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)

The development of an increasing number of tumors has been shown to involve the deregulation of not only cell proliferation but also normal cell death by apoptosis. Expression of the bcl-2 proto-oncogene has been shown to inhibit the apoptotic cell death of many types of cells. Recent work also has revealed the existence of several bcl-2-related genes that also can inhibit (e.g., bcl-X(L) and Mcl-1) or activate (e.g., bax, bcl-X(s), bag, and bad) apoptosis in several systems. Myelomas are antibody-secreting tumor cells derived from terminally differentiated B lymphocytes, and previous work from our laboratory showed that murine SP2/0 myeloma cells and derived B-cell hybridomas were highly sensitive to apoptosis induction by a block of gene expression (cycloheximide). Additional work revealed that a related murine myeloma cell line, P3X63Ag8.653, was resistant to apoptosis induction in similar conditions. To understand the genetic basis of this differential susceptibility, we examined the expression of apoptosis-related genes in these cell lines. Northern blot experiments showed no significant difference in the expression of myc and bax apoptosis-promoting genes in susceptible (SP2/0 and D5) and resistant (P3X63) cell lines. Also, no significant expression of the bcl-2 gene could be detected in these cell lines. However, a much higher expression level of bcl-X(L) mRNA was observed in apoptosis-resistant P3X63Ag8.653 cells. The role of bcl-X(L) was supported by the finding that expression of bcl-X(L) cDNA in transfected, apoptosis-sensitive D5 cells increased the viability of these cells greatly and reduced DNA fragmentation following apoptosis induction. Significant bcl-X(L) but not bcl-2 expression was also detected in three other murine myeloma cell lines (MOPC 315, RPC 5.4, and J558) derived from different plasmacytoma tumors. These results indicate a predominant role of bcl-X(L) in preventing apoptosis in myeloma cells and suggest that the expression of bcl-2 or bcl-X(L) genes in B-cell tumors depends on the differentiation stage of the precursor normal cell.
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PMID:Role of bcl-X(L) in the control of apoptosis in murine myeloma cells. 864 Aug 39

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a slowly proliferative malignancy in which malignant plasma cells accumulate within the bone marrow. The expression of several anti-apoptotic proteins was evaluated by immunoblotting in human myeloma cell lines and in highly purified native myeloma cells. Expression of Bcl-xL, Mcl-1 and Bcl-2 was found in most of the samples; expression of Bcl-xL and Mcl-1 seemed to be related on myeloma cells. In a system of apoptosis by growth factor deprivation on myeloma cells, we showed that the effect of Bcl-2 seemed minimal whereas Mcl-1 and Bcl-xL were tightly regulated by interleukin (IL)-6. These findings underline the important role of Mcl-1 and Bcl-xL instead of Bcl-2 in IL-6-induced survival of myeloma cells.
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PMID:Mcl-1 and Bcl-xL are co-regulated by IL-6 in human myeloma cells. 1058 32

Mcl-1 is an anti-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family which is tightly regulated during myeloid and B cell differentiation. We have recently reported that Mcl-1 is expressed in human myeloma cells and that Mcl-1 and Bcl-x(L) expression are correlated. In the current study, we demonstrate that IL-6, a survival factor for the human myeloma cell line MDN, rapidly up-regulates Mcl-1 whereas it has no effect on Bcl-2 protein level. In MDN cells, IL-6 induces both extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK)1,2 and STAT3 activation whereas STAT1 and STAT5 activation remains undetectable. Furthermore, while investigating the IL-6 signaling pathway leading to Mcl-1 up-regulation, we show that a janus kinase (JAK)-2 inhibitor is able to inhibit both STAT3 activation and Mcl-1 up-regulation whereas an MAP/ERK kinase (MEK) inhibitor has no effect. In conclusion, our data suggest the involvement of the JAK / STAT pathway but not of the Ras / mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway in IL-6-induced Mcl-1 up-regulation.
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PMID:IL-6 up-regulates mcl-1 in human myeloma cells through JAK / STAT rather than ras / MAP kinase pathway. 1060 2

We have recently reported that Mcl-1, an anti-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family, is upregulated by interleukin (IL)-6 in human myeloma cells through the janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transduction (JAK/STAT) pathway. In the current study, we have explored the effects of interferon (IFN)-alpha, a cytokine which has been shown to increase myeloma cell survival. Our results demonstrate that IFN-alpha potently upregulates Mcl-1 on both myeloma cell lines and purified native myeloma cells. Of note, this upregulation is not due to an induction of an IL-6 autocrine loop. Furthermore, we showed that IL-6 and IFN-alpha had no additive effect on Mcl-1 upregulation, suggesting that both cytokines act through a common mechanism. Finally, the analysis of signalling transduction pathways strongly suggests that Mcl-1 upregulation induced by IFN-alpha depends on STAT3 activation. Altogether, our data show that IFN-alpha has an IL-6-like effect on human myeloma cells and suggest that it could be deleterious in some patients.
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PMID:Interferon alpha extends the survival of human myeloma cells through an upregulation of the Mcl-1 anti-apoptotic molecule. 1116 29

As survival regulation is a key process in multiple myeloma biology, we have studied the Bcl-2 family proteins that can be regulated by three myeloma cell survival factors: interleukin-6 (IL-6), interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1). Eleven myeloma cell lines, whose survival and proliferation are dependent on addition of IL-6, variably expressed 10 anti-apoptotic or pro-apoptotic proteins of the Bcl-2-family. When myeloma cells from four cell lines were IL-6 starved and activated with IL-6 or IFN-alpha, we observed that only Mcl-1 expression was up-regulated with myeloma cell survival induction. Nor was obvious regulation of these 10 pro-apoptotic or anti-apoptotic proteins found with IGF-1, another potent myeloma cell survival factor. Our results indicate that the myeloma cell survival activity of IL-6 linked to Bcl-xL regulation cannot be generalized and emphasize that Mcl-1 is the main target of IL-6 and IFN-alpha stimulation. However, other changes in the activity of the Bcl-2 protein family or other apoptosis regulators must be identified to elucidate the IGF-1 action mechanism. Cell Death and Differentiation (2000) 7, 1244 - 1252.
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PMID:Regulation of Bcl-2-family proteins in myeloma cells by three myeloma survival factors: interleukin-6, interferon-alpha and insulin-like growth factor 1. 1117 62

Although myeloma shows responsiveness in intensive chemotherapy, overall survival remains less than 40% at 2 years. Since myeloma appears to be dependent on cytokines, such as IL-6, we hypothesized that targeting signal transduction molecules could effectively treat myeloma. Two myeloma cell lines U266 and RPMI-8226 and CD38+ myeloma cells were studied by immune complex kinase assay or anti-phosphotyrosine blot for evidence of constitutive activation of tyrosine kinases. Growth arrest and apoptosis were evaluated in these two cell lines following their treatment with specific kinase inhibitors. We found that a variety of Src and Janus kinases were present and constitutively active in U266 and RPMI-8226 cells. Inhibitors of both Src and Janus kinases were inferior to the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, flavopiridol, in inducing both growth arrest with GI50 of 100 nM and apoptosis in both cell lines and CD38+ myeloma cells. Although, flavopiridol did not affect cyclin D1 and cyclin A levels, it inhibited Mcl-1 and Bcl-2 protein levels and cyclin-dependent kinase 2 activity. Flavopiridol is a well-tolerated drug, currently in phase I-II trials for a variety of tumors. A clinical trial using flavopiridol should be performed in patients with myeloma. Its mechanism of action may involve targets other than the cyclin-dependent kinases.
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PMID:Growth inhibition and apoptosis of myeloma cells by the CDK inhibitor flavopiridol. 1179 16

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell malignancy that occurs mainly in bone marrow. As MM cells proliferate slowly, it would seem essential to find means of preventing their growth and accumulation inside bone marrow. The present study used an antisense strategy to elucidate the respective roles of Bcl-2, Bcl-x(L), and Mcl-1 proteins in myeloma cell survival. Each antisense oligonucleotide (ASO; Bcl-2, Bcl-x(L), or Mcl-1 ASO) introduced into human myeloma cell lines by electroporation induced a marked reduction in the level of the corresponding protein. Mcl-1 ASO triggers an important decrease of viability in all myeloma cell lines tested and in 2 primary myeloma cells, whereas neither Bcl-2 nor Bcl-x(L) ASO affected the viability of myeloma cells. The decrease of cell viability induced by Mcl-1 ASO treatment was associated with an induction of apoptosis that occurred through the disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential Delta Psi m and the activation of executioner caspase-3. Furthermore, we have shown that interleukin 6 cannot prevent the Mcl-1 ASO-induced apoptosis. Finally, although Bcl-2 ASO treatment alone has no effect, it can sensitize myeloma cell lines to dexamethasone (Dex), whereas Bcl-x(L) ASO in combination with Dex still had no effect. As MM remains an incurable disease despite intensive chemotherapy, these results suggest that Mcl-1 antisense strategy rather than Bcl-2 antisense strategy could be of considerable importance in the treatment of MM.
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PMID:Antisense strategy shows that Mcl-1 rather than Bcl-2 or Bcl-x(L) is an essential survival protein of human myeloma cells. 1207 27

Aberrant expression of genes regulating apoptosis/survival seems to be essential in the stepwise development of human multiple myeloma (MM). In this paper we have compared the expression of bcl-2 family pro- and anti-apoptotic genes in MM cell lines, primary MM cells and normal plasma cells. The Bcl-2, Mcl-1, Bcl-xL/S, Bcl-w, Bax, Bak, and Bad were shown to be expressed in both malignant and non-neoplastic, normal plasma cells. Quantitative analysis revealed that the malignant phenotype seemed to correlate with an elevated expression of Mcl-1, a decreased expression of Bax and, to a lesser extent, an increased Bcl-2/Bax expression ratio. The possible influence of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in regulating the expression of the bcl-2-related genes was also examined. Using the IL-6-dependent MM cell lines U-1958 and U-266-1970 it was clearly shown that IL-6 deprivation induced cell cycle arrest in both cell lines, whereas apoptosis was only detected in the U-1958 cells. Furthermore, the anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2, Mcl-1 and Bcl-xL were down-regulated, while the expression of the pro-apoptotic Bax protein was increased. To conclude, we suggest that the expression pattern of the Bcl-2 family of proteins separates the malignant phenotype of MM from normal plasma cells, and that the protecting effect of IL-6 may be conducted via an altered balance between these proteins.
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PMID:Expression of the bcl-2 family of pro- and anti-apoptotic genes in multiple myeloma and normal plasma cells: regulation during interleukin-6(IL-6)-induced growth and survival. 1236 10

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a B-cell malignancy characterized by the accumulation of malignant plasma cells with slow proliferative rate but enhanced survival. MM cells express multiple Bcl-2 family members, including Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, and Mcl-1, which are thought to play a key role in the survival and drug resistance of myeloma. The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor flavopiridol has antitumor activity against hematopoietic malignancies, including CLL, in which induction of apoptosis was associated with reduced expression of antiapoptotic proteins. Therefore, we sought to characterize the effect of flavopiridol on the proliferation and survival of myeloma cells and to define its mechanisms of action. Treatment of MM cell lines (8226, ANBL-6, ARP1, and OPM-2) with clinically achievable concentrations of flavopiridol resulted in rapid induction of apoptotic cell death that correlated temporally with the decline in Mcl-1 protein and mRNA levels. Levels of other antiapoptotic proteins did not change. Overexpression of Mcl-1 protected MM cells from flavopiridol-induced apoptosis. Additional analysis demonstrated that flavopiridol treatment resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of phosphorylation of the RNA polymerase II COOH-terminal domain, thus blocking transcription elongation. These data indicate that Mcl-1 is an important target for flavopiridol-induced apoptosis of MM that occurs through inhibition of Mcl-1 mRNA transcription coupled with rapid protein degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway.
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PMID:The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor flavopiridol induces apoptosis in multiple myeloma cells through transcriptional repression and down-regulation of Mcl-1. 1242 44

An antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) complementary to the first six codons of the Bcl-2 mRNA, G3139 (oblimersen sodium; Genasense), has been shown to downregulate Bcl-2 and produce responses in a variety of malignancies including drug-resistant lymphoma. Incubation of ex vivo purified plasma cells from patients with multiple myeloma (MM) with carboxyfluorescein (FAM)-labeled antisense ODNs resulted in a time- and dose-dependent uptake in the cytoplasm and nucleus. No major differences in uptake of Bcl-2 antisense ODNs were observed among patients' samples. Incubation of purified myeloma plasma cells with G3139, but not solvent or reverse polarity control ODNs, resulted in a reduction (>75%) of Bcl-2 mRNA levels after 2 and 4 days, as measured by Real-Time PCR. Treatment with G3139 led to a sequence-specific reduction of Bcl-2 protein levels within 4 days of exposure in 10 out of 11 clinical samples from patients with chemosensitive and multidrug-resistant disease, without significant reduction of alpha-Actin, Bax, Bcl-XL, or Mcl-1 proteins. This resulted in a significantly enhanced sensitivity of the myeloma tumor cells to dexamethasone or doxorubicin-induced apoptosis. G3139 can consistently enter myeloma cells, downregulate the expression of Bcl-2, and enhance the efficacy of myeloma therapy. These data support further clinical evaluation of G3139 therapy in multiple myeloma.
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PMID:Chemosensitization of myeloma plasma cells by an antisense-mediated downregulation of Bcl-2 protein. 1252 80


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