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Current Cancer Drug Targets

Editor-in-Chief

ISSN (Print): 1568-0096
ISSN (Online): 1873-5576

Research Article

Blocking IL-6/GP130 Signaling Inhibits Cell Viability/Proliferation, Glycolysis, and Colony Forming Activity in Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells

Author(s): Xiang Chen, Jilai Tian, Gloria H. Su and Jiayuh Lin*

Volume 19, Issue 5, 2019

Page: [417 - 427] Pages: 11

DOI: 10.2174/1568009618666180430123939

Price: $65

Abstract

Background: Elevated production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) and dysfunction of IL-6 signaling promotes tumorigenesis and are associated with poor survival outcomes in multiple cancer types. Recent studies showed that the IL-6/GP130/STAT3 signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in pancreatic cancer development and maintenance.

Objective: We aim to develop effective treatments through inhibition of IL-6/GP130 signaling in pancreatic cancer.

Methods: The effects on cell viability and cell proliferation were measured by MTT and BrdU assays, respectively. The effects on glycolysis was determined by cell-based assays to measure lactate levels. Protein expression changes were evaluated by western blotting and immunoprecipitation. siRNA transfection was used to knock down estrogen receptor α gene expression. Colony forming ability was determined by colony forming cell assay.

Results: We demonstrated that IL-6 can induce pancreatic cancer cell viability/proliferation and glycolysis. We also showed that a repurposing FDA-approved drug bazedoxifene could inhibit the IL-6/IL-6R/GP130 complexes. Bazedoxifene also inhibited JAK1 binding to IL-6/IL-6R/GP130 complexes and STAT3 phosphorylation. In addition, bazedoxifene impeded IL-6 mediated cell viability/ proliferation and glycolysis in pancreatic cancer cells. Consistently, other IL-6/GP130 inhibitors SC144 and evista showed similar inhibition of IL-6 stimulated cell viability, cell proliferation and glycolysis. Furthermore, all three IL-6/GP130 inhibitors reduced the colony forming ability in pancreatic cancer cells.

Conclusion: Our findings demonstrated that IL-6 stimulates pancreatic cancer cell proliferation, survival and glycolysis, and supported persistent IL-6 signaling is a viable therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer using IL-6/GP130 inhibitors.

Keywords: IL-6/GP130 signaling, bazedoxifene, pancreatic cancer, cell viability, cell proliferation, glycolysis, colony forming.

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