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We describe a new procedure for large-scale CB processing in the collection bag,thus minimizing the risk of CB contamination. A solution of 6% hydroxyethyl starch (HES) was added directly to the CB containing bag. After RBC sedimentation at 4 degrees C,the WBC-rich supernatant was collected in a satellite bag and centrifuged. After supernatant removal,the cell pellet was resuspended and the percent recovery of total WBC,CD34+ progenitor cells,CFU-GM and cobblestone area-forming cells (CAFC) evaluated. Results obtained with three different types of CB collection bags (300,600 and 1000 ml) were analyzed and compared with those of an open system in 50 ml tubes. CB processing procedures in 300 and 1000 ml bags were associated with better WBC,CFU,CD34+ cell and CAFC recovery (83-93%). This novel CB processing procedure appears to be easy,effective and particularly suitable for large-scale banking under GMP conditions. View Publication

The immunosuppressant,rapamycin,inhibits cell growth by interfering with the function of a novel kinase,termed mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). The putative catalytic domain of mTOR is similar to those of mammalian and yeast phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinases. This study demonstrates that mTOR is a component of a cytokine-triggered protein kinase cascade leading to the phosphorylation of the eukaryotic initiation factor-4E (eIF-4E) binding protein,PHAS-1,in activated T lymphocytes. This event promotes G1 phase progression by stimulating eIF-4E-dependent translation initiation. A mutant YAC-1 T lymphoma cell line,which was selected for resistance to the growth-inhibitory action of rapamycin,was correspondingly resistant to the suppressive effect of this drug on PHAS-1 phosphorylation. In contrast,the PI 3-kinase inhibitor,wortmannin,reduced the phosphorylation of PHAS-1 in both rapamycin-sensitive and -resistant T cells. At similar drug concentrations (0.1-1 microM),wortmannin irreversibly inhibited the serine-specific autokinase activity of mTOR. The autokinase activity of mTOR was also sensitive to the structurally distinct PI 3-kinase inhibitor,LY294002,at concentrations (1-30 microM) nearly identical to those required for inhibition of the lipid kinase activity of the mammalian p85-p110 heterodimer. These studies indicate that the signaling functions of mTOR,and potentially those of other high molecular weight PI 3-kinase homologs,are directly affected by cellular treatment with wortmannin or LY294002. View Publication

Natural and synthetic retinoids have proved to be effective in the treatment and prevention of various human cancers. In the present study,we investigated the effect of retinoids on Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-infected lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs),since these cells closely resemble those that give rise to EBV-related lymphoproliferative disorders in the immunosuppressed host. All six compounds tested inhibited LCL proliferation with no significant direct cytotoxicity,but 9-cis-retinoic acid (RA),13-cis-RA,and all-trans-RA (ATRA) were markedly more efficacious than Ro40-8757,Ro13-6298,and etretinate. The antiproliferative action of the three most effective compounds was confirmed in a large panel of LCLs,thus appearing as a generalized phenomenon in these cells. LCL growth was irreversibly inhibited even after 2 days of treatment at drug concentrations corresponding to therapeutically achievable plasma levels. Retinoid-treated cells showed a marked downregulation of CD71 and a decreased S-phase compartment with a parallel accumulation in Gzero/ G1 phases. These cell cycle perturbations were associated with the upregulation of p27 Kip1,a nuclear protein that controls entrance and progression through the cell cycle by inhibiting several cyclin/cyclin-dependent kinase complexes. Unlike what is observed in other systems,the antiproliferative effect exerted by retinoids on LCLs was not due to the acquisition of a terminally differentiated status. In fact,retinoid-induced modifications of cell morphology,phenotype (downregulation of CD19,HLA-DR,and s-Ig,and increased expression of CD38 and c-Ig),and IgM production were late events,highly heterogeneous,and often slightly relevant,being therefore only partially indicative of a drug-related differentiative process. Moreover,EBV-encoded EBV nuclear antigen-2 and latent membrane protein-1 proteins were inconstantly downregulated by retinoids,indicating that their growth-inhibitory effect is not mediated by a direct modulation of viral latent antigen expression. The strong antiproliferative activity exerted by retinoids in our experimental model indicates that these compounds may represent a useful tool in the medical management of EBV-related lymphoproliferative disorders of immunosuppressed patients. View Publication

Brefeldin A (BFA) is a natural product that affects the structure and function of the Golgi apparatus and is in development for cancer chemotherapy. We observed that a wide range of cancer cells could undergo DNA fragmentation associated with apoptosis after BFA treatment. This DNA fragmentation was induced within 15 h in HL60 leukemia cells and after 48 h in K562 leukemia and HT-29 colon carcinoma cells with BFA concentrations as low as 0.1 microM. The DNA fragmentation had the typical internucleosomal pattern in HL60 and HT-29 cells. Apoptotic cells were also detected by microscopy. BFA-induced apoptosis is p53-independent as HL60 and K562 cells are p53 null and HT-29 are p53 mutant cells. BFA could potentiate UCN-01 and staurosporine-induced DNA fragmentation in HL60 cells. Cyclin B1/Cdc2 kinase activity decreased after BFA treatment in HL60 cells,indicating that BFA-induced DNA fragmentation was independent of a cyclin B1/Cdc2 kinase upregulation pathway. Cycloheximide could not prevent BFA-induced DNA fragmentation in HL60 cells,suggesting that protein synthesis is not needed for HL60 cells to undergo apoptosis. On the contrary,cycloheximide blocked BFA-induced DNA fragmentation in HT-29 cells,indicating that apoptosis in HT-29 cells requires macromolecular synthesis. Cell-free system experiments suggested that cytosolic proteins play an important role in triggering DNA fragmentation during apoptosis induced by BFA. Our results show that transduction signaling pathways play central roles in apoptotic regulation. View Publication

Elevated numbers of primitive Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) progenitors,including long-term culture-initiating cells (LTC-IC) as well as colony-forming cells (CFC),have been previously described in the blood of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in chronic phase with high white blood cell counts. In the present study,which focused primarily on an analysis of circulating progenitors present in such patients at diagnosis,we discovered the frequent and occasionally exclusive presence of circulating normal (Ph-) LTC-IC,often at levels above those seen for LTC-IC in the blood of normal individuals. The presence of detectable numbers of circulating Ph- LTC-IC was independent of the fact that the same peripheral blood samples also contained elevated numbers of predominantly or exclusively Ph+ CFC. Interestingly,both the Ph+ and Ph- LTC-IC in these samples were CD34+CD71- and variably CD38- and Thy-1+,as previously documented for LTC-IC in normal marrow. Thus,neither CD38 nor Thy-1 expression was useful for discriminating between Ph+ and Ph- LTC-IC in mixed populations. Nevertheless,an association of these phenotypes with LTC-IC function did allow highly enriched (textgreater 5% pure) suspensions of either Ph+ or Ph- LTC-IC to be obtained from selected samples of CML blood in which the initial LTC-IC population was either predominantly Ph+ or Ph-,respectively. These findings suggest that the mechanisms causing mobilization of leukemic stem cells in untreated CML patients may affect their normal counterparts. They also indicate a possible new source of autologous cells for the support of intensive therapy of CML patients. Finally,they provide a method for obtaining the most highly purified populations of Ph+ LTC-IC described to date. This method should be useful for further analyses of the molecular activities of these very primitive neoplastic cells. View Publication

We examined the stem cell compartment of patients with acquired aplastic anemia (AA) using the long-term culture-initiating cell assay (LTC-IC),in parallel with measurements of CD34+ cells and mature hematopoietic progenitors. Secondary colonies from cells surviving 5 weeks of long-term bone marrow culture (LTBMC) were determined for the peripheral blood (PB) of 68 AA patients and 13 normal controls and for BM of 49 AA patients and 14 controls; because of low cell numbers,formal limiting dilution analysis could only be performed in 10 patients. The relationship of cell input in LTBMC and the output of secondary colonies was linear,allowing quantification of LTC-IC number from bulk cultures. Secondary colony formation was markedly abnormal in severe AA. In contrast to 7.8 colony-forming cells (CFC)/10(5) mononuclear cells in normal BM and 0.14 CFC/10(5) normal PB mononuclear cells,patients with severe disease showed 0.024 CFC/10(5) in BM and 0.0068 CFC/10(5) in PB. Under limiting dilution conditions,patients' cells also showed markedly lower colony-forming ability. In contrast to 4.3 +/- 1 colonies/normal LTC-IC,we obtained only 1.27 +/- 0.09 and 2.0 +/- 0.35 colonies from BM of acute and recovered cases,respectively. These values were used to extrapolate LTC-IC numbers from secondary colony formation in suspension cultures. In PB,calculated LTC-IC were decreased 7.4-fold in new and relapsed severe AA and 2.8-fold in recovered AA. In BM,LTC-IC were decreased 10-fold in new and relapsed AA and sixfold in recovered cases. Compared with measurements obtained on presentation,LTC-IC were lower in post-treatment samples from patients who had failed to recover after intensive immunosuppression and relatively higher in cases at relapse. In recovered patients,LTC-IC number increased but remained below the normal range in 20 of 25. In patients studied serially for 3 to 12 months after treatment,LTC-IC numbers remained stable but low. LTC-IC number correlated with concurrently determined CD34+ cell number and primary hematopoietic colony formation. These results indicate that stem cell numbers,as quantitated by the LTC-IC assay,are markedly diminished in number in all severe AA. Additionally,the function of the stem cell or the stem cell compartment in AA is also abnormal,as inferred from the low clonogenic potential in secondary colony assays. Early hematologic improvement in some patients occurs without increasing numbers of LTC-IC,and a minority of recovered cases show apparent repopulation of the LTC-IC compartment years after treatment. View Publication

Retinoids play an important role in development,differentiation,and homeostasis. The discovery of retinoid receptors belonging to the superfamily of nuclear ligand-activated transcriptional regulators has revolutionized our molecular understanding as to how these structurally simple molecules exert their pleiotropic effects. Diversity in the control of gene expression by retinoid signals is generated through complexity at different levels of the signaling pathway. A major source of diversity originates from the existence of two families of retinoid acid (RA) receptors (R),the RAR isotypes (alpha,beta,and gamma) and the three RXR isotypes (alpha,beta,and gamma),and their numerous isoforms,which bind as RXR/RAR heterodimers to the polymorphic cis-acting response elements of RA target genes. The possibility of cross-modulation (cross-talk) with cell-surface receptors signaling pathways,as well as the finding that RARs and RXRs interact with multiple putative coactivators and/or corepressors,generates additional levels of complexity for the array of combinatorial effects that underlie the pleiotropic effects of retinoids. This review focuses on recent developments,particularly in the area of structure-function relationships. View Publication

1. The effect of suramin and pyridoxalphosphate-6-azophenyl-2',4'-disulphonic acid (PPADS) on the stimulation of phospholipase C in 1321N1 cells transfected with the human P2U-purinoceptor (h-P2U-1321N1 cells) or with the turkey P2Y-purinoceptor (t-P2Y-1321N1 cells) was investigated. 2-Methylthioadenosine triphosphate (2MeSATP) was used as the agonist at t-P2Y-1321N1 cells and uridine triphosphate (UTP) at h-P2U-1321N1 cells. 2. Suramin caused a parallel shift to the right of the concentration-response curves for 2MeSATP in the t-P2Y-1321N1 cells,yielding a Schild plot with a slope of 1.16 +/- 0.08 and a pA2 value of 5.77 +/- 0.11. 3. Suramin also caused a shift to the right of concentration-response curves for UTP in the h-P2U-1321N1 cells,and on Schild plots gave a slope different from unity (1.57 +/- 0.19) and an apparent pA2 value of 4.32 +/- 0.13. Suramin was therefore a less potent antagonist at the P2U-purinoceptor than the P2Y-purinoceptor. 4. In the presence of the ectonucleotidase inhibitor,ARL 67156 (6-N,N-diethyl-beta,gamma-dibromomethylene-D-ATP) there was no significant difference in the EC50 or shapes of curves with either cell type,and no difference in pA2 values for suramin. 5. PPADS caused an increase in the EC50 for 2MeSATP in the t-P2Y-1321N1 cells. The Schild plot had a slope different from unity (0.55 +/- 0.15) and an X-intercept corresponding to an apparent pA2 of 5.98 +/- 0.65. 6. PPADS up to 30 microM had no effect on the concentration-response curve for UTP with the h-P2U-1321N1 cells. 7. In conclusion,suramin and PPADS show clear differences in their action at the 2 receptor types,in each case being substantially more effective as an antagonist at the P2Y-purinoceptor than at the P2U-purinoceptor. Ectonucleotidase breakdown had little influence on the nature of the responses at the two receptor types,or in their differential sensitivity to suramin. View Publication

We used reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to clone a rat complementary DNA that encoded the PVG rat granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). PCR products were cloned into a eukaryotic expression vector and transfected into the mouse myeloma cell line Sp2/0-Ag14. Cell culture supernatants of two of these transfectants supported proliferation of the growth factor-dependent cell line,DA-3,and promoted myeloid colony formation in rat and mouse bone marrow cell (BMC) cultures. The GM-CSF activity in these supernatants was neutralized by a polyclonal antibody to mouse GM-CSF. The cloning and expression of rat GM-CSF provides a valuable reagent for the study of the biology and clinical applications of the GM-CSFs. View Publication

An in vivo transplantation system has been used to evaluate the developmental capacities of specific mouse mammary epithelial cell populations. Specifically,mouse mammary epithelial cells with distinctly limited developmental potentials have been identified using this procedure. Two distinct epithelial cell progenitors have been identified by experiments designed to determine whether basal lobular and ductal phenotypes could develop independently under conditions imposed by a limiting dilution. The prediction that these separate epithelial progenitors must exist was based upon the results from transplantation experiments carried out in epithelium-divested mammary fat pads of syngeneic mice with mammary epithelium from two different transgenic mouse models. The results presented here demonstrate the following points: 1) lobular,i.e. secretory,progenitor cells are present as distinct entities among the mammary epithelial cells found in immature virgin female mice; 2) similarly,ductal epithelial progenitors are present within the same population; 3) lobular progenitors are present in greater numbers,although both cell populations are extremely small; 4) as expected,some inocula produce outgrowths with simultaneous development of both lobular and ductal phenotypes--it is not known whether this indicates cooperative interaction between the two epithelial progenitors or signals the presence of a third progenitor type capable of producing both ductular and lobular committed daughters; 5) these findings have important consequences in the design of experiments aimed at testing the effects of known and putative mammary oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes,using techniques which include cellular transformation in vitro followed by in vivo cultivation and evaluation. View Publication

The classical definition of lymphohematopoietic stem cells (LHSC),the most primitive progenitors of all blood cells,requires that they have the capacity for self-renewal and for the long-term production of all blood cell lineages. However,other characteristics of LHSC have been debated. Our previous data suggested that mouse LHSC are very slowly proliferating cells that generate delayed multilineage engraftment,while radioprotection" (rapid engraftment that will prevent early death from radiation-induced marrow aplasia) results from more committed progenitors. Alternatively� View Publication

Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascades represent one of the major signal systems used by eukaryotic cells to transduce extracellular signals into cellular responses. Four MAP kinase subgroups have been identified in humans: ERK,JNK (SAPK),ERK5 (BMK),and p38. Here we characterize a new MAP kinase,p38beta. p38beta is a 372-amino acid protein most closely related to p38. It contains a TGY dual phosphorylation site,which is required for its kinase activity. Like p38,p38beta is activated by proinflammatory cytokines and environmental stress. A comparison of events associated with the activation of p38beta and p38 revealed differences,most notably in the preferred activation of p38beta by MAP kinase kinase 6 (MKK6),whereas p38 was activated nearly equally by MKK3,MKK4,and MKK6. Moreover,in vitro and in vivo experiments showed a strong substrate preference by p38beta for activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2). Enhancement of ATF2-dependent gene expression by p38beta was approximately20-fold greater than that of p38 and other MAP kinases tested. The data reported here suggest that while closely related,p38beta and p38 may be regulated by differing mechanisms and may exert their actions on separate downstream targets. View Publication