Human T cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 (HTLV-1) is a retrovirus, associated with several diseases including Adult T-cell Leukemia/Lymphoma (ATL). Because of apoptosis resistance treatment provides only limited benefits for ATL. CD95/CD95L-mediated apoptosis is an important mechanism of T cell homeostasis. We have previously shown that HTLV-1 infected T cells ...

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality in the Western world. The underlying pathological process is a thickening of the arterial wall due to the formation of atheromatous plaques which contain a lipid core covered by a fibrous cap. The main mechanisms involved in atherogenesis are: lipoprotein retention, endothelial ...

Initially, the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) aroused major interest due to its preferential toxic effect against malignant cells. However, subsequent studies revealed that the TRAIL system, comprising the family of signal-mediating and decoy TRAIL receptors, (i) can also induce death of non-transformed cells, (ii) has potent immunoregulatory ...

Inhibitors of histone deacetylases (HDACi's) are promising novel tools for cancer therapy. We have compared the growth inhibitory and apoptogenic potential of the pan-HDACi SAHA and the sub-class I selective HDAC inhibitor MS275, as well as valproic acid (VPA) on glucocorticoid sensitive and resistant B (B-ALL) and T (T-ALL) cell ...

The TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand, TRAIL, has been shown to selectively kill tumour cells. This property has made TRAIL and agonistic antibodies against its death inducing receptors (TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2) to some of the most promising novel biotherapeutic agents for cancer therapy. Here we review the signalling pathways initiated by the ...

Chemotherapeutic drugs induce both proliferation arrest and apoptosis; however, some cancer cells escape drug toxicity and become resistant. The suppression of the immune system by chemotherapeutic agents and radiation promotes the development and propagation of various malignancies via "mimicry-induced" autoimmunity, and maintain a cytokine milieu that favors proliferation by inhibiting ...

One of the most promising strategies in colon cancer therapy is the sensitization of cancer cells to natural proapoptotic cytokines, such as death ligands and interferons, which are able to eliminate abnormal cells. The investigation of mechanisms determining the immune escape of cancer cells revealed the presence of antiapoptotic proteins, ...

Receptor-mediated apoptosis is proposed as an important regulator of keratinocyte homeostasis in human epidermis. We have previously reported that Fas/FasL interactions in epidermis are altered during cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) and that keratinocyte death through apoptosis may play a pathogenic role for skin ulceration. To further investigate the alterations of apoptosis ...

Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) contributes to the pathogenesis of bone marrow failure in Fanconi anaemia (FA) patients. The sensitivity of haematopoietic cells from FA, complementation group A (FANCA) subjects, who represent the majority of FA patients, to TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is unknown. The human lymphoblastoid FANCA HSC072 cell line ...

TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL/ Apo-2L) is a member of the TNF family of apoptosis-inducing proteins that initiates apoptosis in a variety of neoplastic cells while displaying minimal or absent cytotoxicity to most normal cells. Therefore, TRAIL is currently considered a promising target to develop anti-cancer therapies. TRAIL-receptor ligation recruits and ...

The TNF-alpha super-family of cytokines comprises structurally related proteins that play pivotal roles in regulating cell death, immune response and inflammation. A new member of the family namely Tumor necrosis factor alpha-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand (TRAIL) is involved not only in apoptosis and immune regulation, but also it has a provocative ...

The intracellular mechanisms of NDMA-induced apoptosis of neutrophils have not yet been fully understood. The aim of this study was to explain whether the TRAIL/DR5 system is implicated in NDMA-induced apoptosis of human neutrophils. The expression of TRAIL and DR5 was examined, as well as the secretion of sTRAIL and ...

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) ligands are potential chemo-preventive agents. Many studies have shown that PPARy ligands induce apoptosis in various types of cancer cells including lung cancer cells. Some PPAR gamma ligands have been shown to downregulate c-FLIP expression and thus enhance tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-induced apoptosis ...

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection afflicts >300 million people worldwide and is a leading cause of hepatocyte death, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. While the morphological characteristics of dying hepatocytes are well documented, the molecular mechanisms leading to the death of hepatocytes during HBV infection are not well understood. TRAIL, the ...

Apo2L/TRAIL is a member of the TNF family, with its receptors DR4 and DR5 containing a death domain. Multiple tumors are sensitive to Apo2L/TRAIL-induced apoptosis, while normal cells are not, so it constitutes a promising new antitumoral therapy. In this review we deal rather with the physiological role of Apo2L/TRAIL, ...

Apoptosis is a key process in the response of tumours to chemotherapeutic agents. Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) induces apoptosis in many tumor cells, while sparing most normal cells. Several chemotherapeutic drugs synergize with TRAIL in reducing tumor growth and inducing apoptosis. Because some tumour cells respond poorly to ...

BACKGROUND: Human natural killer (NK) cells are the key contributors of innate immune response and the effector functions of these cells are enhanced by cytokines such as interleukine 2 (IL2). We utilized genome-wide transcriptional profiling to identify gene expression signatures and pathways in resting and IL2 activated NK cell isolated ...

BACKGROUND: Ganoderma lucidum has been widely used as a herbal medicine for promoting health and longevity in China and other Asian countries. Polysaccharide extracts from Ganoderma lucidum have been reported to exhibit immuno-modulating and anti-tumor activities. In previous studies, F3, the active component of the polysaccharide extract, was found to ...

We have previously shown that prostate cancer LNCaP cells are resistant to TRAIL, and downregulation of PI-3K/Akt pathway by molecular and pharmacological means sensitizes cells to undergo apoptosis by TRAIL and curcumin. The purpose of this study was to examine the molecular mechanisms by which resveratrol sensitized TRAIL-resistant LNCaP cells. ...

A major outcome from Taxol treatment is induction of tumor cell apoptosis. However, metabolic responses to Taxol-induced apoptosis are poorly understood. In this study, we hypothesize that alterations in specific amino acid transporters may affect the Taxol-induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells. In this case, the activity of the given ...

OBJECTIVE: Dendritic cells play a central role in regulating the innate and adaptive immune responses. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDC) represent a newly identified kind of DC with specialized functions aimed at fighting against viral infections. Recently, we have shown that CD4+CD56+ malignancies were leukemia arising from PDC, with a particularly ...

Defects in the regulation of apoptotic pathways have been implicated in the emergence of cancers resistant to chemotherapy-induced cell death. Identification of novel signaling molecules that influence cell survival has the potential to facilitate the development of new cancer therapies. The cell adhesion and signaling molecule, PECAM-1, is expressed in ...

The cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor celecoxib is an approved drug in the clinic for colon cancer chemoprevention and has been tested for its chemopreventive and therapeutic efficacy in various clinical trials. Celecoxib induces apoptosis in a variety of human cancer cells including lung cancer cells. Our previous work has shown that ...

The ability of the TRAIL/DR5 signaling pathway to induce apoptosis has generally been limited to tumor cells. Here we report that in primary testis explants, addition of TRAIL (0.5 mug/ml) caused a three-fold increase in germ cell apoptosis. Furthermore, exposure of C57BL/6 mice to the testicular toxicant, mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), ...

PURPOSE: This study investigated whether hyperthermia can enhance TRAIL-induced apoptotic death. METHODS: Human prostate adenocarcinoma DU-145, human pancreatic carcinoma MIA PaCa-2 and BxPC-3, human colon fibroblast CCD-33Co and rat prostate endothelial YPEN-1 cells were treated with various concentrations of TRAIL (0-200 ngml(-1)) with hyperthermia (40-42 degrees C). RESULTS: It was ...

Apoptosis rather than differentiation is a physiological process during myogenesis and muscle regeneration. When cultured myoblasts were induced to differentiate, we detected an increase in caspase 8 activity. Pharmacological inhibition of caspase 8 activity decreased apoptosis. Expression of a dominant-negative mutant of the adapter protein FADD also abrogated apoptosis, implicating ...

Sulfonylurea receptors (SURs) constitute the regulatory subunits of ATP-sensitive K+ channels (K(ATP) channels). SUR binds nucleotides and synthetic K(ATP) channel modulators, e.g. the antidiabetic sulfonylurea glibenclamide, which acts as a channel blocker. However, knowledge about naturally occurring ligands of SUR is very limited. In this study, we show that the ...

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has at least two fundamental conformations: an inactive tethered conformation and an active untethered, ligand-bound "back-to-back" dimer, which may be part of an oligomeric complex. Monoclonal antibody (mAb) 806 is an EGFR-specific antibody that only binds a transitional form of the receptor after it ...

The homeostasis of the immune response requires tight regulation of the proliferation and apoptosis of activated lymphocytes. In humans, defects in immune homeostasis result in lymphoproliferation disorders including autoimmunity, haemophagocytic lymphohystiocytosis and lymphomas. The X-linked lymphoproliferative syndrome (XLP) is a rare, inherited immunodeficiency that is characterized by lymphohystiocytosis, hypogammaglobulinaemia and ...

Roscovitine, a purine analogue, has been considered for the treatment of cancer. Anti-cancer therapeutic efficacy is being evaluated in clinical trials. However, the mechanisms remain unclear. In the present study, cyclic-dependent kinase 5 (cdk5) proved to be a molecular target for roscovitine-triggered apoptosis for highly invasive breast cancer cell death. ...

Sulindac sulfone (exisulind), is a promising anticancer agent because of its ability to induce apoptosis in a variety of malignant cell types and its minimal toxicity to normal cells. The induction of apoptosis is thought to account for the growth inhibitory effect of exisulind. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade ...

We have investigated the effect of dexamethasone (DEX) on the apoptosis induced by TRAIL (tumour necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand) in follicular undifferentiated thyroid (FRO) cancer cells. Apoptosis was measured by percent hypodiploid nuclei, caspase-3 and -8 activation, and mitochondrial membrane depolarisation. DEX nearly abolished TRAIL-induced apoptosis. The DEX protective ...

The aim of this study was to investigate whether downregulating the expression of xIAP by RNAi (RNA interference) technology can induce the apoptosis of HepG2 cells, inhibit cellular viability and increase chemosensitivity of cancer cells. HepG2 cells were transfected with U6 promoter plasmids coding for short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) targeting ...

TRAIL/Apo2L is a pro-apoptotic cytokine that is capable of inducing apoptosis in a wide variety of cancer cells but not in normal cells. Among various molecular strategies by which cancer cells evade apoptosis, PI3K/Akt signaling represents a dominant survival pathway. In this report, we investigated the role of PI3K/Akt pathway ...

cAMP response-element binding (CREB) transcription factors transduce cell survival responses to peptide hormones and growth factors in normal tissues and mutant CREB proteins are implicated in tumorigenesis. Ovarian cancer most frequently arises from the ovarian surface epithelium (OSE), possibly due to repeat inflammation-associated injury-repair episodes that promote neoplasia. We asked ...

Although essential, manganese (Mn) intake in excess leads to neurotoxicity. Mn neurotoxicity induces impairment of energy metabolism and ultimately cell death. Nevertheless, the signaling mechanisms underlying Mn toxicity are unknown. Employing human glioblastoma (U87) cells, we investigated several signaling pathways (ones promoting cellular proliferation and invasion) underlying Mn toxicity. Mn-treatment ...

BACKGROUND: Although in vitro studies have suggested that tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) might be involved in vascular biology, its potential role in the pathogenesis and/or treatment of atherosclerosis has not been investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS: Both recombinant human TRAIL and an adeno-associated virus vector expressing human TRAIL were ...

Occludin is the first identified integral protein for the tight junction (TJ), and its long COOH-terminal domain is considered to have functions in receiving and transmitting cell survival signals. Loss of TJ-associated molecules, such as occludin, has been correlated with tumor progression in carcinogenesis; however, the precise molecular mechanisms explaining ...

Epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG), the major polyphenol found in green tea, exerts antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects in many cancer cells. However, we found that among many cancer cells human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells are markedly resistant to apoptosis induction by EGCG (even at 100 microm for 72 h). Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) ...

TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a member of the TNF family with potent apoptosis-inducing properties in tumor cells. In particular, TRAIL strongly synergizes with conventional chemotherapeutic drugs to induce tumor cell death. Thus, TRAIL has been proposed as a promising future cancer therapy. Little, however, is known regarding what the ...

Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) encodes several putative oncogenes, which are homologues to cellular host genes known to function in cell cycle regulation, control of apoptosis, and cytokine signaling. Viral interleukin (vIL-6) is believed to play an important role in the pathogenesis of Kaposi's sarcoma as well as primary effusion lymphoma ...

Hypoxia-inducible factor-alpha (Hif-alpha) plays an important role in tumor growth by increasing resistance to apoptosis and the production of angiogenic factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Therefore, Hif-alpha is an attractive target for development of novel cancer therapeutics. We have generated Chinese hamster ovary cells, which stably express ...

HIV-1 uses mononuclear phagocytes (monocytes, tissue macrophages, and dendritic cells) as a vehicle for its own dissemination and as a reservoir for continuous viral replication. The mechanism by which the host immune system clears HIV-1-infected macrophages is not understood. TRAIL may play a role in this process. TRAIL is expressed ...

Protein kinase-B (PKB) and its target, the forkhead transcription factor like 1 (FKHRL1)/FoxO3a, have been suggested as regulators of neurotrophin-mediated cell survival in neuronal cells. We analyzed human neuroblastoma cells and found that FKHRL1 was phosphorylated, suggesting its inactivation. To study FKHRL1 function, we infected SH-EP and NB15 cells with ...

Tissue factor (TF) is a transmembrane glycoprotein that initiates blood coagulation when complexed with factor VIIa (FVIIa). TF is constitutively expressed in a variety of tumor cells and has been shown to play a role in cellular signaling and tumor progression. In this study, we investigated the effect of TF-FVIIa ...

The naturally occurring tumour necrosis factor related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) induces apoptosis through two death receptors, death receptor 4 (DR4) and death receptor 5 (DR5), that are expressed on the cell membrane. Binding of the ligand to the death receptors leads to activation of the extrinsic apoptosis pathway. Chemotherapy on ...

Survivin, an anti-apoptotic protein, is abundantly expressed in a variety of cancer cells, including hepatoma cells, resulting in the resistance of these cells to various apoptotic stimuli. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is known to induce cancer cell-specific apoptosis, but hepatoma cells are resistant to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. In ...

Failure in obtaining expression of functional adrenocorticotropic hormone receptor (ACTHR, or melanocortin 2 receptor, MC2R) in non-adrenal cells has hindered molecular analysis of ACTH signaling pathways. Here, we ectopically expressed the mouse ACTHR in Balb/c mouse 3T3 fibroblasts to analyze ACTH signaling pathways involved in induction of fos and jun ...

B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B-CLL) is the most prevalent leukaemia in Western countries and is characterized by the gradual accumulation in patients of small mature B cells. Since the vast majority of tumoral cells are quiescent, the accumulation mostly results from deficient apoptosis rather than from acute proliferation. Although the ...

The proteasome inhibitors are a new class of antitumor agents. These inhibitors cause the accumulation of many proteins in the cell with the induction of apoptosis including TRAIL death receptors DR4 and DR5, but the role of the TRAIL apoptotic pathway in proteasome inhibitor cytotoxicity is unknown. Herein, we have ...