Glioblastomas display angiogenesis reduction upon telomerase inhibition - RNAi

Glioblastomas display angiogenesis reduction upon telomerase inhibition
May. 29, 2006
Clinical Oncology Week
Therapeutics Daily
Glioblastomas (GBMs) display angiogenesis reduction upon telomerase inhibition.
"Telomerase is highly expressed in advanced stages of most cancers where it allows the clonal expansion of transformed cells by counteracting telomere erosion. Telomerase may also contribute to tumor progression through still undefined cell growth-promoting functions," scientists in Italy report.
"Here," wrote R. Pallini and colleagues, Catholic University of Rome, "we inhibited telomerase activity in two human GBM cell lines, TB10 and U87MG, by targeting the catalytic subunit, hTERT, via stable RNA interference (RNAi)."
"Although the reduction in telomerase activity had no effect on GBM cell growth in vitro, the development of tumors in subcutaneously and intracranially grafted nude mice was significantly inhibited by antitelomerase RNAi. The in vivo effect was observed within a relatively small number of population doublings, suggesting that telomerase inhibition may-hinder cancer cell growth in vivo prior to a substantial shortening of telomere length."
"Tumor xenografts that arose from telomerase-inhibited GBM cells also showed a less-malignant phenotype due both to the absence of massive necrosis and to reduced angiogenesis," scientists indicated.
Pallini and colleagues published their study in International Journal of Cancer (Telomerase inhibition by stable RNA interference impairs tumor growth and angiogenesis in glioblastoma xenografts. Int J Cancer, 2006;118(9):2158-2167).
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