2-Methoxyestradiol induziert p53 unabhängige Apoptosis beim Pankreaskarzinom und reduziert das Wachstum von Lungenmetastasen.

2-methoxyestradiol (2-ME) is able to inhibit growth of certain tumors. We were interested in studying this effect of 2-ME on pancreatic cancer. In three out of four cell lines, 2-ME induced 50-90% growth inhibition after 48 hours treatment with 2 microM 2-ME. TUNEL staining for apoptosis revealed that after treatment with 2 microM 2-ME for 48 hours 37-97% of these cells underwent apoptotic cell death (p < 0.005-0.0001). Since all cell lines used harbor a p53 mutation, this apoptosis appears to be p53 independent. One of these cell lines (MIAPaCa-2) was used for the in vivo experiment in nude mice. After a daily oral administration of 1 mg 2-ME for three weeks, the number of lung metastases could be reduced by 59%, as compared to the control non treated group (p < 0.0005). No signs of toxicity were seen. It appears that 2-ME is a potent compound for the treatment of pancreatic cancer, which might be interesting for clinical application.