MG-63 osteoblast-like cells enhance the osteoprotegerin expression of PC-3 prostate cancer cells.

Background: Osteoprotegerin (OPG) expression participates in the pathophysiology of osteoblastic metastasis in prostate cancer.

Materials And Methods: We investigated whether the expression of OPG of PC-3 prostate cancer cells grown in 3-D collagen gels is stimulated by co-culture with MG-63 osteoblast-like cells. The expression of Runx2 (Cbfa1) and OPG were assessed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis.

Implants of type I collagen gel containing MG-63 osteoblast-like cells can act as stable scaffolds stimulating the bone healing process at the sites of the surgically-produced segmental diaphyseal defects in male rabbits.

Background: Three-dimensional (3-D) type I collagen gel culture systems allow long-term growth of osteoblast-like cells, in vitro. Whether the implantation of 3-D collagen systems can stimulate new bone formation was assessed in male rabbits.

Materials And Methods: A 10-mm segmental diaphyseal defect was surgically produced at the left and right limbs of 50 adult male rabbits.

Insulin-like growth factor-1 isoform mRNA expression in women with endometriosis: eutopic endometrium versus endometriotic cyst.

Pathogenesis of endometriosis involves growth factors, which are synthesized locally. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) prevents apoptosis and has mitogenic action on endometrial cells. The IGF-1 gene undergoes alternative splicing and results in three isoforms (IGF-1Ea, IGF-1Eb, and IGF-1Ec or MGF).

Combination therapy using LHRH and somatostatin analogues plus dexamethasone in androgen ablation refractory prostate cancer patients with bone involvement: a bench to bedside approach.

The development of resistance to anticancer therapies is a major hurdle in preventing long-lasting clinical responses to conventional therapies in hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Herein, the molecular evidence documenting that bone metastasis microenvironment survival factors (mainly the paracrine growth hormone-independent, urokinase-type plasminogen activator-mediated increase of IGF-1 and the endocrine production of growth hormone-dependent IGF-1, mainly liver-derived IGF-1 production) produce an epigenetic form of prostate cancer cells that are resistant to proapoptotic therapies is reviewed. Consequently, the authors present the conceptual framework of a novel antibone microenvironment survival factor, mainly an anti-IGF-1 hormonal manipulation for androgen ablation refractory prostate cancer (a combination of conventional androgen ablation therapy [luteinising hormone-releasing hormone agonist-A or orchiectomy]) with dexamethasone plus somatostatin analogue, which yielded durable objective responses and major improvement of bone pain and performance status in stage D3 prostate cancer patients.