• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.473-481
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• 2020

Axl receptor tyrosine kinase has been implicated in cancer progression, invasion, and metastasis in various cancer types. Axl overexpression has been observed in many cancers, and selective inhibitors of Axl, including R428, may be promising therapeutic agents for several human cancers, such as breast, lung, and pancreatic cancers. Here, we examined the cell growth inhibition mediated by R428 and auranofin individually as well as in combination in the human breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 to identify new advanced combination treatments for human breast cancer. Our data showed that combination therapy with R428 and auranofin markedly inhibited cancer cell proliferation. Isobologram analyses of these cells indicated a clear synergism between R428 and auranofin with a combination index value of 0.73. The combination treatment promoted apoptosis as indicated by caspase 3 activation and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage. Cancer cell migration was also significantly inhibited by this combination treatment. Moreover, we found that combination therapy significantly increased the expression level of Bax, a mitochondrial proapoptotic factor, but decreased that of the X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein. Furthermore, the suppression of cell viability and induction of Bax expression by the combination treatment were recovered by treatment with N-acetylcysteine. In conclusion, our data demonstrated that combined treatment with R428 and auranofin synergistically induced apoptosis in human breast cancer cells and may thus serve as a novel and valuable approach for cancer therapy.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.645-656
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• 2022

Gossypol, a natural phenolic aldehyde present in cotton plants, was originally used as a means of contraception, but is currently being studied for its anti-proliferative and anti-metastatic effects on various cancers. However, the intracellular mechanism of action regarding the effects of gossypol on pancreatic cancer cells remains unclear. Here, we investigated the anti-cancer effects of gossypol on human pancreatic cancer cells (BxPC-3 and MIA PaCa-2). Cell counting kit-8 assays, annexin V/propidium iodide staining assays, and transmission electron microscopy showed that gossypol induced apoptotic cell death and apoptotic body formation in both cell lines. RNA sequencing analysis also showed that gossypol increased the mRNA levels of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP) and activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) in pancreatic cancer cell lines. In addition, gossypol facilitated the cleavage of caspase-3 via protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase (PERK), CHOP, and Bax/Bcl-2 upregulation in both cells, whereas the upregulation of ATF was limited to BxPC-3 cells. Finally, a three-dimensional culture experiment confirmed the successful suppression of cancer cell spheroids via gossypol treatment. Taken together, our data suggest that gossypol may trigger apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells via the PERK-CHOP signaling pathway. These findings propose a promising therapeutic approach to pancreatic cancer treatment using gossypol.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.4615-4619
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• 2013

Background: Artesunate, extracted from Artemisia annua, has been proven to have anti-cancer potential. Allicin, diallyl thiosulfinate, the main biologically active compound derived from garlic, is also of interest in cancer treatment research. This object of this report was to document synergistic effects of artesunate combined with allicin on osteosarcoma cell lines in vitro and in vivo. Methods: After treatment with artesunate and allicin at various concentrations, the viability of osteosarcoma cells was analyzed by MTT method, with assessment of invasion and motility, colony formation and apoptosis. Western Blotting was performed to determine the expression of caspase-3/9, and activity was also detected after drug treatment. Moreover, in a nude mouse model established with orthotopic xenograft tumors, tumor weight and volume were monitored after drug administration via the intraperitoneal (i.p.) route. Results: The viability of osteosarcoma cells in the combination group was significantly decreased in a concentration and time dependent manner; moreover, invasion, motility and colony formation ability were significantly suppressed and the apoptotic rate was significantly increased through caspase-3/9 expression and activity enhancement in the combination group. Furthermore, suppression of tumor growth was evident in vivo. Conclusion: Our results indicated that artesunate and allicin in combination exert synergistic effects on osteosarcoma cell proliferation and apoptosis.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.518-524
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• 2008

Chromosome 18q alteration plays a key role in colorectal tumorigenesis, and loss of heterozygosity at 18q is associated with a poor prognosis in colon cancer. DCC(Deleted in Colorectal Cancer) is a putative tumor- suppressor gene at 18q21 that encodes a transmembrane protein with structural similarity to neural cell adhesion molecule that is involved in both epithelial and neuronal cell differentiation. DCC is implicated in regulation of cell growth, survival and proliferation. Thus, tumor progression in squamous cell carcinoma, stomach cancer, colorectal cancer correlates with downregulation of DCC expression. The mechanism for DCC suppression is associated with hypermethylation of the DCC gene promoter region. Hence, the goal of this study is to identify the promoter methylation responsible for the down-regulation of DCC expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma. 12 of tissue specimens for the study are excised and gathered from 12 patients who are diagnosed as SCC in department of OMS, dental hospital, dankook university. To find expression of DCC in each tissue samples, immunohistochemical staining, RT-PCR gene analysis and methylation specific PCR are processed. The results are as follows. 1. In the DCC gene RT-PCR analysis, 5(41.6%) of 12 specimens of oral squamous cell carcinoma did not expressed DCC gene. 2. In the promoter methylation specific PCR analysis, 5(41.6%) of 12 specimens showed promoter methylation of DCC gene. 3. In the immunohistochemical staining of poor differentiated and invasive oral squamous cell carcinoma, loss of DCC expression was observed. These findings suggest that methylation of the DCC gene may play a role in loss of gene expression in invasive oral squamous cell carcinoma.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.155-159
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• 2013

Honokiol, a naturally occurring neolignan mainly found in Magnolia species, has exhibited a potential anti-proliferative activity in human cancer cells. However, the growth inhibitory activity against hepatocellular carcinoma cells and the underlying molecular mechanisms has been poorly determined. The present study was designed to examine the anti-proliferative effect of honokiol in SK-HEP-1 human hepatocellular cancer cells. Honokiol exerted anti-proliferative activity with cell-cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase and sequential induction of apoptotic cell death. The cell-cycle arrest was well correlated with the down-regulation of checkpoint proteins including cyclin D1, cyclin A, cyclin E, CDK4, PCNA, retinoblastoma protein (Rb), and c-Myc. The increase of sub-G1 peak by the higher concentration of honokiol ($75{\mu}M$) was closely related to the induction of apoptosis, which was evidenced by decreased expression of Bcl-2, Bid, and caspase-9. Hohokiol was also found to attenuate the activation of signaling proteins in the Akt/mTOR and ERK pathways. These findings suggest that the anti-proliferative effect of honokiol was associated in part with the induction of cell-cycle arrest, apoptosis, and dow-nregulation of Akt/mTOR signaling pathways in human hepatocellular cancer cells.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.6863-6867
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• 2013

Phyllanthus emblica (PE) is known to exhibit various pharmacological properties. This study aimed to evaluate the antimetastatic potential of a PE aqueous extract. Cytotoxicity to human fibrosarcoma cells, HT1080, was determined by viability assay using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol,2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) reagent. Cell migration and invasion were investigated using chemotaxis chambers containing membranes precoated with collagen IV and Matrigel, respectively. Cell attachment onto normal surfaces of cell culture plates was tested to determine the cell-adhesion capability. The molecular mechanism of antimetastatic activity was assessed by measuring the gene expression of matrix metalloproteinases, MMP2, and MMP9, using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. The mRNA levels of both genes were significantly down-regulated after pretreatment with PE extract for 5 days. Our findings show the antimetastatic function of PE extract in reducing cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and adhesion in both dose- and time-dependent manners, especially growth arrest with low $IC_{50}$ value. A decrease in the expression of both MMP2 and MMP9 seems to be the cellular mechanism for antimetastasis in this case. There is a high potential to use PE extracts clinically as an optional adjuvant therapeutic drug for therapeutic intervention strategies in cancer therapy or chemoprevention.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2004.06a
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• pp.182-184
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• 2004

Oral cancer is the sixth most common cancer globally. The effects of several extracts from soybeans and Korean soybean paste (doen-jang) on the growth of human oral carcinoma cells in vitro were assessed. We prepared petroleum ether extract, ethyl acetate extract, chloroform extract, methanol extract, and water extract from soybeans and soybean paste. We used KB cell, which is an oral epidermoid carcinoma cell, and investigated proliferation of the tumor cells using MTT method. Each extract of soybean paste suppressed the KB cell proliferation. A dose-response relationship was observed between the level of ethyl acetate extract of soybean paste and its suppression of the cell proliferation. The effects of soybean extracts were lower than those of soybean paste extracts. The effects might be enhanced by the fermentation of soybeans. The results of this work indicate that extracts from soybeans and Korean soybean paste could have potential as anti-tumor substances.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.844-854
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• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Fucoidan, a polysaccharide content in brown algae, has been reported to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. The present study aimed to investigate the suppression effects of fucoidan on A549 non-small cell lung cancer cells migration. MATERIALS/METHODS: The anti-migratory activity of fucoidan in A549 cells was examined by wound healing assay and phalloidin-rhodamine staining in response to fucoidan (0-100 ㎍/mL) treatment for 48 h. Western blot analysis was performed to clarify the protein expressions relevant to migratory activity. RESULTS: Fucoidan (25-100 ㎍/mL) significantly suppressed A549 cells migration together with reduced the intensity of phalloidin-rhodamine which detect filopodia and lamellipodia protrusions at 48 h of treatment. The protein expression indicated that fucoidan significantly suppressed the phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), Src, and extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK). In addition, the phosphorylation of p38 in A549 cells was found to be increased. CONCLUSIONS: Our data conclude that fucoidan exhibits anti-migratory activities against lung cancer A549 cells mediated by inhibiting ERK1/2 and FAK-Src pathway.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.443-448
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• 2005

Objective: A variety of genetic alterations in human glioblastoma comprises signal transduction and cell cycle arrest control of cellular processes. Subtractive hybridization is potentially a faster method for identifying differentially expressed genes associated with a particular disease state. Using the technique of subtraction, we isolated novel genes that are overexpressed in glioblastoma tissue as compared to normal brain tissue. Methods: We evaluated the differential expression of genes in each of hybridizing tester and driver cDNAs to digested 130 clones. After sequencing of 130 clones and homology search, this study performed to determine mRNA expression of the unknown gene, "clone 47", in brain tissue, glioblasoma, and several cancer cell lines by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). To test the time course for Go-phase arrest, serum stimulation and expression at various times for RT-PCR performed. Results: We identified 23 novel genes by BLAST of the digested 130 clones. The expressions of "clone 47" mRNA of glioblastoma and several cancer lines were significantly higher than normal brain tissues and several normal cell lines. We confirmed the mRNA expression of "clone 47" was up-regulation for $0.5{\sim}1hr$ of WI-38 cell differentiation. Conclusion: The novel gene, "Clone 47" is upregulated in glioblastoma tissue and several cancer cell lines. This gene is time dependent activation during time course of serum stimulation. This result suggests that "clone 47" playa role in brain tumorigenesis and the activation of this "clone 47" may be necessary for the development of cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.2397-2402
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• 2015

Previous studies have shown that miR-454 plays an important role in a variety of biological processes in various human cancer cells. However, the underlying mechanisms of this microRNA in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells remain largely unknown. In the present study, we investigated the miR-454 role in CRC cell proliferation. We found that miR-454 expression is markedly upregulated in CRC tissues and CRC cells compared with the matched tumor adjacent tissues and the FHC normal colonic cell line. Ectopic expression of miR-454 promoted the proliferation and anchorage-independent growth of CRC cells, whereas inhibition of miR-454 reduced this effect. Bioinformatics analysis further revealed cylindromatosis (CYLD), a putative tumor suppressor as a potential target of miR-454. Data from luciferase reporter assays showed that miR-454 directly binds to the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of CYLD mRNA and repressed expression at both transcriptional and translational levels. In functional assays, CYLD-silenced in miR-454-in-transfected SW480 cells have positive effect to promote cell proliferation, suggesting that direct CYLD downregulation is required for miR-454-induced CRC cell proliferation. In sum, our data provide compelling evidence that miR-454 functions as an onco-miRNA, playing a crucial role in the promoting cell proliferation in CRC, and its oncogenic effect is mediated chiefly through direct suppression of CYLD expression.