• 대한약침학회지
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• 제20권3호
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• pp.207-212
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• 2017

Objectives: Study of the mechanisms involved in cancer progression suggests that cyclooxygenase enzymes play an important role in the induction of inflammation, tumor formation, and metastasis of cancer cells. Thus, cyclooxygenase enzymes could be considered for cancer chemotherapy. Among these enzymes, cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) is associated with liver carcinogenesis. Various COX-2 inhibitors cause growth inhibition of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells, but many of them act in the COX-2 independent mechanism. Thus, the introduction of selective COX-2 inhibitors is necessary to achieve a clear result. The present study was aimed to determine the growth-inhibitory effects of new analogues of chalcone epoxide as selective COX-2 inhibitors on the human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cell line. Methods: Estimation of both cell growth and the amount of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production were used to study the effect of selective COX-2 inhibitors on the hepatocellular carcinoma cell. Cell growth determination has done by MTT assay in 24 h, 48 h and 72 h, and PGE2 production has estimated by using ELYSA kit in 48 h and 72 h. Results: The results showed growth inhibition of the HepG2 cell line in a concentration and time-dependent manner, as well as a reduction in the formation of PGE2 as a product of COX-2 activity. Among the compounds those analogues with methoxy and hydrogen group showed more inhibitory effect than others. Conclusion: The current in-vitro study indicates that the observed significant growth-inhibitory effect of chalcone-epoxide analogues on the HepG2 cell line may involve COX-dependent mechanisms and the PGE2 pathway parallel to the effect of celecoxib. It can be said that these analogues might be efficient compounds in chemotherapy of COX-2 dependent carcinoma specially preventing and treatment of hepatocellular carcinomas.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제59권9호
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• pp.374-380
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• 2016

Purpose: Patients with unresectable, relapsed, or refractory osteosarcoma need a novel therapeutic agent. Metformin is a biguanide derivative used in the treatment of type II diabetes, and is recently gaining attention in cancer research. Methods: We evaluated the effect of metformin against human osteosarcoma. Four osteosarcoma cell lines (KHOS/NP, HOS, MG-63, U-2 OS) were treated with metformin and cell proliferation was evaluated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Cell cycle progression and apoptosis were evaluated using flow cytometric analysis, and migration and wound healing assay were performed. Fourteen female Balb/c-nude mice received KHOS/NP cell grafts in their thigh, and were allowed access to metformin containing water (2 mg/mL) ad libitum. Tumor volume was measured every 3-4 days for a period of 4 weeks. Results: Metformin had a significant antiproliferative effect on human osteosarcoma cells. In particular, metformin inhibited the proliferation and migration of KHOS/NP cells by activation of AMP-activated protein kinase and consequent inhibition of the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway. It also inhibited the proliferation of cisplatin-resistant KHOS/NP clone cells. Analysis of KHOS/NP xenograft Balb/c-nude models indicated that metformin displayed potent in vivo antitumor effects. Conclusion: Further studies are necessary to explore metformin's therapeutic potential and the possibilities for its use as an adjuvant agent for osteosarcoma.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• 제3권2호
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• pp.88-92
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• 2003

Purpose: Mounting evidence suggests that alterations of Akt/protein kinase B (PKB) play an important role in tumorigenesis. Phosphorylated Akt regulates many of the key effector molecules involved in apoptosis, angiogenesis, and cell-cycle progression during tumorigenesis. The expression of phosphorylated Akt has been described in some human malignancies, but not in primary human gastric cancer. The purpose of this study was to explore the expression status of phosphorylated Akt protein in gastric carcinomas. Materials and Methods: In the current study, we analyzed the expression of phosphorylated Akt protein in 60 advanced gastric adenocarcinomas by using immunohistochemistry and a tissue microarray approach. Results: Immunopositivity (defined as $\geq\30\%$) was observed for the phosphorylated Akt in 42 ($70\%$) of the 60 cancers. Normal gastric mucosal cells showed no or weak expression of phosphorylated Akt protein. Conclusion: Taken together, these results indicate that Akt is frequently activated in gastric adenocarcinoma cells and suggest that phosphorylayed Akt may play a role in the development of human gastric adenocarcinomas.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• 제10권3호
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• pp.91-98
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• 2010

Purpose: Silent mating-type information regulation 2 homologue 1 (SIRT1) is a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-dependent deacetylase. SIRT1 plays an important role in the regulation of cell death/survival and stress response in mammals. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the SIRT1 gene is involved in the development or progression of gastric cancers. Materials and Methods: SIRT1 and p53 genes in 86 gastric cancers were examined for genetic alterations by PCR-single strand conformation polymorphism sequencing, as well as SIRT1 protein expression in 170 gastric cancers by immunohistochemistry. Results: In the genetic analysis, we found SIRT1 and p53 mutations in two and 12 cases, respectively. Two missense mutations, c.599 C>T (T200I) and c.1258 G>A (E420K), were detected in the SIRT1 gene coding region. The SIRT1 and p53 mutation were found in mutually exclusive gastric cancers. The immunohistochemistry revealed that SIRT1 overexpression was found in 95 (55.9%) of 170 gastric cancers. Altered SIRT1 expression was not statistically associated with clinicopathological parameters, including tumor differentiation, location, lymph node metastasis, or p53 expression. Two cases with an SIRT1 mutation showed increased SIRT1 expression. Conclusions: These results suggest that genetic alterations and overexpression of the SIRT1 gene may contribute to gastric cancer development.

• 대한방사성의약품학회지
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• 제1권2호
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• pp.137-144
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• 2015

Hypoxia is an important adverse prognostic factor for tumor progression and is a major cause of failure of radiation therapy. In case of short-term hypoxia, the metabolism can recover to normal, but if hypoxia persists, it causes irreversible cell damage and finally leads to death. So a hypoxia marker would be very useful in oncology. In particular, 2-nitroimidazole can be reduced to form a reactive chemical species, which can bind irreversibly to cell components in the absence of sufficient oxygen, thus, the development of radiolabeled nitroimidazole derivatives for the imaging of hypoxia remains an active field of research to improve cancer therapy result. 2-nitroimidazole based hypoxia marker, [$^{18}F$]FMISO holds promise for the evaluation of tumor hypoxia by Positron emission tomography (PET), at both global and local levels. In the present study, [$^{18}F$]FMISO was synthesized using an automatic synthesis module with high radiochemical purity (>99%) in 60 min. Immunohistochemical analysis using pimonidazole confirmed the presence of hypoxia in xenografted CT-26 tumor tissue. A biodistribution study in CT-26 xenografted mice showed that the increased tumor-to-muscle ratio and tumor-to-blood ratios from 10 to 120 min post-injection. In the PET study, [$^{18}F$]FMISO also showed increased tumor-to-muscle ratios from 10 to 120 min post-injection. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the feasibility and utility of [$^{18}F$]FMISO for imaging hypoxiain mouse colon cancer model using small animal PET.

• Journal of Breast Cancer
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.399-405
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• 2018

Purpose: Vesicle-associated membrane protein 8 (VAMP8) is a soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor receptor protein that participates in autophagy by directly regulating autophagosome membrane fusion and has been reported to be involved in tumor progression. Nevertheless, the expression and prognostic value of VAMP8 in breast cancer (BC) remain unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical significance and biological function of VAMP8 in BC. Methods: A total of 112 BC samples and 30 normal mammary gland samples were collected. The expression of VAMP8 was assessed in both BC tissues and normal mammary gland tissues via a two-step immunohistochemical detection method. Results: The expression of VAMP8 in BC tissues was significantly higher than that in normal breast tissues. Furthermore, increased VAMP8 expression was significantly correlated with tumor size (p=0.007), lymph node metastasis (p=0.024) and recurrence (p=0.001). Patients with high VAMP8 expression had significantly lower cumulative recurrence-free survival and overall survival (p<0.001 for both) than patients with low VAMP8 expression. In multivariate logistic regression and Cox regression analyses, lymph node metastasis and VAMP8 expression were independent prognostic factors for BC. Conclusion: VAMP8 is significantly upregulated in human BC tissues and can thus be a practical and potentially effective surrogate marker for survival in BC patients.

• 한국임상약학회지
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.234-242
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• 2020

Background: Bevacizumab-induced proteinuria is known to occur when vascular endothelial cell receptors are blocked, which leads to decreased protein filtration. Although several studies have analyzed the correlation between therapeutic effect of bevacizumab and proteinuria, no conclusion has been established. Methods: In this retrospective study, colorectal cancer patients who received bevacizumab and urinary protein check from January 2015 to December 2016, were included. The incidence of proteinuria and the grade according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) 4.0 were evaluated after bevacizumab administration. The primary objective was to correlate proteinuria with overall response rate (ORR) and time to progression (TTP). Primary lesion, metastasized organs, surgery or radiation therapy, chemotherapy were investigated for analysis of risk factors for proteinuria development. Results: A total of 149 patients included in the analysis. Proteinuria occurred 19.5% (n=29) in the study patients; 20 in grade 1, 7 in grade 2, and 2 in grade 3. ORR was 55.2% in the proteinuria group and 51.7% in the non-proteinuria group. There was no difference between two groups (p=0.89). The TTP through the survival curve was similar in both groups (10 months, p=0.97). The risk of proteinuria was high in patients who had liver metastasis (p=0.02) and no surgery (p=0.01). Conclusions: These result indicates that bevacizumab-induced proteinuria expression was not correlated with the therapeutic effect on patients with colorectal cancer. Further analysis is required to find out the correlation between proteinuria and therapeutic effects. The risk of proteinuria was increased from patients who had liver metastasis, and no surgery.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제45권4호
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• pp.202-215
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• 2022

The androgen receptor (AR) is an important therapeutic target for treating prostate cancer (PCa). Moreover, there is an increasing need for understanding the AR-independent progression of tumor cells such as neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC). Menin, which is encoded by multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1), serves as a direct link between AR and the mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) complex in PCa development by activating AR target genes through histone H3 lysine 4 methylation. Although menin is a critical component of AR signaling, its tumorigenic role in AR-independent PCa cells remains unknown. Here, we compared the role of menin in AR-positive and AR-negative PCa cells via RNAi-mediated or pharmacological inhibition of menin. We demonstrated that menin was involved in tumor cell growth and metastasis in PCa cells with low or deficient levels of AR. The inhibition of menin significantly diminished the growth of PCa cells and induced apoptosis, regardless of the presence of AR. Additionally, transcriptome analysis showed that the expression of many metastasis-associated genes was perturbed by menin inhibition in AR-negative DU145 cells. Furthermore, wound-healing assay results showed that menin promoted cell migration in AR-independent cellular contexts. Overall, these findings suggest a critical function of menin in tumorigenesis and provide a rationale for drug development against menin toward targeting high-risk metastatic PCa, especially those independent of AR.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제45권8호
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• pp.564-574
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• 2022

Epithin/PRSS14 is a membrane serine protease that plays a key role in tumor progression. The protease exists on the cell surface until its ectodomain shedding, which releases most of the extracellular domain. Previously, we showed that the remaining portion on the membrane undergoes intramembrane proteolysis, which results in the liberation of the intracellular domain and the intracellular domain-mediated gene expression. In this study, we investigated how the intramembrane proteolysis for the nuclear function is initiated. We observed that ectodomain shedding of epithin/PRSS14 in mouse breast cancer 4T1 cells increased depending on environmental conditions and was positively correlated with invasiveness of the cells and their proinvasive cytokine production. We identified selenite as an environmental factor that can induce ectodomain shedding of the protease and increase C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) secretion in an epithin/PRSS14-dependent manner. Additionally, by demonstrating that the expression of the intracellular domain of epithin/PRSS14 is sufficient to induce CCL2 secretion, we established that epithin/PRSS14-dependent shedding and its subsequent intramembrane proteolysis are responsible for the metastatic conversion of 4T1 cells under these conditions. Consequently, we propose that epithin/PRSS14 can act as an environment-sensing receptor that promotes cancer metastasis by liberating the intracellular domain bearing transcriptional activity under conditions promoting ectodomain shedding.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권22호
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• pp.9635-9641
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• 2014

Background: This retrospective study was aimed to investigate the efficacy of prophylactic agents in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients receiving TACE and compare the difference between lamivudine and entecavir. Materials and Methods: A consecutive series of 203 HBV-related HCC patients receiving TACE were analyzed including 91 patients given prophylactic agents. Virologic events, defined as an increase in serum HBV DNA level to more than 1 log10 IU/ml higher than the nadir level, hepatitis flares due to HBV reactivation and progression free survival (PFS) were the main endpoints. Results: Some 48 (69.6%) reached virologic response. Prophylaxis significantly reduced virologic events (8.8% vs 58.0%, p=0.000) and hepatitis flares (1.1% vs 13.4%, p=0.001). Patients presenting undetectable HBV DNA levels displayed a significantly improved PFS as compared to those who never achieved undetectable HBV DNA. Prophylaxis and e-antigen positivity were the only significant variables associated with virologic events. In addition, prophylaxis was the only independent protective factor for hepatitis flares. Liver cirrhosis, more cycles of TACE, HBV DNA negativity, a lower Cancer of the Liver Italian Program score, non-metastasis and no hepatitis flares were protective factors for PFS. Prophylactic lamivudine demonstrated similar efficacy as entecavir. Conclusions: Prophylactic agents are efficacious for prevention of HBV reactivation in HCC patients receiving TACE. Achievement of undetectable HBV DNA levels displayed a significant capability in improving PFS. Moreover, persistent tumor residual lesions, positive HBV DNA and hepatitis B flares might be causes of tumor progression in these patients.