title: MDA-7/IL-24: novel cancer growth suppressing and apoptosis inducing cytokine.
abstract: The melanoma differentiation-associated gene-7 (mda-7) was cloned by subtraction hybridization as a molecule whose expression is elevated in terminally differentiated human melanoma cells. Current information based on structural and sequence homology, has led to the recognition of MDA-7 as an IL-10 family cytokine member and its renaming as IL-24. Northern blot analysis revealed mda-7/IL-24 expression in human tissues associated with the immune system such as spleen, thymus, peripheral blood leukocytes and normal melanocytes. The MDA-7/IL-24 mouse counterpart, FISP, appears to be a Th2-specific protein and the rat counterpart, C49A/MOB-5, is associated with wound healing and is also induced as a consequence of ras-transformation. A notable property of MDA-7/IL-24 is its ability to induce apoptosis in a large spectrum of human cancer derived cell lines, in mouse xenografts and upon intratumoral injection in human tumors (phase I clinical trials). Various aspects of this intriguing molecule including its cytokine and anti-tumoral effects are described and discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, BB-1501, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA. ms2280@columbia.edu
authors.forename: Moira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sauane
authors.forename: Rahul V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Gopalkrishnan
authors.forename: Devanand
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sarkar
authors.forename: Zao Zhong
authors.initials: ZZ
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Irina V
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Lebedeva
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dent
authors.forename: Sidney
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pestka
authors.forename: Paul B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Fisher
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000235:genetics; D007378:Interleukins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008545:Melanoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D000099180:Interleukin-24
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007378:Interleukins; D000099180:Interleukin-24