176 research outputs found
GTP drives myosin light chain 1 interaction with the class V myosin Myo2 IQ motifs via a Sec2 RabGEF-mediated pathway
No full text
Glutathione transferases and glutathionylated haemoglobin in workers exposed to low doses of 1,3 butadiene.
No full textPresentazione dei risultati di precedente studio
Encapsulation of c-myc antisense oligodeoxynucleotides in lipid partocles improves antitumoral efficacy in vivo in a human melanoma line.
No full textPhosphorothioate c-myc antisense oligodeoxynucleotides [S]ODNs (free INX-6295) were encapsulated in a new liposome formulation and the antitumor activity was compared to the unencapsulated antisense in a human melanoma xenograft. The systemic administration of INX-6295 encapsulated in stabilized antisense lipid particles (SALP INX-6295) improved plasma AUC (area under the plasma concentration-time curve) and initial half-life of free INX-6295, resulting in a significant enhancement in tumor accumulation and improvement in tumor distribution of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides. Animals treated with SALP INX-6295 exhibited a prolonged reduction of c-myc expression, reduced tumor growth and increased mice survival. When administered in combination with cisplatin (DDP), SALP INX-6295 produced a complete tumor regression in approximately 30% of treated mice, which persisted for at least 60 days following the first cycle of treatment. Finally, the median survival of mice treated with DDP/SALP INX-6295 increased by 105% compared to 84% for animals treated with the combination DDP/free INX-6295. These data indicate that the biological activity and the therapeutic efficacy of c-myc antisense therapy may be improved when these agents are administered in lipid-based delivery systems
Emerging roles of telomeric chromatin alterations in cancer
Get PDFTelomeres, the nucleoprotein structures that cap the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes, play important and multiple roles in tumorigenesis. Functional telomeres need the establishment of a protective chromatin structure based on the interplay between the specific complex named shelterin and a tight nucleosomal organization. Telomere shortening in duplicating somatic cells leads eventually to the destabilization of the telomere capping structure and to the activation of a DNA damage response (DDR) signaling. The final outcome of this process is cell replicative senescence, which constitute a protective barrier against unlimited proliferation. Cells that can bypass senescence checkpoint continue to divide until a second replicative checkpoint, crisis, characterized by chromosome fusions and rearrangements leading to massive cell death by apoptosis. During crisis telomere dysfunctions can either inhibit cell replication or favor tumorigenesis by the accumulation of chromosomal rearrangements and neoplastic mutations. The acquirement of a telomere maintenance mechanism allows fixing the aberrant phenotype, and gives the neoplastic cell unlimited replicative potential, one of the main hallmarks of cancer. Despite the crucial role that telomeres play in cancer development, little is known about the epigenetic alterations of telomeric chromatin that affect telomere protection and are associated with tumorigenesis. Here we discuss the current knowledge on the role of telomeric chromatin in neoplastic transformation, with a particular focus on H3.3 mutations in alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) cancers and sirtuin deacetylases dysfunctions
relA over-expression reduces tumorigenicity and activates apoptosis in human cancer cells
No full textWe previously demonstrated that bcl-2 over-expression increases the malignant behaviour of the MCF7 ADR human breast cancer cell line and enhances nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) transcriptional activity. Here, we investigated the direct effect of increased NF-kappaB activity on the tumorigenicity of MCF7 ADR cells by over-expressing the NF-kappaB subunit relA/p65. Surprisingly, our results demonstrated that over-expression of relA determines a considerable reduction of the tumorigenic ability in nude mice as indicated by the tumour take and the median time of tumour appearance. In vitro studies also evidenced a reduced cell proliferation and the activation of the apoptotic programme after relA over-expression. Apoptosis was associated with the production of reactive oxygen species, and the cleavage of the specific substrate Poly-ADP-ribose-polymerrase. Our data indicate that there is no general role for NF-kappaB in the regulation of apoptosis and tumorigenicity. In fact, even though inhibiting NF-kappaB activity has been reported to be lethal to tumour cells, our findings clearly suggest that an over-induction of nuclear NF-kappaB activity may produce the same effect. (C) 2001 Cancer Research Campaign
Bcl-2 overexpression decreases the BCNU resistance in a human glioblastoma cell lines through the increase of catalase activity
No full textThe aim of this study was to evaluate the role of bcl-2 in 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) sensitivity of the ADFS human glioblastoma cell line in vitro and in vivo. To this end, the ADFS line expressing a low level of the bcl-2 protein was transfected with a bcl-2 expression vector. We found that bcl-2 overexpressing clones were less sensitive to in vitro BCNU treatment than the control clone. Cell cycle analysis demonstrated that while BCNU induced a consistent block in S/G2-M phases of the cell cycle in the control clone, it did not affect the cell cycle phase distribution of the two bcl-2 transfectants. The different sensitivity to BCNU was unrelated to the ability of bcl-2 to inhibit apoptosis, while bcl-2 appeared to protect bcl-2 transfectants from BCNU toxicity through an increase of catalase activity. The ability of the catalase inhibitor, sodium azide, to increase the BCNU sensitivity of the bcl-2 transfectants to levels of the BCNU-treated control clone substantiated the role of the catalase activity. The effect of bcl-2 in reducing sensitivity to BCNU was also confirmed by in vivo experiments. Xenografts of bcl-2 overexpressing tumors were less sensitive to BCNU treatment than xenografts originating from control cells. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc
bcl-2 over-expression enhances NF-κB activity and induces mmp-9 transcription in human MCF7(ADR) breast-cancer cells
No full textbcl-2 expression is often associated with poor prognosis in several types of tumors; however, the role of this molecule in breast cancer is still controversial. We found earlier that over-expression of bcl-2 in a human breast-cancer cell line (MCF7(ADR)) enhances its tumorigenicity and metastatic potential by inducing metastasis-associated properties such as increased secretion of the matrix metalloproteinase-9 (mmp-9). In the present study, we investigated the effect of bcl-2 over-expression on the activity of the transcription factor NF-κB, an important regulator of genes involved in tumor progression and invasion. Transient transfection experiments indicate that over-expression of bcl-2 in the MCF7(ADR) cell line, enhances NF-κB-de pendent transcriptional activity. Mobility-shift analysis revealed an increase of NF-κB DNA-binding in bcl-2-over-expressing clones that correlated with lower levels of the NF-κB cytoplasmic inhibitor IκBα. Moreover, point mutations of 2 highly conserved ..
bc1-2 over-expression enhances NF-kappa B activity and induces mmp-9 transcription in human MCF7(ADR) breast-cancer cells
No full textbcl-2 expression is often associated with poor prognosis in several types of tumors; however, the role of this molecule in breast cancer is still controversial. We found earlier that over-expression of bcl-2 in a human breast-cancer cell line (MCF7(ADR)) enhances its tumorigenicity and metastatic potential by inducing metastasis-associated properties such as increased secretion of the matrix metalloproteinase-9 (mmp-9), In the present study, we investigated the effect of bcl-2 over-expression on the activity of the transcription factor NF-kappa B, an important regulator of genes involved in tumor progression and invasion. Transient transfection experiments indicate that over-expression of bcl-2 in the MCF7(ADR) call line, enhances NF-kappa B-dependent transcriptional activity. Mobility-shift analysis revealed an increase of NF-kappa B DNA-binding in bcl-2-over expressing clones that correlated with lower levels of the NF-kappa B cytoplasmic inhibitor I kappa B alpha. Moreover, point mutations of 2 highly conserved residues within the BH1 and BH2 domains that abrogate the interaction of bcl-2 with bar, or deletion of the N-terminal BH4 domain, completely eliminate the ability of this molecule to up-regulate NF-kappa B-dependent transactivation. Since mmp-9 is a NF-kappa B-regulated gene, we also investigated whether bcl-2 overexpression up-regulated mmp-9 transcription. We found that induction of mmp-9 mRNA correlates with the activation of an mmp-9-promoter-reporter-gene construct in transient transfection assay. and a mutation of the (-600)mmp-9-NF-kappa B binding element abolishes this effect. The overall data indicate that bcl-2-mediated regulation of NF-kappa B-transcription-factor activity may represent an important mechanism for the promotion of malignant behavior in MCF-7(ADR) cells. Int J. Cancer 86:188-196, 2000. Q 2000 Willey-Liss, Inc
Aromatase inhibitor exemestane has antiproliferative effects on human mesothelioma cells
No full textPurpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the expression and biological activity of aromatase (CYP19A1) in malignant mesothelioma (MM). Experimental Design: We found CYP19A1 in five human MM cell lines using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western immunoblots and in a group of samples from patients with MM by immunohistochemistry. Aromatization activity was determined in MM cells by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay as a measure of estradiol (E2) product, in basal condition and after addition of cytokine, prostaglandin-E2, and epidermal growth factor to MM cells. Treatment of MM cells with exemestane, a CYP19A1 inhibitor, was assessed by cell proliferation kit, cell cycle analysis, and Western blot for caspase, poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase, Bcl-xL, and v-akt murin thymoma viral oncogene homolog (Akt). Results: Biological activity of CYP19A1, already present in basal condition, was increased in MPP89 and Ist-Mes1 cells after treatment with cytokine, in all MM cells on prostaglandin-E2 treatment, and in MPP89, Ist-Mes2, and Ist-Mes1 after addition of epidermal growth factor. Treatment of MM cells with exemestane led to significant reduction of tumor cell growth, perturbation of cell cycle, caspase activation, poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase cleavage, and down-regulation of phosphorylation of Akt and Bcl-xL. In tumor tissues, we found a cytoplasmic localization of CYP19A1. By univariate analysis, overall survival resulted to be strongly influenced by high CYP19A1 expression (p = 0.001). Conclusion: These findings show that CYP19A1 is present in MM and that cell growth can be down-regulated by exemestane. As Akt pathway and Bcl-xL are implicated in conferring resistance to conventional chemotherapy, exemestane could open new treatment strategies to be associated with standard therapy for patients afflicted with MM. Copyright © 2011 The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer
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