Cellular differentiation conditions the expression of NDRG1

Cellular differentiation is a physiological process that is altered in cancer. N-myc downregulated gene 1 (NDRG1) is a protein which is described as playing a role in cellular differentiation and in suppressing tumor growth. NDRG1 is also known as being induced by cellular stress, including hypoxia. This study provides evidence that NDRG1 is a marker of differentiation. Evidence has been established in two models of cellular differentiation, the well-characterized myelomonocytic cell line U937 and a poorly differentiated cell line, Panc-1, derived from a pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Interestingly, trichostatin A, an epigenetic agent and a histone deacetylase inhibitor, restored the differentiation status of Panc-1 cells and their responsiveness to hypoxia. Furthermore, changes in the transcriptional expression of some genes reported here suggested that the restoration of cellular differentiation may modify the expression profile of other hypoxia-regulated genes toward an improved clinical prognosis. Some drugs of this class have been tested in clinical trials. The book should be especially useful to professionals and students in Cellular and Biomedical Sciences fields.