scholarly journals Killing tumours by ceramide-induced apoptosis: a critique of available drugs

2003 ◽  
Vol 371 (2) ◽  
pp. 243-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norman S. RADIN
Keyword(s):  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Cell Death ◽  
Growth Factors ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Malignant Cells ◽  
Research Papers ◽  
Cell Content ◽  
Sphingosine 1 Phosphate ◽  
Other Substances ◽  
Induced Apoptosis

Over 1000 research papers have described the production of programmed cell death (apoptosis) by interventions that elevate the cell content of ceramide (Cer). Other interventions, which lower cellular Cer, have been found to interfere with apoptosis induced by other agents. Some studies have shown that slowing the formation of proliferation-stimulating sphingolipids also induces apoptosis. These relationships are due to the two different aspects of Cer: Cer itself produces apoptosis, but metabolic conversion of Cer into either sphingosine 1-phosphate or glucosphingolipids leads to cell proliferation. The balance between these two aspects is missing in cancer cells, and yet intervention by stimulating or blocking only one or two of the pathways in Cer metabolism is very likely to fail. This results from two properties of cancer cells: their high mutation rate and the preferential survival of the most malignant cells. Tumours treated with only one or two drugs that elevate Cer can adjust the uncontrolled processes to either maintain or to ‘aggravate’ the excessive growth, angiogenesis and metastasis characteristics of tumours. These treatments might simply elevate the production of growth factors, receptors and other substances that reduce the effectiveness of Cer. Tumour cells that do not adapt in this way undergo apoptosis, leaving the adapted cells free to grow and, ultimately, to ‘subdue’ their host. Thus it is important to kill every type of cancer cell present in the tumour rapidly and simultaneously, using as many different agents to control as many pathways as possible. To aid this approach, this article catalogues many of the drugs that act on different aspects of Cer metabolism. The techniques described here may lead to the development of practical chemotherapy for cancer and other diseases of excess proliferation.

scholarly journals Pulmonary Complications and Critical Care in Cancer Patients

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dr. B. A. Darmi, MD
Keyword(s):  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Cell Death ◽  
Critical Care ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Pulmonary Complications ◽  
Genetic Change ◽  
Malignant Cells ◽  
Normal Cells ◽  
Anti Cancer

Cancer refers to the condition where abnormal proliferation of cells occurs overriding the natural check of cell death.[1] As a normal physiological process, all cells of our body are programmed to die - called as apoptosis.[2] In cancer, the balance between cell proliferation and cell death is disrupted, resulting in uncontrolled division of cells.[3] Hence, apoptosis is an anti-cancer defense of body. In other words, carcinogenesis involves sequential genetic change that transforms normal cells to malignant cells. The cancer cells interfere with normal physiological functions and kill by invading various body organs vital for living. Cancer is a second leading cause of death worldwide, estimated to kill 9.6 million people in 2018.[4] Approximately, every sixth death is caused by cancer.[4] Globally, most common cancers are lung, breast, colorectal, prostate, skin and stomach cancers.

Panax Notoginseng Saponins Promote Cell Death and Chemosensitivity in Pancreatic Cancer through the Apoptosis and Autophagy Pathways

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li-Chao Yao ◽  
Lun Wu ◽  
Wei Wang ◽  
Lu-Lu Zhai ◽  
Lin Ye ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pancreatic Cancer ◽  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Panax Notoginseng ◽  
Panax Notoginseng Saponins ◽  
Transwell Assay ◽  
Pancreatic Cancer Cells ◽  
New Strategy ◽  
Induced Apoptosis ◽  
Promote Cell Death

Background:: Panax Notoginseng Saponins (PNS) is used as traditional Chinese medicine for ischemic stroke and cardiovascular disease, it has been proven to possess anticancer activity recently. Objective:: In this study, we aimed to explore the anticancer curative effect and potential mechanisms of PNS in pancreatic cancer cells. Methods:: Pancreatic cancer Miapaca2 and PANC-1 cells were treated with PNS and Gemcitabine (Gem), respectively. Then the cell viability was assessed by CCK-8 assay, cell proliferation was tested by colony formation assay and EdU cell proliferation assay, cell migration and invasiveness were tested by wound healing assay and transwell assay respectively, and cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. Finally, we detected the expression levels of proteins related to migration, apoptosis and autophagy through Western blotting. Results:: PNS not only inhibited the proliferation, migration, invasion and autophagy of Miapaca2 and PANC-1 cells, but also induced apoptosis and promoted chemosensitivity of pancreatic cancer cells to Gem. Conclusion:: PNS may exhibit cytotoxicity and increase chemosensitivity of pancreatic cancer cells to Gem by inhibiting autophagy and inducing apoptosis, providing a new strategy and potential treatment option for pancreatic cancer.

scholarly journals Caspase-8 deficiency induces a switch from TLR3 induced apoptosis to lysosomal cell death in neuroblastoma

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Anaïs Locquet ◽  
Gabriel Ichim ◽  
Joseph Bisaccia ◽  
Aurelie Dutour ◽  
Serge Lebecque ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Neuroblastoma Cell ◽  
Death Receptor ◽  
Neuroblastoma Cell Line ◽  
Caspase 8 ◽  
Caspase Activation ◽  
Extrinsic Pathway ◽  
Lysosomal Membrane Permeabilization ◽  
Induced Apoptosis

AbstractIn cancer cells only, TLR3 acquires death receptor properties by efficiently triggering the extrinsic pathway of apoptosis with Caspase-8 as apical protease. Here, we demonstrate that in the absence of Caspase-8, activation of TLR3 can trigger a form of programmed cell death, which is distinct from classical apoptosis. When TLR3 was activated in the Caspase-8 negative neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y, cell death was accompanied by lysosomal permeabilization. Despite caspases being activated, lysosomal permeabilization as well as cell death were not affected by blocking caspase-activity, positioning lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP) upstream of caspase activation. Taken together, our data suggest that LMP with its deadly consequences represents a “default” death mechanism in cancer cells, when Caspase-8 is absent and apoptosis cannot be induced.

Exosomal MicroRNA-204 Derived from Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells (BMSCs) Inhibits Cell Proliferation and Induces Apoptosis Through NF-κB Signaling Pathway in Breast Cancer

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 273-278
Author(s):  
Daqing Jiang ◽  
Xianxin Xie ◽  
Cong Wang ◽  
Weijie Li ◽  
Jianjun He
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Bone Marrow ◽  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Mesenchymal Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Breast Cancer Cells ◽  
Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells ◽  
Induced Apoptosis ◽  
Signaling Activation

Our study intends to assess the relationship between exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC-exo) and breast cancer. BMSC-exo were isolated and characterized by transmission electron microscopy. After transfection of BMSCs with miR-204 inhibitor, breast cancer cells were incubated with BMSC-exo followed by analysis of cell proliferation by CCK-8 assay, cell apoptosis by flow cytometry, and expression of apoptosis-related protein and NF-κB signaling by western blot. The co-culture of BMSC-exo with breast cancer cells enhanced miR-204 transcription, inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis. Further, BMSC-exo accelerated apoptosis as demonstrated by the increased level of Bax and casepase-3 and decreased Bcl-2 expression, as well as reduced NF-κB signaling activity. But knockdown of miR-204 abolished the effect of BMSC-exo on apoptosis and proliferation with NF-κB signaling activation. In conclusion, miR-204 from BMSC-exo restrains growth of breast cancer cell and might be a novel target for treating breast cancer.

Integrated control of cell proliferation and cell death by the c- myc oncogene

1994 ◽  
Vol 345 (1313) ◽  
pp. 269-275 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Cell Death ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Dynamic Equilibrium ◽  
Growth Arrest ◽  
Deletion Mapping ◽  
Potent Inducer ◽  
Cellular Environment ◽  
Induction Of Apoptosis ◽  
Induced Apoptosis

Regulation of multicellular architecture involves a dynamic equilibrium between cell proliferation, differentiation with consequent growth arrest, and cell death. Apoptosis is one particular form of active cell death that is extremely rapid and characterized by auto-destruction of chromatin, cellular blebbing and condensation, and vesicularization of internal components. The c- myc proto-oncogene encodes an essential component of the cell’s proliferative machinery and its deregulated expression is implicated in most neoplasms. Intriguingly, c- myc can also act as a potent inducer of apoptosis. Myc-induced apoptosis occurs only in cells deprived of growth factors or forcibly arrested with cytostatic drugs. Myc-induced apoptosis is dependent upon the level at which it is expressed and deletion mapping shows that regions of c-Myc required for apoptosis overlap with regions necessary for co-transformation, autoregulation, inhibition of differentiation, transcriptional activation and sequence-specific DNA binding. Moreover, induction of apoptosis by c-Myc requires association with c-Myc’s heterologous partner, Max. All of this strongly implies that c-Myc drives apoptosis through a transcriptional mechanism: presumably by modulation of target genes. Two simple models can be invoked to explain the induction of apoptosis by c-Myc. One holds that death arises from a conflict in growth signals which is generated by the inappropriate or unscheduled expression of c-Myc under conditions that would normally promote growth arrest. In this ‘Conflict’ model, induction of apoptosis is not a normal function of c-Myc but a pathological manifestation of its deregulation. It thus has significance only for models of carcinogenic progression in which myc genes are invariably disrupted. The other model holds that induction of apoptosis is a normal obligate function of c-Myc which is modulated by specific survival factors. Thus, every cell that enters the cycle invokes an obligate abort suicide pathway which must be continuously suppressed by signals from the immediate cellular environment for the proliferating cell to survive. Evidence will be presented supporting this second ‘Dual Signal’ model for cell growth and survival, and its widespread implications will be discussed.

scholarly journals Antidepressant Drug Enhanced Trail Receptor-2 Expression and Sensitized Lung Cancer Cells to Trail-Induced Apoptosis via Inhibition of Autophagic Flux

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.M.A. Zinnah ◽  
Jae-Won Seol ◽  
Sang-Youel Park
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Cell Death ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Antidepressant Drug ◽  
Lung Cancer Cells ◽  
Autophagic Flux ◽  
Trail Receptor ◽  
Treatment Needs ◽  
Induced Apoptosis ◽  
Autophagy Inhibition

Autophagy, an alternative cell death mechanism, is also termed programmed cell death type II. Autophagy in cancer treatment needs to be regulated. In our study, autophagy inhibition by desipramine or the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine (CQ) enhanced tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) receptor-2 [death receptor (DR5)] expression and subsequently TRAIL-induced apoptosis in TRAIL-resistant A549 lung cancer cells. Genetic inhibition of DR5 substantially reduced desipramine-enhanced TRAIL-mediated apoptosis, proving that DR5 was required to increase TRAIL sensitivity in TRAIL-resistant cancer cells. Desipramine treatment upregulated p62 expression and promoted conversion of light chain 3 (LC3)-I to its lipid-conjugated form, LC3-II, indicating that autophagy inhibition occurred at the final stages of autophagic flux. Transmission electron microscopy analysis showed the presence of condensed autophagosomes, which resulted from the late stages of autophagy inhibition by desipramine. TRAIL, in combination with desipramine or CQ, augmented the expression of apoptosis-related proteins cleaved caspase-8 and cleaved caspase-3. Our results contributed to the understanding of the mechanism underlying the synergistic anti-cancer effect of desipramine and TRAIL and presented a novel mechanism of DR5 upregulation. These findings demonstrated that autophagic flux inhibition by desipramine potentiated TRAIL-induced apoptosis, suggesting that appropriate regulation of autophagy is required for sensitizing TRAIL-resistant cancer cells to TRAIL-mediated apoptosis.

BH3-only proteins are essential initiators of programmed cell death and stress-induced apoptosis in normal and cancer cells

2008 ◽  
Vol 6 (9) ◽  
pp. 6
Author(s):  
A. Strasser ◽  
A. Villunger ◽  
P. Bouillet ◽  
E.M. Michalak ◽  
L.A. O'Reilly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Programmed Cell Death ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Induced Apoptosis

scholarly journals Isoflavones Isolated from the Seeds of Millettia ferruginea Induced Apoptotic Cell Death in Human Ovarian Cancer Cells

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-Yue Wang ◽  
Jun Hyeok Kwak ◽  
Kyung-Tae Lee ◽  
Tsegaye Deyou ◽  
Young Pyo Jang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Cell Death ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Caspase 3 ◽  
Apoptotic Cell ◽  
Apoptotic Cell Death ◽  
Ovarian Cancer Cells ◽  
Human Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Millettia Ferruginea ◽  
Induced Apoptosis

The seeds of Millettia ferruginea are used in fishing, pesticides, and folk medicine in Ethiopia. Here, the anti-cancer effects of isoflavones isolated from M. ferruginea were evaluated in human ovarian cancer cells. We found that isoflavone ferrugone and 6,7-dimethoxy-3’,4’-methylenedioxy-8-(3,3-dimethylallyl)isoflavone (DMI) had potent cytotoxic effects on human ovarian cancer cell A2780 and SKOV3. Ferrugone and DMI treatment increased the sub-G1 cell population in a dose-dependent manner in A2780 cells. The cytotoxic activity of ferrugone and DMI was associated with the induction of apoptosis, as shown by an increase in annexin V-positive cells. Z-VAD-fmk, a broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor, and z-DEVD-fmk, a caspase-3 inhibitor, significantly reversed both the ferrugone and DMI-induced apoptosis, suggesting that cell death stimulated by the isoflavones is mediated by caspase-3-dependent apoptosis. Additionally, ferrugone-induced apoptosis was found to be caspase-8-dependent, while DMI-induced apoptosis was caspase-9-dependent. Notably, DMI, but not ferrugone, increased the intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and antioxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) attenuated the pro-apoptotic activity of DMI. These data suggest that DMI induced apoptotic cell death through the intrinsic pathway via ROS production, while ferrugone stimulated the extrinsic pathway in human ovarian cancer cells.

scholarly journals Demethoxycurcumin inhibited human epithelia ovarian cancer cells’ growth via up-regulating miR-551a

Tumor Biology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 101042831769430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenhua Du ◽  
Xianqun Sha
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Ovarian Cancer Cells ◽  
Natural Form ◽  
Ovarian Cancer Cell Lines ◽  
Induced Apoptosis ◽  
Tumor Suppressive Function ◽  
Cancer Tissues

Curcumin is a natural agent that has ability to dampen tumor cells’ growth. However, the natural form of curcumin is prone to degrade and unstable in vitro. Here, we demonstrated that demethoxycurcumin (a curcumin-related demethoxy compound) could inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells. Moreover, IRS2/PI3K/Akt axis was inactivated in cells treated with demethoxycurcumin. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction demonstrated that miR-551a was down-regulated in ovarian cancer tissues and ovarian cancer cell lines. Over-expression of miR-551a inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells, whereas down-regulation of miR-551a exerted the opposite function. Luciferase assays confirmed that there was a binding site of miR-551a in IRS2, and we found that miR-551a exerted tumor-suppressive function by targeting IRS2 in ovarian cancer cells. Remarkably, miR-551a was up-regulated in the cells treated with demethoxycurcumin, and demethoxycurcumin suppressed IRS2 by restoration of miR-551a. In conclusion, demethoxycurcumin hindered ovarian cancer cells’ malignant progress via up-regulating miR-551a.

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