title: Up-regulation of TWIST in prostate cancer and its implication as a therapeutic target.
abstract: Androgen-independent metastatic prostate cancer is the main obstacle in the treatment of this cancer. Unlike a majority of solid cancers, prostate cancer usually shows poor response to chemotherapeutic drugs. In this study, we have shown a potential novel target, TWIST, a highly conserved bHLH transcription factor, in the treatment of prostate cancer. Using malignant and nonmalignant prostate tissues, we found that TWIST expression was highly expressed in the majority (90%) of prostate cancer tissues but only in a small percentage (6.7%) of benign prostate hyperplasia. In addition, the TWIST expression levels were positively correlated with Gleason grading and metastasis, indicating its role in the development and progression of prostate cancer. Furthermore, down-regulation of TWIST through small interfering RNA in androgen-independent prostate cancer cell lines, DU145 and PC3, resulted in increased sensitivity to the anticancer drug taxol-induced cell death which was associated with decreased Bcl/Bax ratio, leading to activation of the apoptosis pathway. More importantly, inactivation of TWIST suppressed migration and invasion abilities of androgen-independent prostate cancer cells, which was correlated with induction of E-cadherin expression as well as morphologic and molecular changes associated with mesenchymal to epithelial transition. These results were further confirmed on the androgen-dependent LNCaP cells ectopically expressing the TWIST protein. Our results have identified TWIST as a critical regulator of prostate cancer cell growth and suggest a potential therapeutic approach to inhibit the growth and metastasis of androgen-independent prostate cancer through inactivation of the TWIST gene.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, SAR, China.
authors.forename: Wai Kei
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Kwok
authors.forename: Ming-Tat
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.forename: Tak-Wing
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Tracy C M
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Xiaomeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Chee Wai
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Chua
authors.forename: Kwok W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Franky L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Carlotta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Glackin
authors.forename: Yong-Chuan
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Xianghong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D020868:Gene Silencing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000473:pathology; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000494:pharmacology; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D014162:Transfection; D051879:Twist-Related Protein 1; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C103173:TWIST1 protein, human; D014157:Transcription Factors; D051879:Twist-Related Protein 1; D017239:Paclitaxel