Brian Lifschutz
Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine, USA
Title: The role of IL-38 in the growth of bladder cancer: Evidence as a cancer growth inhibitor
Biography
Biography: Brian Lifschutz
Abstract
Background: Bladder cancer (BC) is the second leading cancer of the genitourinary system. About 81,190 new cases of bladder cancer are projected to occur in the United States in 2018. Interleukin-38 (IL-38) is a newly found cytokine belonging to the IL-1 family of cytokines and nothing is known about its role in the pathogenesis of neoplasia. This study was designed to investigate the direct role of IL-38 on the growth of BC.
Methods: Clonogenic survival assay, cell proliferation, and caspase-3 activity kits were used to evaluate the direct effects of IL-38 on cell survival, proliferation, and apoptosis of the widely studied bladder cancer cell line T24. We further investigated possible molecular mechanisms using RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry.
Results: The percentage of colonies of T24 BC cells decreased significantly in the presence of IL-38. This was paralleled by the decrease in the OD value of cancer cells in the presence of IL-38. Furthermore, the relative caspase-3 activity in cancer cells increased significantly in the presence of IL-38. The anti-tumor effect of IL-38 on T24 BC cells correlated with decreased pro-proliferative molecule CDK4. The pro-apoptotic effect of IL-38 correlated with decreased anti-apoptotic molecules Bcl-2 and survivin.
Conclusions: IL-38 might be a growth inhibitor of BC through the inhibition of proliferation and promotion of apoptosis via the modulation of CDK4, Bcl-2, and survivin. Such a study might be helpful to develop immunotherapy for BC.