Purpose Near equal rates of incidence and mortality emphasize the need for novel targeted approaches for better management of pancreatic cancer patients. Inflammatory molecules NFκB and Stat3 are overexpressed in pancreatic tumors. Inhibition of one protein allows cancer cells to survive using the other. The goal of the present study is to determine whether targeting Stat3/NFκB cross talk with a natural product Nexrutine (Nx) can inhibit inflammatory signaling in pancreatic cancer. Experimental design HPNE, HPNE-Ras, BxPC3, Capan-2, MIA PaCa-2 and AsPC-1 cells were tested for growth, apoptosis, Cox-2, NFκB and Stat3 level in response to Nx treatment. Transient expression, gel shift, ChIP was used to examine transcriptional regulation of Cox-2. Stat3 knockdown was used to decipher Stat3/NFκB cross talk. Histopathological and immunoblotting evaluation was performed on BK5-Cox2 transgenic mice treated with Nx. In vivo expression of prostaglandin receptor EP4 was analyzed in a retrospective cohort of pancreatic tumors using a TMA. Results Nx treatment inhibited growth of pancreatic cancer cells through induction of apoptosis. Reduced levels and activity of Stat3, NFκB and their cross talk led to transcriptional suppression of Cox-2 and subsequent decreased levels of PGE2 and PGF2. Stat3 knockdown studies suggest Stat3 as negative regulator of NFκB activation. Nx intervention reduced the levels of NFκB, Stat3 and fibrosis in vivo. Expression of prostaglandin receptor EP4 that is known to play a role in fibrosis was significantly elevated in human pancreatic tumors. Conclusions Dual inhibition of Stat3-NFκB by Nx may overcome problems associated with inhibition of either pathway.
Reciprocal interaction between pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) and cancer cells (PCCs) in the tumor microenvironment (TME) promotes tumor cell survival and progression to lethal, therapeutically resistant pancreatic cancer. The goal of this study was to test the ability of Palmatine (PMT) to disrupt this reciprocal interaction in vitro and examine the underlying mechanism of interaction. We show that PSCs secrete glutamine into the extracellular environment under nutrient deprivation. PMT suppresses glutamine-mediated changes in GLI signaling in PCCs resulting in the inhibition of growth and migration while inducing apoptosis by inhibition of survivin. PMT-mediated inhibition of (glioma-associated oncogene 1) GLI activity in stellate cells leads to suppression (collagen type 1 alpha 1) COL1A1 activation. Remarkably, PMT potentiated gemcitabine’s growth inhibitory activity in PSCs, PCCs and inherently gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer cells. This is the first study that shows the ability of PMT to inhibit growth of PSCs and PCCs either alone or in combination with gemcitabine. These studies warrant additional investigations using preclinical models to develop PMT as an agent for clinical management of pancreatic cancer.
Purpose of the review The 5-year survival rate of patients with pancreatic cancer (PanCA) has remained stagnant. Unfortunately, the incidence is almost equal to mortality rates. These facts underscore the importance of concerted efforts to understand the pathology of this disease. Deregulation of multiple signaling pathways involved in a wide variety of cellular processes including proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and metastasis contribute not only to cancer development but also to therapeutic resistance. The purpose of this review is to summarize current understanding of etiological factors including emerging evidence on the role of infectious agents, factors associated with therapeutic resistance and therapeutic options. Recent findings The unique aspect of PanCA is “desmoplasia”, a process that involves proliferation of stromal fibroblasts and collagen deposition in and around the filtrating cancer. Recent studies have identified pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) as a potential source of such desmoplasia. Biphasic interactions between PSCs and cancer cells, endothelial cells, and/or myeloid derived suppressor cells in the tumor microenvironment contribute to pancreatic carcinogenesis. Summary We summarize limitations of current therapeutic approaches and potential strategies to overcome these limitations using natural products including botanicals as adjuvant/neo-adjuvant for effective management of PanCA.
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