Combination adriamycin and suramin induces apoptosis in bcl-2 expressing prostate carcinoma cells

Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL differentially protect human prostate cancer cells from induction of apoptosis by melanoma differentiation associated gene-7, mda-7/IL-24

“…Bcl-x L overexpression has been found to correlate with resistance to druginduced apoptosis in prostate cancer cells (Liu and Stein, 1997;Amundson et al, 2000;Lebedeva et al, 2000;Li et al, 2001). Forced overexpression of Bcl-2 has been shown to desensitize prostate cancer cells to apoptotic stimuli (Raffo et al, 1995;Tu et al, 1995;Kyprianou et al, 1997). However, it is unclear whether the function of Bcl-2/Bcl-x L at supraphysiological intracellular levels, observed in our transfected clones, bears resemblance to its normal function in the context of in vivo prostate tumors.…”

PTEN Induces Chemosensitivity in PTEN-mutated Prostate Cancer Cells by Suppression of Bcl-2 Expression

“…One of the factors that may contribute to the resistance of PCa to chemotherapy and androgen deprivation is the overexpression of Bcl-2 (36,62,63). Treatment of PCa cells with paclitaxel results in the phosphorylation and inactivation of Bcl-2, thereby enhancing chemosensitivity (37,56,64).…”

Therapeutic potential of curcumin in human prostate cancer—I. curcumin induces apoptosis in both androgen-dependent and androgen-independent prostate cancer cells

“…In this regard, several important publications have revealed the fact that, despite offering resistance to several apoptotic stimuli such as androgen withdrawal, serum starvation or phorbol ester treatment, androgen-insensitive prostate cancer cells do in fact maintain the basic and apparently functional apoptotic machinery which could be activated under certain circumstances. 40,41 So, a central aim of this study has been to test the hypothesis that the apoptotic machinery of the prostate cancer cells may be activated despite the presence of apoptosis suppressor proteins such as bcl-2 and bcl-X L for tumoricidal purposes and that the unwanted hormone refractory prostate cancer cells can be forced to commit to apoptosis. Hence, a down-regulation of proteins such a bcl-2 and bcl-X L will have signi®cant therapeutic bene®ts in a major fraction of prostate cancer patients who over-express these proteins.…”