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Brain Tumor Growth (brain + tumor_growth)
Selected Abstracts,v -Integrin antagonist EMD 121974 induces apoptosis in brain tumor cells growing on vitronectin and tenascinINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 5 2002Takashi Taga Abstract Orthotopic brain tumor growth is inhibited in athymic mice by the daily systemic administration of the ,v -integrin antagonist EMD 121974. This compound, a cyclic RGD-penta-peptide, is a potent inhibitor of angiogenesis, which induces apoptosis of growing endothelial cells through inhibition of their ,v -integrin interaction with the matrix proteins vitronectin and tenascin. Here we show that EMD 121974 also induces apoptosis in the ,v -integrin-expressing tumor cell lines U87 MG and DAOY by detaching them from vitronectin and tenascin, matrix proteins known to be essential for brain tumor growth and invasion. These matrix proteins are shown to be produced by the brain tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, only tumor cells expressing ,v -integrins responded to the treatment with EMD 121974, after xenotransplantation into the forebrain of nude mice, supporting the importance of tumor cell-matrix interactions in tumor cell survival in the brain. Thus, the ,v -antagonist EMD 121974 suppresses brain tumor growth through induction of apoptosis in both brain capillary and brain tumor cells by preventing their interaction with the matrix proteins vitronectin and tenascin. The dual action of this peptide explains its potent growth suppression of orthotopically transplanted brain tumors. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] All in the family: Using inherited cancer syndromes to understand de-regulated cell signaling in brain tumorsJOURNAL OF CELLULAR BIOCHEMISTRY, Issue 4 2007S. Sean Houshmandi Abstract The cell signaling pathways that are tightly regulated during development are often co-opted by cancer cells to allow them to escape from the constraints that normally limit cell growth and cell movement. In this regard, de-regulated signaling in cancer cells confers a number of key tumor-associated properties, including increased cell proliferation, decreased cell death, and increased cell motility. The identification of some of these critical signaling pathways in the nervous system has come from studies of inherited cancer syndromes in which affected individuals develop brain tumors. The study of brain tumors arising in patients with neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1), neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2), and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) has already uncovered several key intracellular signaling pathways important for modulating brain tumor growth. An in-depth analysis of these intracellular signaling pathways will not only lead to an improved understanding of the process of brain tumorigenesis, but may also provide important molecular targets for future therapeutic drug design. J. Cell. Biochem. 102: 811,819, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The natural compound n -butylidenephthalide derived from Angelica sinensis inhibits malignant brain tumor growth in vitro and in vivo3JOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY, Issue 4 2006Nu-Man Tsai Abstract The naturally-occurring compound, n -butylidenephthalide (BP), which is isolated from the chloroform extract of Angelica sinensis (AS-C), has been investigated with respect to the treatment of angina. In this study, we have examined the anti-tumor effects of n -butylidenephthalide on glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) brain tumors both in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, GBM cells were treated with BP, and the effects of proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis were determined. In vivo, DBTRG-05MG, the human GBM tumor, and RG2, the rat GBM tumor, were injected subcutaneously or intracerebrally with BP. The effects on tumor growth were determined by tumor volumes, magnetic resonance imaging and survival rate. Here, we report on the potency of BP in suppressing growth of malignant brain tumor cells without simultaneous fibroblast cytotocixity. BP up-regulated the expression of Cyclin Kinase Inhibitor (CKI), including p21 and p27, to decrease phosphorylation of Rb proteins, and down-regulated the cell-cycle regulators, resulting in cell arrest at the G0/G1 phase for DBTRG-05MG and RG2 cells, respectively. The apoptosis-associated proteins were dramatically increased and activated by BP in DBTRG-05MG cells and RG2 cells, but RG2 cells did not express p53 protein. In vitro results showed that BP triggered both p53-dependent and independent pathways for apoptosis. In vivo, BP not only suppressed growth of subcutaneous rat and human brain tumors but also, reduced the volume of GBM tumors in situ, significantly prolonging survival rate. These in vitro and in vivo anti-cancer effects indicate that BP could serve as a new anti-brain tumor drug. [source] |