Tamoxifen is a candidate first-in-class inhibitor of acid ceramidase that reduces amitotic division in polyploid giant cancer cells-Unrecognized players in tumorigenesis
Abstract
Polyploid giant cancer cells (PGCC) represent a poorly understood, small subpopulation of tumor cells that are increasingly being recognized for their critical role in therapy resistance, metastasis, and cancer recurrence. PGCC have the potential to generate progeny through primitive or cleavage-like division, which allows them to evade antimitotic insults. We recently demonstrated that the sphingolipid enzyme acid ceramidase (ASAH1) is required for this process. Since specific ASAH1 inhibitors are not clinically available, we investigated whether tamoxifen, which interferes with ASAH1 function via off-target effects, has a potential clinical benefit independent of estrogen signaling. Our results show that tamoxifen inhibits generation of PGCC offspring in prostate cancer, glioblastoma, and melanoma cells. Analysis of two state-level cancer registries revealed that tamoxifen improves survival outcomes for second, nonbreast cancers that develop in women with early stage breast cancer. Our results suggest that tamoxifen may have a clinical benefit in a variety of cancers that is independent of estrogen signaling and could be due to its inhibition of acid ceramidase. Thus the distinct application of tamoxifen as potentially a firs...Continue Reading
References
Citations
Irradiation-induced polyploid giant cancer cells are involved in tumor cell repopulation via neosis.
Software Mentioned
Related Concepts
Related Feeds
Cancer Stem Cells in Glioblastoma
Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive type of brain tumor. It contains a population of tumor initiating stem cell-like cells known as cancer stem cells. Investigations are ongoing into these cancer stem cells found in these solid tumors which are highly resistance to treatment. Here is the latest research on cancer stem cells in glioblastoma.