Multidrug resistance characterization in multicellular tumour spheroids from two human lung cancer cell lines.

Background: Most of the knowledge about the mechanisms of multidrug resistance in lung cancer has been achieved through the use of cell lines isolated from tumours cultivated either in suspensions of isolated cells or in monolayers and following exposition to different cytostatic agents. However, tumour cell lines growing as multicellular tumour spheroids (MTS) frequently develop multicellular resistance in a drug-independent form. The aim of this study was to characterize the phenotypic and functional differences between two human NSCLC cell lines (INER-37 and INER-51) grown as traditional monolayer cultures versus as MTS.

Lung cancer in women.

Recent biological advances in tumor research provide clear evidence that lung cancer in females is different from that in males. These differences appear to have a direct impact on the clinical presentation, histology, and outcomes of lung cancer. Women are more likely to present with lung adenocarcinoma, tend to receive a diagnosis at an earlier age, and are more likely to be diagnosed with localized disease.

Activation-induced cell death of memory CD8+ T cells from pleural effusion of lung cancer patients is mediated by the type II Fas-induced apoptotic pathway.

Lung cancer is the second most common form of cancer and the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Pleural effusions, containing high numbers of mononuclear and tumor cells, are frequent in patients with advanced stages of lung cancer. We reported that in pleural effusions from primary lung cancer, the CD8+ T cell subpopulation, and particularly the terminally differentiated subset, is reduced compared to that of non-malignant effusions.

Lung carcinomas do not induce T-cell apoptosis via the Fas/Fas ligand pathway but down-regulate CD3 epsilon expression.

Background: Non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) patients have impaired cellular immune responses. It has been hypothesized that tumor cells expressing Fas Ligand (FasL) induce in T lymphocytes: (a) apoptosis (tumor counterattack) and (b) down-regulation of CD3zeta expression. However, the hypothesis of tumor counterattack is still controversial.

Apoptosis and cell cycle disturbances induced by coumarin and 7-hydroxycoumarin on human lung carcinoma cell lines.

Coumarin and 7-hydroxycoumarin have anti-tumour actions in vitro and in vivo. There are no previous reports on the cytostatic and apoptotic actions of coumarin and 7-hydroxycoumarin in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cell lines. Here we report on: (1) the inhibition of cell proliferation, (2) the phase in which cell cycle arrest occurs, and (3) the induction of apoptosis.