In vivo administration of hypomethylating agents mitigate graft-versus-host disease without sacrificing graft-versus-leukemia.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) suppress graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) while preserving a beneficial graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect. Thus, their use in allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) provides a promising strategy to treat GVHD. However, 3 obstacles prevent their routine use in human clinical trials: (1) low circulating number of Tregs in peripheral blood, (2) loss of suppressor function after in vitro expansion, and (3) lack of Treg-specific surface markers necessary for efficient purification. FOXP3 is exclusively expressed in Tregs and forced expression in CD4(+)CD25(-) T cells can convert these non-Tregs into Tregs with functional suppressor function. Here, we show that the FDA-approved hypomethylating agents, decitabine (Dec) and azacitidine (AzaC), induce FOXP3 expression in CD4(+)CD25(-) T cells both in vitro and in vivo. Their suppressor function is dependent on direct contact, partially dependent on perforin 1 (Prf1), but independent of granzyme B (GzmB), and surprisingly, Foxp3. Independence of Foxp3 suggests that genes responsible for the suppressor function are also regulated by DNA methylation. We have identified 48 candidate genes for future studies. Finally, AzaC treatment of mice that received a transplant of major histocompatibility complex mismatched allogeneic bone marrow and T cells mitigates GVHD while preserving GVL by peripheral conversion of alloreactive effector T cells into FOXP3(+) Tregs and epigenetic modulation of genes downstream of Foxp3 required for the suppressor function of Tregs.

Metabolic requirement for GOT2 in pancreatic cancer depends on environmental context.

Mitochondrial glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase 2 (GOT2) is part of the malate-aspartate shuttle, a mechanism by which cells transfer reducing equivalents from the cytosol to the mitochondria. GOT2 is a key component of mutant KRAS (KRAS*)-mediated rewiring of glutamine metabolism in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA). Here, we demonstrate that the loss of GOT2 disturbs redox homeostasis and halts proliferation of PDA cells in vitro. GOT2 knockdown (KD) in PDA cell lines in vitro induced NADH accumulation, decreased Asp and α-ketoglutarate (αKG) production, stalled glycolysis, disrupted the TCA cycle, and impaired proliferation. Oxidizing NADH through chemical or genetic means resolved the redox imbalance induced by GOT2 KD, permitting sustained proliferation. Despite a strong in vitro inhibitory phenotype, loss of GOT2 had no effect on tumor growth in xenograft PDA or autochthonous mouse models. We show that cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), a major component of the pancreatic tumor microenvironment (TME), release the redox active metabolite pyruvate, and culturing GOT2 KD cells in CAF conditioned media (CM) rescued proliferation in vitro. Furthermore, blocking pyruvate import or pyruvate-to-lactate reduction prevented rescue of GOT2 KD in vitro by exogenous pyruvate or CAF CM. However, these interventions failed to sensitize xenografts to GOT2 KD in vivo, demonstrating the remarkable plasticity and differential metabolism deployed by PDA cells in vitro and in vivo. This emphasizes how the environmental context of distinct pre-clinical models impacts both cell-intrinsic metabolic rewiring and metabolic crosstalk with the TME.

Axonal Transport as an In Vivo Biomarker for Retinal Neuropathy.

We illuminate a possible explanatory pathophysiologic mechanism for retinal cellular neuropathy by means of a novel diagnostic method using ophthalmoscopic imaging and a molecular imaging agent targeted to fast axonal transport. The retinal neuropathies are a group of diseases with damage to retinal neural elements. Retinopathies lead to blindness but are typically diagnosed late, when substantial neuronal loss and vision loss have already occurred. We devised a fluorescent imaging agent based on the non-toxic C fragment of tetanus toxin (TTc), which is taken up and transported in neurons using the highly conserved fast axonal transport mechanism. TTc serves as an imaging biomarker for normal axonal transport and demonstrates impairment of axonal transport early in the course of an N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA)-induced excitotoxic retinopathy model in rats. Transport-related imaging findings were dramatically different between normal and retinopathic eyes prior to presumed neuronal cell death. This proof-of-concept study provides justification for future clinical translation.

Independent circadian oscillations of Period1 in specific brain areas in vivo and in vitro.

Behavioral and physiological circadian rhythms in mammals are controlled by a master pacemaker in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN). Recently, circadian oscillations of hormone secretion, clock gene expression, and electrical activity have been demonstrated in explants of other brain regions. This suggests that some extra-SCN brain regions contain a functional, SCN-independent circadian clock, but in vivo evidence for intrinsic pacemaking is still lacking. We developed a novel method to image bioluminescence in vivo from the main olfactory bulbs (OB) of intact and SCN-lesioned (SCNX) Period1::luciferase rats for 2 d in constant darkness. The OBs expressed circadian rhythms in situ with a reliable twofold increase from day to night, similar to the phase and amplitude of ex vivo rhythms. In vivo cycling persisted for at least 1 month in the absence of the SCN. To assess indirectly in vivo rhythmicity of other brain areas, we measured the phase-dependence of their in vitro rhythms on the time of surgery. Surgery reliably reset the phase of the pineal gland and vascular organ of the lamina terminalis (VOLT) harvested from SCNX rats but had little effect on the phase of the OB. We deduce that the SCN and OB contain self-sustained circadian oscillators, whereas the pineal gland and VOLT are weak oscillators that require input from the SCN to show coordinated circadian rhythms. We conclude that the mammalian brain comprises a diverse set of SCN-dependent and SCN-independent circadian oscillators.

The IL-15-Based ALT-803 Complex Enhances FcγRIIIa-Triggered NK Cell Responses and In Vivo Clearance of B Cell Lymphomas.

PURPOSE: Anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) are an important immunotherapy for B-cell lymphoma, and provide evidence that the immune system may be harnessed as an effective lymphoma treatment approach. ALT-803 is a superagonist IL-15 mutant and IL-15Rα-Fc fusion complex that activates the IL-15 receptor constitutively expressed on natural killer (NK) cells. We hypothesized that ALT-803 would enhance anti-CD20 mAb-directed NK-cell responses and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We tested this hypothesis by adding ALT-803 immunostimulation to anti-CD20 mAb triggering of NK cells in vitro and in vivo. Cell lines and primary human lymphoma cells were utilized as targets for primary human NK cells. Two complementary in vivo mouse models were used, which included human NK-cell xenografts in NOD/SCID-γc (-/-) mice. RESULTS: We demonstrate that short-term ALT-803 stimulation significantly increased degranulation, IFNγ production, and ADCC by human NK cells against B-cell lymphoma cell lines or primary follicular lymphoma cells. ALT-803 augmented cytotoxicity and the expression of granzyme B and perforin, providing one potential mechanism for this enhanced functionality. Moreover, in two distinct in vivo B-cell lymphoma models, the addition of ALT-803 to anti-CD20 mAb therapy resulted in significantly reduced tumor cell burden and increased survival. Long-term ALT-803 stimulation of human NK cells induced proliferation and NK-cell subset changes with preserved ADCC. CONCLUSIONS: ALT-803 represents a novel immunostimulatory drug that enhances NK-cell antilymphoma responses in vitro and in vivo, thereby supporting the clinical investigation of ALT-803 plus anti-CD20 mAbs in patients with indolent B-cell lymphoma.

Proteasome inhibitors evoke latent tumor suppression programs in pro-B MLL leukemias through MLL-AF4.

Chromosomal translocations disrupting MLL generate MLL-fusion proteins that induce aggressive leukemias. Unexpectedly, MLL-fusion proteins are rarely observed at high levels, suggesting excessive MLL-fusions may be incompatible with a malignant phenotype. Here, we used clinical proteasome inhibitors, bortezomib and carfilzomib, to reduce the turnover of endogenous MLL-fusions and discovered that accumulated MLL-fusions induce latent, context-dependent tumor suppression programs. Specifically, in MLL pro-B lymphoid, but not myeloid, leukemias, proteasome inhibition triggers apoptosis and cell cycle arrest involving activation cleavage of BID by caspase-8 and upregulation of p27, respectively. Furthermore, proteasome inhibition conferred preliminary benefit to patients with MLL-AF4 leukemia. Hence, feasible strategies to treat cancer-type and oncogene-specific cancers can be improvised through harnessing inherent tumor suppression properties of individual oncogenic fusions.

The extracellular domain of Notch2 increases its cell-surface abundance and ligand responsiveness during kidney development.

Notch2, but not Notch1, plays indispensable roles in kidney organogenesis, and Notch2 haploinsufficiency is associated with Alagille syndrome. We proposed that proximal nephron fates are regulated by a threshold that requires nearly all available free Notch intracellular domains (NICDs) but could not identify the mechanism that explains why Notch2 (N2) is more important than Notch1 (N1). By generating mice that swap their ICDs, we establish that the overall protein concentration, expression domain, or ICD amino acid composition does not account for the differential requirement of these receptors. Instead, we find that the N2 extracellular domain (NECD) increases Notch protein localization to the cell surface during kidney development and is cleaved more efficiently upon ligand binding. This context-specific asymmetry in NICD release efficiency is further enhanced by Fringe. Our results indicate that an elevated N1 surface level could compensate for the loss of N2 signal in specific cell contexts.

A pharmacologic inhibitor of the protease Taspase1 effectively inhibits breast and brain tumor growth.

The threonine endopeptidase Taspase1 has a critical role in cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis. In this study, we developed and evaluated small molecule inhibitors of Taspase1 as a new candidate class of therapeutic modalities. Genetic deletion of Taspase1 in the mouse produced no overt deficiencies, suggesting the possibility of a wide therapeutic index for use of Taspase1 inhibitors in cancers. We defined the peptidyl motifs recognized by Taspase1 and conducted a cell-based dual-fluorescent proteolytic screen of the National Cancer Institute diversity library to identify Taspase1 inhibitors (TASPIN). On the basis of secondary and tertiary screens the 4-[(4-arsonophenyl)methyl]phenyl] arsonic acid NSC48300 was determined to be the most specific active compound. Structure-activity relationship studies indicated a crucial role for the arsenic acid moiety in mediating Taspase1 inhibition. Additional fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based kinetic analysis characterized NSC48300 as a reversible, noncompetitive inhibitor of Taspase1 (K(i) = 4.22 µmol/L). In the MMTV-neu mouse model of breast cancer and the U251 xenograft model of brain cancer, NSC48300 produced effective tumor growth inhibition. Our results offer an initial preclinical proof-of-concept to develop TASPINs for cancer therapy.

Notch1 loss of heterozygosity causes vascular tumors and lethal hemorrhage in mice.

The role of the Notch signaling pathway in tumor development is complex, with Notch1 functioning either as an oncogene or as a tumor suppressor in a context-dependent manner. To further define the role of Notch1 in tumor development, we systematically surveyed for tumor suppressor activity of Notch1 in vivo. We combined the previously described Notch1 intramembrane proteolysis-Cre (Nip1::Cre) allele with a floxed Notch1 allele to create a mouse model for sporadic, low-frequency loss of Notch1 heterozygosity. Through this approach, we determined the cell types most affected by Notch1 loss. We report that the loss of Notch1 caused widespread vascular tumors and organism lethality secondary to massive hemorrhage. These findings reflected a cell-autonomous role for Notch1 in suppressing neoplasia in the vascular system and provide a model by which to explore the mechanism of neoplastic transformation of endothelial cells. Importantly, these results raise concerns regarding the safety of chronic application of drugs targeting the Notch pathway, specifically those targeting Notch1, because of mechanism-based toxicity in the endothelium. Our strategy also can be broadly applied to induce sporadic in vivo loss of heterozygosity of any conditional alleles in progenitors that experience Notch1 activation.

Bioluminescent imaging reveals divergent viral pathogenesis in two strains of Stat1-deficient mice, and in αßγ interferon receptor-deficient mice.

Pivotal components of the IFN response to virus infection include the IFN receptors (IFNR), and the downstream factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (Stat1). Mice deficient for Stat1 and IFNR (Stat1(-/-) and IFNαßγR(-/-) mice) lack responsiveness to IFN and exhibit high sensitivity to various pathogens. Here we examined herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) pathogenesis in Stat1(-/-) mice and in IFNαßγR(-/-) mice following corneal infection and bioluminescent imaging. Two divergent and paradoxical patterns of infection were observed. Mice with an N-terminal deletion in Stat1 (129Stat1(-/-) (N-term)) had transient infection of the liver and spleen, but succumbed to encephalitis by day 10 post-infection. In stark contrast, infection of IFNαßγR(-/-) mice was rapidly fatal, with associated viremia and fulminant infection of the liver and spleen, with infected infiltrating cells being primarily of the monocyte/macrophage lineage. To resolve the surprising difference between Stat1(-/-) and IFNαßγR(-/-) mice, we infected an additional Stat1(-/-) strain deleted in the DNA-binding domain (129Stat1(-/-) (DBD)). These 129Stat1(-/-) (DBD) mice recapitulated the lethal pattern of liver and spleen infection seen following infection of IFNαßγR(-/-) mice. This lethal pattern was also observed when 129Stat1(-/-) (N-term) mice were infected and treated with a Type I IFN-blocking antibody, and immune cells derived from 129Stat1(-/-) (N-term) mice were shown to be responsive to Type I IFN. These data therefore show significant differences in viral pathogenesis between two commonly-used Stat1(-/-) mouse strains. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that Stat1(-/-) (N-term) mice have residual Type I IFN receptor-dependent IFN responses. Complete loss of IFN signaling pathways allows viremia and rapid viral spread with a fatal infection of the liver. This study underscores the importance of careful comparisons between knockout mouse strains in viral pathogenesis, and may also be relevant to the causation of HSV hepatitis in humans, a rare but frequently fatal infection.

The neurofibromatosis type 1 tumor suppressor controls cell growth by regulating signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 activity in vitro and in vivo.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a common cancer predisposition syndrome in which affected individuals develop benign and malignant nerve tumors. The NF1 gene product neurofibromin negatively regulates Ras and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling, prompting clinical trials to evaluate the ability of Ras and mTOR pathway inhibitors to arrest NF1-associated tumor growth. To discover other downstream targets of neurofibromin, we performed an unbiased cell-based high-throughput chemical library screen using NF1-deficient malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) cells. We identified the natural product, cucurbitacin-I (JSI-124), which inhibited NF1-deficient cell growth by inducing apoptosis. We further showed that signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3), the target of cucurbitacin-I inhibition, was hyperactivated in NF1-deficient primary astrocytes and neural stem cells, mouse glioma cells, and human MPNST cells through Ser(727) phosphorylation, leading to increased cyclin D1 expression. STAT3 was regulated in NF1-deficient cells of murine and human origin in a TORC1- and Rac1-dependent manner. Finally, cucurbitacin-I inhibited the growth of NF1-deficient MPNST cells in vivo. In summary, we used a chemical genetics approach to reveal STAT3 as a novel neurofibromin/mTOR pathway signaling molecule, define its action and regulation, and establish STAT3 as a tractable target for future NF1-associated cancer therapy studies.

Granzyme B and perforin are important for regulatory T cell-mediated suppression of tumor clearance.

Granzyme B is important for the ability of NK cells and CD8(+) T cells to kill their targets. However, we showed here that granzyme B-deficient mice clear both allogeneic and syngeneic tumor cell lines more efficiently than do wild-type (WT) mice. To determine whether regulatory T (Treg) cells utilize granzyme B to suppress immune responses against these tumors, we examined the expression and function of granzyme B in Treg cells. Granzyme B was not expressed in naive Treg cells but was highly expressed in 5%-30% of CD4(+)Foxp3(+) Treg cells in the tumor environment. Adoptive transfer of WT Treg cells, but not granzyme B- or perforin-deficient Treg cells, into granzyme B-deficient mice partially restored susceptibility to tumor growth; Treg cells derived from the tumor environment could induce NK and CD8(+) T cell death in a granzyme B- and perforin-dependent fashion. Granzyme B and perforin are therefore relevant for Treg cell-mediated suppression of tumor clearance in vivo.

Imaging multidrug resistance P-glycoprotein transport function using microPET with technetium-94m-sestamibi.

The best characterized mechanism of multidrug resistance (MDR) in cancer involves the MDR1 efflux transporter P-glycoprotein (Pgp). The positron-emitting radiotracer hexakis(2-methoxyisobutylisonitrile)-(94m)Tc ((94m)Tc-MIBI) was synthesized and validated in cell transport studies as a substrate for MDR1 Pgp. In vivo small-scale PET imaging and biodistribution studies of mdr1a/1b (-/-) gene deleted and wild-type mice demonstrated the use of (94m)Tc-MIBI to detect Pgp function. The reversal effect of a Pgp modulator was shown in tissue distribution studies of KB 3-1 (Pgp-) and KB 8-5 (Pgp+) tumor-bearing nude mice. The current (94m)Tc-MIBI experiments parallel previous studies employing (99m)Tc-MIBI, showing essentially identical performance of the two technetium radiotracers and providing biological validation of (94m)Tc-MIBI for PET imaging of multidrug resistance.

Meeting report: high-throughput technologies for in vivo imaging agents.

Combinatorial chemistry and high-throughput screening have become standard tools for discovering new drug candidates with suitable pharmacological properties. Now, those same technologies are starting to be applied to the problem of discovering novel in vivo imaging agents. Important differences in the biological and pharmacological properties needed for imaging agents, compared to those for a therapeutic agent, require new screening methods that emphasize those characteristics, such as optimized residence time and tissue specificity, that make for a good imaging agent candidate.