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Cancer research

Allopurinol Exerts Cytotoxicity on Human Prostate Cancer Cells in Combination with TRAIL

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Researchers from Kyoto, Japan, have discovered that allopurinol, a commonly used medication for treating gout, possesses anticancer properties when combined with tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). The study, published in Molecular Cancer Research, found that allopurinol induced apoptosis in human hormone-refractory prostate cancer cells in combination with TRAIL, which is a promising candidate for an anticancer agent but has limited efficacy due to the existence of resistant cancer cells. The researchers also identified the underlying mechanism by which allopurinol overcomes the resistance of prostate cancer cells to TRAIL, involving the up-regulation of the proapoptotic TRAIL receptor, death receptor 5 (DR5).

Key Takeaways:

  • Allopurinol, a medication for treating gout, has anticancer properties when combined with TRAIL.
  • The combination of allopurinol and TRAIL induced apoptosis in human hormone-refractory prostate cancer cells.
  • The study found that allopurinol up-regulated the expression of the proapoptotic TRAIL receptor, death receptor 5 (DR5).
  • Allopurinol increased DR5 protein, mRNA, and promoter activity, suggesting a direct role in the enhancement of TRAIL effect.
  • The mechanism of allopurinol-mediated DR5 up-regulation involves the induction of CHOP expression.
  • Xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibition, a known activity of allopurinol, also up-regulated DR5 and CHOP expression and sensitized prostate cancer cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis.

Statistics:

  • 1852-60: Page numbers of the published study in Molecular Cancer Research.
  • 2008: Year the study was published.
  • 6(12): Volume and issue number of the published study.

Sources:

  • T. Yasuda et al., "Anti-gout agent allopurinol exerts cytotoxicity to human hormone-refractory prostate cancer cells in combination with tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand.," Molecular Cancer Research, vol. 6, no. 12, pp. 1852-60, 2008.
  • Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Department of Molecular-Targeting Cancer Prevention, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan.
  • American Association Cancer Research, 615 Chestnut St., 17TH Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106-4404, USA.

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