In the last decade, basic cancer research has produced remarkable advances in our understanding of cancer biology and cancer genetics. Among the most important of these advances is the realization that apoptosis and the genes that control it have a profound effect on the malignant phenotype. For example, it is now clear that some oncogenic mutations disrupt apoptosis, leading to tumor initiation, progression or metastasis. Conversely, compelling evidence indicates that other oncogenic changes promote apoptosis, thereby producing selective pressure to override apoptosis during multistage carcinogenesis. Finally, it is now well documented that most cytotoxic anticancer agents induce apoptosis, raising the intriguing possibility that defects in apoptotic programs contribute to treatment failure. Because the same mutations that suppress apoptosis during tumor development also reduce treatment sensitivity, apoptosis provides a conceptual framework to link cancer genetics with cancer therapy. An intense research effort is uncovering the underlying mechanisms of apoptosis such that, in the next decade, one envisions that this information will produce new strategies to exploit apoptosis for therapeutic benefit.

Apoptosis in cancer

The Eph receptor tyrosine kinases and their ephrin ligands have intriguing expression patterns in cancer cells and tumour blood vessels, which suggest important roles for their bidirectional signals in many aspects of cancer development and progression. Eph gene mutations probably also contribute to cancer pathogenesis. Eph receptors and ephrins have been shown to affect the growth, migration and invasion of cancer cells in culture as well as tumour growth, invasiveness, angiogenesis and metastasis in vivo. However, Eph signalling activities in cancer seem to be complex, and are characterized by puzzling dichotomies. Nevertheless, the Eph receptors are promising new therapeutic targets in cancer.

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Eph receptors and ephrins in cancer: bidirectional signalling and beyond

Drug releasing anastomosis devices and methods for treating anastomotic sites

Flavopiridol inactivates P-TEFb and blocks most RNA polymerase II transcription in vivo.

The cyclopentenone prostaglandins PGA2, PGA1, and PGJ2 are formed by dehydration within the cyclopentane ring of PGE2, PGE1, and PGD2. PGJ2 is metabolized further to yield Delta(12)-PGJ(2) and 15-deoxy-Delta(12,14)-PGJ(2) (15d-PGJ(2)). Various compounds within the cyclopentenone prostaglandin family possess potent anti-inflammatory, anti-neoplastic, and anti-viral activity. Most actions of the cyclopentenone prostaglandins do not appear to be mediated by binding to G-protein coupled prostanoid receptors. Rather, the bioactivity of these compounds results from their interaction with other cellular target proteins. 15-deoxy-Delta(12,14)-PGJ(2) is a high affinity ligand for the nuclear receptor PPARgamma and modulates gene transcription by binding to this receptor. Other activities of the cyclopentenone prostaglandins are mediated by the reactive alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl group located in the cyclopentenone ring. The transcription factor NF-kappaB and its activating kinase are key targets for the anti-inflammatory activity of 15d-PGJ2, which inhibits NF-kappaB-mediated transcriptional activation by PPARgamma-dependent and independent molecular mechanisms. Other cyclopentenone prostaglandins, such as Delta(7)-PGA1 and Delta(12)-PGJ2, have strong anti-tumor activity. These compounds induce cell cycle arrest or apoptosis of tumor cells depending on the cell type and treatment conditions. We review here recent progress in understanding the mechanisms of action of the cyclopentenone prostaglandins and their possible use as therapeutic agents.

Cyclopentenone prostaglandins: new insights on biological activities and cellular targets.

https://www.cell.com/cell-chemical-biology/pdf/S1074-5521(04)00029-8.pdf

A Three-Hybrid Approach to Scanning the Proteome for Targets of Small Molecule Kinase Inhibitors

The invention provides novel inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinases, in particular inhibitors of the CDK/cyclin complexes such as CDK4/cyclin D1 The novel compounds are analogs of chromones These compounds can be used for inhibiting excessive or abnormal cell proliferation Thus, the novel compounds are useful for treating a subject with a disorder associated with excessive cell proliferation, such as cancer

Inhibitors of cyclin dependent kinases

MASPIT: Three-Hybrid Trap for Quantitative Proteome Fingerprinting of Small Molecule-Protein Interactions in Mammalian Cells

Levuglandin E2 (LGE2), a rearrangement product derived from the prostaglandin endoperoxide, PGH2, causes repair-resistant DNA-protein cross-links and cell death (LD50 = 230 nM) in V79 Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts. The half-life for sequestration of LGE2 by covalent binding to cellular nucleophiles is at least an hour for 10 microM LG. This suggests that the in vivo production and distribution of free LGs should be measurable on this time scale. Following removal of the LGE2 and the return of the cultures to normal growth medium, additional DNA-protein cross-links continued to form over the ensuing 6-24 h. The results suggest that LG adducts to DNA or protein are not repaired, but react further at sites on protein or DNA in close proximity to the initial adducts, forming cross-links in a slow phase of the process.

Krishna K. Murthi

Papers

A Three-Hybrid Approach to Scanning the Proteome for Targets of Small Molecule Kinase Inhibitors

Inhibitors of cyclin dependent kinases

MASPIT: Three-Hybrid Trap for Quantitative Proteome Fingerprinting of Small Molecule-Protein Interactions in Mammalian Cells

Formation of DNA-protein cross-links in mammalian cells by levuglandin E2.

Structure–activity relationship studies of flavopiridol analogues