IL-6 promotes ICAM-1 expression and cell motility in human osteosarcoma

Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 is involved in WISP-1-promoted cell motility in human oral squamous cell carcinoma cells

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has a tendency to migrate and metastasize. WNT1-inducible signaling pathway protein 1 (WISP-1) is a cysteine-rich protein that belongs to the Cyr61, CTGF, Nov (CCN) family of matrix cellular proteins. The effect of WISP-1 on human OSCC cells, however, is unknown. Here, we showed that WISP-1 increased cell migration and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression in OSCC cells. Pretreatment of cells with integrin αvβ3 monoclonal antibody (mAb) significantly abolished WISP-1–induced cell migration and ICAM-1 expression. On the other hand, WISP-1–mediated cell motility and ICAM-1 upregulation were attenuated by ASK1, JNK, and p38 inhibitor. Furthermore, WISP-1 also enhanced activator protein 1 (AP-1) activation, and the integrin αvβ3 mAb, and ASK1, JNK, and p38 inhibitors reduced WISP-1–mediated AP-1 activation. Moreover, WISP-1 and ICAM-1 expression correlated with the tumor stage of patients with OSCC. Our results indicate that WISP-1 enhances the migration of OSCC cells by increasing ICAM-1 expression through the αvβ3 integrin receptor and the ASK1, JNK/p38, and AP-1 signal transduction pathways.

Understanding the Biology of Bone Sarcoma from Early Initiating Events through Late Events in Metastasis and Disease Progression

The two most common primary bone malignancies, osteosarcoma (OS), and Ewing sarcoma (ES), are both aggressive, highly metastatic cancers that most often strike teens, though both can be found in younger children and adults. Despite distinct origins and pathogenesis, both diseases share several mechanisms of progression and metastasis, including neovascularization, invasion, anoikis resistance, chemoresistance, and evasion of the immune response. Some of these processes are well-studies in more common carcinoma models, and the observation from adult diseases may be readily applied to pediatric bone sarcomas. Neovascularization, which includes angiogenesis and vasculogenesis, is a clear example of a process that is likely to be similar between carcinomas and sarcomas, since the responding cells are the same in each case. Chemoresistance mechanisms also may be similar between other cancers and the bone sarcomas. Since OS and ES are mesenchymal in origin, the process of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition is largely absent in bone sarcomas, necessitating different approaches to study progression and metastasis in these diseases. One process that is less well-studied in bone sarcomas is dormancy, which allows micrometastatic disease to remain viable but not growing in distant sites – typically the lungs – for months or years before renewing growth to become overt metastatic disease. By understanding the basic biology of these processes, novel therapeutic strategies may be developed that could improve survival in children with OS or ES.

Involvement of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 up-regulation in bradykinin promotes cell motility in human prostate cancers

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy in men and shows a predilection for metastasis to distant organs. Bradykinin (BK) is an inflammatory mediator and has recently been shown to mediate tumor growth and metastasis. The adhesion molecule intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) plays a critical role during tumor metastasis. The aim of this study was to examine whether BK promotes prostate cancer cell migration via ICAM-1 expression. The motility of cancer cells was increased following BK treatment. Stimulation of prostate cancer cells with BK induced mRNA and protein expression of ICAM-1. Transfection of cells with ICAM-1 small interfering RNA reduced BK-increased cell migration. Pretreatment of prostate cancer cells with B2 receptor, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), Akt, and activator protein 1 (AP-1) inhibitors or mutants abolished BK-promoted migration and ICAM-1 expression. In addition, treatment with a B2 receptor, PI3K, or Akt inhibitor also reduced BK-mediated AP-1 activation. Our results indicate that BK enhances the migration of prostate cancer cells by increasing ICAM-1 expression through a signal transduction pathway that involves the B2 receptor, PI3K, Akt, and AP-1. Thus, BK represents a promising new target for treating prostate cancer metastasis.