Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0006142 (breast cancer)
160,383 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The anthracyclines, such as doxorubicin, are widely used in the treatment of breast cancer. Previously, we showed that these drugs could activate the transcription factor, nuclear factor kappaB, in a DNA damage-dependent manner. We now show that these drugs can potentiate the activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) in MDA-MB 435 breast cancer cells treated with IFN-gamma. We observed that key markers of STAT1 activation, including tyrosine 701 and serine 727 phosphorylation, were enhanced in the presence of doxorubicin. This potentiation resulted in enhanced nuclear localization of activated STAT1 and led to an increase in the nuclear binding of activated STAT complexes. The observed potentiation was specific for STAT1 and IFN-gamma, as no effects were observed with either STAT3 or STAT5. Furthermore, the type I IFNs (alpha and beta) had little or no effect. The observed effects on STAT1 phosphorylation have previously been linked with maximal transcriptional activation and apoptosis. Cell viability was assessed by crystal violet staining followed by analysis with CalcuSyn to determine combination index values, a measure of synergy. We confirmed that significant synergy existed between IFN-gamma and doxorubicin (combination index = 0.34) at doses lower than IC(50) values for this drug (0.67 micromol/L). In support of this, we observed that apoptotic cell death was also enhanced by measuring poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and caspase-3 cleavage. Finally, suppression of STAT1 expression by small-interfering RNA resulted in a loss of synergistic apoptotic cell death compared with cells, where no suppression of STAT1 expression was attained with scrambled small-interfering RNA control. We conclude that doxorubicin potentiates STAT1 activation in response to IFN-gamma, and that this combination results in enhanced apoptosis in breast cancer cells.
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PMID:STAT1: a modulator of chemotherapy-induced apoptosis. 1554 5

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) has been shown to have anticarcinogenic effects in in vitro and in vivo models, and this effect is mediated at least in part by its ability to induce apoptosis in cancer cells without affecting normal cells. It has been recognized that estrogen receptor (ER)-dependent breast cancers generally have a better prognosis and are often responsive to antiestrogen therapy; however, ER-independent breast cancers are more aggressive and unresponsive to antiestrogens. Using the MDA-MB-468 human breast cancer cell line as an in vitro model of ER-negative breast cancers, we found that treatment of EGCG resulted in dose-dependent (5-80 microg/mL) and time-dependent (24-72 hours) inhibition of cellular proliferation (15-100%) and cell viability (3-78%) in MDA-MB-468 cells. Decrease in cell viability was associated with the induction of apoptosis (18-66%) which was analyzed by DNA ladder assay, fluorescence staining, and flow cytometry. Induction of apoptosis by EGCG could be corroborated to the increased expression of tumor suppressor protein p53 and its phosphorylation at Ser 15 residue. EGCG decreased the expression of antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 but increased proapoptotic protein Bax in these cells. The increased ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 proteins after EGCG treatment may have resulted in increased release of cytochrome c from mitochondria into cytosols, increased expression of Apaf-1, and activation of caspase-3 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, which may lead to apoptosis in MDA-MB-468 cells. Together, the results of this study provide evidence that EGCG possesses anticarcinogenic effect against ER-negative breast cancer cells and thus provide the molecular basis for the future development of EGCG as a novel and pharmacologically safe chemopreventive agent for breast cancer prevention.
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PMID:Epigallocatechin-3-gallate induces apoptosis in estrogen receptor-negative human breast carcinoma cells via modulation in protein expression of p53 and Bax and caspase-3 activation. 1565 56

Clusterin (CLU) is a heterodimeric secreted glycoprotein implicated in several physiological and pathological processes including cancer. Although recent data showed that overexpression of CLU is closely associated with disease progression in patients with breast tumor, the functional role of CLU expression in this tumor hystotype remains to be determined. The objectives in this study were to evaluate CLU expression levels after treatment with Trastuzumab, a HER2-targeted monoclonal antibody used in the clinical management of advanced breast cancer patients, and to test the usefulness of combined treatment with OGX-011, the second generation 2'-methoxyethyl gapmer oligonucleotides targeting the CLU gene, and Trastuzumab in this tumor hystotype. By using the HER-2 gene amplified-BT474 human breast cancer cells, we found Trastuzumab decreased HER-2 expression and inhibited cell proliferation without affecting apoptosis. Interestingly, Trastuzumab treatment up-regulated CLU protein expression in a dose-dependent fashion. We therefore hypothesized that the treatment with OGX-011, by blocking Trastuzumab-induced CLU expression, might potentiate the growth-inhibitory effect of Trastuzumab alone. Although OGX-011 had no effect on the behavior of the BT474 cells when used alone, it significantly enhanced the sensitivity of cells to Trastuzumab. A significant increase in the percentage of apoptotic cells, analyzed in terms of annexin V positivity and cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, was observed after combined treatment with OGX-011 plus Trastuzumab but not with either agent alone. Altogether our findings suggest that combined targeting of HER-2 and CLU may represent a novel, rational approach to breast cancer therapy.
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PMID:Antisense clusterin oligodeoxynucleotides increase the response of HER-2 gene amplified breast cancer cells to Trastuzumab. 1568 47

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States and, thus far, there has been no effective therapy for the treatment of hormone-refractory disease. Recently, the androgen receptor (AR) has been shown to play a critical role in the development and progression of the disease. In this report, we showed that knocking down the AR protein level by a small interfering RNA (siRNA) approach resulted in a significant apoptotic cell death as evidenced by an increased annexin V binding, reduced mitochondrial potential, caspase-3/6 activation, and DFF45 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage. The apoptotic response was specifically observed in those siRNA-transfected cells that harbor a native AR gene. No cell death was found in the AR-null prostate cancer cell PC-3 or its subline that has been reconstituted with an exogenous AR gene, as well as two breast cancer cell lines that are AR positive. Moreover, in parallel with the siRNA-induced AR silencing, the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-xL was significantly reduced, which might account for the apoptotic cell death because ectopic enforced expression of Bcl-xL protein partially inhibited apoptosis after AR silencing. Taken together, our data showed that knocking down the AR protein level in prostate cancer cells leads to apoptosis by disrupting the Bcl-xL-mediated survival signal downstream of AR-dependent survival pathway.
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PMID:Small-interfering RNA-induced androgen receptor silencing leads to apoptotic cell death in prostate cancer. 1582 23

Nur77 is an orphan receptor and a member of the nerve growth factor-I-B subfamily of the nuclear receptor family of transcription factors. Based on the results of transactivation assays in pancreatic and other cancer cell lines, we have now identified for the first time Nur77 agonists typified by 1,1-bis(3-indolyl)-1-(p-anisyl)methane that activate GAL4-Nur77 chimeras expressing wild-type and the ligand binding domain (E/F) of Nur77. In Panc-28 pancreatic cancer cells, Nur77 agonists activate the nuclear receptor, and downstream responses include decreased cell survival and induction of cell death pathways, including tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage. Moreover, the transactivation and apoptotic responses are also induced in other pancreatic, prostate, and breast cancer cells that express Nur77. In Panc-28 cells, small inhibitory RNA for Nur77 reverses ligand-dependent transactivation and induction of TRAIL and PARP cleavage. Nur77 agonists also inhibit tumor growth in vivo in athymic mice bearing Panc-28 cell xenografts. These results identify compounds that activate Nur77 through the ligand binding domain and show that ligand-dependent activation of Nur77 through nuclear pathways in cancer cells induces cell death and these compounds are a novel class of anticancer agents.
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PMID:Activation of Nur77 by selected 1,1-Bis(3'-indolyl)-1-(p-substituted phenyl)methanes induces apoptosis through nuclear pathways. 1587 45

The protein kinase, PAK1, is overexpressed in human breast cancer and may contribute to malignancy through induction of proliferation and invasiveness. In this study, we examined the role of PAK1 in the survival of detached MCF10A breast epithelial cells to test whether it may also regulate the early stages of neoplasia. MCF10A cells undergo anoikis, as measured by the cleavage of caspase 3 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), after more than 8 hours of detachment. Endogenous Akt, PAK1, and BAD are phosphorylated in attached MCF10A cells, but these phosphorylation events are all lost during the first 8 hours of detachment. Expression of constitutively active PAK1 or Akt suppresses the cleavage of caspase 3 and PARP in detached MCF10A cells. Co-overexpression of active PAK1 with dominant-negative Akt, or of active Akt with dominant-negative PAK1, still suppresses anoikis. Thus, Akt and PAK1 enhance survival through pathways that are at least partially independent. PAK1-dependent regulation of anoikis is likely to occur early in the apoptotic cascade as expression of dominant-negative PAK1 increased the cleavage of the upstream caspase 9, while constitutively active PAK1 inhibited caspase 9 activation. These results support a role for activated PAK1 in the suppression of anoikis in MCF10A epithelial cells.
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PMID:Active p21-activated kinase 1 rescues MCF10A breast epithelial cells from undergoing anoikis. 1602 43

Overexpression of HER-2/neu confers cellular resistance to tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-mediated cytotoxicity to SKBR-3 breast cancer cell lines. To understand the correlation between HER-2/neu expression and TNF resistance, we examined the unique signaling pathways associated with the cytotoxic effects of the immunocytokine scFv23/TNF, recombinant single-chain antibody fusion constructs containing TNF and targeting HER-2/neu, in TNF-resistant SKBR-3-LP cells. We found that treatment of HER-2/neu-overexpressing SKBR-3-LP cells with scFv23/TNF resulted in a 5- to 7-fold higher level of TNF receptor-1 expression 48 hours after exposure. In addition, treatment of SKBR-3-LP cells with scFv23/TNF resulted in down-regulation of Akt phosphorylation and induced apoptosis through cleavage of caspase-8, caspase-3, and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. ScFv23/TNF-induced cytotoxicity was inhibited by blocking of the binding of the TNF component of scFv23/TNF to TNF receptor-1 and was dependent on activation of caspase-8 and caspase-3. These results indicate that the immunocytokine scFv23/TNF sensitizes TNF-resistant HER-2/neu-overexpressing SKBR-3-LP cells to TNF-induced apoptosis via the overexpression of TNF receptor-1 and suggest that the overexpression of TNF receptor-1 plays a crucial role in TNF sensitivity in HER-2/neu-overexpressing cancer cells. ScFv23/TNF targeting the HER-2/neu may be an effective cytotoxic agent against HER-2/neu-overexpressing cancer cells, which are inherently resistant to TNF.
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PMID:The immunocytokine scFv23/TNF sensitizes HER-2/neu-overexpressing SKBR-3 cells to tumor necrosis factor (TNF) via up-regulation of TNF receptor-1. 1609 36

Apoptosis is a major mechanism of cancer cell destruction by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The anthracycline class of antitumor drugs undergoes redox cycling in living cells producing increased amounts of reactive oxygen species and semiquinone radical, both of which can cause DNA damage, and consequently trigger apoptotic death of cancer cells. We show here that MCF-7 cells overexpressing thioredoxin (Trx) were more apoptotic in response to daunomycin. Trx overexpression in MCF-7 cells increased the generation of superoxide anion (O2*-) in anthracycline-treated cell extracts. Enhanced generation of O2- in response to daunomycin inTrx-overexpressing MCF-7 cells was inhibited by diphenyleneiodonium chloride, a general NADPH reductase inhibitor, demonstrating that Trx provides reducing equivalents to a bioreductive enzyme for redox cycling of daunomycin. Additionally Trx increased p53-DNA binding and expression in response to anthracyclines. MCF-7 cells expressing mutant redox-inactive Trx showed decreased superoxide generation, apoptosis, and p53 protein and DNA binding. In addition, down-regulation of endogenous Trx expression by small interfering RNA resulted in decreased expression of caspase-7 and cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase expression in response to daunomycin. These results suggest that endogenous Trx is required for anthracycline-mediated apoptosis of breast cancer cells. Taken together, our data demonstrate a novel pro-oxidant and proapoptotic role of Trx in anthracycline-mediated apoptosis in anthracycline chemotherapy.
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PMID:Endogenous thioredoxin is required for redox cycling of anthracyclines and p53-dependent apoptosis in cancer cells. 1615 78

Members of a novel series of pyrrolo-1,5-benzoxazepine (PBOX) compounds have been shown to induce apoptosis in a number of human leukemia cell lines of different haematological lineage, suggesting their potential as anti-cancer agents. In this study, we sought to determine if PBOX-6, a well characterised member of the PBOX series of compounds, is also an effective inhibitor of breast cancer growth. Two estrogen receptor (ER)-positive (MCF-7 and T-47-D) and two ER-negative (MDA-MB-231 and SK-BR-3) cell lines were examined. The 3,4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to determine reduction in cell viability. PBOX-6 reduced the cell viability of all four cell lines tested, regardless of ER status, with IC(50) values ranging from 1.0 to 2.3 microM. PBOX-6 was most effective in the SK-BR-3 cells, which express high endogenous levels of the HER-2 oncogene. Overexpression of the HER-2 oncogene has been associated with aggressive disease and resistance to chemotherapy. The mechanism of PBOX-6-induced cell death was due to apoptosis, as indicated by the increased proportion of cells in the pre-G1 peak and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage. Moreover, intratumoural administration of PBOX-6 (7.5 mg/kg) significantly inhibited tumour growth in vivo in a mouse mammary carcinoma model (p=0.04, n=5, Student's t-test). Thus, PBOX-6 could be a promising anti-cancer agent for both hormone-dependent and -independent breast cancers.
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PMID:The pyrrolo-1,5-benzoxazepine, PBOX-6, inhibits the growth of breast cancer cells in vitro independent of estrogen receptor status and inhibits breast tumour growth in vivo. 1621 9

Proline-, glutamic acid-, and leucine-rich protein-1 (PELP1) is a novel coregulator of the estrogen receptor that plays a role in both genomic and nongenomic actions of the estrogen receptor. Emerging studies suggest that in addition to the nuclear localization of PELP1, it is predominantly localized in the cytoplasm in human breast tumors, leading to excessive nongenomic signaling and possibly to tamoxifen resistance. The mechanisms underlying resistance to hormones in preclinical model systems remain under intense investigation. In an effort to develop a model system to treat tumor cells with cytoplasmic PELP1 expression and tamoxifen resistance, here we used the cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha. We found that clones of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells overexpressing PELP1 in the cytoplasm were distinctly sensitive to TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis than were wild-type nuclear PELP1- and pcDNA vector-expressing clones as revealed by cell growth assay, cell cycle analysis, Annexin V staining, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay. We also found that the clones with cytoplasmic PELP1 overexpression had significantly less antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 and nuclear factor-kappaB DNA binding, but increased cyclin E expression, further supporting evidence that these cells are sensitive to apoptosis. The mechanism behind TNF-induced apoptosis in these cells involves caspases, as revealed by poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage and the broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-inhibited apoptosis. In conclusion, our results suggest that altered localization of PELP1 promotes heightened sensitivity to TNF-alpha in MCF-7 cells, paving the way for developing new treatment strategies for tumors with cytoplasmic PELP1 expression.
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PMID:Altered localization of a coactivator sensitizes breast cancer cells to tumor necrosis factor-induced apoptosis. 1650 95


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