Open AccessA novel hedgehog inhibitor iG2 suppresses tumorigenesis by impairing self‐renewal in human bladder cancer
Author(s) -
Zhu Lihong,
Ni Chen,
Dong Baijun,
Zhang Yong,
Shi Yuefeng,
Niu Haitao,
Li Chong
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
cancer medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.403
H-Index - 53
ISSN - 2045-7634
DOI - 10.1002/cam4.802
Subject(s) - bladder cancer , cancer research , hedgehog , cancer , hedgehog signaling pathway , carcinogenesis , apoptosis , cancer cell , cancer stem cell , medicine , stroma , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , signal transduction , immunohistochemistry , biochemistry
Tumor recurrence is still a major challenge for clinical treatment of bladder cancer. Cumulative evidences indicate cancer stem cells ( CSC s) contribute to drug resistance and leave a putative source for disease relapse. Identifying novel agents targeting CSC s may represent a new paradigm in the therapy of bladder cancer. Here, we separated a novel hedgehog (Hh) inhibitor, iG 2, from s treptomyces roseofulvus , which dramatically blocked the activation of Gli2 in bladder cancer cells. The iG 2 strongly repressed the growth of cancer cells rather than the peri‐tumor stroma cells. Attenuated proliferation and enhanced apoptosis of tumor cells were observed upon iG 2 stimulation. Furthermore, iG 2 reduced the self‐renewal ability of bladder CSC s as well as the tumor formation. Collectively, iG 2 is potentially used as a novel therapeutic agent for bladder cancer by targeting self‐renewal through inhibiting Hh pathway.