Taxol can induce phosphorylation of BCL-2 in multiple myeloma cells and potentiate dexamethasone-induced apoptosis
1Department of Medicine, VA West Los Angeles Hospital and UCLA Comprehensive Cancer Center, CA 90073, USA.
Abstract:
We investigated the in vitro effects of paclitaxel (taxol) on multiple myeloma (MM) cells. A dose- and time-dependent induction of BCL-2 phosphorylation and apoptosis was detected in MM cell lines and two fresh clinical samples obtained from patients. A p170-overexpressing MM line and a line that did not express BCL-2 were resistant. Since phosphorylation of BCL-2 inactivates its anti-apoptotic function and could theoretically sensitize MM cells to other agents, we tested combinations of taxol and dexamethasone. Only concentrations of taxol that phosphorylated BCL-2 interacted with dexamethasone for enhanced apoptotic death. Geldanamycin, which prevented taxol-induced BCL-2 phosphorylation, also prevented the potentiated cytotoxicity.
Related Concept Videos
Drugs that Stabilize Microtubules
Abnormal Proliferation
Targeted Cancer Therapies
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway
Drugs that Destabilize Microtubules
Pharmacogenetics of Drug Targets: β₂-Adrenergic Receptors, Apo E, Thymidylate Synthase


