Anticancer genes (NOXA, PAR-4, TRAIL) are de-regulated in breast cancer patients and can be targeted by using a ribosomal inactivating plant protein (riproximin).

BACKGROUND: Anticancer genes are an endogenous defense against transformed cells as they impose antineoplastic effects upon ectopic expression. Profiling the expression of these genes is fundamental for exploring their prognostic and therapeutic relevance in cancers. Natural compounds can upregulate anticancer genes in malignant cells and thus be useful for therapeutic purposes. In this study, we identified the expression levels of anticancer genes in breast cancer clinical isolates. In addition, the purified and sequenced plant protein (riproximin) was evaluated for its potential to induce anticancer genes in two breast cancer cell lines. METHODOLOGY: Expression profiles of three anticancer genes (NOXA, PAR-4, TRAIL) were identified by immunohistochemistry in 45 breast cancer clinical isolates. Breast cancer cells were exposed to riproximin and expression of the anticancer genes was determined by microarray, real-time PCR and western blot methodologies. Lastly, a bioinformatic approach was adopted to highlight the molecular/functional significance of the anticancer genes. RESULTS: NOXA expression was evenly de-regulated among the clinical isolates, while PAR-4 was significantly down-regulated in majority of the breast cancer tissues. In contrast, TRAIL expression was increased in most of the clinical samples. Expression levels of the anticancer genes followed a distinct trend in accordance with the disease severity. Riproximin showed a substantial potential of inducing expression of the anticancer genes in breast cancer cells at transcriptomic and protein levels. The bioinformatic approach revealed involvement of anticancer genes in multiple cellular functions and signaling cascades. CONCLUSION: Anticancer genes were de-regulated and showed discrete expression patterns in breast cancer patient samples. Riproximin effectively induced the expression of selected anticancer genes in breast cancer cells.

Advances in the role of HCV nonstructural protein 5a (NS5A) of 3a genotype in inducing insulin resistance by possible phosphorylation of AKT/PKB.

HCV genes interfere with host cellular genes and play crucial role in pathogenesis. The mechanism under which HCV genes induce insulin resistance is not much clear. This study is aimed to examine the role of HCV NS5A in inducing insulin resistance by examining its affect in the phosphorylation level of AKT/PKB. In the present study, HepG2 cells were transfected with HCV NS5A and after 24 hours of transfection, protein was extracted from cells that were pre induced with insulin at three different time intervals i.e. 1hour, 2 hours and 3hours. Dot Blot analysis was performed to study the phosphorylation level of AKT. Results showed that there is clear upregulation of serine 473 phosphorylation level of AKT in NS5A transfected cells as compared with control (without NS5A). In conclusion, upregulation of serine 473 phosphorylation by NS5A of HCV genotype 3a suggests that this gene impairs the normal insulin AKT/PKB signaling pathway that leads towards insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Therefore, HCV non-structural protein NS5A should be considered as promising candidate to be studied in detail for HCV induced insulin resistance and should be regarded as a therapeutically important target for the prevention of chronic liver diseases.