Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Enhancement of Apoptotic and Autophagic Induction by a Novel Synthetic C-1 Analogue of 7-deoxypancratistatin in Human Breast Adenocarcinoma and Neuroblastoma Cells with Tamoxifen
19:44

Enhancement of Apoptotic and Autophagic Induction by a Novel Synthetic C-1 Analogue of 7-deoxypancratistatin in Human Breast Adenocarcinoma and Neuroblastoma Cells with Tamoxifen

Published on: May 30, 2012

TRAIL and triptolide: an effective combination that induces apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells

Daniel Borja-Cacho1, Yumi Yokoyama, Rohit K Chugh

  • 1Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.

Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery : Official Journal of the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract
|December 17, 2009
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Triptolide enhances anti-death receptor therapy by overcoming resistance in pancreatic cancer. Combined treatment with triptolide and tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) effectively induces cancer cell death.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Pancreatic cancer exhibits resistance to apoptosis, a key mechanism targeted by emerging anti-death receptor therapies.
  • Triptolide has demonstrated potential in reducing apoptosis resistance in pancreatic cancer cells.
  • Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a critical component of anti-death receptor therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the efficacy of combining triptolide with TRAIL in overcoming pancreatic cancer's resistance to apoptosis.
  • To evaluate the impact of this combination therapy on various apoptosis-related parameters.

Main Methods:

  • Four pancreatic cancer cell lines were treated with triptolide, TRAIL, or a combination of both.
  • Assessed were cell viability, apoptosis induction, caspase-3 and caspase-9 activation, and poly(ADP)-ribose polymerase cleavage.

Main Results:

  • Pancreatic cancer cells showed resistance to TRAIL monotherapy.
  • Combined triptolide and TRAIL therapy significantly reduced cell viability across all tested cell lines.
  • The combination treatment markedly increased apoptotic cell death, evidenced by enhanced caspase-3 and caspase-9 activities.

Conclusions:

  • Pancreatic cancer's inherent resistance to anti-death receptor therapy can be overcome.
  • Combined therapy using triptolide and TRAIL represents a promising strategy for inducing apoptotic cell death in pancreatic cancer.

More Related Videos

Therapeutic Gene Delivery and Transfection in Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells using Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-targeted Gelatin Nanoparticles08:35

Therapeutic Gene Delivery and Transfection in Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells using Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-targeted Gelatin Nanoparticles

Published on: January 4, 2012

Establishment of Zebrafish Patient-Derived Xenografts from Pancreatic Cancer for Chemosensitivity Testing06:59

Establishment of Zebrafish Patient-Derived Xenografts from Pancreatic Cancer for Chemosensitivity Testing

Published on: May 12, 2023

Related Concept Videos

Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine02:50

Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine

Combining two or more treatment methods increases the life span of cancer patients while reducing damage to vital organs or tissue from the overuse of a single treatment. Combination therapy also targets different cancer-inducing pathways, thus reducing the chances of developing resistance to treatment.
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
Drugs that Stabilize Microtubules01:15

Drugs that Stabilize Microtubules

Microtubules are dynamic structures that undergo cycles of catastrophe and rescue. The microtubules play a central role in cell division by forming the spindle apparatus for segregating the chromosomes. This makes them ideal targets for regulating dividing cells in tumors and malignant cancer cells. Microtubule stabilizing drugs help stabilize the microtubule formation and promote its polymerization. Paclitaxel was the first microtubule stabilizing agent used as anticancer drug in chemotherapy...
Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway01:31

The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

Internal cellular stress, such as cellular injury or hypoxia, triggers intrinsic apoptosis. The B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family of proteins are the primary regulators of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. For example, during DNA damage, checkpoint proteins, such as Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM protein) and Checkpoints Factor-2 (Chk2) proteins, are activated. These proteins phosphorylate p53 which further activates pro-apoptotic proteins, such as Bax, Bak, PUMA, and Noxa, and inhibits...