Up-regulation of endogenous PML induced by a combination of interferon-beta and temozolomide enhances p73/YAP-mediated apoptosis in glioblastoma

Interferon-beta (IFN-β) is reported to augment anti-tumor effects by temozolomide in glioblastoma via down-regulation of MGMT. Promyelocytic leukemia (PML), a gene induced by IFN-β, is a tumor suppressor. Here, we report for the first time that in combination therapy, an IFN-β-induced increase in endogenous PML contributes to anti-tumor effects in p53 wild- and mutant glioma cells in a xenograft mice model. The increased PML promoted the accumulation of p73, a structural and functional homolog of p53, to fuse the coactivator Yes-associated-protein in the PML nuclear bodies. The adjuvant therapy targeted at PML may be a promising therapeutic strategy for glioblastoma.