Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0017636 (glioblastoma)
 18,345 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The ability of herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase (HSV-tk)-expressing cells incubated with ganciclovir (GCV) to induce cytotoxicity in neighboring HSV-tk-negative (bystander) cells has been well documented. Although it has been suggested that this bystander cell killing occurs via the transfer of phosphorylated GCV, the mechanism(s) of this bystander effect and the importance of gap junctions for the effect of prodrug/suicide gene therapy in primary human glioblastoma cells remains elusive. Surgical biopsies of malignant gliomas were used to establish explant primary cultures. Proliferating tumor cells were characterized immunohistochemically and found to express glial tumor markers including nestin, vimentin, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), S-100, and gap junction protein connexin 43 (Cx43). Western blot analysis revealed the presence of phosphorylated isoforms of Cx43 and Calcein/DiI fluorescent dye transfer showed evidence of efficient gap junction communication (GJC). In order to study the effect(s) of prodrug/suicide gene therapy in these cultures, human glioblastoma cell cultures were transfected with the HSVtk gene for transient or stable expression. Ganciclovir treatment of these cultures led to >90% of cells dead within 1 week. Eradication of cells could be inhibited by the addition of alpha-glycyrrhetinic acid (AGA), a GJC inhibitor. In parallel experiments, AGA decreased the immunodetection of phosphorylated Cx43 as analyzed by Western blot and inhibited fluorescent dye transfer. In conclusion, these observations are consistent with GJC as the mediator of the bystander effect in primary cultures of human glioblastoma cells by the transfer of phosphorylated GCV from HSVtk gene transfected cells to untransfected ones.
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PMID:Gap junction-mediated bystander effect in primary cultures of human malignant gliomas with recombinant expression of the HSVtk gene. 1265 Nov 52

Chemotherapeutic resistance can occur by P-glycoprotein (P-gp), a 12-transmembrane ATP-dependent drug efflux pump. Glioblastoma (GBM) has poor survival rate and uniformly acquired chemoresistance to its frontline agent, Temozolomide (TMZ). Despite much effort, overcoming TMZ resistance remains a challenge. We reported on autonomous induction of TMZ resistance by increased transcription MDR1, the gene for P-gp. This study investigated how P-gp and TMZ interact to gain resistance. Using an experimental model of Adriamycin-resistant DC3F cells (DC3F/Adx), we showed that increased P-gp caused TMZ resistance. Increasing concentrations of TMZ competed with Calcein for P-gp, resulting in reduced efflux in the DC3F/Adx cells. Three different inhibitors of P-gp reversed the resistance to TMZ in two different GBM cell lines, by increasing active Caspase 3. Molecular modeling predicted the binding sites to be the intracellular region of P-gp and also identified specific amino acids and kinetics of energy for the efflux of TMZ. Taken together, we confirmed P-gp targeting of TMZ, a crucial regulator of TMZ resistance in GBM. This study provides insights on the effectiveness by which TMZ competes with other P-gp substrates, thereby opening the door for combined targeted therapies.
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PMID:Temozolomide competes for P-glycoprotein and contributes to chemoresistance in glioblastoma cells. 2620 31