钙信号在光动力疗法中的产生及作用

光动力疗法是基于光敏剂选择性地积聚在肿瘤组织中,肿瘤接受光照后凋亡或坏死的一种细胞毒性治疗方法.光敏剂的亚细胞定位决定了细胞光敏损伤的初始位置,线粒体、内质网、细胞膜、溶酶体,细胞骨架等均可成为光敏损伤的靶点.细胞内Ca2 作为一个广泛意义上的信号分子,参与了多种信号转导途径,在光动力疗法诱导肿瘤细胞凋亡过程中起了重要作用.从光动力疗法造成的亚细胞损伤出发,探讨了光动力疗法中钙信号的产生机制,并简要介绍了钙信号在光动力疗法诱导肿瘤细胞凋亡中的作用机制.     

植物多酚的防癌抗癌作用

植物多酚是植物中广泛存在的一大类多酚化合物的总称,包括多酚（如单宁）、黄酮、酚酸等。体外实验研究表明植物多酚对多种人癌细胞具有增殖抑制作用,抑制动物体内肿瘤生长。其作用机理与抗氧化、调控细胞周期、诱导肿瘤细胞凋亡和分化、影响血管生成和肿瘤细胞信号传导等有关。对植物多酚的防癌抗癌作用,值得进一步深入研究。     

人mda-7／IL-24的抗肿瘤作用机制

mda-7／IL-24是20世纪90年代中期发现的一个新基因。由于mda-7／IL-24与人IL-10家族具有相当的同源性,后来HUGO基因命名委员会将之重新命名为IL-24,并将其归类到IL-10家族。近年研究表明,采用复制缺陷的腺病毒表达载体Ad．mda-7使其在肿瘤细胞异位表达,引起多种肿瘤细胞的生长抑制。尽管mda．7／IL-24肿瘤靶向性的作用机制还不是很清楚,但大量的实验结果表明该基因作为一个有效的肿瘤治疗基因,能够区分正常细胞和肿瘤细胞、诱导各种不同肿瘤细胞凋亡、启动抗肿瘤“旁观者效应”、增强肿瘤细胞对射线敏感性、抑制动物模型体内移植瘤的生长和血管新生以及具有调节免疫应答能力。     

IL-12诱导急性单核细胞白血病细胞分化及凋亡的机制研究

白细胞介素-12(interleukin-12,IL-12)具有明显的抗肿瘤作用,但其作用机制较复杂。前期形态学和功能的研究发现,IL-12可诱导单核细胞白血病细胞分化。该研究从巨噬细胞表面分化标志、细胞增殖能力、周期以及凋亡四个方面探讨了IL-12诱导急性单核细胞白血病细胞分化和凋亡的相关作用机理。结果发现,以人源性重组IL-12 p70处理的THP-1细胞,巨噬细胞表面标志CD68和CD11b的表达量明显增加并呈时间依赖性,CD68+和CD11b+阳性细胞数也显著增多;IL-12诱导分化过程中伴有THP-1细胞生长缓慢、G1期或G1/S期细胞周期阻滞现象;IL-12处理后的THP-1细胞凋亡率也明显增加,以早期凋亡细胞为主,并伴有抗凋亡蛋白Bcl-2表达下调及促凋亡蛋白Fas表达增加。上述实验结果提示,IL-12对于急性单核细胞白血病可通过诱导肿瘤细胞向成熟巨噬细胞分化,抑制细胞增殖以及增加细胞凋亡来发挥抗肿瘤作用。     

大黄素诱导肿瘤细胞凋亡的研究进展

本文综述了大黄素对白血病、淋巴瘤、肺癌、乳腺癌、食道癌、肝癌、胰腺癌、结肠癌等肿瘤细胞凋亡的诱导作用及相关机制的研究进展,表明大黄素对肿瘤细胞凋亡具有明确的诱导作用,可能主要通过破坏肿瘤细胞的线粒体信号通路而诱导肿瘤细胞凋亡。     

Procaspase-8失调与肿瘤细胞对TRAIL的耐受

肿瘤坏死因子相关凋亡诱导配体(TRAIL)可激活胱天蛋白酶（caspase）家族蛋白系列级联反应,最终诱导细胞凋亡. TRAIL选择性地诱导肿瘤细胞凋亡而不损伤正常细胞,使其成为治疗癌症的潜在药物靶点. 目前已知,细胞型FADD样白介素-1-β转换酶抑制蛋白(c FLIP)和凋亡抑制蛋白(IAPs)是肿瘤细胞对TRAIL耐受的主要原因.胱天蛋白酶原-8（procaspase-8）是TRAIL凋亡信号途径中的凋亡起始蛋白. 然而近年发现,在某些肿瘤细胞中procaspase-8功能失调常会阻碍凋亡信号传导,使肿瘤细胞对TRAIL诱导的凋亡产生耐受. 本文就其机制进行概述.     

天然提取物诱导人HepG2 细胞凋亡的研究进展

细胞凋亡是机体维持内环境稳定,更好的适应生存环境采取的一种死亡过程。细胞凋亡异常与肿瘤的发生、发展存在密切的关系。细胞凋亡的信号途径主要有死亡受体介导的外源性通路、线粒体介导内源性通路、内质网信号通路及MAPK信号通路。通过作用于凋亡信号通路上一些关键基因,诱导肿瘤细胞凋亡被认为是临床抗肿瘤治疗最有成效的治疗方法之一。研究已证实多种天然提取物作用于凋亡信号途径中一些重要因子可诱导细胞凋亡,并取得较好的抑制肿瘤增殖的效果。本文是关于细胞凋亡机制及各种天然提取物作用于凋亡通路上主要基因进行抗肿瘤治疗研究进展的综述。     

神经酰胺诱导肿瘤细胞凋亡的机制研究进展

神经酰胺(ceramide,Cer)作为一种神经鞘磷脂分子,不仅是细胞膜的组成成分,而且可以作为各种信号转导途径的第二信使,参与细胞增殖、分化、衰老和凋亡等生命活动的调节。Cer的合成、代谢及信号转导在肿瘤发生发展甚至耐药和抵抗放射治疗中有着密切的关系。Cer可以被诸如肿瘤坏死因子α(Tumor necrosis factorα,TNF-α)、激素、电离辐射和化疗药物等细胞外信号和受体激活,其主要可以通过内源性凋亡途径和外源性凋亡途径诱导肿瘤细胞凋亡的发生。在肿瘤细胞凋亡发生过程中,Cer通过激活Jun氨基末端激酶(JNKs)、有丝分裂原活化蛋白激酶/细胞外信号调节蛋白激酶(MAPK/ERK)和P38等信号通路以及蛋白激酶、组织蛋白酶D、蛋白磷酸酶1(Protein phosphatase1,PP1)和蛋白磷酸酶2A(Protein phosphatase2A,PP2A)等效应分子介导肿瘤细胞凋亡。本文综述近年来有关Cer在应激反应级联以及肿瘤细胞凋亡中的作用的研究进展。     

重组荞麦胰蛋白酶抑制剂对人肝癌细胞的凋亡及半胱氨酸天冬酶活性的影响

先前的研究表明,基因重组荞麦胰蛋白酶抑制剂 (rBTI) 具有诱导不同肿瘤细胞凋亡的作用.为了揭示其诱导肿瘤细胞凋亡的可能机理,从基因水平上探讨与凋亡有关的分子事件,本研究用不同浓度的 rBTI 体外作用于人肝癌细胞 HepG2 后,采用 MTT 比色法检测抑制剂对epG2 细胞的抑制率,用 DNA 凝胶电泳和细胞核的形态学观察检测 HepG2 细胞的凋亡.结果表明,rBTI 在体外能够明显抑制 HepG2 细胞的增长,并诱导细胞凋亡.另外,细胞凋亡与Bcl-2/Bax mRNA 水平有关.通过 RT-PCR 检测发现,细胞经过rBTI处理后,抗凋亡基因Bcl-2 mRNA 水平下调,促凋亡基因 Bax mRNA 有所上调,而对照 GAPDH 无变化.对 HepG2细胞中 Fas/Fas 配体及半胱氨酸天冬酶（caspase）的研究证明,细胞经过 rBTI 处理后,对死亡受体 Fas mRNA没有影响; rBTI 可明显激活caspase-3 和 caspase-9 酶活性, 对caspase-8 活性几乎无影响.上述结果表明,rBTI 对HepG2 细胞具有明显的诱导凋亡作用,其诱导细胞凋亡的机制与 caspase-3 依赖性凋亡调节信号通路有关,未涉及 Fas/Fas 配体途径.     

增强凋亡的哺乳动物新型线粒体蛋白质-Smac/Diablo

细胞凋亡的调节因素众多,近年来线粒体相关因素越来越受到重视。本文介绍一种新型线粒体蛋白质—Smac／Diablo在凋亡的线粒体途径中诱导凋亡的作用及相关机制。这为诱导肿瘤细胞凋亡及抗肿瘤治疗提供有益的借鉴。     

IL-24选择性诱导肿瘤细胞凋亡机制

白细胞介素24/MDA-7基因是在黑色素瘤分化过程中被分离得到的,具有抑制黑色素瘤增生和促进其终末分化的能力。IL-24作为细胞因子不仅具有免疫调节功能,而且能选择性诱导多种肿瘤细胞凋亡。这种抑制作用不依赖p53、Rb和p16等抑癌基因,对正常细胞没有影响。白细胞介素24具有显著的选择性抗肿瘤特性,成为肿瘤治疗的研究新热点。     

mda-7/IL-24 differentially regulates soluble and nuclear clusterin in prostate cancer

Melanoma differentiation-associated gene-7/interleukin-24 (mda-7/IL-24), a unique member of the IL-10 gene family, displays a broad range of antitumor properties including cancer-specific induction of apoptosis, inhibition of tumor angiogenesis, and modulation of anti-tumor immune responses. Here, we identify clusterin (CLU) as a MDA-7/IL-24 interacting protein in DU-145 cells and investigate the role of MDA-7/IL-24 in regulating CLU expression and mediating the antitumor properties of mda-7/IL-24 in prostate cancer. Ad.mda-7 decreased expression of soluble CLU (sCLU) and increased expression of nuclear CLU (nCLU). In the initial phase of Ad.mda-7 infection sCLU expression increased and CLU interacted with MDA-7/IL-24 producing a cytoprotective effect. Infection of stable clones of DU-145 prostate cancer cells expressing sCLU with Ad.mda-7 resulted in generation of nCLU that correlated with decreased cell viability and increased apoptosis. In the presence of mda-7/IL-24, sCLU-DU-145 cells displayed G(2)/M phase arrest followed by apoptosis. Similarly, Ad.mda-7 infection decreased cell migration by altering cytoskeleton in sCLU-DU-145 cells. Ad.mda-7-treated sCLU-DU-145 cells displayed a significant reduction in tumor growth in mouse xenograft models and reduced angiogenesis when compared to the vector control group. Tumor tissue lysates demonstrated enhanced nCLU generated from sCLU with increased apoptosis in the presence of MDA-7/IL-24. Our findings reveal novel aspects relative to the role of sCLU/nCLU in regulating the anticancer properties of MDA-7/IL-24 that may be exploited for developing enhanced therapies for prostate cancer.     

Ad-ING4-IL-24 双基因共表达对人肺腺癌化疗的增敏效应

研究ING4 (肿瘤生长抑制因子4) 和IL-24 (人白细胞介素24) 双基因共表达腺病毒载体 (Ad-ING4-IL-24) 对肺腺癌的化疗增敏效应及分子机制。将Ad-ING4-IL-24感染A549肺癌细胞及联合顺铂 (DDP) 化疗药物作用,RT-PCR和Western blotting检测ING4和IL-24基因在A549肺癌细胞中的转录和表达,MTT法、流式细胞仪 (FCM) 和 Hoechst 染色法检测Ad-ING4-IL-24联合DDP (联合组) 对A549肺癌细胞的生长抑制和凋亡效应。采用A549细胞株建立人肺腺癌裸鼠模型,然后瘤体局部注射干预用药,动态测量肿瘤体积,并计算瘤重抑瘤率,免疫组化检测ING4、IL-24、bax、bcl-2、VEGF等基因的表达。结果表明,Ad-ING4-IL-24感染A549肺癌细胞后可获得成功转录和表达,体外联合组能明显抑制A549肺癌细胞生长和诱导细胞凋亡,呈现出典型细胞凋亡形态学变化。体内联合组同样能显著抑制肿瘤生长,瘤重抑瘤率达52.81％,免疫组化结果显示联合组能上调bax基因表达,同时下调bcl-2、VEGF等基因的表达。以上结果表明Ad-ING4-IL-24具有化疗增敏的作用,该作用机制可能与促进肿瘤细胞凋亡和抑制血管形成有关。     

Umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stromal/stem cells expressing IL-24 induce apoptosis in gliomas

Although much progress has been made in the treatment of gliomas, the prognosis for patients with gliomas is still very poor. Stem cell-based therapies may be promising options for glioma treatment. Recently, many studies have reported that umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (UC-MSCs) are ideal gene vehicles for tumor gene therapy. Interleukin 24 (IL-24) is a pleiotropic immunoregulatory cytokine that has an apoptotic effect on many kinds of tumor cells and can inhibit the growth of tumors specifically without damaging normal cells. In this study, we investigated UC-MSCs as a vehicle for the targeted delivery of IL-24 to tumor sites. UC-MSCs were transduced with lentiviral vectors carrying green fluorescent protein (GFP) or IL-24 complementary DNA. The results indicated that UC-MSCs could selectively migrate to glioma cells in vitro and in vivo. Injection of IL-24-UC-MSCs significantly suppressed tumor growth of glioma xenografts. The restrictive efficacy of IL-24-UC-MSCs was associated with the inhibition of proliferation as well as the induction of apoptosis in tumor cells. These findings indicate that UC-MSC-based IL-24 gene therapy may be able to suppress the growth of glioma xenografts, thereby suggesting possible future therapeutic use in the treatment of gliomas.     

Expression, purification, and characterization of recombinant human interleukin 24 in Escherichia coli

Interleukin-24 (IL-24) can induce apoptosis of a broad range of tumor cells, and this function of IL-24 is independent of classic tumor suppressor genes, such as p53, Rb and p16. Here, we report the expression, purification and preparation of a recombinant IL-24 protein (rIL-24) without post-translational modifications, which may selectively induce apoptosis of tumor cells in vitro. We found that non-fusion rIL-24 was not able to be expressed by vectors pET11c, 28a, and 22b in Escherichia coli. To obtain recombinant non-fusion IL-24 protein, the encoding region for IL-24 was cloned between KpnI and BamHI in pET32a. The Trx (Thioredoxin)/IL-24 fusion proteins were expressed in the form of inclusion bodies in E. coli host strain BL21 (DE21). The expression level was more than 30% of total cell lysate. Inclusion bodies were disrupted, washed, and isolated at pH 9.0, and were completely dissolved in a buffer containing 2M urea at pH 9.0. After nickel ion metal affinity chromatography, gel filtration chromatography, and renaturation, the refolded fusion proteins with a purity of >96% were obtained. Trx/IL-24 proteins were digested by enterokinase (EK) to both Trx and rIL-24 fragments which then were separated by cation exchange chromatography. Cell proliferation experiments proved that the rIL-24 (98% purity) retains its cancer-selective apoptosis-inducing properties. This result suggested that the rIL-24 may have cancer therapeutic applications.     

Human interleukin 24 (MDA-7/IL-24) protein kills breast cancer cells via the IL-20 receptor and is antagonized by IL-10

The melanoma differentiation-associated gene-7 (mda-7/IL-24) is a unique member of the interleukin 10 (IL-10) family of cytokines, with ubiquitous tumor cell pro-apoptotic activity. Recent data have shown that IL-24 is secreted as a glycosylated protein and functions as a pro-Th1 cytokine and as a potent anti-angiogenic molecule. In this study, we analyzed the activity of Ad-mda7 and its protein product, secreted IL-24, against human breast cancer cells. We show that Ad-mda7 transduction of human breast cancer cells results in G₂/M phase cell cycle arrest and apoptotic cell death, which correlates with secretion of IL-24 protein. Neutralizing antibody against IL-24 significantly inhibited Ad-mda7 cytotoxicity. IL-24 and IL-10 both engage their cognate receptors on breast cancer cells resulting in phosphorylation and activation of STAT3, however, IL-10 receptor binding failed to induce cell killing, indicating that tumor cell killing by IL-24 is independent of STAT3 phosphorylation. Treatment with exogenous IL-24 induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells and this effect was abolished by addition of anti-IL-24 antibody or anti-IL-20R1, indicating that bystander cell killing is mediated via IL-24 binding to the IL-20R1/IL-20R2 heterodimeric receptor complex. Co-administration of the related cytokine IL-10 inhibited killing mediated by IL-24 and concomitantly inhibited IL-24 mediated up-regulation of the tumor suppressor proteins, p53 and p27^Kip1. In summary, we have defined a tumor-selective cytotoxic bystander role for secreted IL-24 protein and identified a novel receptor-mediated death pathway in breast cancer cells, wherein the related cytokines IL-24 and IL-10 exhibit antagonistic activity.     

CD 95-independent mechanisms of IL-2 deprivation-induced apoptosis in activated human lymphocytes

Growth factor deprivation-induced apoptosis plays an important role in several cellular systems. However, knowledge of the molecular mechanisms involved are restricted to a few murine models or tumor cell lines. Therefore, we aimed studying signaling pathways leading to apoptosis in activated human peripheral T cells after IL-2 withdrawal. Lymphoblasts from patients with CD 95 (Fas/APO-1)-deficiency revealed that functional CD95 was not required to induce apoptosis after IL-2 withdrawal. Moreover, apoptosis induction in response to various cytotoxic stimuli was found to be mediated in the absence of functional CD95 but was affirmatorily influenced by IL-2 signaling. Immunoblots showed no downregulation of Bcl-2 or Bcl-xL and no upregulation of Bax, whereas decreased mitochondrial membrane potential was readily measurable 24 h after cytokine deprivation. Tetrapeptide inhibitors showed limited efficacy in preventing apoptosis whereas the caspase inhibitor zVAD-FMK potently blocked induction of apoptosis. Cleavage of different fluorogenic substrates revealed multiple caspase enzyme activities in lymphoblasts, which were not negatively affected by the fas mutation. Starting at 8 h after IL-2 withdrawal, upregulation of active caspase-3 but not of caspase-8 could be detected. Taken together, our data argue for molecular mechanisms of cytokine deprivation-induced apoptosis in activated human lymphocytes independent of CD95.