Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0376358 (prostate cancer)
59,338 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a highly promising candidate for the treatment of cancer because it elicits cell death in the majority of tumor cells while sparing most normal cells. Some cancers, however, display resistance to TRAIL, suggesting that treatment with TRAIL alone may be insufficient for cancer therapy. In the present study, we explored whether the apoptotic responsiveness of PC-3 prostate cancer cells to TRAIL could be enhanced by targeting the novel protein kinase C (PKC) isoform eta. Transfection of PC-3 cells with second-generation chimeric antisense oligonucleotides against PKCeta caused a time- and dose-dependent knockdown of PKCeta, as revealed by real-time RT-PCR and Western blot analyses. Knockdown of PKCeta resulted in a marked amplification of TRAIL's cytotoxic activity. Cell killing could be substantially prevented by the pan-caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk. In addition, PKCeta knockdown and administration of TRAIL significantly synergized in activation of caspase-3 and internucleosomal DNA fragmentation. Knockdown of PKCeta augmented TRAIL-induced dissipation of the mitochondrial transmembrane potential and release of cytochrome c from mitochondria into the cytosol, indicating that PKCeta acts upstream of mitochondria. We conclude that PKCeta represents a considerable resistance factor with respect to TRAIL and a promising target to exploit the therapeutic potential of TRAIL.
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PMID:Down-regulation of protein kinase Ceta potentiates the cytotoxic effects of exogenous tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand in PC-3 prostate cancer cells. 1525 38

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is cytotoxic to the majority of cancer cells while sparing most normal cells. However, different prostate carcinoma cell lines respond with different sensitivities to TRAIL, urging us to disclose the mechanisms that determine TRAIL sensitivity in prostate cancer cells, i.e. to identify and validate target molecules. In this report, we show that down-regulation ('knockdown') of Bcl-xL, but not Bcl-2, markedly amplifies TRAIL-induced apoptosis in PC-3 prostate carcinoma cells. The knockdown was accomplished by second-generation chimeric antisense oligonucleotides: Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL levels were strongly and reproducibly reduced, as revealed by real-time RT-PCR and Western blot analyses. Knockdown of Bcl-xL and administration of TRAIL significantly synergized in dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential, release of cytochrome c, activation of caspase-9 and -3 and, consequently, apoptotic cell death. Knockdown of Bcl-2 did not affect any of these activities. We conclude that that Bcl-xL represents a promising target to improve cancer therapy by potentiating TRAIL's cytotoxic effects.
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PMID:Apoptotic responsiveness of PC-3 prostate cancer cells to tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand: evidence for differential effects of Bcl-xL and Bcl-2 down-regulation. 1537 70

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) has been shown to induce apoptosis in a variety of tumorigenic and transformed cell lines but not in many normal cells. Hence, TRAIL has the potential to be an ideal cancer therapeutic agent with minimal cytotoxicity. FLICE inhibitory protein (c-FLIP) is an important regulator of TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Here, we show that persistent expression of c-FLIP(Long) [c-FLIP(L)] is inversely correlated with the ability of TRAIL to induce apoptosis in prostate cancer cells. In contrast to TRAIL-sensitive cells, TRAIL-resistant LNCaP and PC3-TR (a TRAIL-resistant subpopulation of PC3) cells showed increased c-FLIP(L) mRNA levels and maintained steady protein expression of c-FLIP(L) after treatment with TRAIL. Ectopic expression of c-FLIP(L) in TRAIL-sensitive PC3 cells changed their phenotype from TRAIL sensitive to TRAIL resistant. Conversely, silencing of c-FLIP(L) expression by small interfering RNA in PC3-TR cells reversed their phenotype from TRAIL resistant to TRAIL sensitive. Therefore, persistent expression of c-FLIP(L) is necessary and sufficient to regulate sensitivity to TRAIL-mediated apoptosis in prostate cancer cells.
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PMID:Persistent c-FLIP(L) expression is necessary and sufficient to maintain resistance to tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand-mediated apoptosis in prostate cancer. 1546 4

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL/Apo2L) is of particular interest in the development of prostate carcinoma therapeutics as it preferentially induces apoptosis of tumor cells. To employ adenoviral vectors for highly efficient and specific TRAIL gene transfer into cancer cells could overcome some potential problems for recombinant TRAIL. The vascular endothelial growth factor receptor FLT-1 is involved in regulation of angiogenesis and tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis of prostate carcinoma. FLT-1 expression is observed in both tumor endothelial cells and prostate cancer cells. We developed an adenoviral vector encoding the TRAIL gene under control of the FLT1 promoter (AdFlt-TRAIL), which produced endothelial and prostate cancer cell death. The combination of ionizing radiation and adenovirus-driven TRAIL expression overcame human prostate cancer cell resistance to TRAIL. Furthermore, in vivo administration of AdFlt-TRAIL at the site of tumor growth in combination with radiation treatment produced significant suppression of the growth of DU145 human prostate tumor xenografts in athymic nude mice. Our results suggest that specific TRAIL delivery employing the FLT1 promoter can effectively inhibit tumor growth and demonstrate the advantage of combination radiotherapy and gene therapy for the treatment of prostate cancer.
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PMID:Adenovirus-mediated FLT1-targeted proapoptotic gene therapy of human prostate cancer. 1556 38

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a cytotoxic agent that preferentially induces apoptosis in a variety of human cancer cells. Unfortunately, some tumor cells remain resistant to TRAIL. Therefore, agents that sensitize malignant cells to TRAIL-mediated cell death might be of particular importance for the development of novel antitumor therapeutic regimens. Recent studies establish a critical role of selenium in prostate cancer prevention in vitro and in vivo. Here, we demonstrate that concomitant administration of TRAIL and methylseleninic acid (MSA) produces synergistic effects on the induction of apoptosis in androgen-dependent LNCaP and androgen-independent DU-145 prostate cancer cells. MSA rapidly and specifically downregulates expression of the cellular FLICE inhibitory protein, a negative regulator of death receptor signaling. In addition, we demonstrate that the synergistic effects of MSA and TRAIL result from the activation of the mitochondrial pathway-mediated amplification loop. Addition of MSA effectively blocked TRAIL-mediated BAD phosphorylation at Ser112 and Ser136 in DU-145 cells and was accompanied by induction of the mitochondrial permeability transition and release of apoptogenic cytochrome c and Smac/DIABLO proteins from the mitochondria and into the cytosol. These results suggest that selenium-based dietary compounds may help to overcome resistance to TRAIL-mediated apoptosis in prostate cancer cells.
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PMID:Methylseleninic acid sensitizes prostate cancer cells to TRAIL-mediated apoptosis. 1589 71

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a member of the tumor necrosis factor family of cytokines that induces apoptosis in some tumor cells but not in normal cells. Unfortunately, many human cancer cell lines are refractory to TRAIL-induced cell death, and the molecular mechanisms underlying resistance are unclear. Here we report that TRAIL resistance was reversed in human bladder and prostate cancer cell lines by the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib (PS-341, Velcade). Synergistic induction of apoptosis occurred within 4 to 6 hours in cells treated with TRAIL plus bortezomib and was associated with accumulation of p21(WAF-1/Cip-1) (p21) and inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) activity. Roscovitine, a specific cdk1/2 inhibitor, also sensitized cells to TRAIL. Silencing p21 expression reduced levels of DNA fragmentation by 50% in cells treated with bortezomib and TRAIL, confirming that p21 was required for the response. Analysis of the TRAIL pathway revealed that caspase-8 processing was enhanced in a p21-dependent fashion in cells exposed to TRAIL and bortezomib as compared with cells treated with TRAIL alone. Thus, all downstream components of the pathway (Bid cleavage, cytochrome c release, and caspase-3 activation) were amplified. These data strongly suggest that p21-mediated cdk inhibition promotes TRAIL sensitivity via caspase-8 activation and that TRAIL and bortezomib should be combined in appropriate in vivo models as a possible approach to solid tumor therapy.
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PMID:Bortezomib abolishes tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand resistance via a p21-dependent mechanism in human bladder and prostate cancer cells. 1593 Mar 12

Overexpression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins may play an important role in the aggressive behavior of prostate cancer cells and their resistance to therapy. The Bcl-2 homology 3 domain (BH3) is a uniquely important functional element within the pro-apoptotic class of the Bcl-2-related proteins, mediating their ability to dimerize with other Bcl-2-related proteins and promote apoptosis. The BH3 inhibitors (BH3Is) function by disrupting the interactions mediated by the BH3 domain between pro- and anti-apoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family and liberating more Bax/Bak to induce mitochondrial membrane permeabilization. LNCaP-derived C4-2 human prostate cancer cells are quite resistant to non-tagged, human recombinant soluble Apo2 ligand [Apo2L, also Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand, TRAIL], a tumor specific drug that is now in clinical trials. However, when Apo2L/TRAIL was combined with the Bcl-xL inhibitor, BH3I-2', it induced apoptosis synergistically through activation of Caspase-8 and the proapoptotic Bcl-2 family member Bid, resulting in the activation of effector Caspase-3 and proteolytic cleavage of Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, events that were blocked by the pan-caspase inhibitor zVAD-fmk. Our data indicate that, in combination with the BH3 mimetic, BH3I-2', Apo2L/TRAIL synergistically induces apoptosis in C4-2 human prostate cancer cells through both the extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways.
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PMID:Sensitization of prostate carcinoma cells to Apo2L/TRAIL by a Bcl-2 family protein inhibitor. 1621 73

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men and is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the USA. Many anti-tumor agents against prostate cancer cells have been developed, but their unacceptable systemic toxicity to normal tissues usually limits their use in the clinic. Apo2 ligand (Apo2L), also called Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), is one of several members of the TNF gene superfamily that induces apoptosis through engagement of death receptors. This protein has generated tremendous enthusiasm as a potential tumor-specific cancer therapeutic because, as a stable trimer, it selectively induces apoptosis in many transformed cells, but not in most normal cells. In this review we discuss its potential use in prostate cancer therapy, the mechanisms by which induces apoptosis or that underlie resistance to it, and strategies for sensitization to overcome them. Conventional chemotherapeutic and chemopreventive drugs, irradiation, and other therapeutic agents, such as histone deacetylase inhibitors or retinoids can sensitize Apo2L/TRAIL-resistant cells and tumors. Investigating the apoptotic effects of Apo2L/TRAIL, a unique tumor-specific cell death ligand, now in clinical trials, alone or in combination may not only help in understanding its antineoplastic role in prostate carcinoma but may also provide insights into basic mechanisms of apoptosis.
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PMID:APO2 ligand/tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand in prostate cancer therapy. 1636 36

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) has been shown to induce apoptosis in prostate cancer cells through DR4 and DR5 death receptors, but not in normal prostate cells, which do not express these receptors. Therefore, TRAIL has excellent potential to be a selective prostate cancer therapeutic agent with minimal toxic side effects. However, prostate cancer cells, as many other cancer types, develop resistance to TRAIL, and the underlying molecular mechanisms require further investigation. We hypothesize that selenium may sensitize TRAIL-resistant cells to undergo caspase-mediated apoptosis and increase therapeutic efficacy. Here, we report that TRAIL signaling in LNCaP prostate cancer cells stalled at downstream of caspase-8 and BID cleavage, as indicated by the lack of Bax translocation into mitochondria, and no subsequent activation of the caspase-9 cascade. Selenite induced a rapid generation of superoxide and p53 Ser(15) phosphorylation and increased Bax abundance and translocation into the mitochondria. Selenite and TRAIL combined treatment led to synergistic increases of Bax abundance and translocation into mitochondria, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, cytochrome c release, and cleavage activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3. Inactivating p53 with a dominant-negative mutant abolished apoptosis without affecting superoxide generation, whereas a superoxide dismutase mimetic agent blocked p53 activation, Bax translocation to mitochondria, cytochrome c release, and apoptosis induced by selenite/TRAIL. In support of Bax as a crucial target for cross-talk between selenite and TRAIL pathways, introduction of Bax into p53 mutant DU145 cells enabled selenite to sensitize these cells for TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Taken together, the results indicate that selenite induces a rapid superoxide burst and p53 activation, leading to Bax up-regulation and translocation into mitochondria, which restores the cross-talk with stalled TRAIL signaling for a synergistic caspase-9/3 cascade-mediated apoptosis execution.
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PMID:Inorganic selenium sensitizes prostate cancer cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis through superoxide/p53/Bax-mediated activation of mitochondrial pathway. 1689 74

Adjuvant therapies contribute to the successful treatment of cancer. Our previous reports have shown that combining cryoablation with cytotoxic agents enhances cell death. Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a cytotoxic agent that preferentially induces apoptosis in a variety of human cancer cells. Human prostate cancer cells (PC-3) are resistant to many cytodestructive agents, including cryoablation and TRAIL. Here, we evaluated the effects of TRAIL combined with cryoablation on PC-3 and normal prostate (RWPE-1) cell death. Exposure of PC-3 cells to freezing (-10 degrees C) or TRAIL (500 ng/ml) results in minimal cell death, whereas a complete loss of viability is observed with the simultaneous combination. The synergistic effect was found to be due to a marked increase in apoptosis. Western blot analysis revealed a significant level of caspase-8 and -3 cleavage between 12 and 24 h post-exposure. Caspase activation assays provided similar results and also indicated a role for caspase-9. Inhibitors to caspase-8 and -9 along with a pan-caspase inhibitor were incorporated to determine which pathway was necessary for the combined efficacy. Inhibition of caspase-8 significantly blocked the combination-induced cell death compared to cells that did not receive the inhibitor (63% compared to 10% viable). The addition of the caspase-9 inhibitor resulted in only a minimal protection. Importantly, the combination was not effective when applied to normal prostate cells. The results describe a novel therapeutic model for the treatment of prostate cancer and provide support for future in vivo studies.
Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis 2007
PMID:Targeted induction of apoptosis via TRAIL and cryoablation: a novel strategy for the treatment of prostate cancer. 1729 3


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