Photodynamic therapy-driven induction of suicide cytosine deaminase gene.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) of tumors is associated with induction of hypoxia that results in activation of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs). Several observations indicate that increased HIFs transcriptional activity in tumor cells is associated with cytoprotective responses that limit cytotoxic effectiveness of PDT. Therefore, we decided to examine whether this cytoprotective mechanism could be intentionally used for designing more efficient tumor cell cytotoxicity. To this end we transfected tumor cells with a plasmid vector carrying a suicide cytosine deaminase gene driven by a promoter containing hypoxia response elements (HRE). The presence of such a genetic molecular beacon rendered tumor cells sensitive to cytotoxic effects of a non-toxic prodrug 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC). The results of this study provides a proof of concept that inducible cytoprotective mechanisms can be exploited to render tumor cells more susceptible to cytotoxic effects of prodrugs activated by products of suicide genes.

Statins impair antitumor effects of rituximab by inducing conformational changes of CD20.

BACKGROUND: Rituximab is used in the treatment of CD20+ B cell lymphomas and other B cell lymphoproliferative disorders. Its clinical efficacy might be further improved by combinations with other drugs such as statins that inhibit cholesterol synthesis and show promising antilymphoma effects. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of statins on rituximab-induced killing of B cell lymphomas. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) was assessed by MTT and Alamar blue assays as well as trypan blue staining, and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) was assessed by a 51Cr release assay. Statins were found to significantly decrease rituximab-mediated CDC and ADCC of B cell lymphoma cells. Incubation of B cell lymphoma cells with statins decreased CD20 immunostaining in flow cytometry studies but did not affect total cellular levels of CD20 as measured with RT-PCR and Western blotting. Similar effects are exerted by other cholesterol-depleting agents (methyl-beta-cyclodextrin and berberine), but not filipin III, indicating that the presence of plasma membrane cholesterol and not lipid rafts is required for rituximab-mediated CDC. Immunofluorescence microscopy using double staining with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) directed against a conformational epitope and a linear cytoplasmic epitope revealed that CD20 is present in the plasma membrane in comparable amounts in control and statin-treated cells. Atomic force microscopy and limited proteolysis indicated that statins, through cholesterol depletion, induce conformational changes in CD20 that result in impaired binding of anti-CD20 mAb. An in vivo reduction of cholesterol induced by short-term treatment of five patients with hypercholesterolemia with atorvastatin resulted in reduced anti-CD20 binding to freshly isolated B cells. CONCLUSIONS: Statins were shown to interfere with both detection of CD20 and antilymphoma activity of rituximab. These studies have significant clinical implications, as impaired binding of mAbs to conformational epitopes of CD20 elicited by statins could delay diagnosis, postpone effective treatment, or impair anti-lymphoma activity of rituximab.

Erythropoietin reduces cisplatin-induced neurotoxicity without impairment of cytotoxic effects against tumor cells.

Cisplatin, a widely used chemotherapeutic is approved for the management of various solid tumors. Administration of cisplatin is associated with induction of significant toxicities that include neurotoxicity and nephrotoxicity, the latter leading to severe and debilitating anemia. Since erythropoietin, a hematopoietic growth factor that corrects chemotherapy-induced anemia, reduces transfusion requirements and seems to improve the patient's quality of life, has been shown to exert cytoprotective effects we decided to investigate its direct influence on cisplatin-induced neurotoxicity against primary cortical neurons isolated from rats. We observed that pre-treatment of neurons with erythropoietin significantly protects these cells from cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity. These effects correlated with amelioration of cisplatin-mediated activation of ERK1/2 kinases and decreased cleavage of caspase 3. Similarly to erythropoietin, a selective ERK1/2 inhibitor significantly reduced cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity against neuronal cells. Importantly, using the same experimental setting we did not observe any protection from cisplatin cytotoxicity against four established tumor cell lines. Altogether our studies confirm that erythropoietin might be an effective cytoprotective agent that reduces cisplatin-induced neurotoxicity.

Cyclosporine A and its non-immunosuppressive derivative NIM811 induce apoptosis of malignant melanoma cells in in vitro and in vivo studies.

Advanced melanoma is a highly malignant tumor with an increasing incidence that has a poor prognosis due to resistance to common therapeutic strategies. We have demonstrated previously that cyclosporine A (CsA) induces apoptosis of rat glioma cells, reactive astrocytes, and fibroblasts. In our present study, we investigated effects of CsA and its nonimmunosuppressive derivative NIM811 on survival of human and murine melanoma cells. We demonstrated that CsA and NIM811 affect survival of human and murine melanoma cells and induce morphological changes, alterations in nuclear morphology and an internucleosomal DNA fragmentation, consistent with an apoptotic type of death. Western blot analysis showed an activation of caspases 9, 7, 3 and PARP cleavage detectable at 24 hr after exposure of human melanoma cells to the drugs. CsA and NIM811 induced a significant increase in subG1 population of murine B16F10 melanoma cells indicative of apoptotic DNA fragmentation. Studies in murine model of melanoma showed that NIM811, but not CsA, retards tumor progression and significantly decreases tumor volume after intratumoral application. Our findings indicate that CsA and its derivatives may be new candidates for the treatment of melanoma patients.