A Polymer-Based Antibody-Vinca Drug Conjugate Platform: Characterization and Preclinical Efficacy.

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) are an emerging drug class that uses antibodies to improve cytotoxic drug targeting for cancer treatment. ADCs in current clinical trials achieve a compromise between potency and physicochemical/pharmacokinetic properties by conjugating potent cytotoxins directly to an antibody at a 4:1 or less stoichiometric ratio. Herein, we report a novel, polyacetal polymer-based platform for creating ADC that use poly-1-hydroxymethylethylene hydroxymethyl-formal (PHF), also known as Fleximer. The high hydrophilicity and polyvalency properties of the Fleximer polymer can be used to produce ADC with high drug loading without compromising physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties. Using trastuzumab and a vinca drug derivative to demonstrate the utility of this platform, a novel Fleximer-based ADC was prepared and characterized in vivo. The ADC prepared had a vinca-antibody ratio of 20:1. It exhibited a high antigen-binding affinity, an excellent pharmacokinetic profile and antigen-dependent efficacy, and tumor accumulation in multiple tumor xenograft models. Our findings illustrate the robust utility of the Fleximer platform as a highly differentiated alternative to the conjugation platforms used to create ADC currently in clinical development.

Vorinostat induced cellular stress disrupts the p38 mitogen activated protein kinase and extracellular signal regulated kinase pathways leading to apoptosis in Waldenström macroglobulinemia cells.

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are aberrantly expressed, and inhibitors of HDACs induce apoptosis in lymphoplasmacytic cells (LPCs) in Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM). The molecular profile by which these agents induce apoptosis in WM LPCs remains to be delineated. We examined the activity of the histone deacetylase inhibitor, vorinostat, and dissected its pro-apoptotic pathways in WM LPCs. Vorinostat induced apoptosis in WM cells through activating specific caspases at varying times. Inhibitors of apoptosis (IAPs) were down-regulated after vorinostat treatment. Cellular stress induced in vorinostat-treated WM cells was reflected by changes in the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. Activated phospho-p38 MAPK was up-regulated at 12 h, while phospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk) abruptly decreased at 24 h. Bortezomib did not augment vorinostat induced primary WM cell killing as reported in other B-cell disorders. These studies support that stress induced apoptosis in vorinostat-treated WM LPCs is mediated through disrupting the activity of the Erk and p38 MAPK pathways.

T cell activation by heat shock protein 70 vaccine requires TLR signaling and scavenger receptor expressed by endothelial cells-1.

Heat shock protein (HSP) 70 isolated from tumor-dendritic cell (DC) fusions (HSP70.PC-F) induces potent antitumor immunity and prevents growth of such tumors. In the present study, we have examined mechanisms underlying such antitumor activity of the HSP70.PC-F vaccine. The degree of antitumor immunity induced by HSP70.PC-F depended on intact TLR signaling in immunized animals, and mice in which the tlr2 and tlr4 genes were both inactivated did not respond to the vaccine. The reduced responses to HSP70.PC-F vaccine in such tlr knockout mice were restored by immunization of animals with HSP70.PC-F-pulsed wild-type DC, indicating a key role for this cell type in HSP70.PC-F-mediated immunity. Our studies also indicate a role for the scavenger receptor expressed by endothelial cells-1 (SREC-1) in antitumor immunity induced by HSP70.PC-F. These two receptor types appeared functionally interdependent, as indicated by the finding that tlr2 and tlr4 knockout decreases HSP70 binding in double-knockout DC and reduces SREC-1 expression. In addition, TLR-dependent, tumor cell killing was suppressed by SREC-1 knockdown in DC, suggesting a significant role for this receptor in HSP70.PC-F-mediated tumor immunity.

Myocyte enhancer factor 2A is transcriptionally autoregulated.

MEF2 (myocyte enhancer factor 2) proteins are a small family of transcription factors that play pivotal roles in striated muscle differentiation, development, and metabolism, in neuron survival and synaptic formation, and in lymphocyte selection and activation. Products of the four mammalian MEF2 genes, MEF2A, MEF2B, MEF2C, and MEF2D, are expressed with overlapping but distinct temporospatial patterns. Toward analysis of MEF2A functions and the determinants of its regulated expression, we have mapped and begun studies of the transcriptional control regions of this gene. Heterogeneous 5'-untranslated regions of MEF2A mRNAs result from use of alternative promoters and splicing patterns. The two closely approximated TATA-less promoters are approximately 65 kb upstream of the exon containing the sole initiation codon. Ribonuclease protection and primer extension assays show that each promoter is active in various adult tissues. A canonical MEF2 site overlies the major promoter 1 transcription start site. This element specifically binds MEF2 factors, including endogenous nuclear MEF2A according to chromatin immunoprecipitation studies, and is critical to MEF2A transcription in myocytes. The site exerts reciprocal control of the alternative promoters, silencing promoter 1 and activating promoter 2 under some conditions. Erk5 and p38 MAPK signaling stimulate MEF2A expression by activating both promoters from the MEF2 element. MEF2A transcription is therefore subject to positive or negative regulation by its protein products, depending on signaling activities that influence MEF2 factor trans-activity. The sole MEF2 gene of the cephalochordate amphioxus has a similar regulatory region structure, suggesting that this mode of autoregulatory control is conserved among higher metazoan MEF2 genes.

Protein kinase C zeta mediates epidermal growth factor-induced growth of head and neck tumor cells by regulating mitogen-activated protein kinase.

Protein kinase C (PKC) zeta has been implicated as a mediator of epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR) signaling in certain cell types. Because EGFR is ubiquitously expressed in squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (SCCHN) and plays a key role in tumor progression, we determined whether PKCzeta is required for tumor cell proliferation and viability. Examination of total and phosphorylated PKCzeta expression in normal oral mucosa, dysplasia, and carcinoma as well as SCCHN tumor cell lines revealed a significant increase in activated PKCzeta expression from normal to malignant tissue. PKCzeta activity is required for EGF-induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation in both normal human adult epidermal keratinocytes and five of seven SCCHN cell lines. SCCHN cells express constitutively activated EGFR family receptors, and inhibition of either EGFR or mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activity suppressed DNA synthesis. Consistent with this observation, inhibition of PKCzeta using either kinase-dead PKCzeta mutant or peptide inhibitor suppressed autocrine and EGF-induced DNA synthesis. Finally, PKCzeta inhibition enhanced the effects of both MAPK/ERK kinase (U0126) and broad spectrum PKC inhibitor (chelerythrine chloride) and decreased cell proliferation in SCCHN cell lines. The results indicate that (a) PKCzeta is associated with SCCHN progression, (b) PKCzeta mediates EGF-stimulated MAPK activation in keratinocytes and SCCHN cell lines, (c) PKCzeta mediates EGFR and MAPK-dependent proliferation in SCCHN cell lines; and (d) PKCzeta inhibitors function additively with other inhibitors that target similar or complementary signaling pathways.

Alternative pre-mRNA splicing governs expression of a conserved acidic transactivation domain in myocyte enhancer factor 2 factors of striated muscle and brain.

Myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) transcription factors play pivotal roles in striated muscle, neuron, and lymphocyte gene expression and are targets of stress- and calcium-mediated signaling. All MEF2 gene products have a common DNA binding and dimerization domain, but MEF2 transcripts are alternatively spliced among coding exons to produce splicing isoforms. In vertebrate MEF2A, -C, and -D, a splice versus no-splice option gives forms that include or exclude a short domain that we designate beta. We show that mRNAs containing beta are expressed predominantly in striated muscle and brain and that splicing to include beta is induced during myocyte differentiation. MEF2 beta+ isoforms are more robust than beta- forms in activating MEF2-responsive reporters despite similar expression levels. One-hybrid transcription assays using Gal4-MEF2 fusions show similar distinctions in the transactivation produced by beta+ versus beta- isoforms in all cell types tested, including myocytes. beta function is position-independent and exists in all MEF2 splicing variant contexts. The activity is not due to cis effects on MEF2 DNA binding or dimerization nor are established transcription factor or coactivator interactions involved. Each MEF2 beta domain contains multiple acidic residues, mutation of which abolishes function. Despite a location between the p38 MAPK docking domain and Thr phosphoacceptors of MEF2A and MEF2C, inclusion of beta does not influence responses of these factors to this signaling pathway. Thus, a conserved pattern of alternative splicing in vertebrate MEF2 genes generates an acidic activation domain in MEF2 proteins selectively in tissues where MEF2 target genes are highly expressed.

Phosphorylation and alternative pre-mRNA splicing converge to regulate myocyte enhancer factor 2C activity.

Myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) transcription factors play pivotal roles in cardiac, muscle, and neuron gene expression. All products of MEF2 genes have a common amino-terminal DNA binding and dimerization domain, but the four vertebrate MEF2 gene transcripts are alternatively spliced among coding exons to produce splicing isoforms. In MEF2C alone, alternative splice acceptors in the last exon give forms that include or exclude a short domain that we designate gamma. We show that MEF2C is expressed exclusively as gamma- isoforms in heart tissue and predominantly as gamma- in other adult tissues and in differentiating myocytes. MEF2C gamma- isoforms are much more robust than gamma+ forms in activating MEF2-responsive reporters in transfected fibroblasts despite indistinguishable expression levels, and they better synergize with MyoD in promoting myogenic conversion. One-hybrid transcription assays using Gal4-MEF2C fusions give similar distinctions between gamma- and gamma+ isoforms in all cell types tested, including myocytes. Cis effects of gamma on MEF2C DNA binding, dimerization, protein stability, or response to CaM or p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling are not apparent, and the isolated gamma domain represses transcription when fused to Gal4. One phosphoserine residue is present within the gamma domain according to tandem mass spectrometry, and mutation of this residue abolishes gamma-mediated transrepression. A similar activity is present in the constitutive gamma domain and serine phosphoacceptor of MEF2A. Our findings indicate that gamma functions autonomously as a phosphoserine-dependent transrepressor to downregulate transactivation function of MEF2 factors and that alternative splicing and serine phosphorylation converge to provide complex combinatorial control of MEF2C activity.