Search results for "Apoptosi"
showing 10 items of 1846 documents
MYCN and survivin cooperatively contribute to malignant transformation of fibroblasts
2013
The oncogenes MYCN and survivin (BIRC5) maintain aggressiveness of diverse cancers including sarcomas. To investigate whether these oncogenes cooperate in initial malignant transformation, we transduced them into Rat-1 fibroblasts. Indeed, survivin enhanced MYCN-driven contact-uninhibited and anchorage-independent growth in vitro. Importantly, upon subcutaneous transplantation into mice, cells overexpressing both instead of either one of the oncogenes generated tumors with shortened latency, marked anaplasia and an increased proliferation-to-apoptosis ratio resulting in accelerated growth. Mechanistically, the increased tumorigenicity was associated with an enhanced Warburg effect and a hyp…
Toll-like receptors: Expression and involvement in Multiple Myeloma
2010
Multiple Myeloma (MM) cells express and respond to a broad range of TLRs. Accumulating evidences suggest that TLRs act as double-edged sword in MM biology. Indeed, TLR9 or TLR3 ligands could enhance immunity against MM cells or directly induce cell apoptosis, whereas various TLR agonists could induce MM survival, proliferation, and immune escape. This review is focused on the heterogeneous expression and function of TLRs in MM and on the potential implication of TLR ligands of infectious or endogenous origin in MM emergence, resistance, or progression.
Bovine seminal ribonuclease is cytotoxic for both malignant and normal telomerase-positive cells
2005
Bovine seminal-ribonuclease (BS-RNase) is a member of the 'ribonucleases with special biological actions' family since it possesses specific anti-tumour, anti-spermatogenic and embryotoxic activities and exerts an immunosuppressive effect on T lymphocytes. In previous studies it was demonstrated that BS-RNase induced apoptosis in proliferating, malignant and normal cells and that telomerase activity loss also caused apoptotic death in neoplastic cells. Since an obvious relationship between cell proliferation and telomerase activity exists, the aim of this work was to study if the pro-apoptotic cytotoxic action exerted by BS-RNase on proliferating malignant cells (HT29) and proliferating nor…
Oncolytic parvovirus H1 induces release of heat-shock protein HSP72 in susceptible human tumor cells but may not affect primary immune cells.
2003
Certain autonomous parvoviruses preferentially replicate in and kill in vitro-transformed cells and may reduce the incidence of spontaneous and implanted tumors in animals. Hence, these viruses and their derivatives are currently under evaluation as antitumor vectors. However, the mechanisms underlying their tumor-suppressing properties are not yet understood. We asked whether the lytic parvovirus H1 may enhance the immunogenicity of infected tumor cells. Out of human melanoma and gastrointestinal tumor cells, we selected the cell line SK29-Mel-1 being very susceptible to H1-induced apoptotic killing. Here, no upregulation of HLA class I and costimulatory molecules could be observed followi…
Ganciclovir-induced apoptosis in HSV-1 thymidine kinase expressing cells: critical role of DNA breaks, Bcl-2 decline and caspase-9 activation.
2002
Although ganciclovir (GCV) is most often used in suicide anticancer gene therapy, the mechanism of GCV-induced cell killing and apoptosis is not fully understood. We analysed the mechanism of apoptosis triggered by GCV using a model system of CHO cells stably transfected with HSV-1 thymidine kinase (HSVtk). GCV-induced apoptosis is due to incorporation of the drug into DNA resulting in replication-dependent formation of DNA double-strand breaks and, at later stages, S and G2/M arrest. GCV-provoked DNA instability was likely to be responsible for the observed initial decline in Bcl-2 level and caspase-9/-3 activation. Further decline in the Bcl-2 level was due to cleavage of the protein by c…
MUC1 oncoprotein promotes refractoriness to chemotherapy in thyroid cancer cells.
2007
Abstract Overexpression of MUC1 oncoprotein is frequently observed in cancer and contributes to confer resistance to genotoxic agents. Papillary, follicular, and anaplastic thyroid carcinomas are the three forms of thyroid epithelial cancer. Anaplastic tumors are less differentiated and extremely aggressive, characterized by a poor prognosis. Little is known about the role of MUC1 in thyroid cancer. We recently showed that autocrine production of interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-10 controls thyroid cancer cell survival, growth, and resistance to chemotherapy through activation of Janus-activated kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK/STAT) and phosphatidylinositide 3′-OH ki…
Pharmacologic activation of p53 elicits Bax-dependent apoptosis in the absence of transcription
2003
AbstractRecent efforts to develop pharmacologic agents that restore function to mutant forms of p53 hold significant promise in cancer therapy. Here, we examine the effects of such pharmacologic activation of p53 function using a small molecule, PRIMA-1, and a model system employing a p53 protein fused to a mutant steroid binding domain of the murine estrogen receptor (p53ERtam) that renders it responsive only in the presence of 4-hydroxytamoxifen. In either case, p53 activation triggered apoptosis that was not inhibited by the presence of macromolecular synthesis inhibitors. This p53-induced, transcription-independent apoptosis is Bax dependent, proceeds in the absence of a nucleus, and in…
Human leukocyte elastase counteracts matrix metalloproteinase-7 induced apoptosis resistance of tumor cells.
2008
Matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7/Matrilysin) is a component of the tumor microenvironment associated with malignant progression. Its expression in tumors protects tumor cells from CD95-mediated apoptosis and the cytotoxic activity of tumor specific CD8(+) T cells. In the present study, we show that human leukocyte elastase (HLE) secreted by polymorphonuclear leukocytes cleaves MMP-7 resulting in loss of enzymatic activity. The anti-apoptotic effect of MMP-7 is reduced in the presence of HLE for CD95-, doxorubicin- and CTL-mediated apoptosis. Our data indicates that HLE may be a natural inactivator of MMP-7 which can counteract MMP-7-induced apoptosis resistance.
Analysis of Antiproliferative and Chemosensitizing Effects of Sunitinib on Human Esophagogastric Cancer Cells: Synergistic Interaction With Vandetani…
2009
The receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1-3 (VEGFR1-3), are frequently expressed in gastric cancer and are putative therapeutic targets in this disease. We have investigated the anti-proliferative and chemosensitizing properties of the multitargeted small-molecule RTK inhibitors sunitinib and vandetanib in a panel of 4 human gastric and esophageal cancer cell lines. In the 1st instance, the expression of potential targets of these small-molecule inhibitors was examined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, and flow cytometry. EGFR mRNA and protein was detected in all cases, …
Apoptosis: focus on sea urchin development
2009
It has been proposed that the apoptosis is an essential requirement for the evolution of all animals, in fact the apoptotic program is highly conserved from nematodes to mammals. Throughout development, apoptosis is employed by multicellular organisms to eliminate damaged or unnecessary cells. Here, we will discuss both developmental programmed cell death (PCD) under normal conditions and stress induced apoptosis, in sea urchin embryos. Sea urchin represent an excellent model system for studying embryogenesis and cellular processes involved in metamorphosis. PCD plays an essential role in sculpting and remodelling the embryos and larvae undergoing metamorphosis. Moreover, this marine organi…