Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.6.3.44 (P-glycoprotein)
 13,344 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In young mice, memory CD4 T lymphocytes with high P-glycoprotein activity (P-gp(high)) are unresponsive to TCR stimulation in vitro but can be activated by PMA plus ionomycin. The proportion of these hyporesponsive cells increases considerably with age. The earliest events in T cell activation were studied in P-gp(high) and P-gp(low) CD4 memory cells at the single-cell level using confocal immunofluorescence methods. Recruitment of both linker for activation of T cells (LAT) and protein kinase C-theta to the immunological synapse, i.e., the site of T cell interaction with stimulator cells, was greatly impaired in P-gp(high) cells from both young and old mice. Translocation of NF-AT to the nucleus, CD69 expression, and proliferative capacity were also diminished to a similar extent in P-gp(high) cells under the same activation conditions. In contrast, movement of c-Cbl to the synapse region occurred in a high proportion of CD4 memory T cells regardless of P-gp subset or age. Moreover, although P-gp(low) cells frequently recruited both c-Cbl and LAT to the APC synapse, cells in the less responsive P-gp(high) subset frequently relocated c-Cbl, but not LAT, to the interface region. In some systems, c-Cbl can act as a negative regulator of receptor-dependent tyrosine kinases, and alterations of c-Cbl to LAT ratios in the P-gp(high) subset may thus contribute to the hyporesponsiveness of this age-dependent, anergic memory cell population.
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PMID:Altered composition of the immunological synapse in an anergic, age-dependent memory T cell subset. 1084 59

P-glycoprotein (Pgp) and vaults are associated with multidrug resistance in tumor cells, but their physiological functions are not yet clear. Pgp, the prototypical transmembrane transporter molecule, may also facilitate the migration of skin dendritic cells (DC). Vaults--ribonucleoprotein cell organelles, frequently overexpressed in Pgp-negative drug-resistant tumor cells--have also been associated with intracellular transport processes. Given the pivotal role of DC in dealing with exposure to potentially harmful substances, the present study was set out to examine the expression of Pgp and vaults during differentiation and maturation of DC. DC were obtained from different sources, including blood-derived monocytes, CD34(+) mononuclear cells, and chronic myeloid leukemia cells. Whereas flow cytometric and immunocytochemical analyses showed slightly augmented levels of Pgp, up-regulation of vault expression during DC culturing was strong, readily confirmed by Western blotting, and independent of the source of DC. In further exploring the functional significance of vault expression, it was found that supplementing DC cultures with polyclonal or mAbs against the major vault protein led to lower viabilities of LPS- or TNF-alpha-matured monocytes-DC. Moreover, expression of critical differentiation, maturation, and costimulatory molecules, including CD1a and CD83, was reduced and their capacity to induce Ag-specific T cell proliferative and IFN-gamma release responses was impaired. These data point to a role for vaults in both DC survival and functioning as APC.
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PMID:Up-regulation of drug resistance-related vaults during dendritic cell development. 1182 84

Irinotecan (CPT-11) is a semisynthetic derivative of camptothecin, an alkaloid extracted from the Chinese plant Camptotheca acuminata. It bears a bis-piperidine moiety and was selected for its water solubility and promising preclinical antitumor activity in in vitro and in vivo models. The target of drugs of the camptothecin family is DNA topoisomerase I, a nuclear enzyme involved in the relaxation of the DNA double helix required for replication and transcription activities. They stabilize the enzyme-DNA complex and prevent the religation of the single-strand breaks created by the enzyme, which are converted to double-strand breaks upon the collision with a replication fork during the S-phase. Resistance to irinotecan appears not to be mediated by P-glycoprotein, but by qualitative and/or quantitative alterations of its target, topoisomerase I, or by alterations occurring downstream of this interaction. As with all camptothecin derivatives, irinotecan contains a lactone ring that can be spontaneously and reversibly hydrolyzed to a carboxylate open ring form, which predominates at neutral and alkaline pH and is inactive on topoisomerase I-DNA complexes. Irinotecan is, in fact, much less active than its metabolite SN-38 and is generally considered as a prodrug of this compound. The carboxylesterase which carries out this conversion is preferentially active on the lactone form of irinotecan and directly generates the lactone form of SN-38, which may explain the superiority of irinotecan over SN-38 in vivo. Further metabolism of SN-38 to a beta-glucuronide conjugate is a major pathway of detoxification and plays an important role in determining irinotecan toxicity in the clinical setting. Other metabolic pathways of irinotecan involve oxidations occurring on the bis-piperidine rings, which are carried out by cytochrome P450. Irinotecan has shown an important activity in advanced and metastatic colorectal carcinoma and is now used for this indication in several countries, with two different recommended schedules: weekly administration of 125 mg/m(2) with a 2-week drug-free interval every 4 administrations or 3-weekly administration of 350 mg/m(2), a dose that can be increased to 500 mg/m(2) with the support of antidiarrhetics. Other possible indications of irinotecan include lung and cervix cancer, which are presently under investigation. The dose-limiting toxicity of irinotecan is mainly diarrhea, which occurs 7-10 days after treatment and can be life-threatening when associated with neutropenia, another frequent side effect. High-dose loperamide has shown good efficacy for treating this diarrhea and has allowed an increase in irinotecan doses tolerated by patients. The pharmacokinetics of irinotecan are characterized by a 2- or 3-compartment decay, with a terminal half-life of about 10 h, a total volume of distribution of 150 l/m(2) and a total plasma clearance of 15 l/h/m(2). SN-38 AUC is only a small fraction of that of irinotecan (2-4%) and SN-38 is eliminated from plasma with a half-life of about 12 h. SN-38 glucuronide is present in plasma at higher concentrations than SN-38 and is eliminated at the same rate. APC, produced by the action of cytochrome P450, isoenzyme 3A4, is present in plasma at concentrations close to those of irinotecan itself. Only a small fraction of irinotecan and its metabolites is eliminated in urine and a higher proportion in the bile, with an enterohepatic cycle of SN-38 glucuronide and SN-38. Significant relationships have been established between the AUCs of both irinotecan and SN-38 and hematological and intestinal toxicities, suggesting a potential use for monitoring of this drug.
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PMID:Pharmacology of irinotecan. 1498 54

Colon cancer is one of the fatal forms of cancer all round the world with a equal frequency of occurrence in both male and female population. Mutational changes and defects in APC (Adenomatous Polyposis Coli) and DNA mismatch repair genes accompanied by genetic chaos in oncogenic pathways leads to colon cancer. Intensive study on pathogenesis of colon cancer has been made to decipher the mechanisms underlying the development and progress of the disease so as to develop effective treatment. However, a complete therapeutic regimen is still not available for combating this deadly disease. Hurdles faced by chemotherapy include drug resistance due to P-glycoprotein transporters, untoward effects on normal cells, high cost, bio-burden of the therapy, and the most dreadful drawback is cancer relapse. The concept of cancer relapse is related to development of oxidative stress that causes cell apoptosis. If the level of oxidative stress is inadequate to cause apoptosis then it leads to cell dormancy which may revive post chemotherapy. This hypothesis aims to put forward a combinatorial approach that includes utilizing a cost effective, biocompatible and environmentally benign nanoparticulate carrier made up of lignin, loaded with anti-cancer agent and P-gp modulator, and functionalized with ligand for CD44 receptors that are over expressed on cancer cells. Antioxidant effect of lignin will overcome dormancy of cancer cells making it possible for cell cycle specific drugs to kill them and prevent relapse and active targeting will prevent untoward effects on normal cells. Thus a robust and wholesome formulation can be developed to combat colon cancer.
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PMID:Novel 4-in-1 strategy to combat colon cancer, drug resistance and cancer relapse utilizing functionalized bioinspiring lignin nanoparticle. 3039 59