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Expression of basic fibroblast growth factor is associated with resistance to cisplatin in a human bladder cancer

H Miyake1, I Hara, K Gohji

  • 1Department of Urology, Kobe University School of Medicine, Japan.

Cancer Letters
|March 7, 1998
PubMed

Insights

Basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) enhances bladder cancer drug resistance. FGF-2 gene expression increases resistance to cisplatin and suppresses apoptosis, suggesting a key role in treatment failure.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Bladder cancer remains a significant health concern with challenges in treatment efficacy.
  • Drug resistance, particularly to platinum-based chemotherapeutics like cisplatin, is a major obstacle in managing bladder cancer.
  • The role of specific growth factors, such as basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2), in mediating this resistance is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the functional role of basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) in the development of cisplatin resistance in human bladder cancer cells.
  • To determine if FGF-2 expression influences the response of bladder cancer to cisplatin treatment both in vitro and in vivo.

Main Methods:

  • Transfection of the FGF-2 gene into HT1376, an FGF-2-negative human bladder cancer cell line.
  • In vitro assessment of cisplatin resistance and cell proliferation in transfected and control cell lines.
  • In vivo studies involving subcutaneous implantation of cell lines into nude mice, followed by cisplatin treatment and tumor growth evaluation.
  • Analysis of DNA degradation as an indicator of apoptosis following cisplatin exposure.

Main Results:

  • FGF-2-transfected bladder cancer cells demonstrated a three- to four-fold increase in resistance to cisplatin in vitro compared to controls.
  • Tumors derived from FGF-2 transfectants were approximately twice as large as control tumors when treated with cisplatin in vivo.
  • No significant differences in cell proliferation or tumor growth were observed between FGF-2 transfectants and controls in the absence of cisplatin.
  • Cisplatin-induced DNA degradation was significantly suppressed in FGF-2-expressing cells, indicating reduced apoptosis.

Conclusions:

  • Expression of the FGF-2 gene significantly contributes to the acquisition of cisplatin resistance in bladder cancer.
  • FGF-2 likely confers resistance by protecting bladder cancer cells against cisplatin-induced apoptosis.
  • Targeting FGF-2 signaling may represent a potential therapeutic strategy to overcome cisplatin resistance in bladder cancer.

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