Activated PPAR Targets Surface and Intracellular Signals That Inhibit the Proliferation of Lung Carcinoma Cells
Figure 1
Anticancer actions of PPARγ ligands. In addition to genetic abnormalities, lung
carcinoma cells receive mitogenic and antiapoptotic signals that promote their progression and
metastasis through the activation of key intracellular pathways (e.g., COX-2,
Akt, and mTOR). Lung carcinoma cells
recognize these signals via diverse receptors for growth factors (e.g., EGFR),
prostanoids (e.g., EP2 and EP4), and extracellular matrices (e.g., integrins),
among others. In addition, angiogenic
factors assist in the vascularization of tumors, while inflammatory signals
further promote tumor progression. PPARγ
ligands inhibit tumor growth in animal models, but the mechanisms responsible
for these effects appear to be multidimensional. In vitro studies reveal that PPARγ
ligands affect tumors by inhibiting the expression of key prostanoid and integrin receptors, by
reducing the expression of fibronectin, a matrix glycoprotein that stimulates
tumor cell proliferation, and by inhibiting the production of angiogenic and
inflammatory signals. In addition, PPARγ
ligands increase the expression and/or activity of tumor suppressors like PTEN
and p21. Although many of these
anticancer effects are mediated through PPARγ, others appear to be independent of this
nuclear transcription factor (e.g., via targeting TSC2, AMPK, and ROS
production and ERK activation, and interacting with CRE, AP-1).