title: The farnesyltransferase inhibitor R115777 up-regulates the expression of death receptor 5 and enhances TRAIL-induced apoptosis in human lung cancer cells.
abstract: Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) preferentially induces apoptosis in transformed or malignant cells, thus exhibiting potential as a tumor-selective apoptosis-inducing cytokine for cancer treatment. Many studies have shown that the apoptosis-inducing activity of TRAIL can be enhanced by various cancer therapeutic agents. R115777 (tipifarnib) is the first farnesyltransferase inhibitor (FTI) that showed clinical activity in myeloid malignancies. In general, R115777, like other FTIs, exerts relatively weak effects on the induction of apoptosis in cancer cells with undefined mechanism(s). In the current study, we studied its effects on the growth of human lung cancer cells, including induction of apoptosis, and examined potential underlying mechanisms for these effects. We showed that R115777 induced apoptosis in human lung cancer cells, in addition to inducing G(1) or G(2)-M arrest. Moreover, we found that R115777 up-regulated the expression of death receptor 5 (DR5), an important death receptor for TRAIL, and exhibited an augmented effect on the induction of apoptosis when combined with recombinant TRAIL. Blockage of DR5 induction by small interfering RNA (siRNA) abrogated the ability of R115777 to enhance TRAIL-induced apoptosis, indicating that R115777 augments TRAIL-induced apoptosis through up-regulation of DR5 expression. Thus, our findings show the efficacy of R115777 in human lung cancer cells and suggest that R115777 may be used clinically in combination with TRAIL for treatment of human lung cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
authors.forename: Yuanzheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Xiangguo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yue
authors.forename: Sagar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lonial
authors.forename: Fadlo R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Khuri
authors.forename: Shi-Yong
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D053446:CASP8 and FADD-Like Apoptosis Regulating Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis; D048708:Cell Growth Processes / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004357:Drug Synergism; D051231:Farnesyltranstransferase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015363:Quinolones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics; D053220:Receptors, TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D053446:CASP8 and FADD-Like Apoptosis Regulating Protein; D015363:Quinolones; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D053220:Receptors, TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; C505653:TNFSF10 protein, human; D051231:Farnesyltranstransferase; C402769:tipifarnib