Answer questions for the abstract

Background: The utility of microbial secondary metabolites for the treatment of human cancers has emerged as alternative sources of new drugs for the treatment of this disease. To this end we have investigated the antitumor properties of violacein, a purple pigment produced by Chromobacterium violaceum in lung, breast cancer and glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive type of malignant primary brain tumor. Violacein was purified from a C. violaceum strain (14N23) isolated from environmental samples collected in the Tennessee Copper Basin. Method: Purification and analysis of violacein, Dose response experiments, Time course analysis, Cell migration assay and Western blot were performed. Results: Clinically applicable concentrations of violacein were demonstrated to inhibit the proliferative capacity of solid tumor cell lines, as a consequence of promoting apoptotic cell death as indicated by PARP cleavage and p44/42 MAPK signaling. Collectively, this provides mechanistic evidence that violacein elicits Extracellular-signal Regulated Kinase (ERK) induced apoptosis via the intrinsic pathway. The antimalignant properties of violacein in this study were further demonstrated by its inhibitory effects on brain tumor cell migration, specifically glioblastomas one of the most invasive and therapeutically resistant neoplasms to treat clinically. Additionally, solid tumors studied here displayed differential cellular responses and sensitivities to violacein as observed with morphologically induced cellular changes that contributed to its antimigratory properties. Conclusion: In conclusion violacein is a novel natural product with the potential to kill tumor cells in several types of human cancers, as well as prevent disease recurrence by antagonizing cellular process that contribute to metastatic invasion.

From the Abstract Answer the following questions .

1. What unknown question is the scientist/author addressing or attempting to answer and or understand?

2. From reading the abstract, what do you propose the hypothesis to be?

3. What model was used?

4. Give at least one outcome or result of the study.

5. Name one experimental tool that was used to achieve the above outcome.

6. What is the importance of the study?

7. Does this study provide any broader impact for mankind? Why or why not?

8. What protein(s) or cell type is (are) the target(s) of this study? What other protein or cell type might be used to address the problem?