PED is overexpressed and mediates TRAIL resistance in human non-small cell lung cancer

PED (phosphoprotein enriched in diabetes) is a death-effector domain (DED) family member with a broad anti-apoptotic action. PED inhibits the assembly of the death-inducing signalling complex (DISC) of death receptors following stimulation. Recently, we reported that the expression of PED is increased in breast cancer cells and determines the refractoriness of these cells to anticancer therapy. In the present study, we focused on the role of PED in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), a tumour frequently characterized by evasion of apoptosis and drug resistance. Immunohistochemical analysis of a tissue microarray, containing 160 lung cancer samples, indicated that PED was strongly expressed …