Lung Cancer Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Lung Cancer, including details on symptoms, smoking, genetics, treatment, causes.

Identification of polymorphisms in the Caspase-3 gene and their association with lung cancer risk.

Jang JS, Kim KM, Choi JE, Cha SI, Kim CH, Lee WK, Kam S, Jung TH, Park JY

Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea.

Caspase-3 (CASP-3) is a primary effector CASP that executes programmed cell death, and it plays an important role in the development and progression of cancer. Polymorphisms in the CASP-3 gene may influence CASP-3 production and/or activity, thereby modulating the susceptibility to lung cancer. To test this hypothesis, we first screened for polymorphisms in the CASP-3 gene by direct sequencing of genomic DNA samples from 27 healthy Koreans, and then evaluated their associations with lung cancer in a case-control study that consisted of 582 lung cancer patients and 582 healthy controls. Individuals with at least one variant allele of the -928A > G, 77G > A, and 17532A > C polymorphisms were at a significantly decreased risk for lung cancer in comparison to the carriers with each homozygous wild-type allele [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.62-1.00, P = 0.05; adjusted OR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.61-0.99, P = 0.04; and adjusted OR = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.58-0.95, P = 0.02, respectively]. Consistent with the results of genotyping analysis, the GAGC haplotype carrying the variant allele at all of the -928A > G, 77G > A, and 17532A > C loci was associated with a significantly decreased risk of lung cancer compared to the AGGA haplotype carrying no variant alleles at the three loci (adjusted OR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.51-0.86, P = 0.002 and Bonferroni corrected P = 0.008). These results suggest that the CASP-3 polymorphisms and their haplotypes contribute to the genetic susceptibility to lung cancer.

Published 10 April 2008 in Mol Carcinog, 47(5): 383-90.
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Articles on Lung Cancer published 10 April 2008:

DLC-1 suppresses non-small cell lung cancer growth and invasion by RhoGAP-dependent and independent mechanisms.   Mol Carcinog, 47(5): 326-37.

Expression of the tumor suppressor deleted in liver cancer-1 (DLC-1) is lost in non-small cell lung (NSCLC) and other human carcinomas, and ectopic DLC-1 expression dramatically reduces proliferation and tumorigenicity. DLC-1 is a multi-domain protein that includes a Rho GTPase activating protein (RhoGAP) domain which has been hypothesized to be the basis of its tumor suppressive actions. To address the importance of the RhoGAP function of DLC-1 in tumor suppression, we performed biochemical ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Lung Cancer published 9 April 2008:

Randomized phase III trial comparing bexarotene (L1069-49)/cisplatin/vinorelbine with cisplatin/vinorelbine in chemotherapy-naive patients with advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer: SPIRIT I.   J Clin Oncol, 26(11): 1886-92.

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Phase III trial comparing carboplatin, paclitaxel, and bexarotene with carboplatin and paclitaxel in chemotherapy-naive patients with advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer: SPIRIT II.   J Clin Oncol, 26(11): 1879-85.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether addition of the synthetic rexinoid bexarotene (Targretin; Eisai Inc, Woodcliff Lake, NJ) to standard first-line carboplatin and paclitaxel therapy provides additional survival benefit in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with stage IIIB disease with pleural effusion, or stage IV NSCLC and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0 to 1, were randomly assigned to ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

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Articles on Lung Cancer published 8 April 2008:

TGFbeta primes breast tumors for lung metastasis seeding through angiopoietin-like 4.   Cell, 133(1): 66-77.

Cells released from primary tumors seed metastases to specific organs by a nonrandom process, implying the involvement of biologically selective mechanisms. Based on clinical, functional, and molecular evidence, we show that the cytokine TGFbeta in the breast tumor microenvironment primes cancer cells for metastasis to the lungs. Central to this process is the induction of angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4) by TGFbeta via the Smad signaling pathway. TGFbeta induction of Angptl4 in cancer cells that ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

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Articles on Lung Cancer published 3 April 2008:

Lung cancer and regular use of aspirin and nonaspirin nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.   Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf, 17(4): 322-7.

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