CD8+T cell responsiveness to anti-PD-1 is epigenetically regulated by Suv39h1 in melanomas.

Tumor-infiltrating CD8 + T cells progressively lose functionality and fail to reject tumors. The underlying mechanism and re-programing induced by checkpoint blockers are incompletely understood. We show here that genetic ablation or pharmacological inhibition of histone lysine methyltransferase Suv39h1 delays tumor growth and potentiates tumor rejection by anti-PD-1. In the absence of Suv39h1, anti-PD-1 induces alternative activation pathways allowing survival and differentiation of IFNγ and Granzyme B producing effector cells that express negative checkpoint molecules, but do not reach final exhaustion. Their transcriptional program correlates with that of melanoma patients responding to immune-checkpoint blockade and identifies the emergence of cytolytic-effector tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes as a biomarker of clinical response. Anti-PD-1 favors chromatin opening in loci linked to T-cell activation, memory and pluripotency, but in the absence of Suv39h1, cells acquire accessibility in cytolytic effector loci. Overall, Suv39h1 inhibition enhances anti-tumor immune responses, alone or combined with anti-PD-1, suggesting that Suv39h1 is an "epigenetic checkpoint" for tumor immunity.

Odiparcil, a potential glycosaminoglycans clearance therapy in mucopolysaccharidosis VI-Evidence from in vitro and in vivo models.

Mucopolysaccharidoses are a class of lysosomal storage diseases, characterized by enzymatic deficiency in the degradation of specific glycosaminoglycans (GAG). Pathological accumulation of excess GAG leads to multiple clinical symptoms with systemic character, most severely affecting bones, muscles and connective tissues. Current therapies include periodic intravenous infusion of supplementary recombinant enzyme (Enzyme Replacement Therapy-ERT) or bone marrow transplantation. However, ERT has limited efficacy due to poor penetration in some organs and tissues. Here, we investigated the potential of the ß-D-xyloside derivative odiparcil as an oral GAG clearance therapy for Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome (Mucopolysaccharidosis type VI, MPS VI). In vitro, in bovine aortic endothelial cells, odiparcil stimulated the secretion of sulphated GAG into culture media, mainly of chondroitin sulphate (CS) /dermatan sulphate (DS) type. Efficacy of odiparcil in reducing intracellular GAG content was investigated in skin fibroblasts from MPS VI patients where odiparcil was shown to reduce efficiently the accumulation of intracellular CS with an EC50 in the range of 1 µM. In vivo, in wild type rats, after oral administrations, odiparcil was well distributed, achieving µM concentrations in MPS VI disease-relevant tissues and organs (bone, cartilage, heart and cornea). In MPS VI Arylsulphatase B deficient mice (Arsb-), after chronic oral administration, odiparcil consistently stimulated the urinary excretion of sulphated GAG throughout the treatment period and significantly reduced tissue GAG accumulation in liver and kidney. Furthermore, odiparcil diminished the pathological cartilage thickening observed in trachea and femoral growth plates of MPS VI mice. The therapeutic efficacy of odiparcil was similar in models of early (treatment starting in juvenile, 4 weeks old mice) or established disease (treatment starting in adult, 3 months old mice). Our data demonstrate that odiparcil effectively diverts the synthesis of cellular glycosaminoglycans into secreted soluble species and this effect can be used for reducing cellular and tissue GAG accumulation in MPS VI models. Therefore, our data reveal the potential of odiparcil as an oral GAG clearance therapy for MPS VI patients.

ADX71743, a potent and selective negative allosteric modulator of metabotropic glutamate receptor 7: in vitro and in vivo characterization.

Metabotropic glutamate receptor 7 (mGlu(7)) has been suggested to be a promising novel target for treatment of a range of disorders, including anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, drug abuse, and schizophrenia. Here we characterized a potent and selective mGlu(7) negative allosteric modulator (NAM) (+)-6-(2,4-dimethylphenyl)-2-ethyl-6,7-dihydrobenzo[d]oxazol-4(5H)-one (ADX71743). In vitro, Schild plot analysis and reversibility tests at the target confirmed the NAM properties of the compound and attenuation of L-(+)-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid-induced synaptic depression confirmed activity at the native receptor. The pharmacokinetic analysis of ADX71743 in mice and rats revealed that it is bioavailable after s.c. administration and is brain penetrant (cerebrospinal fluid concentration/total plasma concentration ratio at C(max) = 5.3%). In vivo, ADX71743 (50, 100, 150 mg/kg, s.c.) caused no impairment of locomotor activity in rats and mice or activity on rotarod in mice. ADX71743 had an anxiolytic-like profile in the marble burying and elevated plus maze tests, dose-dependently reducing the number of buried marbles and increasing open arm exploration, respectively. Whereas ADX71743 caused a small reduction in amphetamine-induced hyperactivity in mice, it was inactive in the mouse 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine-induced head twitch and the rat conditioned avoidance response tests. In addition, the compound was inactive in the mouse forced swim test. These data suggest that ADX71743 is a suitable compound to help unravel the physiologic role of mGlu(7) and to better understand its implication in central nervous system diseases. Our in vivo tests using ADX71743, reported here, suggest that pharmacological inhibition of mGlu(7) is a valid approach for developing novel pharmacotherapies to treat anxiety disorders, but may not be suitable for treatment of depression or psychosis.

Docetaxel (Taxotere) is not metabolized by recombinant human CYP1B1 in vitro, but acts as an effector of this isozyme.

The objective of this study was to determine whether recombinant human cytochrome P450 1B1 (rhCYP1B1) metabolizes the anticancer agent docetaxel (Taxotere) in vitro. First, the catalytic activities of Supersomes-expressed rhCYP1B1 toward 17beta-estradiol and of rhCYP3A4 toward docetaxel in our conditions were determined. Second, [(14)C]docetaxel at 0.1 and 1 microM was incubated with rhCYP1B1 in the presence of NADPH up to 60 min. No metabolism of docetaxel was detected. Third, several activators of P450 isoenzymes were added to docetaxel incubations with rhCYP1B1, such as 2-chloro 3-pyridine 3-yl 5,6,7,8-tetrahydroindolizine 1-carboxamide, alpha-naphthoflavone, and organic solvents. Again, no metabolism of docetaxel was detected. As a forth step, 10 incubation factors were tested at two levels each in 16 different combinations, using a fractional factorial statistical experimental design. Docetaxel was not metabolized by rhCYP1B1 under any of the combinations. As a final step, the effect of docetaxel on the rhCYP1B1-mediated 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) activity was studied, to evaluate if docetaxel can bind to CYP1B1. Alpha-Naphthoflavone (1 microM), a CYP1B1 inhibitor, totally inhibited the EROD activity. Docetaxel at 3, 10, and 30 microM did not show major effects on EROD activity. At 100 microM, docetaxel increased EROD activity by 3.8-fold. Additionally, it was shown that 7-epidocetaxel, which is in equilibrium with docetaxel as a minor compound in solutions, was a potent activator of rhCYP1B1, with a >7-fold increase of EROD activity at 10 microM. In conclusion, docetaxel was not metabolized by recombinant human CYP1B1 in vitro, under any of the conditions tested. Docetaxel was shown to bind to recombinant human CYP1B1 and to act as an effector of this enzyme.