Cytotoxic effects exerted by pentachlorophenol by targeting nodal pro-survival signaling pathways in human pancreatic cancer cells.

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is one of the deadliest human solid tumors in the developed countries characterized by high resistance toward chemotherapeutic treatment. We have previously shown that silencing of the pro-survival protein kinase CK2 by RNA interference contributes to enhance the cytotoxicity of the chemotherapeutic agent 2',2'-difluoro 2'-deoxycytidine (gemcitabine). Initial experiments showed that pentachlorophenol (PCP) inhibits CK2 and induces cell death in human pancreatic cancer cell lines.

2-Triazenoazaindoles: α novel class of triazenes inducing transcriptional down-regulation of EGFR and HER-2 in human pancreatic cancer cells.

Pancreatic cancer is a complex malignancy arising from the accumulation of genetic and epigenetic defects in the affected cells. Standard chemotherapy for patients with advanced disease shows only modest effects and is associated with considerable toxicity. Overexpression or aberrant activation of members of the epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase family, which includes EGFR and HER-2, occurs frequently and is associated with multiple drug resistance and decreased patient survival.

Role of polyamines in determining the cellular response to chemotherapeutic agents: modulation of protein kinase CK2 expression and activity.

Numerous studies have shown that platinum compounds stimulate the expression of the polyamine catabolic enzyme spermidine/spermine N(1)-acetyltransferase resulting in anti-proliferative activity and apoptosis. As many cancer cell types including pancreatic cancer cells express high levels of polyamines, the possibility to develop anti-tumor strategies to deplete polyamine pools has drawn considerable attention in recent years. This has been effectively accomplished by treating cells with platinum drugs in combination with polyamine analogs such as N(1),N(11)-diethylnorspermine (DENSPM).

Enhancing chemosensitivity to gemcitabine via RNA interference targeting the catalytic subunits of protein kinase CK2 in human pancreatic cancer cells.

Background: Pancreatic cancer is a complex genetic disorder that is characterized by rapid progression, invasiveness, resistance to treatment and high molecular heterogeneity. Various agents have been used in clinical trials showing only modest improvements with respect to gemcitabine-based chemotherapy, which continues to be the standard first-line treatment for this disease. However, owing to the overwhelming molecular alterations that have been reported in pancreatic cancer, there is increasing focus on targeting molecular pathways and networks, rather than individual genes or gene-products with a combination of novel chemotherapeutic agents.

Mapping of the interaction sites between Wee1 kinase and the regulatory beta-subunit of protein kinase CK2.

Somatic Wee1 is a protein kinase that plays a key role in cell cycle progression at the onset of mitosis by phosphorylating CDK1 at the inhibitory Tyr15 amino acid residue. Wee1 is regulated at multiple levels, i.e.