技术资料

Since protein kinases are frequently mutated or otherwise deregulated in human malignancies,they serve as a target for differentiating between tumor cells and normal tissues. Imatinib mesylat (IM),an inhibitor of the BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase was introduced in 2001 and has revolutionized the treatment of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Since 2005 a second generation of tyrosine kinase inhibitors is to follow in Imatinib's footsteps: The development of these new small molecules was promoted by the identification of potential target kinases within the cellular signaling apparatus. Modern biochemical tools provide relevant amounts of these target kinases necessary for high throughput screening (HTS) campaigns and for elucidation of their 3-D structure by crystallography. Supported by computational chemistry the resulting data have enabled rational drug design. In this review low molecular weight inhibitors used for the CML treatment are summarized,pointing out their chemical similarities and differences. View Publication

BACKGROUND: Conventional gene-therapy applications of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) involve purification of CD34+ progenitor cells from the mobilized peripheral blood,ex vivo transduction of the gene of interest into them,and reinfusion of the transduced CD34+ progenitor cells into patients. Eliminating the process of purification would save labor,time and money,while enhancing HSCs viability,transplantability and pluripotency. Lentiviral vectors have been widely used in gene therapy because they infect both dividing and nondividing cells and provide sustained transgene expression. One of the exceptions to this rule is quiescent primary lymphocytes,in which reverse transcription of viral DNA is not completed. METHODS: In the present study,we tested the possibility of targeting CD34+ progenitor cells within nonpurified human mobilized peripheral blood mononuclear cells (mPBMCs) utilizing vesicular stomatitis virus G (VSV-G) pseudotyped lentiviral vectors,based on the assumption that the CD34+ progenitor cells would be preferentially transduced. To further enhance the specificity of vector transduction,we also examined utilizing a modified Sindbis virus envelope (2.2) pseudotyped lentiviral vector,developed in our laboratory,that allows targeted transduction to specific cell receptors via antibody recognition. RESULTS: Both the VSV-G and 2.2 pseudotyped vectors achieved measurable results when they were used to target CD34+ progenitor cells in nonpurified mPBMCs. CONCLUSIONS: Overall,the data obtained demonstrate the potential of ex vivo targeting of CD34+ progenitor cells without purification. View Publication

Protein kinase B (PKB/Akt) belongs to the AGC superfamily of related serine/threonine protein kinases. It is a key regulator downstream of various growth factors and hormones and is involved in malignant transformation and chemo-resistance. Full-length PKB protein has not been crystallised,thus studying the molecular mechanisms that are involved in its regulation in relation to its structure have not been simple. Recently,the dynamics between the inactive and active conformer at the molecular level have been described. The maintenance of PKB's inactive state via the interaction of the PH and kinase domains prevents its activation loop to be phosphorylated by its upstream activator,phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase-1 (PDK1). By using a multidisciplinary approach including molecular modelling,classical biochemical assays,and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)/two-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM),a detailed model depicting the interaction between the different domains of PKB in its inactive conformation was demonstrated. These findings in turn clarified the molecular mechanism of PKB inhibition by AKT inhibitor VIII (a specific allosteric inhibitor) and illustrated at the molecular level its selectivity towards different PKB isoforms. Furthermore,these findings allude to the possible function of the C-terminus in sustaining the inactive conformer of PKB. This study presents essential insights into the quaternary structure of PKB in its inactive conformation. An understanding of PKB structure in relation to its function is critical for elucidating its mode of activation and discovering how to modulate its activity. The molecular mechanism of inhibition of PKB activation by the specific drug AKT inhibitor VIII has critical implications for determining the mechanism of inhibition of other allosteric inhibitors and for opening up opportunities for the design of new generations of modulator drugs. View Publication

BACKGROUND: Multiple measures of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have been described,but there has been limited study of the comparability of these assays. We sought to determine the reproducibility of and correlation between alternative EPC assay methodologies. METHODS: We simultaneously assessed EPC numbers in 140 patients undergoing cardiac catheterization using the 2 most commonly used culture techniques: endothelial cell outgrowth and colony-forming unit (CFU). In the final 77 patients,EPCs were also identified on the basis of cell surface marker expression (CD133,CD34,and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 [VEGFR-2]) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity. RESULTS: Endothelial progenitor cell enumeration based on fluorescence activated cell sorting was more precise than culture assays. There was limited correlation between EPC numbers determined using the 2 common culture-based assays; however,endothelial CFUs correlated with VEGFR-2 and CD34/VEGFR-2-expressing cells. Endothelial progenitor cells defined by expression of CD133,CD34,CD133/CD34,and ALDH activity correlated with each other,but not with VEGFR-2(+) cells. CONCLUSIONS: Endothelial progenitor cells can be broadly classified into 2 classes: VEGFR-2-expressing cells,which give rise to endothelial CFUs,and CD133/CD34 or ALDH(br) cells. These observations underscore the need for better assay standardization and a more precise definition of EPCs in cell therapy research. View Publication

Chromosomal translocations involving the Mixed Lineage Leukemia (MLL) gene produce chimeric proteins that cause abnormal expression of a subset of HOX genes and leukemia development. Here,we show that MLL normally regulates expression of mir-196b,a hematopoietic microRNA located within the HoxA cluster,in a pattern similar to that of the surrounding 5' Hox genes,Hoxa9 and Hoxa10,during embryonic stem (ES) cell differentiation. Within the hematopoietic lineage,mir-196b is most abundant in short-term hematopoietic stem cells and is down-regulated in more differentiated hematopoietic cells. Leukemogenic MLL fusion proteins cause overexpression of mir-196b,while treatment of MLL-AF9 transformed bone marrow cells with mir-196-specific antagomir abrogates their replating potential in methylcellulose. This demonstrates that mir-196b function is necessary for MLL fusion-mediated immortalization. Furthermore,overexpression of mir-196b was found specifically in patients with MLL associated leukemias as determined from analysis of 55 primary leukemia samples. Overexpression of mir-196b in bone marrow progenitor cells leads to increased proliferative capacity and survival,as well as a partial block in differentiation. Our results suggest a mechanism whereby increased expression of mir-196b by MLL fusion proteins significantly contributes to leukemia development. View Publication

Tumors may be initiated and maintained by a cellular subcomponent that displays stem cell properties. We have used the expression of aldehyde dehydrogenase as assessed by the ALDEFLUOR assay to isolate and characterize cancer stem cell (CSC) populations in 33 cell lines derived from normal and malignant mammary tissue. Twenty-three of the 33 cell lines contained an ALDEFLUOR-positive population that displayed stem cell properties in vitro and in NOD/SCID xenografts. Gene expression profiling identified a 413-gene CSC profile that included genes known to play a role in stem cell function,as well as genes such as CXCR1/IL-8RA not previously known to play such a role. Recombinant interleukin-8 (IL-8) increased mammosphere formation and the ALDEFLUOR-positive population in breast cancer cell lines. Finally,we show that ALDEFLUOR-positive cells are responsible for mediating metastasis. These studies confirm the hierarchical organization of immortalized cell lines,establish techniques that can facilitate the characterization of regulatory pathways of CSCs,and identify potential stem cell markers and therapeutic targets. View Publication

The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway controls growth,cell fate decisions,and morphogenesis during development. Damage to Hh transduction machinery can lead to birth defects and cancer. The transmembrane protein Smoothened (Smo) relays the Hh signal and is an important drug target in cancer. Smo enrichment in primary cilia is thought to drive activation of target genes. Using small-molecule agonists and antagonists to dissect Smo function,we find that Smo enrichment in cilia is not sufficient for signaling and a distinct second step is required for full activation. This 2-step mechanism--localization followed by activation--has direct implications for the design and use of anticancer therapeutics targeted against Smo. View Publication

Canonical Wnt/beta-catenin signaling regulates stem/progenitor cells and,when perturbed,induces many human cancers. A significant proportion of human breast cancer is associated with loss of secreted Wnt antagonists and mice expressing MMTV-Wnt1 and MMTV-DeltaN89beta-catenin develop mammary adenocarcinomas. Many studies have assumed these mouse models of breast cancer to be equivalent. Here we show that MMTV-Wnt1 and MMTV-DeltaN89beta-catenin transgenes induce tumors with different phenotypes. Using axin2/conductin reporter genes we show that MMTV-Wnt1 and MMTV-DeltaN89beta-catenin activate canonical Wnt signaling within distinct cell-types. DeltaN89beta-catenin activated signaling within a luminal subpopulation scattered along ducts that exhibited a K18(+)ER(-)PR(-)CD24(high)CD49f(low) profile and progenitor properties. In contrast,MMTV-Wnt1 induced canonical signaling in K14(+) basal cells with CD24/CD49f profiles characteristic of two distinct stem/progenitor cell-types. MMTV-Wnt1 produced additional profound effects on multiple cell-types that correlated with focal activation of the Hedgehog pathway. We document that large melanocytic nevi are a hitherto unreported hallmark of early hyperplastic Wnt1 glands. These nevi formed along the primary mammary ducts and were associated with Hedgehog pathway activity within a subset of melanocytes and surrounding stroma. Hh pathway activity also occurred within tumor-associated stromal and K14(+)/p63(+) subpopulations in a manner correlated with Wnt1 tumor onset. These data show MMTV-Wnt1 and MMTV-DeltaN89beta-catenin induce canonical signaling in distinct progenitors and that Hedgehog pathway activation is linked to melanocytic nevi and mammary tumor onset arising from excess Wnt1 ligand. They further suggest that Hedgehog pathway activation maybe a critical component and useful indicator of breast tumors arising from unopposed Wnt1 ligand. View Publication

In our investigations of the bone marrow (BM) of PECAM-1 null (knockout,KO) mice,we observed that the trabecular bone volume and number of trabeculae were significantly reduced in femoral and tibial long bones. Further studies in vitro revealed increased numbers and size of osteoclasts,enhanced bone resorption on dentin substrates,and hypersensitivity to macrophage CSF and receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand in BM-derived osteoclast precursor cultures from KO mice. Associations among PECAM-1,Syk,and SHP-1 were found in wild-type BM monocyte derived osteoclast-like cells. The absence of PECAM-1 and SHP-1 interactions in the KO cells leads to the dysregulation of Syk kinases and/or phosphatases,possibly SHP-1. Indeed,KO derived osteoclast-like cells exhibited increased Syk tyrosine phosphorylation levels compared with WT cells. Lastly,WT mice engrafted with marrow from KO kindred showed loss of trabecular bone analogous to KO mice,consistent with increased osteoclastogenesis. View Publication

Poor recovery of cryopreserved human embryonic stem (hES) cells and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells is a significant impediment to progress with pluripotent stem cells. In this study,we demonstrate that Y-27632,a specific inhibitor of Rho kinase (ROCK) activity,significantly enhances recovery of hES cells from cryopreserved stocks when cultured with or without a growth inactivated feeder layer. Furthermore,treatment with the ROCK inhibitor for several days increased the number of colonies and colony size of hES cells compared to shorter exposures. Remarkably,hES cells that had formed relatively few colonies 5 days after thawing exhibited rapid growth upon addition of Y-27632. Additionally,we determined that Y-27632 significantly improves the recovery of cryopreserved human iPS cells and their growth upon subculture. Thus,Y-27632 provides a means to kick-start" slow-growing human pluripotent stem cells� View Publication

Protein modification by small ubiquitin-related modifier proteins (SUMOs) controls diverse cellular functions. Dysregulation of SUMOylation or deSUMOylation processes has been implicated in the development of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. However,no small-molecule inhibiting protein SUMOylation has been reported so far. Here,we report inhibition of SUMOylation by ginkgolic acid and its analog,anacardic acid. Ginkgolic acid and anacardic acid inhibit protein SUMOylation both in vitro and in vivo without affecting in vivo ubiquitination. Binding assays with a fluorescently labeled probe showed that ginkgolic acid directly binds E1 and inhibits the formation of the E1-SUMO intermediate. These studies will provide not only a useful tool for investigating the roles of SUMO conjugations in a variety of pathways in cells,but also a basis for the development of drugs targeted against diseases involving aberrant SUMOylation. View Publication

Reprogramming of somatic cells to pluripotency,thereby creating induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells,promises to transform regenerative medicine. Most instances of direct reprogramming have been achieved by forced expression of defined factors using multiple viral vectors. However,such iPS cells contain a large number of viral vector integrations,any one of which could cause unpredictable genetic dysfunction. Whereas c-Myc is dispensable for reprogramming,complete elimination of the other exogenous factors is also desired because ectopic expression of either Oct4 (also known as Pou5f1) or Klf4 can induce dysplasia. Two transient transfection-reprogramming methods have been published to address this issue. However,the efficiency of both approaches is extremely low,and neither has been applied successfully to human cells so far. Here we show that non-viral transfection of a single multiprotein expression vector,which comprises the coding sequences of c-Myc,Klf4,Oct4 and Sox2 linked with 2A peptides,can reprogram both mouse and human fibroblasts. Moreover,the transgene can be removed once reprogramming has been achieved. iPS cells produced with this non-viral vector show robust expression of pluripotency markers,indicating a reprogrammed state confirmed functionally by in vitro differentiation assays and formation of adult chimaeric mice. When the single-vector reprogramming system was combined with a piggyBac transposon,we succeeded in establishing reprogrammed human cell lines from embryonic fibroblasts with robust expression of pluripotency markers. This system minimizes genome modification in iPS cells and enables complete elimination of exogenous reprogramming factors,efficiently providing iPS cells that are applicable to regenerative medicine,drug screening and the establishment of disease models. View Publication