Abstract
Background: The expression of caspase-8, a cysteine protease that is crucial for the apoptotic cascade, is absent in a high percentage of neuroblastomas, the most frequent extracranial solid tumor of infants and children. Resistance of neuroblastomas to death-receptor (eg, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) receptor)-mediated apoptosis is thought to be caused by loss of caspase-8 expression. Gene silencing by hypermethylation of caspase-8 promoter has been proposed for the loss of caspase-8 expression in neuroblastoma cells. Methods: To further evaluate the role of caspase-8 in neuroblastoma, we assessed the induction of caspase-8 expression in neuroblastoma cells by treating the cells with a physiologic agent such as interferon-γ. Results: The authors found that interferon-γ induces caspase-8 expression in neuroblastoma cells irrespective of the gene silenced by hypermethylation of caspase-8 promoter. The authors show that interferon-γ also regulates other apoptosis related gene expression. Moreover, they show that interferon-γ treatment in combination with TNF-α decreases neuroblastoma cell proliferation. Conclusions: Interferon-γ induces procaspase-8 expression in neuroblastoma cells, and this induction is not dependent on demethylation of the caspase-8 promoter. Therapies aimed at inducing caspase-8 expression by adjunctive treatment, such as interferon-γ, may increase the effectiveness of current chemotherapeutic regimens.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 509-515 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Journal of Pediatric Surgery |
Volume | 39 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Apr 2004 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Supported by grants RO1DK61470, RO1DK48498, RO1AG10885, PO1DK35608, and T32DK07639 from the National Institutes of Health.
Keywords
- Caspase-8
- Interferon-γ
- Methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction
- Neuroblastoma
- Tumor necrosis factor alpha
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Surgery
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health