Continuous administration of endostatin by intraperitoneally implanted osmotic pump improves the efficacy and potency of therapy in a mouse xenograft tumor model.

In the first Phase I clinical trials of endostatin as an antiangiogenic therapy for cancer, the protein was administered as an i.v. bolus for approximately 20-30 min each day. This protocol was based on experimental studies in which animals were treated by s.c. bolus once a day. However, it was not clear in the previous studies whether this schedule could be maximized further. Therefore, we developed experimental models involving continuous administration of endostatin to determine the potency and efficacy of this approach. Endostatin was administered to tumor-bearing mice either s.c. or i.p. in single bolus doses. The efficacy of these regimens was compared with endostatin administered continuously via an i.p. implanted mini-osmotic pump. Our results show that endostatin remains stable and active in mini-osmotic pumps for at least 7 days. We show that endostatin injected i.p. is rapidly cleared within 2 h, whereas endostatin administered continuously via mini-osmotic pump maintains systemic concentrations of 200-300 ng/ml for the duration of administration. Furthermore, continuous i.p. administration of endostatin results in more effective tumor suppression at significantly reduced doses (5-fold), compared with bolus administration. Additional experiments using a human pancreatic cancer model in severe combined immunodeficient mice showed that there was a significant decrease in the microvessel density between the treatment groups and the control group. These data show that continuous administration of human endostatin results in sustained systemic concentrations of the protein leading to: (a) increased efficacy manifested as increased tumor regression; and (b) an 8-10-fold decrease in the dose required to achieve the same antitumor effect as the single daily bolus administration of endostatin. On the basis of this approach, an additional clinical trial has been designed and initiated and is under way in two countries.

Potential mechanisms for the regulation of growth factor binding by heparin.

Heparin and heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG) bind many soluble growth factors and this binding is now recognized as an important mechanism for modulation of cell activity. Fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) is one of the best characterized of the heparin-binding growth factors and it has been shown experimentally that heparin regulation of FGF-2 activity is dependent on the level of cell HSPG and the concentration of heparin. In this paper, we explore, using mathematical modeling, proposed mechanisms for heparin regulation and determine how they impact FGF receptor binding. We demonstrate that the experimentally observed receptor binding phenomena can be reproduced if cells (1) express heparin-binding cell surface molecules and if either (2) these heparin binding sites are FGFR and bind heparin and FGF-2-heparin complexes or (3) are surface molecules able to bind FGF-2 and couple with FGF-2 receptors to form high-affinity FGF-2-bound surface complexes. The ability of heparin to directly interact with the FGFR and bind FGF-2 in the absence of this coupling function was not sufficient to explain heparin activity. These findings have implications with regard to regulation of heparin-binding growth factors and could help guide the development of highly specific growth regulatory molecules through specific regulation by heparin and HSPG.

Potentiation and inhibition of bFGF binding by heparin: a model for regulation of cellular response.

Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) binds to cell surface tyrosine kinase receptor proteins and to heparan sulfate proteoglycans. The interaction of bFGF with heparan sulfate on the cell surface has been demonstrated to impact receptor binding and biological activity. bFGF receptor binding affinity is reduced on cells that do not express heparan sulfate. The addition of soluble heparin or heparan sulfate has been demonstrated to rescue the bFGF receptor binding affinity on heparan sulfate deficient cells yet has also been shown to inhibit binding under some conditions. While the chemical requirements of the heparin-bFGF-receptor interactions have been studied in detail, the possibility that heparin enhances bFGF binding in part by physically associating with the cell surface has not been fully evaluated. In the study presented here, we have investigated the possibility that heparin binding to the cell surface might play a role in modulating bFGF receptor binding and activity. Balb/c3T3 cells were treated with various concentrations of sodium chlorate, so as to express a range of endogenous heparan sulfate sites, and [(125)I]bFGF binding was assessed in the presence of a range of heparin concentrations. Low concentrations of heparin (0.1-30 nM) enhanced bFGF receptor binding to an extent that was inversely proportional to the amount of endogenous heparan sulfate sites present. At high concentrations (10 microM), heparin inhibited bFGF receptor binding in cells under all conditions. The ability of heparin to stimulate and inhibit bFGF-receptor binding correlated with altered bFGF-stimulated tyrosine kinase activity and cell proliferation. Under control and chlorate-treated conditions, [(125) I]heparin was observed to bind with a high affinity to a large number of binding sites on the cells (K(d) = 57 and 50 nM with 3.5 x 10(6) and 3.6 x 10(6) sites/cell for control and chlorate-treated cells, respectively). A mathematical model of this process revealed that the dual functions of heparin in bFGF binding were accurately represented by heparin cell binding-mediated stimulation and soluble heparin-mediated inhibition of bFGF receptor binding.

Recovery of mouse endostatin produced by Pichia pastoris using expanded bed adsorption.

Endostatin, a 20 KDa fragment of collagen XVIII, was shown to have an inhibitory effect on angiogenesis and can potentially be used as a tumor growth suppressor. To obtain the amount needed for testing, the protein was successfully cloned and expressed in Pichia pastoris. At the end of the fermentation process, the concentration of the endostatin in the culture was 50 mg per liter, accompanied by 400 gr per liter (wet weight) of biomass. Before the protein can be captured and purified on a packed bed of heparin-Sepharose, the biomass must be removed. Because of the high biomass concentration, conventional biomass removal techniques like centrifugation or filtration are inefficient and cumbersome. Therefore, the expanded-bed adsorption technique was chosen as an alternative approach. An efficient procedure for the initial recovery and purification of the endostatin was developed. The process utilized a cation- exchanger resin instead of a heparin-based affinity resin, because its dynamic capacity was higher, even though it was affected by the high linear flow on the expanded bed. After adjusting the conductivity, pH and biomass concentration, the complete broth was pumped directly on the expanded-bed matrix (Streamline SP XL). Though the yields of protein are similar, the expanded-bed approach is superior to the packed-bed method for several reasons. The expanded-bed process was shorter (only 8 hours compared to 16 hours for the packed bed), it is cheaper, and the product has higher specific activity (29% compared with 18%). Endostatin produced by the expanded-bed adsorption method showed the expected bioactivity and is currently being tested for its potential as a tumor suppressor.

Gene expression in normal and disease states--identification of therapeutic targets.

Analysis of gene-expression patterns derived from large expressed sequence tag (EST) databases has become a valuable tool in the discovery of therapeutic targets and diagnostic markers. Sequence data derived from a wide variety of cDNA libraries offer a wealth of information for identifying genes for pharmaceutical product development. Collecting, storing, organizing, analyzing and presenting cDNA expression data requires advanced bioinformatics methods and high-performance computational equipment. Comparison of expression patterns from normal and disease tissues enables inferences about gene function to be made, and medically relevant genes as candidates for therapeutics research and development programs to be identified.

Basic fibroblast growth factor binds its receptors, is internalized, and stimulates DNA synthesis in Balb/c3T3 cells in the absence of heparan sulfate.

We have investigated the interaction of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) with its receptors and heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG). It has been suggested that in the absence of HSPG, cells are not able to bind bFGF or respond to treatment with bFGF. In our studies, Balb/c3T3 fibroblasts were treated with 50 mM sodium chlorate to completely inhibit (99%) sulfation of proteoglycans. We found that bFGF was able to bind, be internalized, and stimulate DNA synthesis in the absence of HSPG in a dose-dependent manner. bFGF bound to its receptors on chlorate-treated cells with a lower apparent affinity and no change in receptor number. To determine if this decreased affinity bFGF-receptor interaction is functional, we quantitatively analyzed bFGF internalization and stimulation of DNA synthesis in control and chlorate-treated cells. Endocytotic rate constants (ke) for chlorate-treated and control cells were ke = 0. 078 +/- 0.022 min-1 and ke = 0.043 +/- 0.012 min-1, respectively, suggesting that the process of bFGF internalization is not dramatically altered by HSPG. bFGF stimulated DNA synthesis to the same maximal level under both conditions, but chlorate-treated cells were significantly less responsive at low bFGF doses (approximately 10-fold increase in ED50). The differences observed for control and chlorate-treated cells in the dose-response curves for stimulation of DNA synthesis and receptor binding correlated directly, suggesting that receptors are equally capable of eliciting a mitogenic signal under both conditions. It is unlikely that these results are due to residual HSPG since heparinase (I and III) digestion of chlorate-treated cells had little effect. Although the presence of HSPG on the cell surface increases the affinity of bFGF for its receptors, our observations suggest that HSPG are not "absolutely" required for binding, internalization, or stimulation of mitogenic activity.

Development of professional competence via self-instructional units.

In recent years, self-instructional teaching methods have come under criticism from educators, much of it warranted. But when self-instructional materials are written by experienced educators who teach the topic and are developed within a versatile process using a proven format, they are extremely valuable teaching aids. We discuss here the results of a grant project funded by W. K. Kellogg Foundation and describe the process used at Kettering Medical Center's School of Medical Technology to develop and produce over 100 self-instructional units. We also discuss potential uses of self-instructional units in professional continuing education programs and suggest ways self-instructional units might be used to promote interdisciplinary health care and expansion of professional knowledge banks. This project confirmed that professions can create their own educational materials through the independent efforts of their members.