Cancer research
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Inhibition of the vascular endothelial growth factor VEGF-VEGF receptor (VEGF-R) kinase axes in the tumor angiogenic cascade is a promising therapeutic strategy in oncology. CEP-7055 is the fully synthetic orally active N,N-dimethyl glycine ester of CEP-5214, a C3-(isopropylmethoxy) fused pyrrolocarbazole with potent pan-VEGF-R kinase inhibitory activity. CEP-5214 demonstrates IC(50) values of 18 nM, 12 nM, and 17 nM against human VEGF-R2/KDR kinase, VEGF-R1/FLT-1 kinase, and VEGF-R3/FLT-4 kinase, respectively, in biochemical kinase assays. ⋯ The antitumor efficacy of chronic CEP-7055 administration was independent of initial tumor volume (in the ASPC-1 pancreatic carcinoma model) and reversible on withdrawal of treatment. Chronic p.o. administration of CEP-7055 in preclinical efficacy studies for periods of up to 65 days was well tolerated with no apparent toxicity or significant morbidity. Orally administered CEP-7055 has entered Phase I clinical trials in cancer patients.
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The SSX-2 gene encodes a tumor-specific antigen expressed in neoplasms of various histological types. By analyzing a tumor-infiltrated lymph node of a melanoma patient bearing an SSX-2-expressing tumor, we have recently identified the first SSX-2-derived CD8(+) T-cell epitope, that corresponds to peptide SSX-2(41-49), and is recognized by specific CTL in an HLA-A2 restricted fashion. Here, we have used fluorescent HLA-A2/SSX-2(41-49) peptide multimeric complexes to analyze the response to SSX-2(41-49) in melanoma patients and healthy donors. ⋯ SSX-2-specific CTLs isolated from tumor-infiltrated lymph node of antigen-expressing patients as well as from the corresponding peripheral blood mononuclear cells exhibited high functional avidity of antigen recognition and efficiently recognized antigen-expressing tumors. In contrast, SSX-2-specific CTLs isolated from patients with undetectable responses in the tumor-infiltrated lymph node, as well as from healthy donors, recognized the antigen with decreased functional avidity and were not tumor reactive. Together, these data indicate that CD8(+) T-cell responses to SSX-2(41-49) frequently occur in SSX-2-expressing melanoma patients and suggest that SSX-2(41-49)-specific CTLs of high avidity and tumor reactivity are selectively expanded during immune responses to SSX-2-expressing tumors in vivo.
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Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant pediatric brain tumor. In mice, Ptc1 haploinsufficiency and disruption of DNA repair (DNA ligase IV inactivation) or cell cycle regulation (Kip1, Ink4d, or Ink4c inactivation), in conjunction with p53 dysfunction, predispose to medulloblastoma. To identify genes important for this tumor, we evaluated gene expression profiles in medulloblastomas from these mice. ⋯ However, 21 genes were specifically up-regulated in medulloblastoma, including sFrp1, Ptc2, and Math1, members of signaling pathways that regulate cerebellar development. Coordinated deregulation of these same genes also occurred in a large subset of human medulloblastomas. These data identify a group of genes that is central to medulloblastoma tumorigenesis.
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Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing-ligand (TRAIL/Apo-2 ligand) induces apoptosis in the majority of cancer cells without appreciable effect in normal cells. Here, we report the effects of TRAIL on apoptosis in several human breast cancer cell lines, primary memory epithelial cells, and immortalized nontransformed cell lines, and we examine whether chemotherapeutic agents augment TRAIL-induced cytotoxicity in breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. TRAIL induced apoptosis with different sensitivities, and the majority of cancer cell lines were resistant to TRAIL. ⋯ The sequential treatment of nude mice with chemotherapeutic drugs followed by TRAIL induced caspase-3 activity and apoptosis in xenografted tumors. Complete eradication of established tumors and survival of mice were achieved without detectable toxicity. Thus, the sequential administration of chemotherapeutic drugs followed by TRAIL may be used as a new therapeutic approach for cancer therapy.
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Because apoptosis is deregulated in most cancers, apoptosis-modulating approaches offer an attractive opportunity for clinical therapy of many tumors, including that of the prostate. LNCaP-derived C4-2 human prostate cancer cells are quite resistant to treatment with Apo2 ligand (Apo2L) or tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), when using a nontagged, Zn-bound recombinant trimeric version that is devoid of any exogeneous sequences and therefore least likely to be immunogenic in human patients and that has been optimized for maximum efficacy and minimum toxicity. When combined with the topoisomerase I inhibitor CPT-11 (irinotecan), Apo2L/TRAIL exhibits enhanced apoptotic activity in C4-2 cells cultured in vitro as well as xenografted as tumors in vivo. ⋯ Down-regulation of Bax by small interference (RNA) (siRNA) in C4-2 cells significantly prevented PARP cleavage and apoptosis. Strikingly, similar experiments in cells stably expressing a dominant-negative death receptor DR5 led to complete ablation of PARP cleavage and apoptosis, indicating the essential role of both mitochondrial and receptor-mediated apoptotic pathways. Our data indicate that the combined treatment of Apo2L/TRAIL and CPT-11 achieves tumor control in prostate cancer tumors through regulation of Bcl-2 family proteins and potent activation of caspases.