Autophagic Punctum

Autophagy switches to apoptosis in prostate cancer cells infected with melanoma differentiation associated gene-7/interleukin-24 (mda-7/IL-24)

Volume 7, Issue 9   September 2011
Pages 1076 - 1077
http://dx.doi.org/10.4161/auto.7.9.16163
Authors: Sujit K. Bhutia, Swadesh K. Das, Belal Azab, Rupesh Dash, Zhao-Zhong Su, Seok-Geun Lee, Paul Dent, David T. Curiel, Devanand Sarkar and Paul B. Fisher

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Abstract:
MDA-7/IL-24 has noteworthy potential as an anticancer therapeutic because of its diversity of antitumor properties, its lack of toxicity toward normal cells and tissues, and its safety and efficacy as evidenced in a phase I clinical trial. In a recent study, we document that Ad.mda-7-induced ER stress and ceramide production leads to early autophagy that subsequently switches to apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells. During the apoptotic phase, the MDA-7/IL-24 protein physically interacts with Beclin 1 and this interaction might inhibit Beclin 1 function culminating in apoptosis. Conversely, Ad.mda-7 infection leads to calpain-mediated cleavage of the Atg5 protein that might also facilitate a biochemical switch from autophagy to apoptosis. Our recent paper reveals novel aspects of the interplay between autophagy and apoptosis that underlie the cytotoxic action of MDA-7/IL-24 in prostate cancer cells. These new insights into MDA-7/IL-24 action provide intriguing leads for developing innovative combinatorial approaches for prostate cancer therapy.

Autophagic Punctum to:
SM Douglas, I Bachelet, GM Church. A logic-gated nanorobot for targeted transport of molecular payloads. Science 2012; 335: 831-4
PMID: 22344439 DOI: 10.1126/science.1214081

Received: March 20, 2011; Accepted: April 27, 2011

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