A universal tool for stability predictions of biotherapeutics, vaccines and in vitro diagnostic products.

It is of particular interest for biopharmaceutical companies developing and distributing fragile biomolecules to warrant the stability and activity of their products during long-term storage and shipment. In accordance with quality by design principles, advanced kinetic modeling (AKM) has been successfully used to predict long-term product shelf-life and relies on data from short-term accelerated stability studies that are used to generate Arrhenius-based kinetic models that can, in turn, be exploited for stability forecasts. The AKM methodology was evaluated through a cross-company perspective on stability modeling for key stability indicating attributes of different types of biotherapeutics, vaccines and biomolecules combined in in vitro diagnostic kits. It is demonstrated that stability predictions up to 3 years for products maintained under recommended storage conditions (2-8 °C) or for products that have experienced temperature excursions outside the cold-chain show excellent agreement with experimental real-time data, thus confirming AKM as a universal and reliable tool for stability predictions for a wide range of product types.

Isolation and characterisation of cancer stem cells from canine osteosarcoma.

There is increasing evidence that cancer is a stem cell disease. This study sought to isolate and characterise cancer stem cells from canine osteosarcoma. One human and three canine cell lines were cultured in non-adherent culture conditions using serum-starved, semi-solid media. Primitive sarcosphere colonies from all cell lines were identified under these conditions and were characterised using molecular and cytochemical techniques for embryonic stem cell markers. Expression of the embryonic stem cell-associated genes Nanog, Oct4 and STAT3 indicated a primitive phenotype. Sarcospheres could be reproduced consistently when passaged multiple times and produced adherent cell cultures when returned to normal growth conditions. Similarities between human and canine osteosarcoma cell lines add credence to the potential of the dog as a model for human disease.

Neurokinin-1 receptor expression and antagonism by the NK-1R antagonist maropitant in canine melanoma cell lines and primary tumour tissues.

We interrogated the neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R)/substance P (SP) pathway in canine melanoma tumour tissues and cell lines. NK-1R messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression were observed in the majority of tumour tissues. Immunohistochemical assessment of archived tissue sections revealed NK-1R immunoreactivity in 11 of 15 tumours, which may have diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic utility. However, we were unable to identify a preclinical in vitro cell line or in vivo xenograft model that recapitulates NK-1R mRNA and protein expression documented in primary tumours. While maropitant inhibited proliferation and enhanced apoptosis in cell lines, in the absence of documented NK-1R expression, this may represent off-target effects. Furthermore, maropitant failed to suppress tumour growth in a canine mouse xenograft model derived from a cell line expressing mRNA but not protein. While NK-1R represents a novel target, in the absence of preclinical models, in-species clinical trials will be necessary to investigate the therapeutic potential for antagonists such as maropitant.

Novel acyclic nucleotide analogues GS-343074 and GS-424044 demonstrate antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic activity in canine neoplastic cell lines.

GS-9219, a novel prodrug of the nucleotide analogue 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl) guanine (PMEG) has significant activity as monotherapy in dogs with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Phase I trials have been initiated in humans based on the encouraging activity observed in canine lymphoma. Two new analogues of GS-9219 (GS-343074 and GS-424044) were recently produced for evaluation as potential novel antineoplastic agents against solid tumours. As a preclinical step, effect of GS-343074 and GS-424044 were evaluated against ten canine cancer cell lines for antiproliferative effect. Both analogues displayed antiproliferative activity against multiple canine cancer cell lines, although GS-343074 was more potent and of broader spectrum compared to GS-424044. Flow cytometric analysis of cells that experienced growth inhibition support apoptotic death as a mechanism of action for both analogues. On the basis of in vitro results described here, GS-343074 and GS-424044 show promise as novel anticancer agents in canine cancer.

Canine osteosarcoma cell lines from patients with differing serum alkaline phosphatase concentrations display no behavioural differences in vitro.

Osteosarcoma is an aggressive malignancy and represents the most frequent primary bone malignancy of dogs and humans. Prognostic factors reported for osteosarcoma include tumour size, presence of metastatic disease and serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) concentration at the time of diagnosis. To date, there have been no studies to determine whether the behaviour of osteosarcoma cells differ based on serum ALP concentration. Here, we report on the generation of six canine osteosarcoma cell lines from osteosarcoma-bearing dogs with differences in serum ALP concentration. To determine whether in vitro behaviour differs between primary osteosarcoma cell lines generated from patients with normal or increased serum ALP, assays were performed to evaluate proliferation, migration, invasion and chemosensitivity. There were no significant differences in cell proliferation, migration, invasion or chemosensitivity between cell lines associated with normal or increased serum ALP concentration.

Characterization of ß-catenin expression in canine osteosarcoma.

Osteosarcoma (OSA) is the most frequently occurring malignant primary bone tumour in dogs and children and arises from cells of the osteoblast lineage. Inappropriate Wnt signalling activity has been implicated in human OSA. Altered expression of ß-catenin, an integral member of the Wnt signalling pathway, has been associated with numerous human cancers, including OSA. In this study, 30 of the 37 primary canine OSA tissues and 2 of the 3 metastatic OSAs were positive for ß-catenin expression as determined by immunohistochemistry, whereas 2 normal bones stained negative for ß-catenin. No mutations were identified in exon 3 of ß-catenin in the three OSA cases in which DNA sequencing was performed. Finally, there was no relationship between ß-catenin expression and overall survival time or disease-free interval. Our results indicate ß-catenin is frequently expressed within the cytoplasm of neoplastic cells in canine OSA but contains no detectable mutations in exon 3, similar to human OSA.

Human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor DNA cationic-lipid complexed autologous tumour cell vaccination in the treatment of canine B-cell multicentric lymphoma.

This study describes the development of an human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor DNA cationic-lipid complexed autologous tumour cell vaccine (hGM-CSF CLDC ATCV) and its implementation, following a chemotherapy treatment protocol, in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded clinical trial in pet dogs with naturally occurring lymphoma. We hypothesized that the use of this vaccine would result in an antitumour immune response leading to improved first remission duration and overall survival in dogs with B-cell lymphoma when compared with chemotherapy alone. Immune stimulation generated by hGM-CSF CLDC ATCV was assessed by means of surrogate in vivo analysis (delayed-type hypersensitivity [DTH]) as well as an ex vivo cellular assay (lymphocyte proliferation assay). The vaccine approach considered in the current report did not result in clinically improved outcomes. A small measure of immunomodulation was documented by DTH and several modifications to the approach are suggested. This report illustrates the feasibility of clinical trials with vaccine strategies using companion animals with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Development of an allogeneic whole-cell tumor vaccine expressing xenogeneic gp100 and its implementation in a phase II clinical trial in canine patients with malignant melanoma.

A xenogeneic melanoma-antigen-enhanced allogeneic tumor cell vaccine (ATCV) is an appealing strategy for anti-cancer immunotherapy due to its relative ease of production, and the theoretical possibility that presentation of a multiplex of antigens along with a xenogeneic antigen would result in cross-reaction between the xenogeneic homologs and self-molecules, breaking tolerance and ultimately resulting in a clinically relevant immune response. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of such a strategy using a xenogeneic melanoma differentiation antigen, human glycoprotein 100 (hgp100) in the context of a phase II clinical trial utilizing spontaneously arising melanoma in pet dogs. Our results demonstrate that the approach was well tolerated and resulted in an overall response rate (complete and partial response) of 17% and a tumor control rate (complete and partial response and stable disease of >6 weeks duration) of 35%. Dogs that had evidence of tumor control had significantly longer survival times than dogs that did not experience control. Delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) to 17CM98 canine melanoma cells used in the whole cell vaccine was enhanced by ATCV and correlated with clinical response. In vitro cytotoxicity was enhanced by ATCV, but did not correlate with clinical response. Additionally, anti-hgp100 antibodies were elicited in response to ATCV in the majority of patients tested; however, this also did not correlate with clinical response. This approach, along with further elucidation of the mechanisms of tumor protection after xenogeneic immunization, may allow the development of more rational vaccines. This trial also further demonstrates the utility of spontaneous tumors in companion animals as a valid translational model for the evaluation of novel vaccine therapies.

The bisphosphonates alendronate and zoledronate are inhibitors of canine and human osteosarcoma cell growth in vitro.

Bisphosphonates (BPs) are a class of non-hydrolysable analogues of pyrophosphate that have high affinity for bone mineral and are inhibitors of bone resorption. The in vitro effects of two nitrogen-containing BPs, alendronate (ALE) and zoledronate (ZOL), on growth, induction of apoptosis and effects on cell-cycle distribution in two canine and two human osteosarcoma (OSA) cell lines are investigated here. Both significantly (P < 0.001) reduced cell growth in all cell lines, as assessed by a colorimetric assay with IC(50) values in the range of 7.3-61.4 microM and 7.9-36.3 microM for ALE and ZOL, respectively. Both BPs caused a significant (P < 0.001) dose-dependent increase in the proportion of cells undergoing apoptosis, as assessed both by cell-cycle analysis and by annexin-V binding. Both ALE and ZOL altered the proportion of cells in each phase of the cell cycle, but the extent and proportion was both drug and cell line dependent. These data indicate that the nitrogen-containing BPs have direct anti-tumour activity against canine and human OSA cells.