技术资料

Multiple myeloma is a highly radiosensitive skeletal malignancy,but bone-seeking radionuclides have not yet found their place in disease management. We previously reported that the proteasome inhibitor PS-341 selectively sensitizes myeloma cells to the lethal effects of ionizing radiation. To extend these observations to an in vivo model,we combined PS-341 with the bone-seeking radionuclide 153-Sm-EDTMP. In vitro clonogenic assays demonstrated synergistic killing of myeloma cells exposed to both PS-341 and 153-Sm-EDTMP. Using the orthotopic,syngeneic 5TGM1 myeloma model,the median survivals of mice treated with saline,2 doses of PS-341 (0.5 mg/kg),or a single nonmyeloablative dose of 153-Sm-EDTMP (22.5 MBq) were 21,22,and 28 days,respectively. In contrast,mice treated with combination therapy comprising 2 doses of PS-341 (0.5 mg/kg),1 day prior to and 1 day following 153-Sm-EDTMP (22.5 MBq) showed a significantly prolonged median survival of 49 days (P textless .001). In addition to prolonged survival,this treatment combination yielded reduced clonogenicity of bone marrow-resident 5TGM1 cells,reduced serum myeloma-associated paraprotein levels,and better preservation of bone mineral density. Myelosuppression,determined by peripheral blood cell counts and clonogenicity assays of hematopoietic progenitors,did not differ between animals treated with 153-Sm-EDTMP alone versus those treated with the combination of PS-341 plus 153-Sm-EDTMP. PS-341 is a potent,selective in vivo radiosensitizer that may substantially affect the efficacy of skeletal-targeted radiotherapy in multiple myeloma. View Publication

We have shown that a COOH-terminal peptide of p53 (amino acids 361-382,p53p),linked to the truncated homeobox domain of Antennapedia (Ant) as a carrier for transduction,induced rapid apoptosis in human premalignant and malignant cell lines. Here,we report that human and rat glioma lines containing endogenous mutant p53 or wild-type (WT) p53 were induced into apoptosis by exposure to this peptide called p53p-Ant. The peptide was comparatively nontoxic to proliferating nonmalignant human and rat glial cell lines containing WT p53 and proliferating normal human peripheral marrow blood stem cells. Degree of sensitivity to the peptide correlated directly with the level of endogenous p53 expression and mutant p53 conformation. Apoptosis induction by p53p-Ant was quantitated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay and Annexin V staining in human glioma cells in vitro and in a syngeneic orthotopic 9L glioma rat model using convection-enhanced delivery in vivo. The mechanism of cell death by this peptide was solely through the Fas extrinsic apoptotic pathway. p53p-Ant induced a 3-fold increase in extracellular membrane Fas expression in glioma cells but no significant increase in nonmalignant glial cells. These data suggest that p53 function for inducing Fas-mediated apoptosis in gliomas,which express sufficient quantities of endogenous mutant or WT p53,may be restored or activated,respectively,by a cell-permeable peptide derived from the p53 COOH-terminal regulatory domain (p53p-Ant). p53p-Ant may serve as a prototypic model for the development of new anticancer agents with unique selectivity for glioma cancer cells and it can be successfully delivered in vivo into a brain tumor by a convection-enhanced delivery system,which circumvents the blood-brain barrier. View Publication

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare inherited genomic instability syndrome representing one of the best examples of hematopoietic stem cell deficiency. Although FA might be an excellent candidate for bone marrow (BM) genetic correction ex vivo,knockout animal models are not sufficient to guide preclinical steps,and gene therapy attempts have proven disappointing so far. Contributing to these poor results is a characteristic and dramatic early BM-cells die-off when placed in culture. We show here that human primary FA BM cell survival can be ameliorated by using specific culture conditions that limit oxidative stress. When coupled with retrovirus-mediated transfer of the main complementation group FANCA-cDNA,we could achieve long-term reconstitution of the stem cell compartment both in vitro and in vivo. Gene-corrected BM cultures grew for textgreater120 days,and after cultured cell transplantation into NOD/SCID mice,clonogenic human cells carrying the FANCA transgene could be detected 6 months after transduction. By comparison,untransduced cells died in culture by 15 days. Of necessity for ethical reasons,experiments were conducted on a very limited number of primary BM cells. By using low cytokine regimen and conditions matching regulatory requirements,a contingent of gene-corrected cells slowly emerges with an unmet potential for in vivo engraftment. Future therapeutic applications of stem cells might be expanding from these data. In addition,we provide a model of gene-corrected human primary cell growth that carries the potential to better delineate the combined role of both DNA damage and oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of FA. View Publication

Kinase domain (KD) mutations of Bcr-Abl interfering with imatinib binding are the major mechanism of acquired imatinib resistance in patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive leukemia. Mutations of the ATP binding loop (p-loop) have been associated with a poor prognosis. We compared the transformation potency of five common KD mutants in various biological assays. Relative to unmutated (native) Bcr-Abl,the ATP binding loop mutants Y253F and E255K exhibited increased transformation potency,M351T and H396P were less potent,and the performance of T315I was assay dependent. The transformation potency of Y253F and M351T correlated with intrinsic Bcr-Abl kinase activity,whereas the kinase activity of E255K,H396P,and T315I did not correlate with transforming capabilities,suggesting that additional factors influence transformation potency. Analysis of the phosphotyrosine proteome by mass spectroscopy showed differential phosphorylation among the mutants,a finding consistent with altered substrate specificity and pathway activation. Mutations in the KD of Bcr-Abl influence kinase activity and signaling in a complex fashion,leading to gain- or loss-of-function variants. The drug resistance and transformation potency of mutants may determine the outcome of patients on therapy with Abl kinase inhibitors. View Publication

The complex hematopoietic effects of placental growth factor (PlGF) prompted us to test in mice and nonhuman primates the mobilization of peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPCs) elicited by recombinant mouse PlGF-2 (rmPlGF-2) and recombinant human PlGF-1 (rhPlGF-1). PBPC mobilization was evaluated by assaying colony-forming cells (CFCs),high-proliferative potential-CFCs (HPP-CFCs),and long-term culture-initiating cells (LTC-ICs). In mice,both rmPlGF-2 and rhPlGF-1 used as single agents failed to mobilize PBPCs,whereas the combination of rhPlGF-1 and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) increased CFCs and LTC-ICs per milliliter of blood by four- and eightfold,respectively,as compared with rhG-CSF alone. rhPlGF-1 plus rhG-CSF significantly increased matrix metalloproteinase-9 plasma levels over rhG-CSF alone,suggesting a mechanistic explanation for rhPlGF-1/rhG-CSF synergism. In rhesus monkeys,rhPlGF-1 alone had no mobilization effect,whereas rhPlGF-1 (260 microg/kg per day) plus rhG-CSF (100 microg/kg per day) increased rhG-CSF-elicited mobilization of CFCs,HPP-CFCs,and LTC-ICs per milliliter of blood by 5-,7-,and 15-fold,respectively. No specific toxicity was associated with the administration of rhPlGF-1 alone or in combination. In conclusion,our data demonstrate that rhPlGF-1 significantly increases rhG-CSF-elicited hematopoietic mobilization and provide a preclinical rationale for evaluating rhPlGF-1 in the clinical setting. View Publication

Reduced microcirculation and diminished expression of growth factors contribute to wound healing impairment in diabetes. Placenta growth factor (PlGF),an angiogenic mediator promoting pathophysiological neovascularization,is expressed during cutaneous wound healing and improves wound closure by enhancing angiogenesis. By using streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice,we here demonstrate that PlGF induction is strongly reduced in diabetic wounds. Diabetic transgenic mice overexpressing PlGF in the skin displayed accelerated wound closure compared with diabetic wild-type littermates. Moreover,diabetic wound treatment with an adenovirus vector expressing the human PlGF gene (AdCMV.PlGF) significantly accelerated the healing process compared with wounds treated with a control vector. The analysis of treated wounds showed that PlGF gene transfer improved granulation tissue formation,maturation,and vascularization,as well as monocytes/macrophages local recruitment. Platelet-derived growth factor,fibroblast growth factor-2,and vascular endothelial growth factor mRNA levels were increased in AdCMV.PlGF-treated wounds,possibly enhancing PlGF-mediated effects. Finally,PlGF treatment stimulated cultured dermal fibroblast migration,pointing to a direct role of PlGF in accelerating granulation tissue maturation. In conclusion,our data indicate that reduced PlGF expression contributes to impaired wound healing in diabetes and that PlGF gene transfer to diabetic wounds exerts therapeutic activity by promoting different aspects of the repair process. View Publication

We previously identified a rearrangement of mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) gene (also known as ALL-1,HRX,and HTRX1),consisting of an in-frame partial tandem duplication (PTD) of exons 5 through 11 in the absence of a partner gene,occurring in approximately 4%-7% of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and normal cytogenetics,and associated with a poor prognosis. The mechanism by which the MLL PTD contributes to aberrant hematopoiesis and/or leukemia is unknown. To examine this,we generated a mouse knockin model in which exons 5 through 11 of the murine Mll gene were targeted to intron 4 of the endogenous Mll locus. Mll(PTD/WT) mice exhibit an alteration in the boundaries of normal homeobox (Hox) gene expression during embryogenesis,resulting in axial skeletal defects and increased numbers of hematopoietic progenitor cells. Mll(PTD/WT) mice overexpress Hoxa7,Hoxa9,and Hoxa10 in spleen,BM,and blood. An increase in histone H3/H4 acetylation and histone H3 lysine 4 (Lys4) methylation within the Hoxa7 and Hoxa9 promoters provides an epigenetic mechanism by which this overexpression occurs in vivo and an etiologic role for MLL PTD gain of function in the genesis of AML. View Publication

Definitive mesoderm arises from a bipotent mesendodermal population,and to study processes controlling its development at this stage,embryonic stem (ES) cells can be employed. SHB (Src homology 2 protein in beta-cells) is an adapter protein previously found to be involved in ES cell differentiation to mesoderm. To further study the role of SHB in this context,we have established ES cell lines deficient for one (SHB+/-) or both SHB alleles (SHB-/-). Differentiating embryoid bodies (EBs) derived from these ES cell lines were used for gene expression analysis. Alternatively,EBs were stained for the blood vessel marker CD31. For hematopoietic differentiation,EBs were differentiated in methylcellulose. SHB-/- EBs exhibited delayed down-regulation of the early mesodermal marker Brachyury. Later mesodermal markers relatively specific for the hematopoietic,vascular,and cardiac lineages were expressed at lower levels on day 6 or 8 of differentiation in EBs lacking SHB. The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 and fibroblast growth factor receptor-1 was also reduced in SHB-/- EBs. SHB-/- EBs demonstrated impaired blood vessel formation after vascular endothelial growth factor stimulation. In addition,the SHB-/- ES cells formed fewer blood cell colonies than SHB+/+ ES cells. It is concluded that SHB is required for appropriate hematopoietic and vascular differentiation and that delayed down-regulation of Brachyury expression may play a role in this context. View Publication

The Notch1-RBP-Jkappa and the transcription factor Runx1 pathways have been independently shown to be indispensable for the establishment of definitive hematopoiesis. Importantly,expression of Runx1 is down-regulated in the para-aortic splanchnopleural (P-Sp) region of Notch1- and Rbpsuh-null mice. Here we demonstrate that Notch1 up-regulates Runx1 expression and that the defective hematopoietic potential of Notch1-null P-Sp cells is successfully rescued in the OP9 culture system by retroviral transfer of Runx1. We also show that Hes1,a known effector of Notch signaling,potentiates Runx1-mediated transactivation. Together with the recent findings in zebrafish,Runx1 is postulated to be a cardinal down-stream mediator of Notch signaling in hematopoietic development throughout vertebrates. Our findings also suggest that Notch signaling may modulate both expression and transcriptional activity of Runx1. View Publication

This study was designed to investigate one component of the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway that has been implicated in stem cell self-renewal. Retroviral-mediated introduction of stable beta-catenin to primitive murine bone marrow cells allowed the expansion of multipotential c-Kit(low)Sca-1(low/-)CD19(-) CD11b/Mac-1(-)Flk-2(-)CD43(+)AA4.1(+)NK1.1(-)CD3(-)CD11c(-)Gr-1(-)CD45R/B220(+) cells in the presence of stromal cells and cytokines. They generated myeloid,T,and B lineage lymphoid cells in culture,but had no T lymphopoietic potential when transplanted. Stem cell factor and IL-6 were found to be minimal requirements for long-term,stromal-free propagation,and a beta-catenin-transduced cell line was maintained for 5 mo with these defined conditions. Although multipotential and responsive to many normal stimuli in culture,it was unable to engraft several types of irradiated recipients. These findings support previous studies that have implicated the canonical Wnt pathway signaling in regulation of multipotent progenitors. In addition,we demonstrate how it may be experimentally manipulated to generate valuable cell lines. View Publication

The t(16:16) and inv(16) are associated with FAB M4Eo myeloid leukemias and result in fusion of the CBFB gene to the MYH11 gene (encoding smooth muscle myosin heavy chain [SMMHC]). Knockout of CBFbeta causes embryonic lethality due to lack of definitive hematopoiesis. Although knock-in of CBFB-MYH11 is not sufficient to cause disease,expression increases the incidence of leukemia when combined with cooperating events. Although mouse models are valuable tools in the study of leukemogenesis,little is known about the contribution of CBFbeta-SMMHC to human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell self-renewal. We introduced the CBFbeta-MYH11 cDNA into human CD34+ cells via retroviral transduction. Transduced cells displayed an initial repression of progenitor activity but eventually dominated the culture,resulting in the proliferation of clonal populations for up to 7 months. Long-term cultures displayed a myelomonocytic morphology while retaining multilineage progenitor activity and engraftment in NOD/SCID-B2M-/- mice. Progenitor cells from long-term cultures showed altered expression of genes defining inv(16) identified in microarray studies of human patient samples. This system will be useful in examining the effects of CBFbeta-SMMHC on gene expression in the human preleukemic cell,in characterizing the effect of this oncogene on human stem cell biology,and in defining its contribution to the development of leukemia. View Publication

There is potential interest for combining allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT),and particularly allogeneic HCT with a nonmyeloablative regimen,to the tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib (Glivec; Novartis,Basel,Switzerland,http://www.novartis.com) in order to maximize anti-leukemic activity against Philadelphia chromosome-positive leukemias. However,because imatinib inhibits c-kit,the stem cell factor receptor,it could interfere with bone marrow engraftment. In this study,we examined the impact of imatinib on normal progenitor cell function. Imatinib decreased the colony-forming capacity of mobilized peripheral blood human CD133(+) cells but not that of long-term culture-initiating cells. Imatinib also decreased the proliferation of cytokine-stimulated CD133(+) cells but did not induce apoptosis of these cells. Expression of very late antigen (VLA)-4,VLA-5,and CXCR4 of CD133(+) cells was not modified by imatinib,but imatinib decreased the ability of CD133(+) cells to migrate. Finally,imatinib did not decrease engraftment of CD133(+) cells into irradiated nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient/beta2m(null) mice conditioned with 3 or 1 Gy total body irradiation. In summary,our results suggest that,despite inhibition of hematopoietic progenitor cell growth in vitro,imatinib does not interfere with hematopoietic stem cell engraftment. View Publication