scholarly journals Targeting the Intrinsic Apoptosis Pathway: A Window of Opportunity for Prostate Cancer

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 51
Author(s):  
Daniel Westaby ◽  
Juan M. Jimenez-Vacas ◽  
Ana Padilha ◽  
Andreas Varkaris ◽  
Steven P. Balk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Cell Death ◽  
Acquired Resistance ◽  
Predictive Biomarkers ◽  
Genotoxic Stress ◽  
Intrinsic Apoptosis ◽  
Apoptosis Pathway ◽  
Bh3 Mimetics ◽  
Cancer Cell Death ◽  
Intrinsic Apoptosis Pathway

Despite major improvements in the management of advanced prostate cancer over the last 20 years, the disease remains invariably fatal, and new effective therapies are required. The development of novel hormonal agents and taxane chemotherapy has improved outcomes, although primary and acquired resistance remains problematic. Inducing cancer cell death via apoptosis has long been an attractive goal in the treatment of cancer. Apoptosis, a form of regulated cell death, is a highly controlled process, split into two main pathways (intrinsic and extrinsic), and is stimulated by a multitude of factors, including cellular and genotoxic stress. Numerous therapeutic strategies targeting the intrinsic apoptosis pathway are in clinical development, and BH3 mimetics have shown promising efficacy for hematological malignancies. Utilizing these agents for solid malignancies has proved more challenging, though efforts are ongoing. Molecular characterization and the development of predictive biomarkers is likely to be critical for patient selection, by identifying tumors with a vulnerability in the intrinsic apoptosis pathway. This review provides an up-to-date overview of cell death and apoptosis, specifically focusing on the intrinsic pathway. It summarizes the latest approaches for targeting the intrinsic apoptosis pathway with BH3 mimetics and discusses how these strategies may be leveraged to treat prostate cancer.

scholarly journals Amphiregulin Regulates Phagocytosis-Induced Cell Death in Monocytes via EGFR and the Bcl-2 Protein Family

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Platen ◽  
Stephan Dreschers ◽  
Jessica Wappler ◽  
Andreas Ludwig ◽  
Stefan Düsterhöft ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Caspase 3 ◽  
Inflammatory Responses ◽  
Inflammatory Diseases ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Intrinsic Apoptosis ◽  
Caspase 9 ◽  
Apoptosis Pathway ◽  
Intrinsic Apoptosis Pathway

Neonates are extremely susceptible to bacterial infections, and evidences suggest that phagocytosis-induced cell death (PICD) is less frequently triggered in neonatal monocytes than in monocytes from adult donors. An insufficient termination of the inflammatory response, leading to a prolonged survival of neonatal monocytes with ongoing proinflammatory cytokine release, could be associated with the progression of various inflammatory diseases in neonates. Our previous data indicate that amphiregulin (AREG) is increasingly expressed on the cell surface of neonatal monocytes, resulting in remarkably higher soluble AREG levels after proteolytic shedding. In this study, we found that E. coli-infected neonatal monocytes show an increased phosphorylation of ERK, increased expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL, and reduced levels of cleaved caspase-3 and caspase-9 compared to adult monocytes. In both cell types, additional stimulation with soluble AREG further increased ERK activation and expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL and reduced levels of cleaved caspase-3 and caspase-9 in an EGFR-dependent manner. These data suggest that reduced PICD of neonatal monocytes could be due to reduced intrinsic apoptosis and that AREG can promote protection against PICD. This reduction of the intrinsic apoptosis pathway in neonatal monocytes could be relevant for severely prolonged inflammatory responses of neonates.

scholarly journals Cell death following the loss of ADAR1 mediated A-to-I RNA editing is not effected by the intrinsic apoptosis pathway

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carl R. Walkley ◽  
Benjamin T. Kile
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Rna Editing ◽  
Rna Structure ◽  
Fetal Liver ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Intrinsic Apoptosis ◽  
Triple Mutant ◽  
Apoptosis Pathway ◽  
Mitochondrial Apoptosis Pathway ◽  
Intrinsic Apoptosis Pathway

AbstractModifications of RNA, collectively termed as the epitranscriptome, are widespread, evolutionarily conserved and contribute to gene regulation and protein diversity in healthy and disease states. There are >160 RNA modifications described, greatly exceeding the number of modifications to DNA. Of these, adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) RNA editing is one of the most common. There are tens of thousands of A-to-I editing sites in mouse, and millions in humans. Upon translation or sequencing an inosine base is decoded as guanosine, leading to A-to-G mismatches between the RNA and DNA. Inosine has different base pairing properties to adenosine and as a result editing not only alters the RNA code but can also change the RNA structure. In mammals A-to-I editing is performed by ADAR1 and ADAR2. A feature of murine loss of function ADAR1 alleles is cell death and a failure to survive embryogenesis. Adar1−/− and editing deficient (Adar1E861A/E861A) mice die between E11.75–13.5 of failed hematopoiesis. Strikingly this phenotype is rescued by the deletion of the cytosolic dsRNA sensor MDA5 or its downstream adaptor MAVS, a mechanism conserved in human and mouse. Current literature indicates that the loss of ADAR1 leads to cell death via apoptosis, yet this has not been genetically established. We report that blockade of the intrinsic (mitochondrial) apoptosis pathway, through the loss of both BAK and BAX, does not rescue or modify the cellular phenotype of the fetal liver or extend the lifespan of ADAR1 editing deficient embryos. We had anticipated that the loss of BAK and BAX would rescue, or at least significantly extend, the gestational viability of Adar1E861A/E861A embryos. However, the triple mutant Adar1E861A/E861ABak−/−Bax−/− embryos that were recovered at E13.5 were indistinguishable from the Adar1E861A/E861A embryos with BAK and BAX. The results indicate that cell death processes not requiring the intrinsic apoptosis pathway are triggered by MDA5 following the loss of ADAR1.

scholarly journals Aviculin Isolated from Lespedeza cuneata Induce Apoptosis in Breast Cancer Cells through Mitochondria-Mediated Caspase Activation Pathway

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (7) ◽  
pp. 1708 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dahae Lee ◽  
Yong Hoon Lee ◽  
Kwang Ho Lee ◽  
Bum Soo Lee ◽  
Akida Alishir ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Cell Death ◽  
Breast Cancer Cells ◽  
Apoptotic Cell ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Intrinsic Apoptosis ◽  
Lespedeza Cuneata ◽  
Apoptosis Pathway ◽  
Intrinsic Apoptosis Pathway ◽  
Mcf 7

The global incidence of breast cancer has increased. However, there are many impediments to the development of safe and effective anticancer drugs. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of aviculin isolated from Lespedeza cuneata (Dum. Cours.) G. Don. (Fabaceae) on MCF-7 human breast cancer cells and determine the underlying mechanism. Using the bioassay-guided isolation by water soluble tetrazolium salt (WST-1)-based Ez-Cytox assay, nine compounds (four lignan glycosides (1–4), three flavonoid glycosides (5–7), and two phenolic compounds (8 and 9)) were isolated from the ethyl acetate (EA) fraction of the L. cuneata methanolic extract. Of these, aviculin (2), a lignan glycoside, was the only compound that reduced metabolic activity on MCF-7 cells below 50% (IC50: 75.47 ± 2.23 μM). The underlying mechanism was analyzed using the annexin V Alexa Fluor 488 binding assay and Western blotting. Aviculin (2) was found to induce apoptotic cell death through the intrinsic apoptosis pathway, as indicated by the increased expression of initiator caspase-9, executioner caspase-7, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Aviculin (2)-induced apoptotic cell death was accompanied by an increase in the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. These findings demonstrated that aviculin (2) could induce breast cancer cell apoptosis through the intrinsic apoptosis pathway, and it can therefore be considered an excellent candidate for herbal treatment of breast cancer.

Platelet Death.

Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (11) ◽  
pp. sci-40-sci-40
Author(s):  
Emma C. Josefsson ◽  
Simone Schoenwaelder ◽  
Michael White ◽  
Matthew Goschnick ◽  
Andrew W. Roberts ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Cultured Cells ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Human Platelets ◽  
Mitochondrial Damage ◽  
Intrinsic Apoptosis ◽  
Apoptosis Pathway ◽  
Intrinsic Apoptosis Pathway

Abstract Human platelets exhibit a circulating lifespan of ~10 days, mouse platelets ~5 days. This finite existence is circumscribed by members of the Bcl-2 family of proteins, which control the intrinsic apoptosis pathway. Pro-survival Bcl-xL is the critical regulator of platelet lifespan, functioning to keep pro-death Bak and Bax in check, thereby maintaining platelet viability. After 5–10 days in the circulation, platelets not consumed in hemostatic processes initiate a Bak and Bax-dependent cell death program and clearance from the bloodstream. Mutations in Bcl-xL reduce platelet lifespan in a dose-dependent fashion, while deletion of Bak and Bax extend it. Studies with the BH3 mimetic compound ABT-737, which inhibits pro-survival Bcl-xL, have shown that platelets induced to undergo cell death in vitro exhibit many of the hallmarks of apoptosis in nucleated cells, including mitochondrial damage, caspase activation and externalization of membrane phosphatidylserine (PS). Whether any of these features occur during physiological platelet clearance remains unclear. Certainly, mitochondrial damage can reduce the recovery of transfused platelets, but whether PS – which is known to promote the pro-coagulant activity of agonist-activated platelets – also acts as a clearance signal for dying platelets in vivo is yet to be established. Conversely, Bak and Bax may play a role in mediating PS exposure triggered by activation. Supporting the idea that there may be crosstalk between classical platelet signaling pathways and the intrinsic apoptosis pathway is recent evidence that platelet agonists can also activate caspases. Intriguingly, elements of the intrinsic pathway may also contribute to the generation of platelets by megakaryocytes. Several groups have demonstrated that megakaryocytes contain activated caspases and that their inhibition can block platelet shedding by cultured cells. Preliminary evidence we have generated suggests that Bcl-2 family proteins may be required for platelet production in vivo. Thus, it appears that there is much to be understood about the role of the intrinsic apoptosis pathway in the regulation of platelet biogenesis, function, and death.

scholarly journals The role of BH3-only proteins in apoptosis within the ovary

Reproduction ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 149 (2) ◽  
pp. R81-R89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karla J Hutt
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Endocrine Function ◽  
Environmental Toxicants ◽  
Intrinsic Apoptosis ◽  
Apoptosis Pathway ◽  
Bcl2 Family ◽  
Intrinsic Apoptosis Pathway

BH3-only proteins are pro-apoptotic members of the BCL2 family that play pivotal roles in embryonic development, tissue homeostasis and immunity by triggering cell death through the intrinsic apoptosis pathway. Recentin vitroandin vivostudies have demonstrated that BH3-only proteins are also essential mediators of apoptosis within the ovary and are responsible for the initiation of the cell death signalling cascade in a cell type and stimulus-specific fashion. This review gives a brief overview of the intrinsic apoptosis pathway and summarise the roles of individual BH3-only proteins in the promotion of apoptosis in embryonic germ cells, oocytes, follicular granulosa cells and luteal cells. The role of these proteins in activating apoptosis in response to developmental cues and cell stressors, such as exposure to chemotherapy, radiation and environmental toxicants, is described. Studies on the function of BH3-only proteins in the ovary are providing valuable insights into the regulation of oocyte number and quality, as well as ovarian endocrine function, which collectively influence the female reproductive lifespan and health.

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