title: Apoptosis-based treatment of glioblastomas with ABT-737, a novel small molecule inhibitor of Bcl-2 family proteins.
abstract: Defects in the apoptotic signaling cascades contribute to the poor therapeutic response of malignant gliomas. As glioblastomas are characterized by high expression levels of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins, we studied the effects of the novel Bcl-2 inhibitor, ABT-737, on malignant glioma cells. ABT-737 treatment released the pro-apoptotic Bax protein from its binding partner Bcl-2 and potently induced apoptotic cell death in glioblastoma cells in vitro and in vivo. The local administration of ABT-737 prolonged the survival in an intracranial glioma xenograft model. Downregulation of Mcl-1 and overexpression of Bcl-2 sensitized the cells to ABT-737-mediated apoptosis. Moreover, ABT-737 potentiated the cytotoxicity of the chemotherapeutic drugs vincristine and etoposide, and of the death ligand TRAIL. As glioma stem cells may play a crucial role for the tumor progression and the resistance to treatment in glioblastomas, we investigated the effects of ABT-737 on the subpopulation of glioma cells exhibiting stem cell characteristics. Inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis by ABT-737 were less efficient in glioma stem cells than in non-stem cell-like glioma cells. As the resistance of glioma stem cells was associated with high Mcl-1 expression levels, ABT-737 treatment combined with downregulation of Mcl-1 could represent a promising novel approach in glioblastoma treatment.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Neuro-Oncology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Tagscherer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fassl
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Farhadi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kraemer
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Böck
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Macher-Goeppinger
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Radlwimmer
authors.forename: O D
authors.initials: OD
authors.lastname: Wiestler
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Herold-Mende
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Roth
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D009596:Nitrophenols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010879:Piperazines / Q000494:pharmacology; D011485:Protein Binding; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015996:Survival Rate; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand / Q000378:metabolism; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
chemical_list: C501332:ABT-737; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D009596:Nitrophenols; D010879:Piperazines; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D013449:Sulfonamides; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand