Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0027819 (neuroblastoma)
 27,800 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Toxicity of mercaptoundecahydro-closo-dodecaborate (MHB, Na2H(11)10B12SH) and accumulation of MHB-derived 10B were studied in E7 neuroblastoma, C6 glioma, HeLa cells and embryonic lung LEP 19 fibroblasts in culture in exponential and stationary phases of growth (2- and 7-day-old cultures, respectively). The pilot study of acute toxicity, performed on C6 glioma cells, showed good tolerance of the drug up to 1000 micrograms/ml (4.8 x 10(-3) M), when cell growth slowed and a small part of the population was lethally damaged (8.3%, 20-h incubation interval). The changes became more extensive and appeared sooner (toward 5 h) at 2000 micrograms MHB/ml (9.5 x 10(-3) M). None of the four cell lines used was found to be affected in gross morphology or growth by 200 micrograms MHB/ml within a 5-day culture interval. When exposed to this dose for 4 h, the amount of 10B accumulated in cell lines at the exponential growth phase ranged from 0.51 to 4.4 ng/micrograms protein; in the stationary cultures of the corresponding cell phenotype, the 10B values were 3 to 10 times lower (0.12-1.2 ng/micrograms protein). Irrespective of the growth phase, the values achieved in C6 glioma cells were several times higher than in the other cell lines. Furthermore, in the glioma cells, particularly in the exponential phase of growth, accumulation of 10B proceeded against the marked concentration gradient. The data provide a new indication for the use of MHB for boron neutron capture therapy of brain tumors.
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PMID:Accumulation of boron-10 (10B) in cell cultures exposed to mercaptododecaborate (Na2H(11)10B12SH) used for the neutron capture therapy of brain tumors. 150 Nov 24

The presence of the trivalent metallic cations, aluminum and boron, in the culture medium of differentiated human LAN-5 neuroblastoma cells results in increased amounts of specific isomers of microtubule-associated tau proteins. The cells were differentiated to a neuronal phenotype by the addition of retinoic acid. Six-day exposures of the differentiated cells to a 1-mM dose of aluminum or boron yielded increases in tau protein immunoreactivity to the monoclonal antibodies Tau-1 and Alz-50. Significant increases in immunoreactivity were seen at treatment levels of aluminum down to 100 microM. The increases in tau proteins were independent from increases in levels of total cell protein. Control cultures treated with the divalent cations zinc and iron showed no increases in levels of tau proteins.
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PMID:Effects of aluminum on tau proteins in human neuroblastoma cells. 195 63

Radionuclides are applied in oncology for diagnosis and therapy. The former demands gamma--emitting radionuclides for labeling specific substrates for localizing malignant tissue and for analyzing tumor metabolism in vivo. Here, positron emission tomography (PET) may register in vivo the metabolism, for example, of glucose, amino acids, and receptors and of potentially useful cytotoxic agents. The advantage of the positron emitting radionuclides of carbon, nitrogen and fluorine is the labeling of substrates without changing substrate specificity within the metabolic reaction chain; also, substrate concentration in situ may be quantified. With regard to therapy radionuclides that emit beta- and alpha-particles or decay by electron capture with the Auger effect, are administered in ionic form or with tumor seeking substrates. Examples are radioiodine for treating thyroid malignancy and radiophosphorus for myeloproliferative diseases. Organically bound radionuclides are given as labeled ligands for specific receptors, such as meta-iodo-benzylguanidine (MIBG) for treating the catecholamine producing tumors phaeochromocytoma and neuroblastoma and labeled monoclonal antibodies for tumors specific receptors. Highly localized energy depositions come from Auger emitters such as 125I and by the neutron capture therapy, where boron-10 in the tumor cell is exposed to thermal neutrons for initiating the B10 (n; alpha) Li7 reaction, especially for treating neuro- and glioblastoma and melanoma. Endogenous radiotherapy with radionuclides rely on the success of delivering a proper amount of energy into individual tumor cells with optimal protection of normal tissue. The inevitable heterogeneity of energy deposition events from such approaches demands careful dosimetric assessment for which the classical methods of dosimetry for percutaneous radiotherapy are not applicable.
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PMID:Contributions of nuclear medicine to the therapy of malignant tumors. 844 68

The p73 gene codes for various different protein isoforms. They include proteins expressed under the control of the P1 promoter that contain a transactivation domain and are similar in function to p53 (TAp73 isoforms), as well as proteins regulated by the P2 promoter that lack this domain and function as dominant negative inhibitors of TAp73 and p53 (DeltaNp73 isoforms). Whereas TAp73 functions as a tumor suppressor with pro-apoptotic function, DeltaNp73 is likely to prevent the induction of apoptosis in tumor cells and to participate in oncogenesis. Here we used a loss-of-function strategy to assess the role of DeltaNp73 in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. An antisense oligonucleotide designed to target DeltaNp73 mRNA, but not TAp73, was used to effectively downregulate this transcript. DeltaNp73 downregulation was accompanied by increased levels of the pro-apoptotic BH3 family member PUMA at the mRNA and protein level, and by conformational activation of BAX which translocated to mitochondria. These DeltaNp73 antisense-mediated alterations led to the induction of apoptosis as detected by decreased cell viability, augmented DNA fragmentation and increased caspase-3 activity in cell lysates. Our results demonstrate the cytoprotective role of DeltaNp73 in neuroblastoma and suggest its use as a target for molecular intervention therapy.
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PMID:DeltaNp73 antisense activates PUMA and induces apoptosis in neuroblastoma cells. 1580 72

Neuroblastoma is a pediatric solid tumor with high morbidity and mortality in association with particular high-risk biological and clinical features (such as MYCN proto-oncogene amplification or advanced tumor stage). Such high-risk neuroblastomas may be initially responsive to cytoreductive therapies, yet the majority will ultimately demonstrate de novo or acquired chemoresistance leading to tumor progression and death. Insight into the genetic alterations responsible for these phenotypes are beginning to be gained, and subversion of inherent programmed cell death pathways is a common theme. Intact apoptosis pathways protect cells against neoplastic transformation and provide the mechanisms by which cytotoxic agents exert their effects. When these pathways are abolished through alterations in the cell death machinery, they complement deregulated oncogenes to promote tumor initiation and therapy resistance. Currently, therapeutic intensity for high-risk neuroblastoma has been advanced to near-tolerance with only modest gains in survival, and it is likely that further improvements in outcome will require innovative approaches that target key regulatory pathways that potentiate currently available therapies. Efforts to abrogate the cancer cell 'survival bias' engendered by alterations in death pathways are now a major focus in experimental cancer therapeutics, and their application to the problem of high-risk neuroblastoma form the basis of this review. These include agents that activate death receptors (TRAIL-agonists) or restore DISC competency (CDDO, DNA methyltransferase and HDAC inhibitors); reduce pro-survival Bcl2 homologues (Oblimersen sodium [AS-Bcl2], AS-Mcl1) or deliver a pro-apoptotic BH3 protein burden (BH3 peptides, gossypol, ABT737); or repress IAPs (Smac/Diablo peptides, AS-XIAP, AS-Survivin). As our knowledge of apoptosis dysregulation in neuroblastoma evolves, the possibilities for pro-apoptotic therapeutics seems not only promising, but a realistic adjunct to conventional treatments.
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PMID:Targeting programmed cell death pathways with experimental therapeutics: opportunities in high-risk neuroblastoma. 1592 59

Bim is one of the proapoptotic BH3-only homologs of the Bcl-2 family proteins, which interacts with other Bcl-2 family proteins to activate the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. The expression and protein level of Bim are highly regulated in cells at both transcriptional and post-translational levels, and inadequate control of Bim level may largely determine its pro-apoptic activity. In the present study, we reported that carbachol, a muscarinic cholinergic receptor agonist, regulated Bim in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Carbachol rapidly induced an upward gel mobility shift of Bim, which was abolished by protein phosphatase treatment, indicating an increased Bim phosphorylation by carbachol. The effect of carbachol was mimicked by the protein kinase C activator 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and was blocked by the protein kinase C inhibitor rottlerin, suggesting that activation of protein kinase C was required for carbachol-induced phosphorylation of Bim. Prolonged treatment with carbachol and PMA significantly decreased Bim protein levels in total cell lysates and mitrochondria. Carbachol and PMA had no effect in the transcriptional regulation of Bim, whereas the reduction of Bim by both carbachol and PMA was reversed by the proteosome inhibitors, suggesting that carbachol and PMA facilitated the proteosome-dependent Bim degradation. Thus, this study identified the muscarinic receptor-protein kinase C signaling pathway as a regulator of Bim in neuroblastoma cells, and activation of muscarinic receptor and protein kinase C functions to induce Bim phosphorylation, followed by down-regulation of the proapoptotic protein.
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PMID:Phosphorylation and down-regulation of Bim by muscarinic cholinergic receptor activation via protein kinase C. 1618 68

The major impediment to cure for many malignancies is the development of therapy resistance with resultant tumor progression. Genetic alterations leading to subversion of inherent apoptosis pathways are common themes in therapy resistance. Bcl-2 family proteins play a critical role in regulating mitochondrial apoptosis that governs chemotherapeutic effects, and defective engagement of these pathways contributes to treatment failure. We have studied the efficacy of BH3 peptidomimetics consisting of the minimal death, or BH3, domains of the proapoptotic BH3-only proteins Bid and Bad to induce apoptosis using neuroblastoma (NB) as a model system. We demonstrate that BH3 peptides, modified with an arginine homopolymer for membrane transduction (called r8-BidBH3 and r8-BadBH3, respectively), potently induce apoptosis in NB cells, including those with MYCN amplification. Cell death is caspase 9 dependent, consistent with a requirement for the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway. Substitutions at highly conserved residues within the r8-BidBH3 peptide abolish apoptotic efficacy supporting activity through specific BH domain interactions. Concomitant exposure to r8-BadBH3 and r8-BidBH3 at sublethal monotherapy doses revealed potent synergy consistent with a competitive displacement model, whereby BH3 peptides displace sequestered BH3 proteins to induce cell death. Further, BH3 peptides demonstrate antitumor efficacy in a xenograft model of NB in the absence of additional genotoxic or trophic stressors. These data provide proof of principle that targeted re-engagement of apoptosis pathways may be of therapeutic utility, and BH3-like compounds are attractive lead agents to re-establish therapy-induced apoptosis in refractory malignancies.
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PMID:BH3 peptidomimetics potently activate apoptosis and demonstrate single agent efficacy in neuroblastoma. 1656 93

Protein kinase-B (PKB) and its target, the forkhead transcription factor like 1 (FKHRL1)/FoxO3a, have been suggested as regulators of neurotrophin-mediated cell survival in neuronal cells. We analyzed human neuroblastoma cells and found that FKHRL1 was phosphorylated, suggesting its inactivation. To study FKHRL1 function, we infected SH-EP and NB15 cells with a 4OH-tamoxifen-regulated FKHRL1(A3)ER(tm) transgene. Activation of FKHRL1 promoted cytochrome-c release and caspase-dependent apoptosis. FKHRL1 induced TRAIL and the BH3-only proteins Noxa and Bim, implicating both extrinsic and intrinsic death pathways. However, expression of dnFADD did not inhibit FKHRL1-induced cell death, whereas Bcl2 protected against apoptosis. This excluded the death-receptor pathway and suggested that cell death decision is regulated by Bcl2-rheostat. Importantly, RNAi knockdown of Noxa or Bim decreased apoptosis, indicating that Noxa and Bim cooperate to mediate FKHRL1-induced cell death. We conclude that Noxa and Bim establish a connection between FKHRL1 and mitochondria, and that both BH3-only proteins are critically involved in FKHRL1-induced apoptosis in neuroblastoma.
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PMID:FKHRL1-mediated expression of Noxa and Bim induces apoptosis via the mitochondria in neuroblastoma cells. 1688 45

The aim of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxicity of cubic boron nitride (cBN), a component of surgical cutting tools. The small quantities of cBN that typically remain on implants as a result of the manufacturing process may act as abrasives, injuring tissues surrounding the implant. To determine how cBN affects cells, we treated human neuroblastoma cells (NB-1) and human articular chondrocytes (nHAC-kn) with different concentrations of cBN powder and assessed cell growth and cell survival using the methyl-thiazol-tetrazolium (MTT) assay and a fluorescence probe assay. We also assessed the effects of tungsten carbide (WC) and cobalt (Co), two common components of joint implants, on cell growth and cell survival. Both cBN and WC moderately inhibited NB-1 and nHAC-kn cell growth. However, cBN and WC did not affect cell survival, even at high concentrations (40 microg/ml). By contrast, Co affected cell survival, inducing cell death in both cell types at increasing concentrations. These results suggest that cBN may be less toxic than WC alloys containing Co.
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PMID:Cytotoxic evaluation of cubic boron nitride in human origin cultured cells. 1689 Mar 96

We have developed an improved and reliable method for stereoselective functionalization at C4 of naturally occurring (+)-catechin. Our method utilizes DDQ oxidation followed by trapping of the quinonemethide intermediate with allyl alcohol. The quinonemethide intermediate can be regenerated from the allyl ether by exposure to boron trifluoride diethyl etherate. This reactive intermediate can be trapped with a wide range of external nucleophiles. NBS bromination, lithium halogen exchange, and alkylation gave access to C8-allyl derivatives of (+)-catechin, and this allyl group was used in a series of cross-metathesis experiments to prepare novel dimeric catechin-derived products. Gallate ester derivatives of the novel C4- and C8-substituted catechins were prepared, and these materials were screened for potential anticancer activity in a range of human cancer cell lines. From these preliminary cytotoxicity assays (MTT) we found that C8-propyl-catechin gallate was more active (IC50 = 31 microM) than catechin gallate (CG, IC50 = 53 microM) or epicatechin gallate (ECG, IC50 = 76 microM) against the colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line HCT116. Differential sensitivity in pancreas (Pan1), bladder (RT112), stomach (MGLVA1), liver (HepG2), and fibroblasts (46Br.1G1) cell lines was also observed.
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PMID:Synthesis and preliminary anticancer activity studies of C4 and C8-modified derivatives of catechin gallate (CG) and epicatechin gallate (ECG). 1716 88


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