title: Enhanced sensitivity of G1 arrested human cancer cells suggests a novel therapeutic strategy using a combination of simvastatin and TRAIL.
abstract: Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) preferentially induces apoptosis in tumor cells over normal cells. To study the relationship between cell cycle progression and TRAIL-induced apoptosis, SW480 colon cancer and H460 lung cancer cell lines were examined for their sensitivity to TRAIL after arrest in different cell cycle phases. Cells were synchronized in G0/G1, S, and G2/M phase by serum starvation, aphidicolin, or nocodazole treatment, respectively. We found that arrest of cells in G0/G1 phase confers significantly higher susceptibility to TRAIL-induced apoptosis as compared to cells in late G1, S, or G2/M phase. To determine if cell cycle phase could be harnessed for therapeutic gain in the presence of TRAIL, we used the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, Simvastatin and lovastatin, to enrich a cancer cell population in G0/G1. Both simvastatin and lovastatin significantly augmented TRAIL-induced apoptosis in tumor cells, but not in normal keratinocytes. The results indicate that TRAIL, in combination with a HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of human cancer.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Cell Cycle Regulation, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Zhaoyu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: David T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Dicker
authors.forename: Wafik S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: El-Deiry
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D002453:Cell Cycle; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D016193:G1 Phase; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D008148:Lovastatin / Q000494:pharmacology; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism; D016192:Resting Phase, Cell Cycle; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D009842:Oligopeptides; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; C505653:TNFSF10 protein, human; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C403754:benzyloxycarbonyl-leucyl-glutamyl-histidyl-aspartic acid fluoromethyl ketone; D008148:Lovastatin; D019821:Simvastatin; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases; C506433:CASP9 protein, human; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases