Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 27, 2026

Establishment of Gastric Cancer Patient-derived Xenograft Models and Primary Cell Lines
08:42

Establishment of Gastric Cancer Patient-derived Xenograft Models and Primary Cell Lines

Published on: July 19, 2019

10.7K

Methylxanthine derivatives promote autophagy in gastric cancer cells targeting PTEN

Hanyang Liu1, Jun Song, Yan Zhou

  • 1Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.

Anti-Cancer Drugs
|March 16, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Caffeine and theophylline, methylxanthine derivatives, promote gastric cancer cell death by increasing apoptosis and autophagy. These compounds activate phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN), inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Gastric cancer exhibits suppressed autophagy in tumor tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues.
  • Methylxanthine derivatives like caffeine and theophylline are known to influence apoptosis and autophagy.
  • These compounds reportedly modulate phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN) activity and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of caffeine and theophylline on gastric cancer cell apoptosis and autophagy.
  • To elucidate the role of PTEN in methylxanthine derivative-induced gastric cancer cell death.
  • To evaluate the therapeutic potential of caffeine and theophylline in a gastric cancer model.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the MGC-803 gastric cancer cell line and a nude mouse model.
  • Assessed apoptosis and autophagy in vitro and in vivo.
  • Employed PTEN knockdown via siRNA transfection to examine pathway involvement.
  • Monitored tumor growth in nude mice treated with methylxanthines and PTEN siRNA.

Main Results:

  • Caffeine and theophylline suppressed MGC-803 cell proliferation and migration while inducing autophagy.
  • PTEN knockdown reversed the inhibitory effects of methylxanthines on the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.
  • Tumor growth was significantly larger in mice treated with PTEN siRNA compared to controls when administered methylxanthines.

Conclusions:

  • Methylxanthine derivatives (caffeine and theophylline) induce gastric cancer cell apoptosis and autophagy.
  • These effects are mediated through PTEN activation and subsequent PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway suppression.
  • Caffeine and theophylline show promise as potential anticancer therapeutics for gastric cancer.

More Related Videos

Combined Conditional Knockdown and Adapted Sphere Formation Assay to Study a Stemness-Associated Gene of Patient-derived Gastric Cancer Stem Cells09:24

Combined Conditional Knockdown and Adapted Sphere Formation Assay to Study a Stemness-Associated Gene of Patient-derived Gastric Cancer Stem Cells

Published on: May 9, 2020

4.8K
Author Spotlight: Generation of and Comparison Between Patient-Derived Gastric Organoids from Different Regions of the Stomach08:45

Author Spotlight: Generation of and Comparison Between Patient-Derived Gastric Organoids from Different Regions of the Stomach

Published on: January 26, 2024

2.0K

Related Concept Videos

Antiasthma Drugs: Methylxanthines01:24

Antiasthma Drugs: Methylxanthines

Theophylline, a member of the methylxanthine class of bronchodilators, has long been used in asthma management. While its exact mechanism of action is not fully understood, it is believed to have multiple effects on various cellular processes.
Theophylline is thought to inhibit phosphodiesterase enzymes, increasing intracellular levels of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). This rise in cAMP and cGMP concentrations stimulates cardiac function,...
1.7K
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...
8.9K
Autophagy01:27

Autophagy

Autophagy is a self-digesting process by which a cell protects itself from threats both within and outside the cell, ranging from abnormal proteins to invading bacteria. In this process, obsolete components of the cell and invading microbes are degraded by hydrolytic enzymes active in an acidic environment of the lysosomal lumen.
An autophagic pathway consists of a series of signaling events activated in response to diverse stress and physiological conditions such as food deprivation,...
5.8K
The Eukaryotic Promoter Region02:40

The Eukaryotic Promoter Region

The eukaryotic promoter region is a segment of DNA located upstream of a gene. It contains an RNA polymerase binding site, a transcription start site, and several cis-regulatory sequences.  The proximal promoter region is located in the vicinity of the gene and has cis-regulatory sequences and the core promoter. The core promoter is the binding site for RNA polymerase and is usually located between -35 and +35 nucleotides from the transcription start site. The distal promoter regions are...
18.7K
Gastric Motility01:16

Gastric Motility

Gastric motility is the coordinated contraction and relaxation of stomach muscles that convert ingested food into chyme, a semi-liquid substance ready for further digestion in the intestines. The process begins with the vagus nerve inducing the relaxation of the smooth muscles in the fundus and body of the stomach, allowing these regions to expand and accommodate up to approximately 1.5 liters of food and liquid.
Peristaltic Waves and Chyme Formation
Upon food entry, the stomach initiates...
3.1K
Gastric Emptying01:16

Gastric Emptying

Gastric emptying occurs when the stomach gradually releases chyme into the duodenum. When the stomach is distended, it triggers the release of gastrin, a hormone that promotes gastric acid secretion to aid in digestion. Additionally, stomach distension contributes to peristaltic waves that propel gastric contents toward the pyloric region. The gastroenteric reflex, on the other hand, primarily stimulates peristalsis in the intestines, facilitating the movement of contents further along the...
3.6K