Lessons Learned: Transfer of the High-Definition Circulating Tumor Cell Assay Platform to Development as a Commercialized Clinical Assay Platform.

Planning and transfer of a new technology platform developed in an academic setting to a start-up company for medical diagnostic product development may appear daunting and costly in terms of complexity, time, and resources. In this review we outline the key steps taken and lessons learned when a technology platform developed in an academic setting was transferred to a start-up company for medical diagnostic product development in the interest of elucidating development toolkits for academic groups and small start-up companies starting on the path to commercialization and regulatory approval.

NO is necessary and sufficient for egg activation at fertilization.

The early steps that lead to the rise in calcium and egg activation at fertilization are unknown but of great interest--particularly with the advent of in vitro fertilization techniques for treating male infertility and whole-animal cloning by nuclear transfer. This calcium rise is required for egg activation and the subsequent events of development in eggs of all species. Injection of intact sperm or sperm extracts can activate eggs, suggesting that sperm-derived factors may be involved. Here we show that nitric oxide synthase is present at high concentration and active in sperm after activation by the acrosome reaction. An increase in nitrosation within eggs is evident seconds after insemination and precedes the calcium pulse of fertilization. Microinjection of nitric oxide donors or recombinant nitric oxide synthase recapitulates events of egg activation, whereas prior injection of oxyhaemoglobin, a physiological nitric oxide scavenger, prevents egg activation after fertilization. We conclude that nitric oxide synthase and nitric-oxide-related bioactivity satisfy the primary criteria of an egg activator: they are present in an appropriate place, active at an appropriate time, and are necessary and sufficient for successful fertilization.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha mediates both apoptotic cell death and cell proliferation in a human hematopoietic cell line dependent on mitotic activity and receptor subtype expression.

The TF-1 human erythroleukemic cell line exhibits opposing physiological responses toward tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) treatment, dependent upon the mitotic state of the cells. Mitotically active cells in log growth respond to TNF by rapidly undergoing apoptosis whereas TNF exposure stimulates cellular proliferation in mitotically quiescent cells. The concentration-dependent TNF-induced apoptosis was monitored by cellular metabolic activity and confirmed by both DNA epifluorescence and DNA fragmentation. Moreover, these responses could be detected by measuring extracellular acidification activity, enabling rapid prediction (within approximately 1.5 h of TNF treatment) of the fate of the cell in response to TNF. Growth factor resupplementation of quiescent cells, resulting in reactivation of cell cycling, altered TNF action from a proliferative stimulus to an apoptotic signal. Expression levels of the type II TNF receptor subtype (p75TNFR) were found to correlate with sensitivity to TNF-induced apoptosis. Pretreatment of log growth TF-1 cells with a neutralizing anti-p75TNFR monoclonal antibody inhibited TNF-induced apoptosis by greater than 80%. Studies utilizing TNF receptor subtype-specific TNF mutants and neutralizing antisera implicated p75TNFR in TNF-dependent apoptotic signaling. These data show a bifunctional physiological role for TNF in TF-1 cells that is dependent on mitotic activity and controlled by the p75TNFR.

Duration and magnitude of nerve growth factor signaling depend on the ratio of p75LNTR to TrkA.

The role of the low affinity neurotrophin receptor p75LNTR in neurotrophin signal transduction remains open. Recent reports show that this receptor generates intracellular signals independent of Trk activity, and others imply that it collaborates with Trk(s) to enhance cellular responses to low neurotrophin concentrations. We have used the Cytosensor microphysiometer as a direct marker of intracellular metabolic activity to address the physiologic role of p75LNTR in nerve growth factor (NGF) signal transduction. NGF treatment of PC12 or TrkA-transfected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells results in a rapid, transient increase in the extracellular acidification rate as measured by the Cytosensor; in both cell types, p75LNTR enhances this response. p75LNTR affects both the magnitude of and the duration of the extracellular acidification response to NGF. Moreover, it is not merely the presence of p75LNTR, but also the ratio of p75LNTR:TrkA which determines cellular responsiveness to NGF. In transiently transfected CHO cells, a 5:1 ratio of p75LNTR:trkA cDNAs produced the greatest change in NGF-induced acid secretion. Pretreatment of PC12 cells with anti-p75LNTR antibodies decreased the responsiveness to NGF. However, long-term NGF exposure to PC12 cells in which p75LNTR expression was decreased to approximately 10% of wild-type levels showed a longer duration of acid secretion compared to wild-type PC12 cells. Together, these data suggest that p75LNTR may play a dual role in modulating NGF signal transduction by enhancing and extending cellular responses to short-term ligand exposures while attenuating the metabolic response to long-term ligand exposures. With regard to potential Trk-independent p75LNTR signal transduction mechanisms, we detected no change in extracellular acidification response in 75LNTR-transfected CHO cells, PCNA-15 fibroblasts, or Schwann cells, all of which express large amounts of p75LNTR and no Trk. Thus, p75LNTR cannot produce any signal detected by microphysiometry in the absence of TrkA.

Signal transduction mediated by the truncated trkB receptor isoforms, trkB.T1 and trkB.T2.

The trkB family of transmembrane proteins serves as receptors for BDNF and NT-4/5. The family is composed of a tyrosine kinase-containing isoform as well as several alternatively spliced "truncated receptors" with identical extracellular ligand-binding domains but very small intracellular domains. The two best-characterized truncated trkB receptors, designated as trkB.T1 and trkB.T2, contain intracellular domains of only 23 and 21 amino acids, respectively. Although it is known that the tyrosine kinase isoform (trkB.FL) is capable of initiating BDNF and NT-4/5-induced signal transduction, the functional role or roles of the truncated receptors remain enigmatic. At the same time, the potential importance of the truncated receptors in the development, maintenance, and regeneration of the nervous system has been highlighted by recent developmental and injury paradigm investigations. Here we have used trkB cDNA transfected cell lines to demonstrate that both trkB.T1 and trkB.T2 are capable of mediating BDNF-induced signal transduction. More specifically, BDNF activation of either trkB.T1 or trkB.T2 increases the rate of acidic metabolite release from the cell, a common physiological consequence of many signaling pathways. Further, these trkB.T1- and trkB. T2-mediated changes occur with kinetics distinct from changes mediated by trkB.FL, suggesting the participation of at least some unique rate-limiting component or components. Mutational analysis demonstrates that the isoform-specific sequences within the intracellular domains of each receptor are essential for signaling capability. Finally, inhibitor studies suggest that kinases are likely to be involved in the trkB.T1 and trkB.T2 signaling pathways.

Strategy and planning for chemopreventive drug development: clinical development plans II.

This is the second publication of Clinical Development Plans from the National Cancer Institute, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Chemoprevention Branch and Agent Development Committee. The Clinical Development Plans summarize the status of promising chemopreventive agents regarding evidence for safety and chemopreventive efficacy in preclinical and clinical studies. They also contain the strategy for further development of these drugs, addressing pharmacodynamics, drug effect measurements, intermediate biomarkers for monitoring efficacy, toxicity, supply and formulation, regulatory approval, and proposed clinical trials. Sixteen new Clinical Development Plans are presented here: curcumin, dehydroepiandrosterone, folic acid, genistein, indole-3-carbinol, perillyl alcohol, phenethyl isothiocyanate, 9-cis-retinoic acid, 13-cis-retinoic acid, l-selenomethionine and 1, 4-phenylenebis(methylene)selenocyanate, sulindac sulfone, tea, ursodiol, vitamin A, and (+)-vorozole. The objective of publishing these plans is to stimulate interest and thinking among the scientific community on the prospects for developing these and future generations of chemopreventive drugs.

Microfabrication in silicon microphysiometry.

Over the past 5 years, microphysiometry has proved an effective means for detecting physiological changes in cultured cells, particularly as a functional assay for the activation of many cellular receptors. To demonstrate the clinical relevance of this method, we have used it to detect bacterial antibiotic sensitivity and to discriminate between bacteriostatic and bacteriocidal concentrations. The light-addressable potentiometric sensor, upon which microphysiometry is based, is well suited for structural manipulations based on photolithography and micromachining, and we have begun to take advantage of this capability. We present results from a research instrument with eight separate assay channels on a 5-cm2 chip. We discuss the planned evolution of the technology toward high-through-put instruments and instruments capable of performing single-cell measurements.

Using microphysiometry to study the pharmacology of exogenously expressed m1 and m3 muscarinic receptors.

The microphysiometer, an instrument that uses a semiconductor-based sensor to monitor cellular metabolic activity, has been shown to detect the activation of a variety of receptors in living cells, largely irrespective of the signal-transduction mechanism. Using the Cytosensor Microphysiometer, we have studied agonist concentration responses for the activation of CHO-K1 cell lines exogenously expressing rat m1 or m3 receptors. Three levels of receptor expression were investigated for each subtype. Carbachol is more potent for m3 than m1 receptors (0.5 to 1.0 log unit lower EC50); for both, potency correlates positively with receptor density. The results agree well with those obtained by measuring phosphoinositide hydrolysis and intracellular [CA++] in the same cells. We also determined that two subtype-selective antagonists, pirenzepine (for m1) and p-fluoro-hexahydrosila-difenidol (for m3) displayed appropriate differential ability to shift carbachol concentration-response curves in the microphysiometer. This study provides additional evidence that pharmacological results obtained by microphysiometry are consistent with those obtained by more conventional functional assays.

A metabolic view of receptor activation in cultured cells following cryopreservation.

The effect of cryopreservation on agonist-induced receptor activation in mammalian cells was investigated with the Cytosensor microphysiometer, a biosensor that monitors cellular metabolic activity by measuring changes in extracellular pH. In this study, two different cell types--nonadherent TF-1 cells (from a human erythroleukemia patient) and adherent WT3 cells (CHO-K1 cells transfected with the m1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor)--were cryopreserved by freezing in a disposable cell capsule used in the microphysiometer. The recovery of metabolic activity by TF-1 cells was observed over approximately 1 h following thawing. Responses of the TF-1 cells to granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and platelet activating factor (PAF) were measured before cryopreservation and 90 min after thawing. The GM-CSF and PAF responses retained 71 +/- 14% and 73 +/- 10% of maximum stimulation, respectively. Post-thaw cholinergic stimulation of WT3 cells was 73 +/- 9% of its level in similarly treated but unfrozen cells. Cryopreservation caused no detectable difference in desensitization of the response due to repeated application of carbachol. These results demonstrate the feasibility of pharmacological studies with cryopreserved cells in the microphysiometer and further suggest that the microphysiometer may be useful in exploring the biological consequences of cryopreservation in the early post-thaw period.

PKC epsilon is involved in granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor signal transduction: evidence from microphysiometry and antisense oligonucleotide experiments.

We have used microphysiometry and antisense methodology to show that the epsilon isoenzyme of protein kinase C (PKC) is involved in the signal transduction pathway of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in a human bone marrow cell line, TF-1. These cells require GM-CSF or a related cytokine for proliferation. When the cells are appropriately exposed to GM-CSF, they exhibit a burst of metabolic activity that can be detected on the time scale of minutes in the microphysiometer, a biosensor-based instrument that measures the rate at which cells excrete protons. These cells express PKC alpha and -epsilon, as determined by Western blot analysis. Treatment with isoenzyme-specific antisense oligonucleotides inhibits expression appropriately, but only inhibition of PKC epsilon appreciably diminishes the burst of metabolic activity induced by GM-CSF. Consistent with the involvement of PKC epsilon, GM-CSF appears to activate phospholipase D and does not cause a detectable increase in cytosolic [Ca2+].

The cytosensor microphysiometer: biological applications of silicon technology.

A silicon-based device, dubbed a microphysiometer, can be used to detect and monitor the response of cells to a variety of chemical substances, especially ligands for specific plasma membrane receptors. The microphysiometer measures the rate of proton excretion from 10(4) to 10(6) cells. This article gives an overview of experiments currently being carried out with this instrument with emphasis on receptors with seven transmembrane helices and tyrosine kinase receptors. As a scientific instrument, the microphysiometer can be thought of as serving two distinct functions. In terms of detecting specific molecules, selected biological cells in this instrument serve as detectors and amplifiers. The microphysiometer can also investigate cell function and biochemistry. A major application of this instrument may prove to be screening for new receptor ligands. In this respect, the microphysiometer appears to offer significant advantages over other techniques.

PKC epsilon-related kinase associates with and phosphorylates cytokeratin 8 and 18.

A 40-kD protein kinase C (PKC)epsilon related activity was found to associate with human epithelial specific cytokeratin (CK) polypeptides 8 and 18. The kinase activity coimmunoprecipitated with CK8 and 18 and phosphorylated immunoprecipitates of the CK. Immunoblot analysis of CK8/18 immunoprecipitates using an anti-PKC epsilon specific antibody showed that the 40-kD species, and not native PKC epsilon (90 kD) associated with the cytokeratins. Reconstitution experiments demonstrated that purified CK8 or CK18 associated with a 40-kD tryptic fragment of purified PKC epsilon, or with a similar species obtained from cells that express the fragment constitutively but do not express CK8/18. A peptide pseudosubstrate specific for PKC epsilon inhibited phosphorylation of CK8/18 in intact cells or in a kinase assay with CK8/18 immunoprecipitates. Tryptic peptide map analysis of the cytokeratins that were phosphorylated by purified rat brain PKC epsilon or as immunoprecipitates by the associated kinase showed similar phosphopeptides. Furthermore, PKC epsilon immunoreactive species and CK8/18 colocalized using immunofluorescent double staining. We propose that a kinase related to the catalytic fragment of PKC epsilon physically associates with and phosphorylates cytokeratins 8 and 18.

Cilia from Abalone Larvae Contain a Receptor-Dependent G Protein Transduction System Similar to that in Mammals.

Lysine and related diamino acids amplify (facilitate) the response to inducers of metamorphosis in larvae of the marine mollusk Haliotis rufescens. Previous studies showed that a cholera toxin-sensitive G protein transduces the lysine signal via a diacylglycerol-dependent pathway. We have isolated and partially purified larval cilia that may be involved in recognizing the facilitating chemical signals. These isolated cilia provide an open or porous membrane-associated sensory system that is uniquely tractable for in vitro analyses of chemosensory signal transduction. The cilia contain receptors that exhibit sodium-independent binding of the facilitating diamino acids. The binding strength for lysine and related diamino acids in vitro is correlated with the effectiveness of these ligands as facilitators in vivo. The cilia contain a cholera toxin-sensitive G protein functionally coupled to the lysine receptor. The receptor and the G protein reciprocally regulate one another, suggesting that the chemosensor may be a member of the rhodopsin-like, G proteincoupled transmembrane receptor superfamily. Previous analyses of mRNAs from the larval cilia revealed a sequence coding for a G protein with high homology to Gq from mammalian brain, and another sequence coding for a protein homologous to Gi/Go. Similarities between this system, other chemosensory signal transduction pathways, and mechanisms of neuronal long-term potentiation are evident. Because the receptors and transducers controlling settlement and metamorphosis in Haliotis and other marine invertebrate larvae appear homologous to components controlling neuronal activity, cellular proliferation, and differentiation in mammals, characterization of the molecules controlling metamorphosis may help in the design of new regulators useful in medicine.