title: Functional expression of TRAIL receptors TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2 in esophageal adenocarcinoma.
abstract: The tumour necrosis factor (TNF) related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL/Apo2L) is a member of the TNF superfamily that preferentially induces apoptosis in cancer cells, while sparing normal cells. TRAIL induces apoptosis by interacting with its receptors TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2. Recently, new humanized agonistic anti-TRAIL-R1 and anti-TRAIL-R2 antibodies have been developed, and are undergoing phase I/II clinical trails. Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA) is associated with significantly poor outcome and is rapidly increasing in incidence in the United States and Western Europe, with virtually no effective non-surgical treatment. The aim of this study was to determine whether human EA tissue express TRAIL-R1 and/or TRAIL-R2, and whether EA cell lines Bic-1 and Seg-1 expresses functional TRAIL-R1 and/or TRAIL-R2. The expression of TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2 was determined in sections from 18 human EA by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Sixteen (89%) of the EA expressed TRAIL-R1 and 17 (94%) expressed TRAIL-R2. Both cell lines were found to express TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2 by western blot analysis, IHC, and flow cytometry. The fully human agonistic TRAIL-R1 (HGS-ETR1) and TRAIL-R2 (HGS-ETR2) antibodies induced apoptosis in Bic-1 and Seg-1 cells in a time and dose dependent manner. Our results show that the vast majority of primary human EA express TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2 and that EA cells lines express functional TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2. Targeting of these receptors by agonist monoclonal antibodies may be of therapeutic value in patients with EA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA. myounes@bcm.edu
authors.forename: Mamoun
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Younes
authors.forename: Georgios V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Georgakis
authors.forename: Mahdis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rahmani
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Beer
authors.forename: Anas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Younes
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000906:Antibodies / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000276:immunology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053220:Receptors, TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D053220:Receptors, TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; C105190:TNFRSF10A protein, human; C505639:TNFRSF10B protein, human