title: In vitro evidence for a new therapeutic approach in renal cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most lethal among the common urologic malignancies, comprising 3% of all human neoplasias; approximately 40% of patients eventually die of cancer progression. One third of patients who present with metastatic disease and up to 40% treated for localized disease generally experience recurrence. RCCs are characterized by high resistance to chemo-, radio- and immunotherapy. We recently discovered an endogenous enzymatic activity, which is particularly expressed in tumorigenic cell, endogenous non-telomerase reverse transcriptase (RT) of retrotrasposon / retroviral origin, as a specific target to induce proliferation arrest in a number of human carcinogenesis in vitro culture cell lines.
  
  
  METHODS
  To address this possibility, we have employed RCC primary cell culture testing pharmacological inhibition, in vitro, by two characterized non nucleosidic RT inhibitors, nevirapine and efavirenz; next, we assessed morphological effects and analyzed putative modulation on gene expression profile.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both treatments reduced cell proliferation rate and induced morphological differentiation and gene expression reprogramming in different RCC analyzed tumor biomarkers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study we describe a new potential therapeutic approach to obtain considerable future benefits in renal carcinoma cure and attempt to establish a new possible pharmacological therapy based on oral drugs administration in renal RCC treatment.
authors.affiliation: SBGSA, Italian National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy. carminepittoggi@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Carmine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pittoggi
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martis
authors.forename: Giorgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mastrangeli
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mastrangeli
authors.forename: Corrado
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Spadafora
mesh_terms: D000480:Alkynes; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D048588:Benzoxazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D003521:Cyclopropanes; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor / Q000379:methods; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D019829:Nevirapine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012313:RNA / Q000032:analysis; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000480:Alkynes; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D048588:Benzoxazines; D003521:Cyclopropanes; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; D012313:RNA; D019829:Nevirapine; C098320:efavirenz