First Limit on the Direct Detection of Lightly Ionizing Particles for Electric Charge as Low as e/1000 with the Majorana Demonstrator.

The Majorana Demonstrator is an ultralow-background experiment searching for neutrinoless double-beta decay in ^{76}Ge. The heavily shielded array of germanium detectors, placed nearly a mile underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota, also allows searches for new exotic physics. Free, relativistic, lightly ionizing particles with an electrical charge less than e are forbidden by the standard model but predicted by some of its extensions. If such particles exist, they might be detected in the Majorana Demonstrator by searching for multiple-detector events with individual-detector energy depositions down to 1 keV. This search is background-free, and no candidate events have been found in 285 days of data taking. New direct-detection limits are set for the flux of lightly ionizing particles for charges as low as e/1000.

Search for Neutrinoless Double-ß Decay in

The Majorana Collaboration is operating an array of high purity Ge detectors to search for neutrinoless double-ß decay in ^{76}Ge. The Majorana Demonstrator comprises 44.1 kg of Ge detectors (29.7 kg enriched in ^{76}Ge) split between two modules contained in a low background shield at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota. Here we present results from data taken during construction, commissioning, and the start of full operations. We achieve unprecedented energy resolution of 2.5 keV FWHM at Q_{ßß} and a very low background with no observed candidate events in 9.95 kg yr of enriched Ge exposure, resulting in a lower limit on the half-life of 1.9×10^{25} yr (90% C.L.). This result constrains the effective Majorana neutrino mass to below 240-520 meV, depending on the matrix elements used. In our experimental configuration with the lowest background, the background is 4.0_{-2.5}^{+3.1} counts/(FWHM t yr).

New Limits on Bosonic Dark Matter, Solar Axions, Pauli Exclusion Principle Violation, and Electron Decay from the Majorana Demonstrator.

We present new limits on exotic keV-scale physics based on 478 kg d of Majorana Demonstrator commissioning data. Constraints at the 90% confidence level are derived on bosonic dark matter (DM) and solar axion couplings, Pauli exclusion principle violating (PEPV) decay, and electron decay using monoenergetic peak signal limits above our background. Our most stringent DM constraints are set for 11.8 keV mass particles, limiting g_{Ae}<4.5×10^{-13} for pseudoscalars and (α^{'}/α)<9.7×10^{-28} for vectors. We also report a 14.4 keV solar axion coupling limit of g_{AN}^{eff}×g_{Ae}<3.8×10^{-17}, a 1/2ß^{2}<8.5×10^{-48} limit on the strength of PEPV electron transitions, and a lower limit on the electron lifetime of τ_{e}>1.2×10^{24} yr for e^{-}→ invisible.

α -event characterization and rejection in point-contact HPGe detectors.

P-type point contact (PPC) HPGe detectors are a leading technology for rare event searches due to their excellent energy resolution, low thresholds, and multi-site event rejection capabilities. We have characterized a PPC detector's response to α particles incident on the sensitive passivated and p + surfaces, a previously poorly-understood source of background. The detector studied is identical to those in the Majorana Demonstrator experiment, a search for neutrinoless double-beta decay ( 0 ν ß ß ) in 76 Ge. α decays on most of the passivated surface exhibit significant energy loss due to charge trapping, with waveforms exhibiting a delayed charge recovery (DCR) signature caused by the slow collection of a fraction of the trapped charge. The DCR is found to be complementary to existing methods of α identification, reliably identifying α background events on the passivated surface of the detector. We demonstrate effective rejection of all surface α events (to within statistical uncertainty) with a loss of only 0.2% of bulk events by combining the DCR discriminator with previously-used methods. The DCR discriminator has been used to reduce the background rate in the 0 ν ß ß region of interest window by an order of magnitude in the Majorana Demonstrator  and will be used in the upcoming LEGEND-200 experiment.

Immunoglobulin recombinase gene activity is modulated reciprocally by interleukin 7 and CD19 in B cell progenitors.

Bone marrow stromal cells promote B cell development involving recombinase gene-directed rearrangement of the immunoglobulin genes. We observed that the stromal cell-derived cytokine interleukin 7 (IL-7) enhances the expression of CD19 molecules on progenitor B-lineage cells in human bone marrow samples and downregulates the expression of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) and the recombinase-activating genes RAG-1 and RAG-2. Initiation of the TdT downregulation on the first day of treatment, CD19 upregulation during the second day, and RAG-1 and RAG-2 downmodulation during the third day implied a cascade of IL-7 effects. While CD19 ligation by divalent antibodies had no direct effect on TdT or RAG gene expression, CD19 cross-linkage complete blocked the IL-7 downregulation of RAG expression without affecting the earlier TdT response. These results suggest that signals generated through CD19 and the IL-7 receptor could modulate immunoglobulin gene rearrangement and repertoire diversification during the early stages of B cell differentiation.

Synergy between an IGF-1R antibody and Raf/MEK/ERK and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway inhibitors in suppressing IGF-1R-mediated growth in hematopoietic cells.

The Insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) is overexpressed in a variety of tumors including breast, prostate and myeloma. Thus, IGF-1R and its downstream signaling effectors are good candidates for molecular-based targeted antitumor therapies. Indeed, protein inhibitors of IGF-1R signaling and IGF-1R blocking antibodies are undergoing clinical trials. Herein, the molecular basis for antibody-mediated IGF-1R signal inhibition has been investigated in a hematopoietic cell line model, FDC-P1, that has been rendered interleukin-3 independent in a ligand-dependent manner through retroviral-mediated expression of IGF-1R (FD/IGF-1R). Furthermore, the ability of an anti-IGF-1R antibody to synergize with signal-transduction pathway inhibitors and induce apoptosis was determined. The alphaIGF-1R antibody, A12, was capable of arresting IGF-1 or insulin-induced FD/IGF-1R cell proliferation in the G1 phase of the cell cycle and resulted in apoptotic induction. A12 effectiveness could be potentiated through combination treatment with small molecule inhibitors of the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK or PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways. These results validate the use of the FD/IGF-1R cells to evaluate the effectiveness and mechanisms of targeted IGF-1R therapeutic strategies.

Inhibition of PI3K, mTOR and MEK signaling pathways promotes rapid apoptosis in B-lineage ALL in the presence of stromal cell support.

Bone marrow stromal cells are essential for the differentiation, survival and proliferation of normal and leukemic human B-lineage cells. Leukemic cells require stromal cell support for optimal proliferation and apoptotic resistance. Stromal cell contact can promote resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. In this study, we have made use of small molecular weight inhibitors and an established stromal cell-dependent pre-B-ALL cell line, BLIN-2, to investigate the role of the MAP kinase, PI3K/Akt, JAK/STAT and mTOR pathways in the promotion of leukemic cell growth in the presence of stromal cell support. Treatment with PI3K+JAK, PI3K+MEK, or MEK+JAK inhibitor combinations resulted in an inhibition of proliferation as measured by DNA synthesis. However, only inhibition of both PI3K and MEK or both mTOR and MEK resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of annexinV(+)/PI(+) apoptotic events within a 24 h period. Our data suggest that stromal cell-mediated apoptotic protection in B-lineage ALL is mediated by PI3K/mTOR and MEK via a synergistic mechanism(s).

B-cell development in the presence of the MLL/AF4 oncoprotein proceeds in the absence of HOX A7 and HOX A9 expression.

Infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is frequently characterized by the t(4;11)(q21;q23) cytogenetic abnormality encoding the MLL/AF4 oncogene, increased HOX gene expression and a pro-B/monocytoid phenotype. We have previously established a novel MLL/AF4-positive cell line, B-lineage 3 (BLIN-3), which retains several features of normal B-lineage development (functional Ig gene rearrangement and apoptotic sensitivity to stromal cell withdrawal) not generally observed in infant ALL. We now use microarray analysis to identify patterns of gene expression in BLIN-3 that may modulate MLL/AF4 oncogenesis and contribute to the retention of normal B-lineage developmental characteristics. Comparison of 6815 expressed genes in BLIN-3 with published microarray data on leukemic blasts from t(4;11) patients indicated that BLIN-3 was unique in lacking the expression of certain HOX-A cluster genes. These results were validated by RT-PCR showing no expression of HOX A7 or HOX A9 in BLIN-3. A HOX C8 promoter reporter was active in BLIN-3, indicating that lack of HOX gene expression in BLIN-3 was not due to a nonfunctional MLL/AF4. Our results suggest that B-lineage development can proceed in t(4;11) leukemic blasts in the absence of HOX-A gene expression.

Notch-1 and Notch-2 exhibit unique patterns of expression in human B-lineage cells.

The Notch genes encode a conserved family of receptors that influence developmental fate in many species. Prior studies have indicated that Notch-1 and Notch-2 signaling influence the development of hematopoietic stems cells and thymocytes, but little is known regarding Notch expression and function in B-lineage cells. We analyzed the expression of Notch receptors and Notch ligands in human B-lineage cells and bone marrow (BM) stromal cells. Notch-1 mRNA and protein is expressed throughout normal B cell development and in leukemic B-lineage cells. In contrast, Notch-2 expression is limited to pre-B cells expressing low levels of surface mu. The Notch ligand Delta is expressed in BM B-lineage cells. The Notch ligand Jagged-1 is not expressed in B-lineage cells, but is expressed in BM stromal cells. These results suggest a model wherein lateral signaling between Notch and Delta on B-lineage cells and/or Notch/Jagged-1 interactions between B-lineage cells and BM stromal cells may regulate human B cell development.

JAK/STAT, Raf/MEK/ERK, PI3K/Akt and BCR-ABL in cell cycle progression and leukemogenesis.

The roles of the JAK/STAT, Raf/MEK/ERK and PI3K/Akt signal transduction pathways and the BCR-ABL oncoprotein in leukemogenesis and their importance in the regulation of cell cycle progression and apoptosis are discussed in this review. These pathways have evolved regulatory proteins, which serve to limit their proliferative and antiapoptotic effects. Small molecular weight cell membrane-permeable drugs that target these pathways have been developed for leukemia therapy. One such example is imatinib mesylate, which targets the BCR-ABL kinase as well as a few structurally related kinases. This drug has proven to be effective in the treatment of CML patients. However, leukemic cells have evolved mechanisms to become resistant to this drug. A means to combat drug resistance is to target other prominent signaling components involved in the pathway or to inhibit BCR-ABL by other mechanisms. Treatment of imatinib-resistant leukemia cells with drugs that target Ras (farnysyl transferase inhibitors) or with the protein destabilizer geldanamycin has proven to be a means to inhibit the growth of resistant cells. This review will tie together three important signal transduction pathways involved in the regulation of hematopoietic cell growth and indicate how their expression is dysregulated by the BCR-ABL oncoprotein.

Treatment by design in leukemia, a meeting report, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 2002.

Novel approaches have been designed to treat leukemia based on our understanding of the genetic and biochemical lesions present in different malignancies. This meeting report summarizes some of the recent advances in leukemia treatment. Based on the discoveries of cellular oncogenes, chromosomal translocations, monoclonal antibodies, multidrug resistance pumps, signal transduction pathways, genomics/proteonomic approaches to clinical diagnosis and mutations in biochemical pathways, clinicians and basic scientists have been able to identify the particular genetic mutations and signal transduction pathways involved as well as design more appropriate treatments for the leukemia patient. This meeting report discusses these exciting new therapies and the results obtained from ongoing clinical trials. Furthermore, rational approaches to treat complications of tumor lysis syndrome by administration of the recombinant urate oxidase protein, also known as rasburicase, which corrects the biochemical defect present in humans, were discussed. Clearly, over the past 25 years, molecular biology and biotechnology has provided the hematologist/oncologist novel bullets in their arsenal that will allow treatment by design in leukemia.

Developmental regulation of the human antibody repertoire.

The ability to respond to antigen develops in a programmed fashion during ontogeny. In human, "fetal" immunoglobulin gene segment utilization appears biased towards a small set of evolutionarily conserved V gene segments. Many of these gene segments are also used in antibodies with antigen specificities that do not arise until after infancy. The human fetus primarily regulates the diversity of the antibody repertoire through control of the H (heavy) chain CDR 3, which is generated by VDJ joining and forms the center of the antigen-binding site. Molecular modeling suggests that limitations in the length and composition of fetal CDR 3 intervals result in antibodies that contain a relatively "flat" antigen-binding surface that could serve to maximize the number of different interactions possible between the antibody and potential antigens. We propose that these limitations in the sequence and structure of H chain CDR 3 contribute to the low affinity and multireactivity of fetal antibody repertoires. The specific mechanisms used to generate a restricted fetal repertoire appear to differ between human and mouse. Nevertheless, included in the final products of both human and mouse fetal B cells will be antibodies that are quite homologous in composition and structure. The precise role that these antibodies play in the development of immunocompetence remains to be elucidated.

Multifaceted roles of GSK-3 and Wnt/ß-catenin in hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis: opportunities for therapeutic intervention.

Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) is well documented to participate in a complex array of critical cellular processes. It was initially identified in rat skeletal muscle as a serine/threonine kinase that phosphorylated and inactivated glycogen synthase. This versatile protein is involved in numerous signaling pathways that influence metabolism, embryogenesis, differentiation, migration, cell cycle progression and survival. Recently, GSK-3 has been implicated in leukemia stem cell pathophysiology and may be an appropriate target for its eradication. In this review, we will discuss the roles that GSK-3 plays in hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis as how this pivotal kinase can interact with multiple signaling pathways such as: Wnt/ß-catenin, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), Ras/Raf/MEK/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), Notch and others. Moreover, we will discuss how targeting GSK-3 and these other pathways can improve leukemia therapy and may overcome therapeutic resistance. In summary, GSK-3 is a crucial regulatory kinase interacting with multiple pathways to control various physiological processes, as well as leukemia stem cells, leukemia progression and therapeutic resistance. GSK-3 and Wnt are clearly intriguing therapeutic targets.

Targeting the leukemic stem cell: the Holy Grail of leukemia therapy.

Since the discovery of leukemic stem cells (LSCs) over a decade ago, many of their critical biological properties have been elucidated, including their distinct replicative properties, cell surface phenotypes, their increased resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs and the involvement of growth-promoting chromosomal translocations. Of particular importance is their ability to transfer malignancy to non-obese diabetic-severe combined immunodeficient (NOD-SCID) mice. Furthermore, numerous studies demonstrate that acute myeloid leukemia arises from mutations at the level of stem cell, and chronic myeloid leukemia is also a stem cell disease. In this review, we will evaluate the main characteristics of LSCs elucidated in several well-documented leukemias. In addition, we will discuss points of therapeutic intervention. Promising therapeutic approaches include the targeting of key signal transduction pathways (for example, PI3K, Rac and Wnt) with small-molecule inhibitors and specific cell surface molecules (for example, CD33, CD44 and CD123), with effective cytotoxic antibodies. Also, statins, which are already widely therapeutically used for a variety of diseases, show potential in targeting LSCs. In addition, drugs that inhibit ATP-binding cassette transporter proteins are being extensively studied, as they are important in drug resistance-a frequent characteristic of LSCs. Although the specific targeting of LSCs is a relatively new field, it is a highly promising battleground that may reveal the Holy Grail of cancer therapy.

HoxA9 induces insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor expression in B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

The homeobox (Hox) gene family encodes a group of transcription factors preferentially expressed during embryonic development and hematopoiesis. Deregulation of Hox gene expression is frequently associated with acute leukemia. HoxA9 is the most commonly overexpressed Hox gene in acute leukemia. However, little is known regarding specific pathways regulated by HoxA9 that promote the growth and survival of leukemic cells. We have generated a conditional model of HoxA9 activity in the stromal cell dependent, HoxA9 negative, pre-B-cell line B-lineage-2 (BLIN-2). Conditional HoxA9 activation in BLIN-2 resulted in increased proliferation in the presence and absence of stromal cell support. Stimulation of HoxA9 activity resulted in increased expression of the c-Myb transcription factor and induction of insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) surface expression. HoxA9-mediated proliferative effects in BLIN-2 cells were abrogated when the cells were treated with specific IGF-1R tyrosine kinase inhibitors or with an IGF-1R mAb (A12). IGF-1R expression correlated with endogenous HoxA9 expression in a small panel of mixed lineage leukemia (MLL)/AF4 cell lines. siRNA knockdown of endogenous HoxA9 expression in the MLL/AF4-positive cell line RS4;11 resulted in loss of IGF-1R expression. These data indicate that HoxA9 overexpression induces IGF-1R expression and subsequently promotes leukemic cell growth.

Targeting survival cascades induced by activation of Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK, PI3K/PTEN/Akt/mTOR and Jak/STAT pathways for effective leukemia therapy.

The Raf/MEK/ERK, PI3K/PTEN/Akt/mTOR and Jak/STAT pathways are frequently activated in leukemia and other hematopoietic disorders by upstream mutations in cytokine receptors, aberrant chromosomal translocations as well as other genetic mechanisms. The Jak2 kinase is frequently mutated in many myeloproliferative disorders. Effective targeting of these pathways may result in suppression of cell growth and death of leukemic cells. Furthermore it may be possible to combine various chemotherapeutic and antibody-based therapies with low molecular weight, cell membrane-permeable inhibitors which target the Raf/MEK/ERK, PI3K/PTEN/Akt/mTOR and Jak/STAT pathways to ultimately suppress the survival pathways, induce apoptosis and inhibit leukemic growth. In this review, we summarize how suppression of these pathways may inhibit key survival networks important in leukemogenesis and leukemia therapy as well as the treatment of other hematopoietic disorders. Targeting of these and additional cascades may also improve the therapy of chronic myelogenous leukemia, which are resistant to BCR-ABL inhibitors. Furthermore, we discuss how targeting of the leukemia microenvironment and the leukemia stem cell are emerging fields and challenges in targeted therapies.

Contributions of the Raf/MEK/ERK, PI3K/PTEN/Akt/mTOR and Jak/STAT pathways to leukemia.

Mutations and chromosomal translocations occur in leukemic cells that result in elevated expression or constitutive activation of various growth factor receptors and downstream kinases. The Raf/MEK/ERK, PI3K/PTEN/Akt/mTOR and Jak/STAT pathways are often activated by mutations in upstream genes. The Raf/MEK/ERK and PI3K/PTEN/Akt/mTOR pathways are regulated by upstream Ras that is frequently mutated in human cancer. Recently, it has been observed that the FLT-3 and Jak kinases and the phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) phosphatase are also frequently mutated or their expression is altered in certain hematopoietic neoplasms. Many of the events elicited by the Raf/MEK/ERK, PI3K/PTEN/Akt/mTOR and Jak/STAT pathways have direct effects on survival pathways. Aberrant regulation of the survival pathways can contribute to uncontrolled cell growth and lead to leukemia. In this review, we describe the Raf/MEK/ERK, PI3K/PTEN/Akt/mTOR and Jak/STAT signaling cascades and summarize recent data regarding the regulation and mutation status of these pathways and their involvement in leukemia.

V(H) gene replacement occurs in the spleen and bone marrow of non-autoimmune quasi-monoclonal mice.

Genes encoding the heavy chain portion of immunoglobulin molecules arise from the combinatorial association of V, D and J gene segments, which occurs during discrete stages of B lineage development in the bone marrow. Recently, V(H) replacement, a form of receptor editing, has been described, in which the variable region of an existing VDJ(H) rearrangement is replaced by another V(H) gene segment in a recombination event believed to involve an embedded heptamer within the coding region of the V(H). Studies of transgenic mice with "knocked-in" VDJ(H) genes encoding anti-DNA specificity have demonstrated that receptor editing of the heavy chain is one mechanism by which autoreactive B cell receptors can be modified. Another mouse, the "quasi-monoclonal", which encodes a "knocked-in" VDJ(H) for the hapten NP also contains B lineage cells that undergo V(H) replacement. This suggests that V(H) replacement may play a role in the normal diversification of the antibody repertoire. Using a ligation-mediated PCR assay, we have identified V(QM) double-stranded DNA breaks indicative of V(H) replacement intermediates from bone marrow and splenic B lineage cells of quasi-monoclonal mice in the absence of immunization. V(QM) to J558 recombination deletion products consistent with V(H) replacement were also detected in both the bone marrow and spleen of non-immunized quasi-monoclonal mice. Moreover, RAG-1 transcripts were detected in the spleen. These data suggest that V(H) replacement can be part of the mechanism(s) used by B lineage cells to generate diversity throughout B lineage development, including later stages occurring in secondary lymphoid tissues.

Sequence analysis of the mouse RAG locus intergenic region.

The recombination activating genes RAG-1 and RAG-2 are highly conserved throughout evolution and are necessary and essential for the DNA rearrangement of antigen-receptor gene segments. These convergently transcribed genes are expressed primarily by developing B and T lineage cells. In addition, recent data suggest that the RAG locus can be reactivated in mouse germinal center B cells. Despite these well-defined patterns of expression, little is known about mechanism(s) regulating transcription of the RAG locus. Experiments with a mouse fibroblast line stably transfected with a genomic fragment of the RAG locus suggest that the intergenic region between RAG-1 and RAG-2 may contain information modulating RAG transcription. In order to begin testing this hypothesis, we have sequenced the 7.0-kb RAG intergenic region of the mouse. The sequence did not contain open reading frames larger than 60 amino acids. Analysis with GCG software identified several potential transcription-factor binding sequences within this region. Many of these are associated with transcriptional regulation of the Ig locus.