PUMA gene in cancer treatment / 国际肿瘤学杂志

PUMA (p53 up-regulated modulator of apoptosis) is a recently discovered Bcl-2 family member which could be rapidly induced by p53 and has strong pro-apoptotic effects.PUMA has attracted much attention in the research of life science.PUMA expression results in potent growth suppression of some cancer cells through induction of apoptosis.PUMA can also significantly sensitize some cancer cells to chemotherapeutic agents and irradiation through induction of apoptosis.PUMA is potentially useful in gene therapy of tumor.But recently,researchers have also found that PUMA participates in the process of carcinogenesis and possessed important biological functions.

Radiosensitivity of AsPC-1 cell to γ-rays enhanced by up-regulation of PUMA induced by targeted Slug gene / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective To explore the influence of PUMA on radiosensitivity of pancreatic cancer AsPC-1 cells after Slug gene inhibition by transfected short interferencing RNA(siRNA). Methods The AsPC-1 cells were infected with MOI 10,50,100 for 72 h, respectively. The expression of Slug and PUMA was analyzed by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry methods. The transfected and control cells were exposed to 4 Gy γ-rays. The cells inhibition rate was examined by MTT, Hoechst 33342 and IP double staining. DNA ladder and Giemsa staning was used to observe apoptosis. Results The relative value of Slug expression was 0.831 ±0.14,0. 546 ±0.12 and 0.178 ±0.08 after AsPC-1 was infected with Slug-siRNA ( MOI 10,50,100) for 72 h, significantly lower than that of control group ( F = 4. 992,P ＜ 0.05 ).The relative value of PUMA was 0. 325 ±0. 07,0. 593 ±0. 11 and 0. 978 ±0. 12, after AsPC-1 was infected with Slug-siRNA ( MOI 10,50,100) for 72 h, significantly higher than that of control group ( F = 4. 324,P ＜ 0. 05 ). The cell proliferation rate was ( 78.76 ± 9. 36 ) % in transfection combined with radiosensitivity group, significantly higher than that of transfection group [ ( 43.68 ± 6.71 ) % ] and radiosensitivity group alone [( 19.25 ± 3.72)% ] (F = 5.056, P ＜ 0.05). The apoptosis of transfection combined with radiosensitivity group was significantly higher than that of others. Conclusions Slug gene targeting siRNA could inhibit the expression of Slug, and consequently increase the activation of PUMA expression, and so enhance the radiosensitivity to γ-rays.