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Caspase-8 (casp-8) is well known as an initiator caspase involved in cell death signalling, although its activity in many cancer cell types seems to work under non-apoptotic conditions. Moreover, in several types of cancer, casp-8 is only rarely mutated and often its expression is very elevated. Since cancer cell growth also depends on evasion of apoptosis, the upregulation of casp-8 in tumours may suggest one or more non-apoptotic roles (1). Here we report our recent studies carried out in MDA-MB-231 cells, derived from clinically aggressive forms of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, where we have assessed the non-canonical roles of casp-8. Firstly, we evaluated casp-8 mRNA and protein levels in MDA-MB-231 cells, demonstrating that they were upregulated with respect to HMEC (normal Human Mammalian Epithelial Cells). Thereafter, to assess the role of casp-8, we silenced it by small interfering-RNA. Interestingly casp-8-knockdown, strongly decreased MDA-MB-231 cell growth by delaying G0/G1- to S-phase transition and increasing p21, p27 and hypophosphorylated/active form of pRb levels. No effects were evidenced on cell viability. To assess the metastatic capacity of MDA-MB-231 cells, the gene expression profiles of the relative markers after casp-8 knockdown were also measured. Surprisingly the expression of a number of genes and/or proteins such as VEGFA, C-MYC, CTNNB1, HMGA2, CXCR4, KLF4, VERSICAN V1 and MMP2 potently increased accompanied by migratory and metastatic capacities of cells, as shown by wound healing and matrigel assays. We suggest that among these genes, KLF4, a transcriptional factor with a dual role (activator and repressor), and responsible for p21 and p27 induction, could play critical roles (2). Casp-8 through KLF4 down-regulation, could manage the expression of critical proliferative and migratory/invasive genes. We suggest that these unusual roles played by casp-8 in MDA-MB-231 cells, should be better explored, in order to identify it as a molecular therapeutic target. References 1. Stupack DG. Caspase-8 as a Therapeutic Target in Cancer. Cancer Lett 332:133–140, 2013. 2. Tiwari N et al. Klf4 Is a Transcriptional Regulator of Genes Critical for EMT, Including Jnk1 (Mapk8). PLoS One 8, 2013.

In the last decades the approach to cancer patient management has been deeply revolutionized. We are moving from a "one-fits-all" strategy to the "personalized medicine" based on the molecular characterization of the tumor. In this new era it is becoming more and more clear that the monitoring of the disease is fundamental for the success of the treatment, thus there is the need of new biomarker discovery. More precisely in the last years the scientific community has started to use the term "liquid biopsy". A liquid biopsy is a liquid biomarker that can be easily isolated from many body fluids (blood, saliva, urine, ascites, pleural effusion, etc.) and, as well as a tissue biopsy, a representative of the tissue from which it is spread. In this review we will focus our attention on circulating tumor cells, circulating tumor DNA, exosomes and secretomes with the aim to underlie their usefulness and potential application in a clinical setting for lung cancer patient management. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lifestyle factors are responsible for a considerable portion of cancer incidence worldwide, but credible estimates from the World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) suggest that the fraction of cancers attributable to toxic environmental exposures is between 7% and 19%. To explore the hypothesis that low-dose exposures to mixtures of chemicals in the environment may be combining to contribute to environmental carcinogenesis, we reviewed 11 hallmark phenotypes of cancer, multiple priority target sites for disruption in each area and prototypical chemical disruptors for all targets, this included dose-response characterizations, evidence of low-dose effects and cross-hallmark effects for all targets and chemicals. In total, 85 examples of chemicals were reviewed for actions on key pathways/ mechanisms related to carcinogenesis. Only 15% (13/85) were found to have evidence of a dose-response threshold, whereas 59% (50/85) exerted low-dose effects. No dose-response information was found for the remaining 26% (22/85). Our analysis suggests that the cumulative effects of individual (non-carcinogenic) chemicals acting on different pathways, and a variety of related systems, organs, tissues and cells could plausibly conspire to produce carcinogenic synergies. Additional basic research on carcinogenesis and research focused on low-dose effects of chemical mixtures needs to be rigorously pursued before the merits of this hypothesis can be further advanced. However, the structure of the World Health Organization International Programme on Chemical Safety 'Mode of Action' framework should be revisited as it has inherent weaknesses that are not fully aligned with our current understanding of cancer biology. © The Author 2015.

PURPOSE:To examine the apoptotic effect induced in human retinoblastoma Y79 cells by camptothecin, etoposide, and amsacrine, to examine the effect of these drugs on the expression of many apoptosis-related modulators, and to test the antiapoptotic effect exerted by insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). METHODS:Morphologic features of apoptosis were demonstrated using acridine orange- ethidium bromide staining and electron microscopy. DNA fragmentation was determined by means of an in situ cell detection procedure (TdT-dUTP terminal nick-end labeling [TUNEL]) or by electrophoresis on agarose gels and was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The expression of apoptosis-related modulators was studied by western blot analysis. The processing of latent p53 was examined by means of pulse- chase analysis. RESULTS:Camptothecin, etoposide, and amsacrine induced apoptosis in Y79 cells in a dose-dependent manner; camptothecin was the most efficacious compound. The effect, which was dependent on macromolecular synthesis, appeared after a lag of 8 hours and increased for as long as 24 hours. It was lower in cells treated with IGF-I, a potent mitogenic factor. Camptothecin and etoposide increased the p53 level after 4 hours of treatment, before the onset of apoptosis. This effect seemed to be a consequence of the conversion of latent p53 to one that is transcriptionally active. The drugs also induced an increase in p53-related proteins, such as p21, Bax, and IGF binding protein-3 (IGF-BP3), and caused a significant reduction of the Bcl-2 level. The latter effect was less evident in cells pretreated with IGF-I. CONCLUSIONS:Topoisomerase inhibitors induce apoptosis in Y79 cells. This event is accompanied by a decrease in the expression of Bcl-2, a death antagonist, and an increase in that of Bax, a death agonist. A probable consequence of these modifications is the activation of ICE-like activity with degradation of poly-(adenosine diphosphate [ADP] ribose)-polymerase. Insulin-like growth factor-I exerts an antiapoptotic action in Y79 cells, and this function is most likely reduced by the overexpression of IGF-BP3 that is induced by drug treatment.

Nucleoside phosphotransferase purified from chicken intestinal mucosa is a multisubunit protein of high molecular weight regulated by many nucleotides. The adsorption of a nucleotide effector to regulatory sites favors the conversion of the enzyme to a stable form and induces a modification of the substrate site, increasing its affinity for substrate donors. We studied the effects exerted by orthophosphate on the reaction and on the stability of the enzyme. P(i) inhibits competitively nucleoside phosphotransferase activity, whichever nucleoside monophosphate is employed as donor. Nucleotide effector (d-TDP) removes entirely the inhibitory effect exerted by different concentrations of P(i). The sigmoidal kinetic response to activation by d-TDP is increased by 100 μM P(i), which raises the interaction coefficient from 2.25 to 3.54. P(i), like nucleotide effectors, stabilizes nucleoside phosphotransferase against heat and enzyme dilution. Although we do not exclude the possibility that P(i) at higher concentrations can also compete effectively with phosphate donors at the catalytic site, we were inclined to think that the findings are compatible with competition between phosphate and nucleotides at regulatory sites.

The authors describe the purification procedure and some properties of a nucleoside phosphotransferase obtained from chicken intestinal mucosa, the tissue of which in preliminary studies showed the highest specific activity. Sepharose 6B chromatography and electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gel subdivided the enzyme into many forms which represent various levels of an associated multisubunit protein derived by assembly of a component at lower molecular weight. Nucleotide protectors regulate the equilibrium among these different forms, favoring the production and the stabilization of supramolecular complexes of nucleoside phosphotransferase. Similar results were obtained with enzyme purified from brain, muscle and embryos of chicken by means of the procedure described.

This study deals with the apoptotic effect exerted on human retinoblastoma Y79 cells by both sodium butyrate and an inhibitor of 26S proteasome [z-Leu-Leu-Leu-CHO (MG132)] and their synergistic effect. Exposure to sodium butyrate (1-4 mM) induced an accumulation of cells in the G2-M phase that was already visible after 24 h of treatment, when morphological and biochemical signs of apoptosis appeared only in a small number of cells (5-10%). Thereafter, the apoptotic effects increased progressively with slow kinetics, reaching a maximum after 72 h of exposure, when they concerned a large fraction of cells (>75% with 4 mM sodium butyrate). Sodium butyrate stimulated the conversion of procaspase-3 into caspase-3 and also induced the cleavage of poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase and lamin B, two hallmarks of apoptosis. All of the apoptotic signals were suppressed by benzyloxy carbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethylketone (a general inhibitor of caspase activities), whereas acetyl-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp aldehyde, a specific inhibitor of caspase-3 activity, only induced a partial reversion of the apoptotic effects. Sodium butyrate also decreased the Bcl-2 level, whereas it increased the Bax level and stimulated the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria, an event that was most likely responsible for the activation of caspase-3. Finally, sodium butyrate activated 26S proteasome, the major extralysosomal degradative machinery, which is responsible for the degradation of short-lived proteins. Consequently, the levels of p53, N-myc, and IkappaBalpha (factors that play regulatory roles in apoptosis) diminished, whereas the nuclear level of nuclear factor kappaB concomitantly increased. Treatment of Y79 cells with MG132 induced apoptosis with more rapid kinetics than with sodium butyrate. The effects appeared after 8 h of incubation, reaching a maximum at 24 h, and they were accompanied by increased levels of N-myc, p53, and IkappaBalpha. MG132 also favored the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria and increased the activity of caspase-3. When Y79 cells were exposed to combinations of sodium butyrate and MG132, the latter compound suppressed the decreasing effect induced by sodium butyrate on the levels of p53, N-myc, and IkappaBalpha and the increasing effect on the nuclear level of nuclear factor kappaB. Moreover, an increase in the level of Bax and an enhancement in the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria were observed. Clear synergistic effects concerning the activation of both caspase-3 and apoptosis were induced by a combination of suboptimal doses of sodium butyrate and MG132. The results support the conclusion that MG132 potentiates the apoptotic effect of sodium butyrate by suppressing its stimulatory effect on 26S proteasome activity. Synergistic interactions between butyrate and inhibitors of proteasome could represent a new important tool in tumor therapy and, in particular, the treatment of retinoblastoma.

Nucleoside phosphotransferase from chicken intestinal mucosa is an associated multisubunit protein which can dissociate into components of lower molecular weight. The associated and the dissociated forms have the same substrate specificity but the first (A) shows a higher V(max) and a lower S(0.5) value than the second (B), whichever phosphate donor or nucleoside acceptor was employed. Moreover with form A the interaction coefficient in the Hill plots; as measured with a phosphate donor, varied: they always showed a higher result (about 2) than with form B (about 1). A brief preincubation at 37°C of form A modified the values both of the inactivation constant and of the enzyme kinetic parameters, which became similar to those reported for form B. Form B of nucleoside phosphotransferase is, unlike form A, only moderately sensitive to the regulatory effects of nucleoside diphosphates.