knk-437 and Pancreatic-Neoplasms

Our previous proteomic study demonstrated that expression of heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) is upregulated in gemcitabine (GEM)-resistant pancreatic cancer cells and that it suppressed the cytotoxic effect of GEM on the cells. This report describes the benefits of a treatment strategy combining the HSP inhibitor KNK437 with GEM for GEM-resistant pancreatic cancer cells.. We used 2 human pancreatic cancer cell lines, GEM-sensitive KLM1 and GEM-resistant KLM1-R. KLM1-R was treated with KNK437, and we examined the expression of HSP27 by Western blotting. The cytotoxicity of GEM and KNK437 for KLM1-R was investigated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium assay.. The expression of HSP27 in KLM1-R was dramatically reduced by KNK437. In addition, the in vitro antitumor cytotoxic effect of GEM on KLM1-R was enhanced by combination treatment with KNK437 compared to GEM alone.. This study supports the potential therapeutic benefits of a treatment strategy combining KNK437 with GEM.

Topics: Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; Benzhydryl Compounds; Deoxycytidine; Down-Regulation; Gemcitabine; HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins; Humans; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Pyrrolidinones; Tumor Cells, Cultured