Vimentin is a novel anti-cancer therapeutic target; insights from in vitro and in vivo mice xenograft studies.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Vimentin is a ubiquitous mesenchymal intermediate filament supporting mechano-structural integrity of quiescent cells while participating in adhesion, migration, survival, and cell signaling processes via dynamic assembly/disassembly in activated cells. Soft tissue sarcomas and some epithelial cancers exhibiting "epithelial to mesenchymal transition" phenotypes express vimentin. Withaferin-A, a naturally derived bioactive compound, may molecularly target vimentin, so we sought to evaluate its effects on tumor growth in vitro and in vivo thereby elucidating the role of vimentin in drug-induced responses.

Methods and findings

Withaferin-A elicited marked apoptosis and vimentin cleavage in vimentin-expressing tumor cells but significantly less in normal mesenchymal c

SUBMITTER: Lahat G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2855704 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature