技术资料

PURPOSE: Genz-644282 [8,9-dimethoxy-5-(2-N-methylaminoethyl)-2,3-methylenedioxy-5H-dibenzo[c,h][1,6]naphthyridin-6-one] has emerged as a promising candidate for antitumor agents. This report describes the bone marrow colony-forming unit,granulocyte macrophage (CFU-GM) and tumor cell CFU activity of topoisomerase I (Top1) inhibitors,such as Genz-644282,topotecan,irinotecan/SN-38,and ARC-111,and examines their activity in several human tumor xenograft models. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Colony-forming assays were conducted with mouse and human bone marrow and eight human tumor cell lines. In addition,29 human tumor cell lines representing a range of histology and potential resistance mechanisms were assayed for sensitivity to Genz-644282 in a 72-hour exposure assay. The efficacy of Genz-644282 was compared with standard anticancer drugs (i.e.,irinotecan,docetaxel,and dacarbazine) in human tumor xenografts of colon cancer,renal cell carcinoma,non-small cell lung cancer,and melanoma. RESULTS: Human bone marrow CFU-GM was more sensitive to the Top1 inhibitors than was mouse bone marrow CFU-GM. The ratio of mouse to human IC(90) values was more than 10 for the camptothecins and less than 10 for Genz-644282,which had more potency as a cytotoxic agent toward human tumor cells in culture than the camptothecins in the colony-forming and 72-hour proliferation assays. Genz-644282 has superior or equal antitumor activity in the human tumor xenografts than the standard drug comparators. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of preclinical activity and safety,Genz-644282 was selected for development and is currently undergoing phase 1 clinical trial. View Publication

Imatinib mesylate has shown remarkable efficacy in the treatment of patients in the chronic phase of chronic myeloid leukemia. However,despite an overall significant hematological and cytogenetic response,imatinib therapy may favor the emergence of drug-resistant clones,ultimately leading to relapse. Some imatinib resistance mechanisms had not been fully elucidated yet. In this study we used sensitive and resistant sublines from a Bcr-Abl positive cell line to investigate the putative involvement of telomerase in the promotion of imatinib resistance. We showed that sensitivity to imatinib can be partly restored in imatinib-resistant cells by targeting telomerase expression,either by the introduction of a dominant-negative form of the catalytic protein subunit of the telomerase (hTERT) or by the treatment with all-trans-retinoic acid,a clinically used drug. Furthermore,we showed that hTERT overexpression favors the development of imatinib resistance through both its antiapoptotic and telomere maintenance functions. Therefore,combining antitelomerase strategies to imatinib treatment at the beginning of the treatment should be promoted to reduce the risk of imatinib resistance development and increase the probability of eradicating the disease. View Publication

Even though myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis,the molecular alterations that lead to marrow failure have not been well elucidated. We have previously shown that the myelosuppressive TGF-β pathway is constitutively activated in MDS progenitors. Because there is conflicting data about upregulation of extracellular TGF-β levels in MDS,we wanted to determine the molecular basis of TGF-β pathway overactivation and consequent hematopoietic suppression in this disease. We observed that SMAD7,a negative regulator of TGF-β receptor I (TBRI) kinase,is markedly decreased in a large meta-analysis of gene expression studies from MDS marrow-derived CD34(+) cells. SMAD7 protein was also found to be significantly decreased in MDS marrow progenitors when examined immunohistochemically in a bone marrow tissue microarray. Reduced expression of SMAD7 in hematopoietic cells led to increased TGF-β-mediated gene transcription and enhanced sensitivity to TGF-β-mediated suppressive effects. The increased TGF-β signaling due to SMAD7 reduction could be effectively inhibited by a novel clinically relevant TBRI (ALK5 kinase) inhibitor,LY-2157299. LY-2157299 could inhibit TGF-β-mediated SMAD2 activation and hematopoietic suppression in primary hematopoietic stem cells. Furthermore,in vivo administration of LY-2157299 ameliorated anemia in a TGF-β overexpressing transgenic mouse model of bone marrow failure. Most importantly,treatment with LY-2157199 stimulated hematopoiesis from primary MDS bone marrow specimens. These studies demonstrate that reduction in SMAD7 is a novel molecular alteration in MDS that leads to ineffective hematopoiesis by activating of TGF-β signaling in hematopoietic cells. These studies also illustrate the therapeutic potential of TBRI inhibitors in MDS. View Publication

Osteoblasts play a crucial role in the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) niche; however,an overall increase in their number does not necessarily promote hematopoiesis. Because the activity of osteoblasts and osteoclasts is coordinately regulated,we hypothesized that active bone-resorbing osteoclasts would participate in HSC niche maintenance. Mice treated with bisphosphonates exhibited a decrease in proportion and absolute number of Lin(-)cKit(+)Sca1(+) Flk2(-) (LKS Flk2(-)) and long-term culture-initiating cells in bone marrow (BM). In competitive transplantation assays,the engraftment of treated BM cells was inferior to that of controls,confirming a decrease in HSC numbers. Accordingly,bisphosphonates abolished the HSC increment produced by parathyroid hormone. In contrast,the number of colony-forming-unit cells in BM was increased. Because a larger fraction of LKS in the BM of treated mice was found in the S/M phase of the cell cycle,osteoclast impairment makes a proportion of HSCs enter the cell cycle and differentiate. To prove that HSC impairment was a consequence of niche manipulation,a group of mice was treated with bisphosphonates and then subjected to BM transplantation from untreated donors. Treated recipient mice experienced a delayed hematopoietic recovery compared with untreated controls. Our findings demonstrate that osteoclast function is fundamental in the HSC niche. View Publication

SPARC is an extracellular matrix protein that exerts pleiotropic effects on extracellular matrix organization,growth factor availability,cell adhesion,differentiation,and immunity in cancer. Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) cells resistant to the BCR-ABL inhibitor imatinib (IM-R cells) were found to overexpress SPARC mRNA. In this study,we show that imatinib triggers SPARC accumulation in a variety of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)-resistant CML cell lines. SPARC silencing in IM-R cells restored imatinib sensitivity,whereas enforced SPARC expression in imatinib-sensitive cells promoted viability as well as protection against imatinib-mediated apoptosis. Notably,we found that the protective effect of SPARC required intracellular retention inside cells. Accordingly,SPARC was not secreted into the culture medium of IM-R cells. Increased SPARC expression was intimately linked to persistent activation of the Fyn/ERK kinase signaling axis. Pharmacologic inhibition of this pathway or siRNA-mediated knockdown of Fyn kinase resensitized IM-R cells to imatinib. In support of our findings,increased levels of SPARC mRNA were documented in blood cells from CML patients after 1 year of imatinib therapy compared with initial diagnosis. Taken together,our results highlight an important role for the Fyn/ERK signaling pathway in imatinib-resistant cells that is driven by accumulation of intracellular SPARC. View Publication

We have previously shown that the plant-derived compound parthenolide (PTL) can impair the survival and leukemogenic activity of primary human acute myeloid leukemia (AML) stem cells. However,despite the activity of this agent,PTL also induces cellular protective responses that likely function to reduce its overall cytotoxicity. Thus,we sought to identify pharmacologic agents that enhance the antileukemic potential of PTL. Toward this goal,we used the gene expression signature of PTL to identify compounds that inhibit cytoprotective responses by performing chemical genomic screening of the Connectivity Map database. This screen identified compounds acting along the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and mammalian target of rapamycin pathways. Compared with single agent treatment,exposure of AML cells to the combination of PTL and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors significantly decreased viability of AML cells and reduced tumor burden in vitro and in murine xenotransplantation models. Taken together,our data show that rational drug combinations can be identified using chemical genomic screening strategies and that inhibition of cytoprotective functions can enhance the eradication of primary human AML cells. View Publication

Because primary myelofibrosis (PMF) originates at the level of the pluripotent hematopoietic stem cell (HSC),we examined the effects of various therapeutic agents on the in vitro and in vivo behavior of PMF CD34(+) cells. Treatment of PMF CD34(+) cells with chromatin-modifying agents (CMAs) but not hydroxyurea,Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) inhibitors,or low doses of interferon-α led to the generation of greater numbers of CD34(+) chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor (CXCR)4(+) cells,which were capable of migrating in response to chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand (CXCL)12 and resulted in a reduction in the proportion of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) that were JAK2V617F(+). Furthermore,sequential treatment of PMF CD34(+) cells but not normal CD34(+) cells with decitabine (5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine [5azaD]),followed by suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA; 5azaD/SAHA),or trichostatin A (5azaD/TSA) resulted in a higher degree of apoptosis. Two to 6 months after the transplantation of CMAs treated JAK2V617F(+) PMF CD34(+) cells into nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient (SCID)/IL-2Rγ(null) mice,the percentage of JAK2V617F/JAK2(total) in human CD45(+) marrow cells was dramatically reduced. These findings suggest that both PMF HPCs,short-term and long-term SCID repopulating cells (SRCs),are JAK2V617F(+) and that JAK2V617F(+) HPCs and SRCs can be eliminated by sequential treatment with CMAs. Sequential treatment with CMAs,therefore,represents a possible effective means of treating PMF at the level of the malignant SRC. View Publication

Progressive bone marrow failure is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in human Fanconi Anemia patients. In an effort to develop a Fanconi Anemia murine model to study bone marrow failure,we found that Fancd2(-/-) mice have readily measurable hematopoietic defects. Fancd2 deficiency was associated with a significant decline in the size of the c-Kit(+)Sca-1(+)Lineage(-) (KSL) pool and reduced stem cell repopulation and spleen colony-forming capacity. Fancd2(-/-) KSL cells showed an abnormal cell cycle status and loss of quiescence. In addition,the supportive function of the marrow microenvironment was compromised in Fancd2(-/-) mice. Treatment with Sirt1-mimetic and the antioxidant drug,resveratrol,maintained Fancd2(-/-) KSL cells in quiescence,improved the marrow microenvironment,partially corrected the abnormal cell cycle status,and significantly improved the spleen colony-forming capacity of Fancd2(-/-) bone marrow cells. We conclude that Fancd2(-/-) mice have readily quantifiable hematopoietic defects,and that this model is well suited for pharmacologic screening studies. View Publication

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is genetically characterized by the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome,formed through a reciprocal translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22 and giving rise to the constitutively active tyrosine kinase P210 BCR/ABL1. Therapeutic strategies aiming for a cure of CML will require full eradication of Ph chromosome-positive (Ph(+)) CML stem cells. Here we used gene-expression profiling to identify IL-1 receptor accessory protein (IL1RAP) as up-regulated in CML CD34(+) cells and also in cord blood CD34(+) cells as a consequence of retroviral BCR/ABL1 expression. To test whether IL1RAP expression distinguishes normal (Ph(-)) and leukemic (Ph(+)) cells within the CML CD34(+)CD38(-) cell compartment,we established a unique protocol for conducting FISH on small numbers of sorted cells. By using this method,we sorted cells directly into drops on slides to investigate their Ph-chromosome status. Interestingly,we found that the CML CD34(+)CD38(-)IL1RAP(+) cells were Ph(+),whereas CML CD34(+)CD38(-)IL1RAP(-) cells were almost exclusively Ph(-). By performing long-term culture-initiating cell assays on the two cell populations,we found that Ph(+) and Ph(-) candidate CML stem cells could be prospectively separated. In addition,by generating an anti-IL1RAP antibody,we provide proof of concept that IL1RAP can be used as a target on CML CD34(+)CD38(-) cells to induce antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity. This study thus identifies IL1RAP as a unique cell surface biomarker distinguishing Ph(+) from Ph(-) candidate CML stem cells and opens up a previously unexplored avenue for therapy of CML. View Publication

Here we report the discovery of ON044580,an α-benzoyl styryl benzyl sulfide that possesses potent inhibitory activity against two unrelated kinases,JAK2 and BCR-ABL,and exhibits cytotoxicity to human tumor cells derived from chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and myelodysplasia (MDS) patients or cells harboring a mutant JAK2 kinase. This novel spectrum of activity is explained by the non-ATP-competitive inhibition of JAK2 and BCR-ABL kinases. ON044580 inhibits mutant JAK2 kinase and the proliferation of JAK2(V617F)-positive leukemic cells and blocks the IL-3-mediated phosphorylation of JAK2 and STAT5. Interestingly,this compound also directly inhibits the kinase activity of both wild-type and imatinib-resistant (T315I) forms of the BCR-ABL kinase. Finally,ON044580 effectively induces apoptosis of imatinib-resistant CML patient cells. The apparently unrelated JAK2 and BCR-ABL kinases share a common substrate,STAT5,and such substrate competitive inhibitors represent an alternative therapeutic strategy for development of new inhibitors. The novel mechanism of kinase inhibition exhibited by ON044580 renders it effective against mutant forms of kinases such as the BCR-ABL(T315I) and JAK2(V617F). Importantly,ON044580 selectively reduces the number of aneuploid cells in primary bone marrow samples from monosomy 7 MDS patients,suggesting another regulatory cascade amenable to this agent in these aberrant cells. Data presented suggest that this compound could have multiple therapeutic applications including monosomy 7 MDS,imatinib-resistant CML,and myeloproliferative neoplasms that develop resistance to ATP-competitive agents. View Publication

The importance of cancer metabolism has been appreciated for many years,but the intricacies of how metabolic pathways interconnect with oncogenic signaling are not fully understood. With a clear understanding of how metabolism contributes to tumorigenesis,we will be better able to integrate the targeting of these fundamental biochemical pathways into patient care. The mevalonate (MVA) pathway,paced by its rate-limiting enzyme,hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR),is required for the generation of several fundamental end-products including cholesterol and isoprenoids. Despite years of extensive research from the perspective of cardiovascular disease,the contribution of a dysregulated MVA pathway to human cancer remains largely unexplored. We address this issue directly by showing that dysregulation of the MVA pathway,achieved by ectopic expression of either full-length HMGCR or its novel splice variant,promotes transformation. Ectopic HMGCR accentuates growth of transformed and nontransformed cells under anchorage-independent conditions or as xenografts in immunocompromised mice and,importantly,cooperates with RAS to drive the transformation of primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts cells. We further explore whether the MVA pathway may play a role in the etiology of human cancers and show that high mRNA levels of HMGCR and additional MVA pathway genes correlate with poor prognosis in a meta-analysis of six microarray datasets of primary breast cancer. Taken together,our results suggest that HMGCR is a candidate metabolic oncogene and provide a molecular rationale for further exploring the statin family of HMGCR inhibitors as anticancer agents. View Publication

BACKGROUND We previously showed that small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) targeting the Zaire Ebola virus (ZEBOV) RNA polymerase L protein formulated in stable nucleic acid-lipid particles (SNALPs) completely protected guineapigs when administered shortly after a lethal ZEBOV challenge. Although rodent models of ZEBOV infection are useful for screening prospective countermeasures,they are frequently not useful for prediction of efficacy in the more stringent non-human primate models. We therefore assessed the efficacy of modified non-immunostimulatory siRNAs in a uniformly lethal non-human primate model of ZEBOV haemorrhagic fever. METHODS A combination of modified siRNAs targeting the ZEBOV L polymerase (EK-1 mod),viral protein (VP) 24 (VP24-1160 mod),and VP35 (VP35-855 mod) were formulated in SNALPs. A group of macaques (n=3) was given these pooled anti-ZEBOV siRNAs (2 mg/kg per dose,bolus intravenous infusion) after 30 min,and on days 1,3,and 5 after challenge with ZEBOV. A second group of macaques (n=4) was given the pooled anti-ZEBOV siRNAs after 30 min,and on days 1,2,3,4,5,and 6 after challenge with ZEBOV. FINDINGS Two (66%) of three rhesus monkeys given four postexposure treatments of the pooled anti-ZEBOV siRNAs were protected from lethal ZEBOV infection,whereas all macaques given seven postexposure treatments were protected. The treatment regimen in the second study was well tolerated with minor changes in liver enzymes that might have been related to viral infection. INTERPRETATION This complete postexposure protection against ZEBOV in non-human primates provides a model for the treatment of ZEBOV-induced haemorrhagic fever. These data show the potential of RNA interference as an effective postexposure treatment strategy for people infected with Ebola virus,and suggest that this strategy might also be useful for treatment of other emerging viral infections. FUNDING Defense Threat Reduction Agency. View Publication