MicroRNA profiles during galectin‑9‑induced apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells

• Published in: Oncology Letters Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 407 - 414
• Main Authors: Okura, Ryoichi, Fujihara, Shintaro, Iwama, Hisakazu, Morishita, Asahiro, Chiyo, Taiga, Watanabe, Miwako, Hirose, Kayo, Kobayashi, Kiyoyuki, Fujimori, Takayuki, Kato, Kiyohito, Kamada, Hideki, Kobara, Hideki, Mori, Hirohito, Niki, Toshiro, Hirashima, Mitsuomi, Okano, Keiichi, Suzuki, Yasuyuki, Masaki, Tsutomu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Greece Spandidos Publications 01.01.2018; Spandidos Publications UK Ltd; D.A. Spandidos
• Subjects: Apoptosis; Biotechnology; Breast cancer; Care and treatment; Cell cycle; Dendritic cells; Development and progression; Gene expression; Genetic aspects; Health aspects; Immunoglobulins; Kinases; Lectins; Liver cancer; Lymphocytes; Medical prognosis; Metastasis; MicroRNA; MicroRNAs; Oncology; Pancreatic cancer; Patients; Proteins; Studies; United States > US; Japan; microRNAs; pancreatic cancer; caspase-cleaved keratin 18; cell cycle; galectin-9; apoptosis; cytochrome c
• ISSN: 1792-1074; 1792-1082
• DOI: 10.3892/ol.2017.7316

Pancreatic cancer is the eighth-leading cause of cancer-associated mortality in males and the ninth-leading cause in females worldwide. Even when diagnosed early enough to be potentially resectable, the prognosis of invasive pancreatic cancer is poor. Galectin-9 (Gal-9) is a tandem-repeat type galectin that has recently been demonstrated to possess an anti-proliferative effect on cancer cells. Therefore, the present study evaluated the effects of Gal-9 on the proliferation of human pancreatic cancer cells and examined the microRNAs that are associated with the antitumor effects of Gal-9. Gal-9 suppressed the proliferation of multiple pancreatic cancer cell lines. In addition, Gal-9 treatment increased the levels of caspase-cleaved keratin 18 and the expression of cytochrome c in pancreatic cancer cell lines. This data suggests that Gal-9 induces intrinsic apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cell lines through the caspase-dependent and caspase-independent pathways. In addition, Gal-9 reduced the expression levels of phosphorylated epidermal growth factor receptor and numerous receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). In conclusion, Gal-9 may suppress the growth of human pancreatic cancer cells . These findings suggest that Gal-9 may be a new therapeutic agent for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.