Baird AM, Leonard J, Naicker KM, Kilmartin L, O'Byrne KJ, Gray SG
BACKGROUND: IL-23 is a member of the IL-6 super-family and plays key roles in cancer. Very little is currently known about the role of IL-23 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: RT-PCR and chromatin immunopreciptiation (ChIP) were used to examine the levels, epigenetic regulation and effects of various drugs (DNA methyltransferase inhibitors, Histone Deacetylase inhibitors and Gemcitabine) on IL-23 expression in NSCLC cells and macrophages. The effects of recombinant IL-23 protein on cellular proliferation were examined by MTT assay. Statistical analysis consisted of Student's t-test or one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) where groups in the experiment were three or more. RESULTS: In a cohort of primary non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumours, IL-23A expression was significantly elevated in patient tumour samples (p<0.05). IL-23A expression is epigenetically regulated through histone post-translational modifications and DNA CpG methylation. Gemcitabine, a chemotherapy drug indicated for first-line treatment of NSCLC also induced IL-23A expression. Recombinant IL-23 significantly increased cellular proliferation in NSCLC cell lines. CONCLUSIONS: These results may therefore have important implications for treating NSCLC patients with either epigenetic targeted therapies or Gemcitabine.
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