz, 2014). Analysis yielded three theoretical categories describing processes of maintaining continuity with the past, reframing the present and changing to accommodate an uncertain future. The implications of these findings on current supportive interventions are discussed. Paper 3 is not intended for publication. It offers a critical appraisal of the individual papers and the research process overall, considering their strengths and limitations. The paper also discusses issues of reflexivity encountered during the empirical study, and considers the implications of this research for the author’s professional development as a clinical psychologist.

Le mésothéliome pleural malin (MPM) est une tumeur rare et agressive qui se développe au niveau de la plèvre.L'Adrénomedulline (AM) est un peptide de 52 acides aminés. Il intervient dans plusieurs processus physiologiques et physiopathologiques. Il est surexprimé dans plusieurs tumeurs où il joue un rôle important dans la croissance tumorale.Dans un premier temps nous avons montré que l'AM et ses récepteurs sont exprimés dans des biopsies de patients atteints de MPM suggérant son implication dans la croissance tumorale du MPM. In vitro l'incubation de lignées de MPM: H2452 et MSTO_211H avec des anticorps αAM ou αAMR inhibent la prolifération, l'invasion et la migration cellulaires. In vivo, le traitement avec un anticorps αAM ou l'antagoniste AM22-52, inhibe la croissance tumorale des xénogreffes de MSTO_211H par rapport au groupe contrôle. L'analyse histologique montre une augmentation significative de l'apoptose et une diminution importante de la vascularisation chez les tumeurs traitées par rapport aux tumeurs contrôles. Ces résultats démontrent le rôle important joué par l'AM dans la croissance tumorale du MPM et fait du système de l'AM une cible thérapeutique potentielle.Dans un deuxième temps, Nous avons émis l'hypothèse de la transactivation de l'EGFR par l'AM. Notre hypothèse s'est concrétisée dans la mesure où L'inhibition de l'EGFR par un inhibiteur spécifique l'AG1478 abolie l'activation de ERK par l'AM,La phosphorylation de l'EGFR par l'AM,La neutralisation de l'EGFR avec son propre anticorps inhibe la phosphorylation par l'AM suggérant une activation ligand dépendante. Ces résultats nous permettent de mieux comprendre le mécanisme d'action de l'AM. / Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) grows aggressively in the thoracic cavity without curative possibilities, underlining the need for new therapeutic targets. Adrenomedullin (AM), a multifunctional peptide, is highly expressed in several tumors and plays an important role in angiogenesis and tumor. In the first part of our work, QRT-PCR showed an increase of AM mRNA levels in MPM when compared to normal pleura tissue. Immunohistochemically, AM and its receptors were localized in the carcinomatous epithelial compartment of MPM. The MPM cell lines H2452 and MSTO_211H expressed AM with a significant increase under hypoxia. The proliferation, migration and invasion of MPM cells are decreased by anti-AM and anti-AM receptors antibodies (αAM and αAMR) supporting that MPM cells can be regulated by AM. In vivo, αAM and AM22-52 antagonist therapies of MSTO_211H xenografts blocked angiogenesis and stimulated apoptosis, resulting in tumor regression. Histologic examination of treated tumors showed evidences of disruption of tumor vasculature. These findings highlight the implication of the AM pathway in the MPM growth and in neovascularization by supplying/amplifying signals essential for pathologic neoangiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis.In the second part of this work, we reported that the EGFR becomes rapidly tyrosine-phosphorylated upon stimulation of lung cancer cells lines with AM, suggesting that there is an intracellular mechanism for transactivation. Specific inhibition of EGFR function by the AG1478 or EGFR blocking antibody suppressed MAPK activation. These results suggest strongly a ligand-dependent mechanism of EGFR transactivation by AM.