Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0029463 (osteosarcoma)
 16,637 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The cell cycle-dependent transcription factor, E2F-1, regulates the cyclin-like species of the DNA repair enzyme uracil-DNA glycosylase (UDG) gene in human osteosarcoma (Saos-2) cells. We demonstrate, through the deletion of the human UDG promoter sequences, that expression of E2F-1 activates the UDG promoter through several E2F sites. The major putative downstream site for E2F, located in the first exon, serves as a target for E2F-1/DP1 complex binding in vitro. We also provide evidence for the functional relationship between the cyclin-like UDG gene product and E2F. High levels of UDG expression in a transient transfection assay result in the down-regulation of transcriptional activity through elements specific for E2F-mediated transcription. Overexpression of UDG in Saos 2 cells was observed to delay growth late in G1 phase and transiently arrest these cells from progressing into the S phase. This hypothetical model integrates one mechanism of DNA repair with the cell cycle control of gene transcription, likely through E2F. This implicates E2F as a multifunctional target for proteins and enzymes, possibly, responsive to DNA damage through the negative effect of UDG on E2F-mediated transcriptional activity.
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PMID:E2F-1 and a cyclin-like DNA repair enzyme, uracil-DNA glycosylase, provide evidence for an autoregulatory mechanism for transcription. 753 93

We have recently shown that thymoquinone (TQ) is an antineoplastic drug that induces p53-dependent apoptosis in human colon cancer cells. This study evaluated the antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic effects of TQ in two human osteosarcoma cell lines with different p53 mutation status. TQ decreased cell survival dose-dependently and, more significantly, in p53-null MG63 cells (IC(50) = 17 muM) than in p53-mutant MNNG/HOS cells (IC(50) = 38 muM). Cell viability was reduced more selectively in MG63 tumor cells than in normal human osteoblasts. Flow cytometric analysis showed that TQ induced a much greater increase in the PreG(1) (apoptotic) cell population, but no cell cycle arrest in MG63. G(2)/M arrest in MNNG/HOS cells was associated with p21(WAF1) upregulation. Using three DNA damage assays, TQ was confirmed to result in a significantly greater extent of apoptosis in p53 null MG63 cells. Although the Bax/Bcl-2 ratios were not differentially modulated in both cell lines, the mitochondrial pathway appeared to be involved in TQ-induced apoptosis in MG63 by showing the cleavage of caspases-9 and -3. Oxidative stress and mitochondrial O(2)(*-) generation in isolated rat mitochondria were enhanced by TQ as measured by the dose-dependent reduction in aconitase enzyme activity and Amplex Red oxidation respectively. TQ-induced oxidative damage, reflected by an increase in gamma-H2AX foci and increased protein expression levels of gamma-H2AX and the DNA repair enzyme, NBS1, was more pronounced in MNNG/HOS than in MG63. We suggest that the resistance of MNNG/HOS cells to drug-induced apoptosis is caused by the up-regulation of p21(WAF1) by the mutant p53 (transcriptional activity was shown by p53 siRNA treatment) which induces cell cycle arrest and allows to repair DNA damage. Collectively, these findings show that TQ induces p53-independent apoptosis in human osteosarcoma cells. As the loss of p53 function is frequently observed in osteosarcoma patients, our data suggest the potential clinical usefulness of TQ for the treatment of these malignancies.
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PMID:Lack of p53 augments thymoquinone-induced apoptosis and caspase activation in human osteosarcoma cells. 1721 78

The presence of cancer stem cells in both solid and hematopoietic malignancies, has been recently linked to their pathogenesis. Sarcomas are rare, and diversely characterized by degrees of mesenchymal differentiation. The aim of the current study was to demonstrate whether the human sarcoma cell lines, osteosarcoma MG63, Ewing's sarcoma HTB166, fibrosarcoma HT1080, possess the stem-like properties which may contribute to the drug-resistance. All cell lines possessed an ability to form spherical, clonal expanding colonies (sarcospheres) in anchorage-independent, serum-starved conditions. Sarcospheres showed the stem-like properties with the ability of self-renewal, and increased expression of the stem cell-related genes such as Nanog, OCT3/4 SOX2 and DNA repair enzyme genes, MLH1 and MSH2. Sarcospheres showed strong resistance to doxorubicin and cisplatin, and caffeine, a DNA repair inhibitor, enhanced the efficacy of those drugs, suggesting that the drug resistance in sarcosphere cells was partly related to the efficient DNA repair ability. These results indicate that human sarcoma cell lines contain stem-like cell populations with strong drug resistance, and DNA repair inhibitor could enhance the efficacy of chemo-drugs against sarcomas.
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PMID:Sphere-forming stem-like cell populations with drug resistance in human sarcoma cell lines. 1936 Mar 50