Relationship between ganglioside expression and anti-cancer effects of the monoclonal antibody against epithelial cell adhesion molecule in colon cancer

Exp Mol Med. 2011 Dec 31;43(12):693-701. doi: 10.3858/emm.2011.43.12.080.

Abstract

The human colorectal carcinoma-associated GA733 antigen epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) was initially described as a cell surface protein selectively expressed in some myeloid cancers. Gangliosides are sialic acid-containing glycosphingolipids involved in inflammation and oncogenesis. We have demonstrated that treatment with anti-EpCAM mAb and RAW264.7 cells significant inhibited the cell growth in SW620 cancer cells, but neither anti-EpCAM mAb nor RAW264.7 cells alone induced cytotoxicity. The relationship between ganglioside expression and the anti- cancer effects of anti-EpCAM mAb and RAW264.7 was investigated by high-performance thin-layer chromatography. The results demonstrated that expression of GM1 and GD1a significantly increased in the ability of anti-EpCAM to inhibit cell growth in SW620 cells. Anti-EpCAM mAb treatment increased the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins such as Bcl-2, but the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins Bax, TNF-α, caspase-3, cleaved caspase-3, and cleaved caspase-8 were unaltered. We observed that anti-EpCAM mAb significantly inhibited the growth of colon tumors, as determined by a decrease in tumor volume and weight. The expression of anti-apoptotic protein was inhibited by treatment with anti-EpCAM mAb, whereas the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins was increased. These results suggest that GD1a and GM1 were closely related to anticancer effects of anti-EpCAM mAb. In light of these results, further clinical investigation should be conducted on anti-EpCAM mAb to determine its possible chemopreventive and/or therapeutic efficacy against human colon cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / immunology*
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / therapeutic use*
  • Antigens, Neoplasm / immunology*
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules / immunology*
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Colon / drug effects
  • Colon / immunology
  • Colon / metabolism
  • Colon / pathology
  • Colonic Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Colonic Neoplasms / genetics
  • Colonic Neoplasms / immunology*
  • Colonic Neoplasms / pathology
  • Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule
  • Gangliosides / genetics
  • Gangliosides / immunology*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antigens, Neoplasm
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules
  • Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule
  • Gangliosides