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Supplementary Figure 1 from Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Is a Potent Endogenous Mutagen that Promotes Cellular Transformation

Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is an important inflammation cytokine without known direct effect on DNA. In this study, we found that TNF-α can cause DNA damages through reactive oxygen species. The mutagenic effect of TNF-α is comparable with that of ionizing radiation. TNF-α treatment in cultured cells resulted in increased gene mutations, gene amplification, micronuclei formation, and chromosomal instability. Antioxidants significantly reduced TNF-α–induced genetic damage. TNF-α also induced oxidative stress and nucleotide damages in mouse tissues in vivo. Moreover, TNF-α treatment alone led to increased malignant transformation of mouse embryo fibroblasts, which could be partially suppressed by antioxidants. As TNF-α is involved in chronic inflammatory diseases, such as chronic hepatitis, ulcerative colitis, and chronic skin ulcers, and these diseases predispose the patients to cancer development, our results suggest a novel pathway through which TNF-α promotes cancer development through induction of gene mutations, in addition to the previously reported mechanisms, in which nuclear factor-κB activation was implicated. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(24): 11565-70)

Supplementary Materials and Figure Legend from Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Is a Potent Endogenous Mutagen that Promotes Cellular Transformation

Cyclophilin A (CypA) was recently reported to be overexpressed in non–small-cell lung cancer, and represents a potentially novel therapeutic target. To determine the role of CypA in oncogenesis, stable RNA interference (RNAi)–mediated knockdown of CypA was established in two non–small-cell lung cancer cell lines (ADLC-5M2 and LC-103H), and these cells were grown as xenografts in severe combined immunodeficient mice. Tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis, and angiogenesis were measured by Ki67, terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase–mediated dUTP nick-end labeling, and CD31 immunohistochemistry, respectively. Tumor glucose metabolism was assessed by fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography imaging. Knockdown of CypA correlated in vivo with slower growth, less fluorodeoxyglucose uptake, decreased proliferation, and a greater degree of apoptosis in the tumors. These results establish the relevance of CypA to tumor growth in vivo, specifically to proliferation and apoptosis. Elucidation of the precise role of CypA in these pathways may lead to new targeted therapies for lung cancer.

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) is an important transcriptional factor that is activated when mammalian cells experience hypoxia, a tumor microenvironmental condition that plays pivotal roles in tumor progression and treatment. In this study, we examined the idea of down-regulating HIF-1α in tumor cells for therapeutic gain. We show that the expression levels of HIF-1α can be significantly attenuated by use of the recently established small interfering RNA technology in combination with adenovirus-mediated gene transfer. Down-regulation of the HIF-1α protein enhanced hypoxia-mediated tumor cell apoptosis in vitro. Subcutaneous tumor growth was also prevented from cells with attenuated HIF-1α expression. In addition, intratumoral injection of adenovirus encoding the HIF-1α-targeted small interfering RNA had a small but significant effect on tumor growth when combined with ionizing radiation. Therefore, our results provide proof of HIF-1α as an effective target for anticancer therapy. They also suggest that an adenovirus-based small interfering RNA gene transfer approach may be a potentially effective adjuvant strategy for cancer treatment.