1 Pulmonary inflammatory diseases such as asthma are characterized by chronic, cell-mediated inflammation of the bronchial mucosa. 2 Recruitment and activation of inflammatory cells is orchestrated by a variety of mediators such as cytokines, chemokines, or adhesion molecules, the expression of which is regulated via the transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB). 3 NF-kB signaling is controlled by the inhibitor of kappa B kinase complex (IKK), a critical catalytic subunit of which is IKK-b. 4 We identified COMPOUND A as a small-molecule, ATP-competitive inhibitor selectively targeting IKK-b kinase activity with a K i value of 2 nM. 5 COMPOUND A inhibited stress-induced NF-kB transactivation, chemokine-, cytokine-, and adhesion molecule expression, and T-and B-cell proliferation. 6 COMPOUND A is orally bioavailable and inhibited the release of LPS-induced TNF-a in rodents. 7 In mice COMPOUND A inhibited cockroach allergen-induced airway inflammation and hyperreactivity and efficiently abrogated leukocyte trafficking induced by carrageenan in mice or by ovalbumin in a rat model of airway inflammation. 8 COMPOUND A was well tolerated by rodents over 3 weeks without affecting weight gain. 9 Furthermore, in mice COMPOUND A suppressed edema formation in response to arachidonic acid, phorbol ester, or edema induced by delayed-type hypersensitivity. 10 These data suggest that IKK-b inhibitors offer an effective therapeutic approach for inhibiting chronic pulmonary inflammation.

Recent advances in cancer biology reveal that microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the regulation of cancer-related genes, or they function as tumor suppressors or oncogenes. In prostate cancer, evidence has accumulated for the contribution of the androgen-dependent gene network to tumor growth, although the precise functions of miRNAs in prostate cancer remain to be investigated. Here, we identified androgen-responsive miRNAs by the short RNA sequencing analysis in LNCaP prostate cancer cells. Among 10 miRNAs with known sequences, we have determined that miR148a reduces the expression of cullin-associated and neddylation-dissociated 1 (CAND1), a negative regulator of SKP1-Cullin1-F-box (SCF) ubiquitin ligases, by binding to the 3 0 -untranslated region of CAND1 mRNA. CAND1 knockdown by small interfering RNA promoted the proliferation of LNCaP cells. Our study indicates the potential contribution of miR-148a to the growth of human prostate cancer.

Involvement of nuclear factor-KB (NF-KB) in cell survival and proliferation of multiple myeloma has been well established. In this study we observed that NF-KB is constitutively activated in all human myeloma cell lines, thus confirming the previous studies. In addition, we found the phosphorylation of p65 subunit of NF-KB in addition to the phosphorylation of IKBA and the activation of NF-KB DNA binding and that various target genes of NF-KB including bcl-x L , XIAP, c-IAP1, cyclin D1, and IL-6 are up-regulated. We then examined the effect of a novel IKB kinase inhibitor, 2-amino-6-[2-(cyclopropylmethoxy)-6-hydroxyphenyl]-4-piperidin-4-yl nicotinonitrile (ACHP). When myeloma cells were treated with ACHP, the cell growth was efficiently inhibited with IC 50 values ranging from 18 to 35 Mmol/L concomitantly with inhibition of the phosphorylation of IKBA/p65 and NF-KB DNA-binding, down-regulation of the NF-KB target genes, and induction of apoptosis. In addition, we observed the treatment of ACHP augmented the cytotoxic effects of vincristine and melphalan (L-phenylalanine mustard), conventional antimyeloma drugs. These findings indicate that IKB kinase inhibitors such as ACHP can sensitize myeloma cells to the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapeutic agents by blocking the antiapoptotic nature of myeloma cells endowed by the constitutive activation of NF-KB.

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The androgen receptor (AR) plays a critical role in the development and the progression of prostate cancer. Alterations in the expression of AR coregulators lead to AR hypersensitivity, which is one of the mechanisms underlying the progression of prostate cancer into a castrate-resistant state. Octamer transcription factor 1 (Oct1) is a ubiquitous member of the POUhomeodomain family that functions as a coregulator of AR. In our study, the contribution of Oct1 to prostate cancer development was examined. Immunocytochemistry analysis showed that Oct1 is expressed in the nuclei of LNCaP cells. siRNA-mediated silencing of Oct1 expression inhibited LNCaP cell proliferation. Immunohistochemical analysis of Oct1 expression in tumor specimens obtained from 102 patients with prostate cancer showed a positive correlation of Oct1 immunoreactivity with a high Gleason score and AR immunoreactivity (p 5 0.0042 and p < 0.0001, respectively). Moreover, patients with high immunoreactivity of Oct1 showed a low cancer-specific survival rate, and those patients with high immunoreactivities of both Oct1 and AR exhibited poorer cancer-specific prognosis. Multivariate hazard analysis revealed a significant correlation between high Oct1 immunoreactivity and poor cancer-specific survival (p 5 0.012). These results demonstrate that Oct1 can be a prognostic factor in prostate cancer as a coregulator of AR and may lead to the development of a new therapeutic intervention for prostate cancer.The androgen receptor (AR) plays a critical role in the progression of prostate cancer.1 AR is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily and functions as a ligand-dependent transcription factor.2 Upon activation by androgens, AR translocates into the nucleus and binds to the androgen responsive elements (AREs). The transactivation of AR involves several coregulatory proteins. AR coregulators are proteins that interact with AR to enhance (coactivators) or reduce (corepressors) transactivation of target.

Purpose: Androgen receptor is an essential transcriptional factor that contributes to the development and progression of prostate cancer. In this study, we investigated the androgen regulation and functional analysis of 14-3-3ζ in prostate cancer. Experimental Design: Using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) combined with DNA microarray (ChIP-chip) analysis in LNCaP cells, we identified a functional androgen receptor–binding site in the downstream region of the 14-3-3ζ gene. Androgen regulation was examined by quantitative reverse transcription PCR and Western blot analysis. Prostate cancer cells stably expressing 14-3-3ζ and siRNA knockdown were used for functional analyses. We further examined 14-3-3ζ expression in clinical samples of prostate cancer by immunohistochemistry and quantitative reverse transcription PCR. Results: Androgen-dependent upregulation of 14-3-3ζ was validated at the mRNA and protein levels. The 14-3-3ζ gene is favorable for cancer-cell survival, as its ectopic expression in LNCaP cells contributes to cell proliferation and the acquired resistance to etoposide-induced apoptosis. 14-3-3ζ expression was associated with androgen receptor transcriptional activity and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) mRNA expression. Immunoprecipitation indicated that 14-3-3ζ was associated with androgen receptor in the nucleus. Clinicopathologic studies further support the relevance of 14-3-3ζ in prostate cancers, as its higher expression is associated with malignancy and lymph node metastasis. Conclusions: 14-3-3ζ is a novel androgen-responsive gene that activates proliferation, cell survival, and androgen receptor transcriptional activity. 14-3-3ζ may facilitate the progression of prostate cancer. Clin Cancer Res; 18(20); 5617–27. ©2012 AACR.

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