The efficacy of hyperthermia-based multimodal therapy is dependent on gatekeeper protein, BID

Objectives The combination of ferroptotic agent artesunate (ART) and apoptotic agent rhTRAIL (recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand) has been shown to synergistically enhance apoptosis in various cancer cell lines via crosstalk between the endoplasmic reticulum (E...

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Main Authors: Sarah Helmueller, Xinxin Song, Dong-Hyun Kim, Yong J. Lee
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-12-01
Series:International Journal of Hyperthermia
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Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/02656736.2025.2544017
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author Sarah Helmueller
Xinxin Song
Dong-Hyun Kim
Yong J. Lee
author_facet Sarah Helmueller
Xinxin Song
Dong-Hyun Kim
Yong J. Lee
author_sort Sarah Helmueller
collection DOAJ
description Objectives The combination of ferroptotic agent artesunate (ART) and apoptotic agent rhTRAIL (recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand) has been shown to synergistically enhance apoptosis in various cancer cell lines via crosstalk between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response, the rhTRAIL-induced extrinsic cell death receptor pathway, and the intrinsic BID-Bax-mitochondrial-dependent-apoptosis pathway. This synergistic interaction has been demonstrated to be effective in multiple types of cancer cell lines, making artesunate combined with rhTRAIL a promising second-line therapy for colon cancer patients after cytoreductive surgery and chemotherapeutic treatments. To further enhance the second-line therapy’s tumoricidal effect, a multimodal therapy was developed by combining artesunate, rhTRAIL, and hyperthermic conditions where samples were treated at 42 °C for 1 h.Methods The effects of this therapy were tested in human colon carcinoma HCT116 and pancreatic adenocarcinoma BxPC-3 cell models. The cytotoxic and synergistic effects were analyzed using fluorescence microscopy, cell survival assays, and protein analysis through Western blotting.Results Our findings demonstrated a significant enhancement of apoptosis when artesunate and rhTRAIL treatments were combined with heat exposure. The synergistic and apoptotic effect of the agents was effectively abrogated in BID-deficient and BID mutant-type cells as well as Bax-deficient cells, but not Bak-deficient cells.Conclusions The results suggest that BID acts as a key gatekeeper molecule of apoptosis during hyperthermia-based multimodal treatment. These findings raise important questions about the underlying mechanisms of heat-induced apoptosis and its involvement in orchestrating various cellular stress pathways.
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spelling doaj-art-e27f0bbdf5a94132a6b65528431eb0592025-08-20T03:36:54ZengTaylor & Francis GroupInternational Journal of Hyperthermia0265-67361464-51572025-12-0142110.1080/02656736.2025.2544017The efficacy of hyperthermia-based multimodal therapy is dependent on gatekeeper protein, BIDSarah Helmueller0Xinxin Song1Dong-Hyun Kim2Yong J. Lee3Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USADepartment of Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USADepartment of Radiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USADepartment of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USAObjectives The combination of ferroptotic agent artesunate (ART) and apoptotic agent rhTRAIL (recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand) has been shown to synergistically enhance apoptosis in various cancer cell lines via crosstalk between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response, the rhTRAIL-induced extrinsic cell death receptor pathway, and the intrinsic BID-Bax-mitochondrial-dependent-apoptosis pathway. This synergistic interaction has been demonstrated to be effective in multiple types of cancer cell lines, making artesunate combined with rhTRAIL a promising second-line therapy for colon cancer patients after cytoreductive surgery and chemotherapeutic treatments. To further enhance the second-line therapy’s tumoricidal effect, a multimodal therapy was developed by combining artesunate, rhTRAIL, and hyperthermic conditions where samples were treated at 42 °C for 1 h.Methods The effects of this therapy were tested in human colon carcinoma HCT116 and pancreatic adenocarcinoma BxPC-3 cell models. The cytotoxic and synergistic effects were analyzed using fluorescence microscopy, cell survival assays, and protein analysis through Western blotting.Results Our findings demonstrated a significant enhancement of apoptosis when artesunate and rhTRAIL treatments were combined with heat exposure. The synergistic and apoptotic effect of the agents was effectively abrogated in BID-deficient and BID mutant-type cells as well as Bax-deficient cells, but not Bak-deficient cells.Conclusions The results suggest that BID acts as a key gatekeeper molecule of apoptosis during hyperthermia-based multimodal treatment. These findings raise important questions about the underlying mechanisms of heat-induced apoptosis and its involvement in orchestrating various cellular stress pathways.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/02656736.2025.2544017FerroptosisapoptosiscrosstalkBIDbakbax
spellingShingle Sarah Helmueller
Xinxin Song
Dong-Hyun Kim
Yong J. Lee
The efficacy of hyperthermia-based multimodal therapy is dependent on gatekeeper protein, BID
International Journal of Hyperthermia
Ferroptosis
apoptosis
crosstalk
BID
bak
bax
title The efficacy of hyperthermia-based multimodal therapy is dependent on gatekeeper protein, BID
title_full The efficacy of hyperthermia-based multimodal therapy is dependent on gatekeeper protein, BID
title_fullStr The efficacy of hyperthermia-based multimodal therapy is dependent on gatekeeper protein, BID
title_full_unstemmed The efficacy of hyperthermia-based multimodal therapy is dependent on gatekeeper protein, BID
title_short The efficacy of hyperthermia-based multimodal therapy is dependent on gatekeeper protein, BID
title_sort efficacy of hyperthermia based multimodal therapy is dependent on gatekeeper protein bid
topic Ferroptosis
apoptosis
crosstalk
BID
bak
bax
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/02656736.2025.2544017
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