Anti-Cancer Mechanisms of Taurine in Human Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cells.

Taurine displays anti-tumor activity in some kinds of human cancers. However, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Epstein-Barr virus-related nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a distinctive type of head and neck cancer in Southeast Asia with the highest incidence in South China. We examined an apoptosis-inducing effect of taurine against NPC cells (HK1 and HK1-EBV) to clarify the mechanisms of anti-tumor effects of taurine by immunocytochemical methods. We observed that taurine induced cleavage of caspase-9/3 in a concentration-dependent manner, suggesting the involvement of mitochondrial apoptotic signals. Both PTEN and p53 activation were detected in a dose-dependent manner after taurine treatment in NPC cells. In conclusion, taurine may play an anti-tumor role by activating tumor suppressor PTEN and p53.