Inhibiting TNF-mediated signaling: a novel therapeutic paradigm for androgen independent prostate cancer.

Abstract

The tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor super family comprises of members that induce two distinct signaling cascades, leading to either cell survival or apoptosis. However, in prostate cancer (PCa), TNF-mediated prosurvival signaling is the predominant pathway that leads to cell survival and resistance to therapy. Although inhibition of TNF signaling by pharmacological agents or monoclonal antibodies has gained importance in the field of cancer therapy, toxicity to normal cells has impaired their extensive use for cancer treatment. We previously identified a natural, nontoxic compound psoralidin that inhibited viability and induced apoptosis in androgen independent prostate cancer (AIPC) cells. Thus, the goal of our study is to investigate whether psoralidin inhibits TNF-mediated prosurvival signaling in AIPC cells. Our results suggest that psoralidin inhibits constitutive and TNF-induced expression of TNF-alpha and its downstream prosurvival signaling molecules such as NF-kappaB and Bcl-2 in AIPC cells. On the other hand, psoralidin simultaneously induces the death receptor (DR)-mediated apoptotic signaling eventually causing the activation of caspase cascade and resultant induction of apoptosis. Oral administration of psoralidin inhibits expression of TNF-alpha and NF-kappaB/p65 in tumor sections, resulting in tumor regression in PC-3 xenografts. Our results suggest that psoralidin inhibits TNF-mediated survival signaling in AIPC and thus is a potent therapeutic agent for prostate cancer.

• Authors: Sowmyalakshmi Srinivasan, Raj Kumar, Srinivas Koduru, Aaditya Chandramouli, Chendil Damodaran
• Journal: Apoptosis : an international journal on programmed cell death (Apoptosis) Vol. 15 Issue 2 Pg. 153-61 (Feb 2010) ISSN: 1573-675X [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 19851870 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Androgens
• Benzofurans
• Coumarins
• NF-kappa B
• Receptors, Death Domain
• Recombinant Proteins
• Transcription Factor RelA
• Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
• Caspases
• psoralidin

Topics

• Androgens (pharmacology)
• Animals
• Apoptosis (drug effects)
• Benzofurans (pharmacology)
• Caspases (metabolism)
• Cell Line, Tumor
• Cell Survival (drug effects)
• Coumarins (pharmacology)
• Down-Regulation (drug effects)
• Drug Resistance, Neoplasm (drug effects)
• Humans
• Male
• Mice
• NF-kappa B (metabolism)
• Prostatic Neoplasms (enzymology, pathology, therapy)
• Receptors, Death Domain (metabolism)
• Recombinant Proteins (pharmacology)
• Signal Transduction (drug effects)
• Transcription Factor RelA (metabolism)
• Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (pharmacology)
• Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays