text: Pirfenidone inhibits TGF-beta expression in malignant glioma cells.
  Due to its immunosuppressive properties, the cytokine transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta has become a promising target in the experimental treatment of human malignant gliomas. Here, we report that the antifibrotic drug 5-methyl-1-phenyl-2-(1H)-pyridone (pirfenidone, PFD) elicits growth-inhibitory effects and reduces TGF-beta2 protein levels in human glioma cell lines. This reduction in TGF-beta2 is biologically relevant since PFD treatment reduces the growth inhibition of TGF-beta-sensitive CCL-64 cells mediated by conditioned media of glioma cells. The downregulation of TGF-beta is mediated at multiple levels. PFD leads to a reduction of TGF-beta2 mRNA levels and of the mature TGF-beta2 protein due to decreased expression and direct inhibition of the TGF-beta pro-protein convertase furin. In addition, PFD reduces the protein levels of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-11, a TGF-beta target gene and furin substrate involved in carcinogenesis. These data define PFD or PFD-related agents as promising agents for human cancers associated with enhanced TGF-beta activity.
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entities.type: GENE-Y GENE-Y GENE-Y GENE-N GENE-Y GENE-Y GENE-Y GENE-Y GENE-Y GENE-Y CHEMICAL GENE-N GENE-Y GENE-Y GENE-Y GENE-Y GENE-Y CHEMICAL CHEMICAL CHEMICAL CHEMICAL CHEMICAL CHEMICAL CHEMICAL CHEMICAL
entities.text: TGF-beta TGF-beta2 TGF-beta2 cytokine TGF-beta transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta TGF-beta TGF-beta2 TGF-beta2 TGF-beta 5-methyl-1-phenyl-2-(1H)-pyridone pro-protein convertase furin matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-11 TGF-beta furin TGF-beta pirfenidone PFD PFD PFD PFD PFD PFD Pirfenidone