Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0026764 (multiple myeloma)
36,148 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Upon cytokine withdrawal, interleukin (IL) 6-dependent murine plasmacytoma/hybridoma (myeloma) cells die in a way characteristic of apoptosis. Although gene transfer-mediated elevation in Bcl-2 protein levels has been demonstrated to repress a number of apoptotic death programs, it has been reported that ectopic bcl-2 expression is unable to prolong the survival of IL-6-deprived myeloma cells. In view of the recent identification of Bax as a protein that antagonizes the anti-apoptotic function of Bcl-2, we sought to determine whether the inability of transfected bcl-2 to protect against myeloma cell apoptosis might simply be due to insufficient levels of Bcl-2 protein produced to counteract this inhibitor. We show here that high-level expression of an exogenous bcl-2 gene, introduced into IL-6-dependent B9 myeloma cells via retroviral or bovine papilloma virus-based vectors, is indeed able to suppress apoptotic death following cytokine deprivation, with the extent of protection provided correlating with the amount of Bcl-2 protein synthesized in relation to the amount of endogenous Bax protein present in the cells. Of note, however, we found that IL-6-mediated suppression of B9 apoptosis does not involve induction of endogenous bcl-2 expression but is associated instead with the upregulation of cellular bcl-x mRNA and Bcl-xL protein. These results thus extend the apoptotic death mechanisms that are inhibitable by both bcl-2 and bcl-xL to include that operative in IL-6-dependent cells and suggest that apoptosis in other cell types using the gp130 subunit of the IL-6 receptor might also be bcl-2 regulable or bcl-xL dependent.
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PMID:Prevention of myeloma cell apoptosis by ectopic bcl-2 expression or interleukin 6-mediated up-regulation of bcl-xL. 775 73

The Apo-1/Fas (CD95) antigen is known to be involved in the process of T cell-mediated target cell killing and has recently been shown to be expressed on myeloma cell lines and native malignant plasma cells. Several cytokines have been reported to interfere with spontaneous and even Apo-1/Fas-induced apoptosis, but no attempt has been made yet to investigate these interactions and the possible underlying mechanisms in myeloma cells. Since in myeloma patients Interferon (IFN)-alpha2 displays a profound therapeutic effect in vivo, which is usually attributed to its growth inhibitory and/or immunomodulatory capacity, we set out to study the potential interference of IFN-alpha2 with Apo-1/Fas-induced apoptosis. Contrary to expectations, IFN-alpha2 reduced the degree of apoptosis caused by the treatment of five Apo-1/Fas-sensitive myeloma cell lines with a Fas monoclonal antibody (mAb). Simultaneous application of IFN-alpha2 and Fas mAb was superior to the prolonged (i.e. >8 h) preincubation with the cytokine as far as inhibition of Apo-1/Fas-induced apoptosis was concerned. This effect of IFN-alpha2 was neither explained by a down-regulation of the Apo-1/Fas receptor nor caused by modulation of the expression levels of c-myc, bcl-2-, bcl-xL, bax- or p53 genes. IFN-alpha2 did not alter the Apo-1/Fas-induced activity of Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) 1 and did not inhibit the Apo-1/Fas-mediated proteolytic cleavage of ADP-ribosyltransferase, a substrate of Interleukin-beta1 converting enzyme (ICE) and homologues. However, activation of protein kinase C (PKC) by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) mimicked the effects of IFN-alpha2. Furthermore, the bis-indolylmaleimide GF 109203X, a specific inhibitor of PKC, inhibited the effect of PMA as well as that of IFN-alpha2 on Apo-1/Fas-induced apoptosis. These results point to a PKC-dependent mechanism of transient interaction between the intracellular signaling along the IFN-alpha2 and the Apo-1/Fas pathway (downstream of MAPK signaling as well as of ICE homologues), which becomes exhausted by prolonged stimulation with the cytokine. According to our data IFN-alpha2, applied continuously and in high doses resembling the therapeutic situation in vivo, inhibits myeloma growth. However, based on the observed inhibitory effect of IFN-alpha2 on Apo-1/Fas-induced apoptosis, a partial inhibition of the natural immune surveillance on myeloma cells by endogenous IFN-alpha2 present in the bone marrow microenvironment of this malignancy should be investigated.
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PMID:Modulation of Apo-1/Fas (CD95)-induced programmed cell death in myeloma cells by interferon-alpha 2. 897 13

IFN-gamma is a cytokine which functions in a wide range of biological activities by inducing a number of early and delayed genes. In murine IL-3-dependent cell lines BAF-B03 and 32D, IFN-gamma upregulated bag-1 and bcl-xL gene expression. These cells revealed prolonged cell survival against IL-3-deprivation by IFN-gamma stimulation. In contrast, human myeloma cell line RPMI8226, despite expression of IFN-gamma receptor, showed neither induction of their expressions nor prolonged cell survival against serum starvation-induced apoptosis by IFN-gamma stimulation. Gene-transfer-mediated overexpression of BAG-1 protein in BAF-B03 cells led to prolonged cell survival against IL-3-deprived apoptosis compared with control BAF-B03 transfectants, indicating that levels of BAG-1 expression are crucial for cell survival in BAF-B03 cells. Taken together, these studies suggest that induction of anti-apoptotic gene expression is a crucial factor for the anti-apoptotic function of IFN-gamma in IL-3-dependent immature hematopoietic cells.
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PMID:IFN-gamma upregulates anti-apoptotic gene expression and inhibits apoptosis in IL-3-dependent hematopoietic cells. 934 41

Members of the Bcl-2 family of proteins, Bcl-2, Bcl-X(L), Bcl-Xs and Bax, are considered to play important roles in the regulation of apoptosis and drug resistance. To understand the significance of these proteins in fresh human myeloma cells, expression of Bcl-2 family of proteins was analyzed by Western blotting in 17 cases with multiple myeloma (MM) and three cases with plasma cell leukemia (PCL). Bcl-2 and Bcl-X(L) were found in 12 and nine samples, respectively. All PCL cases showed co-expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-X(L). Analysis of MM cases showed that Bcl-2 was preferentially expressed in samples from cases with early clinical stage while Bcl-X(L) tended to be expressed in samples from cases at advanced clinical stage. Bcl-X(L) was significantly expressed in tumor cells from cases with extramedullar lesions. There was no correlation between the expression levels of Bcl-2 or Bcl-X(L) and preceding chemotherapy. Expression of Bax was found in only one patient who had pleural effusion caused by invasion of myeloma cells and a high serum LDH level. Survival analysis revealed that there was no statistical significance in expression of Bcl-2 or Bcl-X(L) although Bcl-X(L) tended to be expressed in cases with poor prognosis. These findings indicate that expression of Bcl-2 family of proteins is heterogeneously regulated in fresh myeloma cells. Expression of Bcl-X(L) and Bcl-2 may correlate with extramedullar invasion and early stage of the disease, respectively. Absence of Bax in myeloma cells may contribute to low sensitivity of myeloma cells to anti-cancer agents since Bax is reported to mediate cytotoxicity of some anti-cancer drugs.
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PMID:Expression of Bcl-2 family of proteins in fresh myeloma cells. 982 59

Because of the increasing use of IFN-alpha in both induction and maintenance therapy for multiple myeloma (MM), its effect on growth and apoptosis of myeloma cells is important to consider. To investigate the role of IFN-alpha on the growth of myeloma cells, we have studied its effects on the response of interleukin 6 (IL-6)-dependent myeloma cell line (ANBL6) and IL-6-independent myeloma cell line (C2E3) in the presence of IL-6 and dexamethasone (Dex). We found that although IFN-alpha is a potent inhibitor of proliferation, it has only a minimal effect on induction of apoptosis. Moreover, we found IFN-alpha as well as IL-6 can significantly suppress dexamethasone-induced apoptosis. The suppression of apoptosis is concurrent with the induction of both AP-1 and STAT binding activity. We also found that IL-6 but not IFN-alpha up-regulates Bcl-X(L) expression. However, IL-6-mediated Bcl-X(L) expression is suppressed in the presence of Dex. Therefore, the expression of Bcl-X(L) does not account for the protection of Dex-induced apoptosis by IFN-alpha and IL-6. Taken together, our results suggest that IFN-alpha may counteract the beneficial effects of corticosteroids or perhaps other apoptosis inducing agents in the treatment of myeloma.
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PMID:Interferon-alpha protects myeloma cell lines from dexamethasone-induced apoptosis. 1008 39

To clarify cellular biological varieties of myeloma cells, biological differences were analyzed between 2 human myeloma cell lines, KMS-12-PE and KMS-12-BM, derived from pleural effusion and bone marrow, respectively, of a single patient. Although both lines were considered to be derived from the same clone because both had the same chromosomal marker and immunoglobulin H rearrangement, several biological differences were noted. CD11a and CD20 were highly expressed in the KMS-12-BM line, whereas the KMS-12-PE line showed a higher expression of CD7 and CD95/Fas. Although growth was stimulated in KMS-12-BM by interleukin-6 and interferon-alpha, it was inhibited in KMS-12-PE. In addition, apoptosis inhibitors Bcl-2 and Bcl-X(L) were highly expressed in KMS-12-BM cells. Because KMS-12-PE was cultivated 2 months before KMS-12-BM, these differences might be related to their origin (pleural effusion and bone marrow) or the phases of disease progression. However, these biological differences may help clarify myeloma cell biology and lead to improvement in treatment for myeloma patients.
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PMID:Cellular biological differences between human myeloma cell lines KMS-12-PE and KMS-12-BM established from a single patient. 1103 72

Despite the expression of Fas, some clones of myeloma cells are resistant to Fas-mediated apoptosis. To define a cellular factor involved in the resistance, we performed a comparative study using two clones of myeloma cells, RPM18226 and U266. These cells were reported to express cell surface Fas at similar levels, but only RPM18226 cells lost their viability upon anti-Fas treatment. The resistance of U266 cells to anti-Fas did not appear to reflect dysregulation of Bcl-2, Bcl-X(L), and Bax, because these proteins were expressed in both RPM18226 and U266 cells to similar levels. Moreover, levels of those proteins were not significantly altered by treating RPM18226 cells with IL-6, a cytokine which suppresses the Fas-mediated death of RPM18226 cells. Interestingly, mRNA levels of FLIP(L), an endogenous inhibitor of Fas signaling, were constitutively elevated in U266 cells. Consistent with this observation, U266 cells expressed both FLIPL protein and its truncated 43 kDa product which is seen in FLIP(L)-overexpressing cells. The truncated form of FLIP(L) protein was not detected in RPM18226. Moreover, the levels of truncated FLIP(L) in U266 cells were considerably higher than those of pro-FLIP(L) in RPM18226. The overall data indicate that FLIPL is constitutively hyperexpressed in U266 cells. However, IL-6 failed to enhance the protein levels of FLIP molecules in either of the tested cells. It appears, therefore, that FLIP(L) plays a role in the intrinsic resistance of U266 cells to the apoptotic action of Fas, but is not involved in the protective action of IL-6.
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PMID:FLIP is constitutively hyperexpressed in Fas-resistant U266 myeloma cells, but is not induced by IL-6 in Fas-sensitive RPM18226 cells. 1110 Nov 47

It has been reported that interferons (IFNs) may have antitumor activity in multiple myeloma (MM). The mechanism for their effect on MM, however, remains elusive. This study shows that IFN-alpha and -beta, but not -gamma, induce apoptosis characterized by Annexin V positivity, nuclear fragmentation and condensation, and loss of clonogenicity in 3 MM cell lines (U266, RPMI-8266, and NCI-H929), and in plasma cells from 10 patients with MM. Apo2 ligand (Apo2L, also TRAIL) induction was one of the earliest events following IFN administration in U266 cells. Treatment of these cells with TRAIL, but not with Fas agonistic antibodies, induces apoptosis. Cell death induced by IFNs and Apo2L in U266 cells was partially blocked by a dominant-negative Apo2L receptor, DR5, demonstrating the functional significance of Apo2L induction. This study shows that IFNs activate caspases and the mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathway, possibly mediated by Apo2L production. Thus, IFN-alpha and -beta induce cytochrome c release from mitochondria starting at 12 hours, with an amplified release seen at 48 hours. Moreover, Bid cleavage precedes the initial cytochrome c release, whereas the late, amplified cytochrome c release coincides with changes in levels of Bcl-2, Bcl-X(L), and reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential. These results link the Apo2L induction and modulation of Bcl-2 family proteins to mitochondrial dysfunction. Furthermore, IFNs and Apo2L induce cell death of CD38(+)/CD45(-/dim) plasma cells, without significant effect on nonplasma blood cells, in a caspase and Bcl-2 cleavage-dependent manner. These results warrant further clinical studies with IFNs and Apo2L in MM.
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PMID:Apo2L/TRAIL and Bcl-2-related proteins regulate type I interferon-induced apoptosis in multiple myeloma. 1156 6

BMPs (bone morphogenetic proteins), members of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta superfamily, are a group of related proteins which are capable of inducing the formation of cartilage and bone, but are now regarded as multifunctional cytokines. However, little is known about their role in hematopoiesis. Recently, we found a novel function of BMPs to hematopoietic cells in that BMP-2 induces apoptosis not only in human myeloma cell lines, but also in primary samples from patients with multiple myeloma in vitro. BMP-2 caused cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase which was associated with accumulation of p21CIP1/WAF1 and p27KIP1, and the subsequent apoptosis of myeloma cells. Further analysis showed that BMP-2 induced down-regulation of Bcl-X(L) through the inactivation of STAT3, resulting in the induction of apoptosis in myeloma cells. We conclude that BMP-2 may have the potential to be one of the novel therapeutic agents for treatment in patients with multiple myeloma because of the beneficial effects on both myeloma cells and bone diseases. In this review, we summarize data concerning BMPs and BMP-2-induced apoptosis of myeloma cells including our own recent experimental data.
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PMID:Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2 induces apoptosis in human myeloma cells. 1200 71

The precise molecular mechanism underlying arsenic trioxide (As(2)O(3))-induced apoptosis is a subject of extensive study. Here, we show that clinically relevant doses of As(2)O(3) can induce typical apoptosis in IM-9, a multiple myeloma cell line, in a Bcl-2 inhibitable manner. We confirmed that As(2)O(3) directly induced cytochrome c (cyto c) release from isolated mouse liver mitochondria via the mitochondrial permeability transition pore, and we further identified the voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) as a biological target of As(2)O(3) responsible for eliciting cyto c release in apoptosis. First, pretreatment of the isolated mitochondria with an anti-VDAC antibody specifically prevented As(2)O(3)-induced cyto c release. Second, in proteoliposome experiments, VDAC by itself was sufficient to mediate As(2)O(3)-induced cyto c release, which could be specifically inhibited by Bcl-X(L). Third, As(2)O(3) induced mitochondria membrane potential (DeltaPsim) reduction and cyto c release only in the VDAC-expressing, but not in the VDAC-deficient yeast strain. Finally, we found that As(2)O(3) induced the increased expression and homodimerization of VDAC in IM-9 cells, but not in Bcl-2 overexpressing cells, suggesting that VDAC homodimerization could potentially determine its gating capacity to cyto c, and Bcl-2 blockage of VDAC homodimerization represents a novel mechanism for its inhibition of apoptosis.
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PMID:Essential role of the voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) in mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening and cytochrome c release induced by arsenic trioxide. 1464 51


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