Culture methods of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma cells determine response to targeted therapies.

Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is an aggressive type of brainstem cancer occurring mainly in children, for which there currently is no effective therapy. Current efforts to develop novel therapeutics for this tumor make use of primary cultures of DIPG cells, maintained either as adherent monolayer in serum containing medium, or as neurospheres in serum-free medium. In this manuscript, we demonstrate that the response of DIPG cells to targeted therapies in vitro is mainly determined by the culture conditions. We show that particular culture conditions induce the activation of different receptor tyrosine kinases and signal transduction pathways, as well as major changes in gene expression profiles of DIPG cells in culture. These differences correlate strongly with the observed discrepancies in response to targeted therapies of DIPG cells cultured as either adherent monolayers or neurospheres. With this research, we provide an argument for the concurrent use of both culture conditions to avoid false positive and false negative results due to the chosen method.

The effect of different collagen modifications for titanium and titanium nitrite surfaces on functions of gingival fibroblasts.

OBJECTIVES: Targeted modifications of the bulk implant surfaces using bioactive agents provide a promising tool for improvement of the long-term bony and soft tissue integration of dental implants. In this study, we assessed the cellular responses of primary human gingival fibroblasts (HGF) to different surface modifications of titanium (Ti) and titanium nitride (TiN) alloys with type I collagen or cyclic-RGDfK-peptide in order to define a modification improving long-term implants in dental medicine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Employing Ti and TiN implants, we compared the performance of simple dip coating and anodic immobilization of type I collagen that provided collagen layers of two different thicknesses. HGF were seeded on the different coated implants, and adhesion, proliferation, and gene expression were analyzed. RESULTS: Although there were no strong differences in initial cell adhesion between the groups at 2 and 4 hours, we found that all surface modifications induced higher proliferation rates as compared to the unmodified controls. Consistently, gene expression levels of cell adhesion markers (focal adhesion kinase (FAK), integrin beta1, and vinculin), cell differentiation markers (FGFR1, TGFb-R1), extracellular protein markers (type I collagen, vimentin), and cytoskeletal protein marker aktinin-1 were consistently higher in all surface modification groups at two different time points of investigation as compared to the unmodified controls. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that simple dip coating of Ti and TiN with collagen is sufficient to induce in vitro cellular responses that are comparable to those of more reliable coating methods like anodic adsorption, chemical cross-linking, or RGD coating. TiN alloys do not possess any positive or adverse effects on HGF. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Our results demonstrate a simple, yet effective, method for collagen coating on titanium implants to improve the long term integration and stability of dental implants.

Human pontine glioma cells can induce murine tumors.

Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), with a median survival of only 9 months, is the leading cause of pediatric brain cancer mortality. Dearth of tumor tissue for research has limited progress in this disease until recently. New experimental models for DIPG research are now emerging. To develop preclinical models of DIPG, two different methods were adopted: cells obtained at autopsy (1) were directly xenografted orthotopically into the pons of immunodeficient mice without an intervening cell culture step or (2) were first cultured in vitro and, upon successful expansion, injected in vivo. Both strategies resulted in pontine tumors histopathologically similar to the original human DIPG tumors. However, following the direct transplantation method all tumors proved to be composed of murine and not of human cells. This is in contrast to the indirect method that included initial in vitro culture and resulted in xenografts comprising human cells. Of note, direct injection of cells obtained postmortem from the pons and frontal lobe of human brains not affected by cancer did not give rise to neoplasms. The murine pontine tumors exhibited an immunophenotype similar to human DIPG, but were also positive for microglia/macrophage markers, such as CD45, CD68 and CD11b. Serial orthotopic injection of these murine cells results in lethal tumors in recipient mice. Direct injection of human DIPG cells in vivo can give rise to malignant murine tumors. This represents an important caveat for xenotransplantation models of DIPG. In contrast, an initial in vitro culture step can allow establishment of human orthotopic xenografts. The mechanism underlying this phenomenon observed with direct xenotransplantation remains an open question.

Therapeutic hypercapnia prevents bleomycin-induced pulmonary hypertension in neonatal rats by limiting macrophage-derived tumor necrosis factor-α.

Bleomycin-induced lung injury is characterized in the neonatal rat by inflammation, arrested lung growth, and pulmonary hypertension (PHT), as observed in human infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Inhalation of CO(2) (therapeutic hypercapnia) has been described to limit cytokine production and to have anti-inflammatory effects on the injured lung; we therefore hypothesized that therapeutic hypercapnia would prevent bleomycin-induced lung injury. Spontaneously breathing rat pups were treated with bleomycin (1 mg/kg/d ip) or saline vehicle from postnatal days 1-14 while being continuously exposed to 5% CO(2) (Pa(CO(2)) elevated by 15-20 mmHg), 7% CO(2) (Pa(CO(2)) elevated by 35 mmHg), or normocapnia. Bleomycin-treated animals exposed to 7%, but not 5%, CO(2), had significantly attenuated lung tissue macrophage influx and PHT, as evidenced by normalized pulmonary vascular resistance and right ventricular systolic function, decreased right ventricular hypertrophy, and attenuated remodeling of pulmonary resistance arteries. The level of CO(2) neither prevented increased tissue neutrophil influx nor led to improvements in decreased lung weight, septal thinning, impaired alveolarization, or decreased numbers of peripheral arteries. Bleomycin led to increased expression and content of lung tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, which was found to colocalize with tissue macrophages and to be attenuated by exposure to 7% CO(2). Inhibition of TNF-α signaling with the soluble TNF-2 receptor etanercept (0.4 mg/kg ip from days 1-14 on alternate days) prevented bleomycin-induced PHT without decreasing tissue macrophages and, similar to CO(2), had no effect on arrested alveolar development. Our findings are consistent with a preventive effect of therapeutic hypercapnia with 7% CO(2) on bleomycin-induced PHT via attenuation of macrophage-derived TNF-α. Neither tissue macrophages nor TNF-α appeared to contribute to arrested lung development induced by bleomycin. That 7% CO(2) normalized pulmonary vascular resistance and right ventricular function without improving inhibited airway and vascular development suggests that vascular hypoplasia does not contribute significantly to functional changes of PHT in this model.

Combined Therapy of AXL and HDAC Inhibition Reverses Mesenchymal Transition in Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma.

PURPOSE: Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is an incurable type of pediatric brain cancer, which in the majority of cases is driven by mutations in genes encoding histone 3 (H3K27M). We here determined the preclinical therapeutic potential of combined AXL and HDAC inhibition in these tumors to reverse their mesenchymal, therapy-resistant, phenotype. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We used public databases and patient-derived DIPG cells to identify putative drivers of the mesenchymal transition in these tumors. Patient-derived neurospheres, xenografts, and allografts were used to determine the therapeutic potential of combined AXL/HDAC inhibition for the treatment of DIPG. RESULTS: We identified AXL as a therapeutic target and regulator of the mesenchymal transition in DIPG. Combined AXL and HDAC inhibition had a synergistic and selective antitumor effect on H3K27M DIPG cells. Treatment of DIPG cells with the AXL inhibitor BGB324 and the HDAC inhibitor panobinostat resulted in a decreased expression of mesenchymal and stem cell genes. Moreover, this combination treatment decreased expression of DNA damage repair genes in DIPG cells, strongly sensitizing them to radiation. Pharmacokinetic studies showed that BGB324, like panobinostat, crosses the blood-brain barrier. Consequently, treatment of patient-derived DIPG xenograft and murine DIPG allograft-bearing mice with BGB324 and panobinostat resulted in a synergistic antitumor effect and prolonged survival. CONCLUSIONS: Combined inhibition of AXL and HDACs in DIPG cells results in a synergistic antitumor effect by reversing their mesenchymal, stem cell-like, therapy-resistant phenotype. As such, this treatment combination may serve as part of a future multimodal therapeutic strategy for DIPG.

Effect of modifications of dual acid-etched implant surfaces on peri-implant bone formation. Part I: organic coatings.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that peri-implant bone formation can be improved by modifying dual acid-etched (DAE) implant surfaces using organic coatings that enhance cell adhesion and osteogenic differentiation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ten adult female foxhounds received experimental titanium implants in the mandible 3 months after removal of all premolar teeth. Six types of implants were evaluated in each animal: (i) implants with a machined surface (MS), (ii) implants with a DAE surface topography, (iii) implants with an acid-etched surface coated with RGD peptides, (iv) implants with an acid-etched surface coated with collagen I, (v) implants with an acid-etched surface coated with collagen I and chondroitin sulphate (CS), (vi) implants with an acid-etched surface coated with collagen I and CS and recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2. Peri-implant bone regeneration was assessed by histomorphometry after 1 and 3 months in five dogs each by measuring bone implant contact (BIC) and the bone volume density (BVD) of the newly formed peri-implant bone. RESULTS: After 1 month, mean BIC was significantly higher in the coated implants group than in the MS group. There was no significant difference when mean BIC in the DAE group was compared with implants with any of the organic coatings, but the difference was significant when compared with the MS implants. Differences in mean BVD value did not reach significance between any of the surfaces. After 3 months, the same held true for the mean BIC of all the groups except for Coll I. Mean volume density of the newly formed bone was higher in all the surface modifications, albeit without statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that with the exception of Coll I, the tested organic surface coatings on DAE surfaces did not improve peri-implant bone formation when compared with the DAE surfaces but enhanced BIC when compared with the MSs.

Effect of modifications of dual acid-etched implant surfaces on periimplant bone formation. Part II: calcium phosphate coatings.

The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that calcium phosphate coatings of dual acid-etched surfaces (DAEs) can improve periimplant bone regeneration. Ten adult female foxhounds received experimental titanium screw implants in the mandible 3 months after removal of all premolar teeth. Five types of surface states were evaluated in each animal: (i) implants with a machined surface (MS) (Control 1); (ii) implants with a DAE (Control 2); (iii) implants with a DAE coated with collagen I (Control 3); (iv) implants with a DAE with mineralized collagen I; and (v) implants with a DAE with a hydroxylapatite (HA) coating. Periimplant bone regeneration was assessed by histomorphometry after 1 and 3 months in five dogs each by measuring bone implant contact (BIC) and the volume density of the newly formed periimplant bone (BVD). After 1 month, mean BIC of experimental implants did not differ significantly from implants with DAE and collagen-coated surfaces, but was significantly higher than the MS implants. BVD was enhanced significantly only in implants with mineralized collagen coating compared with DAE and collagen-coated controls. After 3 months, the mean values of BIC had increased significantly in the group of implants with HA and mineralized collagen coating but were not significantly different from implants with DAE and collagen-coated surfaces. The same held true for the mean BVD values. In conclusion, the present study could not verify the hypothesis that calcium phosphate coatings of DAEs in the present form enhanced periimplant bone formation compared with the DAE surface alone.

Feasibility study using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for the quantitative detection of tyrosine and serine phosphorylation.

We investigate the feasibility of colloid-based surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) as a highly sensitive technique for detecting peptide phosphorylation at serine and tyrosine residues. Using the recently reported drop-coating deposition Raman method we validate our SERS spectra against normal Raman spectra that would otherwise be unobtainable at such low concentrations. Compared with existing techniques for quantifying peptide phosphorylation, such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the short scanning and processing time associated with SERS makes it an attractive alternative for near-real-time measurement at sub micro-molar concentrations. Following pre-processing by Savistky-Golay second derivative (SGSD), the degree of phosphorylation of synthetic peptides is determined using multivariate spectral classification, interval partial least squares (iPLS). Furthermore, our results show that the technique is robust to interference from complex proteins and other phosphorylated compounds present at concentrations typically found in a screening assay.

Multiregional Tumor Drug-Uptake Imaging by PET and Microvascular Morphology in End-Stage Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma.

Inadequate tumor uptake of the vascular endothelial growth factor antibody bevacizumab could explain lack of effect in diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma. Methods: By combining data from a PET imaging study using 89Zr-labeled bevacizumab and an autopsy study, a 1-on-1 analysis of multiregional in vivo and ex vivo 89Zr-bevacizumab uptake, tumor histology, and vascular morphology in a diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma patient was performed. Results: In vivo 89Zr-bevacizumab measurements showed heterogeneity between lesions. Additional ex vivo measurements and immunohistochemistry of cervicomedullary metastasis samples showed uptake to be highest in the area with marked microvascular proliferation. In the primary pontine tumor, all samples showed similar vascular morphology. Other histologic features were similar between the samples studied. Conclusion: In vivo 89Zr-bevacizumab PET serves to identify heterogeneous uptake between tumor lesions, whereas subcentimeter intralesional heterogeneity could be identified only by ex vivo measurements. 89Zr-bevacizumab uptake is enhanced by vascular proliferation, although our results suggest it is not the only determinant of intralesional uptake heterogeneity.

High-intensity Raf signal causes cell cycle arrest mediated by p21Cip1.

Activated Raf has been linked to such opposing cellular responses as the induction of DNA synthesis and the inhibition of proliferation. However, it remains unclear how such a switch in signal specificity is regulated. We have addressed this question with a regulatable Raf-androgen receptor fusion protein in murine fibroblasts. We show that Raf can cause a G1-specific cell cycle arrest through induction of p21Cip1. This in turn leads to inhibition of cyclin D- and cyclin E-dependent kinases and an accumulation of hypophosphorylated Rb. Importantly, this behavior can be observed only in response to a strong Raf signal. In contrast, moderate Raf activity induces DNA synthesis and is sufficient to induce cyclin D expression. Therefore, Raf signal specificity can be determined by modulation of signal strength presumably through the induction of distinct protein expression patterns. Similar to induction of Raf, a strong induction of activated Ras via a tetracycline-dependent promoter also causes inhibition of proliferation and p21Cip1 induction at high expression levels. Thus, p21Cip1 plays a key role in determining cellular responses to Ras and Raf signalling. As predicted by this finding we show that Ras and loss of p21 cooperate to confer a proliferative advantage to mouse embryo fibroblasts.

Preclinical evaluation of convection-enhanced delivery of liposomal doxorubicin to treat pediatric diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma and thalamic high-grade glioma.

OBJECTIVE Pediatric high-grade gliomas (pHGGs) including diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPGs) are primary brain tumors with high mortality and morbidity. Because of their poor brain penetrance, systemic chemotherapy regimens have failed to deliver satisfactory results; however, convection-enhanced delivery (CED) may be an alternative mode of drug delivery. Anthracyclines are potent chemotherapeutics that have been successfully delivered via CED in preclinical supratentorial glioma models. This study aims to assess the potency of anthracyclines against DIPG and pHGG cell lines in vitro and to evaluate the efficacy of CED with anthracyclines in orthotopic pontine and thalamic tumor models. METHODS The sensitivity of primary pHGG cell lines to a range of anthracyclines was tested in vitro. Preclinical CED of free doxorubicin and pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) to the brainstem and thalamus of naïve nude mice was performed. The maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was determined based on the observation of clinical symptoms, and brains were analyzed after H & E staining. Efficacy of the MTD was tested in adult glioma E98-FM-DIPG and E98-FM-thalamus models and in the HSJD-DIPG-007-Fluc primary DIPG model. RESULTS Both pHGG and DIPG cells were sensitive to anthracyclines in vitro. Doxorubicin was selected for further preclinical evaluation. Convection-enhanced delivery of the MTD of free doxorubicin and PLD in the pons was 0.02 mg/ml, and the dose tolerated in the thalamus was 10 times higher (0.2 mg/ml). Free doxorubicin or PLD via CED was ineffective against E98-FM-DIPG or HSJD-DIPG-007-Fluc in the brainstem; however, when applied in the thalamus, 0.2 mg/ml of PLD slowed down tumor growth and increased survival in a subset of animals with small tumors. CONCLUSIONS Local delivery of doxorubicin to the brainstem causes severe toxicity, even at doxorubicin concentrations that are safe in the thalamus. As a consequence, the authors could not establish a therapeutic window for treating orthotopic brainstem tumors in mice. For tumors in the thalamus, therapeutic concentrations to slow down tumor growth could be reached. These data suggest that anatomical location determines the severity of toxicity after local delivery of therapeutic agents and that caution should be used when translating data from supratentorial CED studies to treat infratentorial tumors.

Resonance frequency measurements of implant stability in the dog mandible: experimental comparison with histomorphometric data.

The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that measurements of implant stability using resonance frequency analysis (RFA) correlate with histomorphometric data of bone anchorage. Ten adult female foxhounds received a total of 80 implants in their mandibles 3 months after removal of all premolar teeth. At the time of implant placement, torque required for bone tapping was registered as a measure of bone density and immediately after placement implant stability was assessed using RFA. RFA measurements were repeated at the time of implant retrieval after 1 month (5 dogs) and 3 months (5 dogs). Peri-implant bone regeneration was assessed histomorphometrically by measuring bone-implant contact (BIC) and the volume density of the newly formed peri-implant bone (BVD). RFA values at the time of implant placement did not correlate with the torque required to tap the bone for implant placement. After 1 and 3 months, RFA values were significantly increased compared with baseline values. BIC and BVD, however, had increased significantly during this interval. There was no correlation between bone-implant contact and RFA values nor between peri-implant bone density and RFA values. Thus, the hypothesis could not be verified. It is concluded that the validity of the individual measurement of implant stability using RFA should be considered with caution.

Bevacizumab Targeting Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma: Results of 89Zr-Bevacizumab PET Imaging in Brain Tumor Models.

The role of the VEGF inhibitor bevacizumab in the treatment of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is unclear. We aim to study the biodistribution and uptake of zirconium-89 ((89)Zr)-labeled bevacizumab in DIPG mouse models. Human E98-FM, U251-FM glioma cells, and HSJD-DIPG-007-FLUC primary DIPG cells were injected into the subcutis, pons, or striatum of nude mice. Tumor growth was monitored by bioluminescence imaging (BLI) and visualized by MRI. Seventy-two to 96 hours after (89)Zr-bevacizumab injections, mice were imaged by positron emission tomography (PET), and biodistribution was analyzed ex vivo High VEGF expression in human DIPG was confirmed in a publically available mRNA database, but no significant (89)Zr-bevacizumab uptake could be detected in xenografts located in the pons and striatum at an early or late stage of the disease. E98-FM, and to a lesser extent the U251-FM and HSJD-DIPG-007 subcutaneous tumors, showed high accumulation of (89)Zr-bevacizumab. VEGF expression could not be demonstrated in the intracranial tumors by in situ hybridization (ISH) but was clearly present in the perinecrotic regions of subcutaneous E98-FM tumors. The poor uptake of (89)Zr-bevacizumab in xenografts located in the brain suggests that VEGF targeting with bevacizumab has limited efficacy for diffuse infiltrative parts of glial brain tumors in mice. Translating these results to the clinic would imply that treatment with bevacizumab in patients with DIPG is only justified after targeting of VEGF has been demonstrated by (89)Zr-bevacizumab immuno-PET. We aim to confirm this observation in a clinical PET study with patients with DIPG. Mol Cancer Ther; 15(9); 2166-74. ©2016 AACR.

Protein kinase A phosphorylates cyclin D1 at three distinct sites within the cyclin box and at the C-terminus.

Cyclin D1 is a nuclear phosphoprotein that is thought to play a major role in the control of G0/G1-->S progression. The fact that its expression is not tightly regulated during cell cycle progression suggests that its activity might be modulated by post-translational mechanisms. In the present study, we show that out of five serine-threonine kinases tested only protein kinase A (PKA) was able to phosphorylate cyclin D1 in vitro. In agreement with this observation, forskolin treatment, but not TPA stimulation, led to increased phosphorylation of cyclin D1 in vivo. Phosphoamino acid analysis and two-dimensional phosphopeptide mapping of wild-type and truncated cyclin D1 proteins showed that PKA phosphorylates three distinct serine residues in cyclin D1 at positions 90, 197 and 234. Serine-90 is located within the cyclin box, raising the possibility that phosphorylation of cyclin D1 might play a role in regulating the interaction with other proteins.

Inducible acceleration of G1 progression through tetracycline-regulated expression of human cyclin E.

Cyclin E is a cell cycle-regulated protein that activates the cdc2-related protein kinases cdk2 shortly before S-phase entry. In order to analyse the biological role of cyclin E, we have generated HeLa cells that allow the conditional expression of ectopic human cyclin E. In these cells, a cyclin E cDNA is under the control of a bacterial tetracycline repressor-VP16 activator hybrid protein. In the absence of tetracycline, the endogenous gene becomes activated and leads to the synthesis of elevated levels of cyclin E. Concomitant with this increase in cyclin E expression we show by a combined time-lapse video recording/5-bromo-deoxyuridine labelling procedure a significant acceleration of G1 transition by approximately 1.5 hours. This observation is consistent with the idea that cyclin E is a rate-limiting factor with respect to the control of G1-->S transition. The experimental system described here should also prove useful to address the function of cyclin E in further detail.

Suppression of the growth factor-mediated induction of c-fos and down-modulation of AP-1-binding activity are not required for cellular senescence.

It has been suggested that the impaired response of the c-fos gene to serum growth factors and the concomitant loss of AP-1 activity may be a crucial step in the process of cellular senescence. In the present study, we provide evidence arguing against such a conclusion. Data obtained in five independent experiments showed that both c-fos RNA and protein expression were similar in 'young' and in senescent serum-stimulated WI-38 cells, suggesting that the previously reported suppression of c-fos induction is not an obligatory event in the process of cellular senescence. Likewise, expression of fra-1, c-jun and junB continued to be high in serum-stimulated senescent cells, while induction of fosB was reduced approximately fivefold. Among all genes tested fosB thus seems to be the most suitable marker for the detection of senescent cells. Stimulated senescent cells showed only a approximately twofold reduction of AP-1-binding activity, and senescent cells continuously exposed to serum exhibited normal AP-1-binding activity. These observations support the conclusion that a down-modulation of AP-1 is not crucial for human fibroblasts to enter the senescent state.

Myc activation of cyclin E/Cdk2 kinase involves induction of cyclin E gene transcription and inhibition of p27(Kip1) binding to newly formed complexes.

Induction of the Myc-oestrogen receptor fusion protein (MycER) by 4-OH-tamoxifen (OHT) leads to the activation of Cyclin E/Cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CycE/Cdk2) complexes followed by the induction of DNA synthesis. As CycE/Cdk2 activity is essential for G1/S transition, we have investigated the mechanism by which Myc can activiate CycE/Cdk2. Our results suggest that this activation may involve at least two Myc-dependent steps: the induction of cyclin E gene transcription followed by accumulation of cyclin E mRNA in a protein synthesis-independent manner and the inhibition of p27(Kip1) association with CycE/Cdk2 complexes containing newly synthesised CycE. As a consequence phosphorylation of CycE-bound Cdk2 by cyclin activating kinase (CAK) is accelerated. We propose a model in which the active newly synthesised CycE/Cdk2 complexes trigger a positive feed-back mechanism to activate preexisting complexes through phosphorylation-dependent p27(Kip1) release.

Oncogenic activity of cyclin D1 revealed through cooperation with Ha-ras: link between cell cycle control and malignant transformation.

Circumstantial evidence implicates the putative cell cycle regulator cyclin D1 in the process of malignant transformation. Overexpression of cyclin D1 is observed in mammary carcinomas as a result of gene amplification and in parathyroid adenomas and centrocytic B-cell lymphomas as a consequence of chromosomal rearrangements and juxtaposition of the cyclin D1 gene to strong transcriptional control elements. These findings suggest that deregulation of cyclin D1 expression may contribute to malignant transformation in these tumours. To date, however, an oncogenic potential of cyclin D1 has not been demonstrated and the mechanism of its oncogenic activation remains obscure although overexpression of the wild-type protein is likely. We report here that the overexpression of cyclin D1 induces transformation in primary rat embryo fibroblasts in cooperation with activated Ha-ras. Cyclin D1/Ha-ras transformed cells are immortalized, show anchorage independence and give rise to fibrosarcomas in nude mice. Our data directly demonstrate that cyclin D1 is a proto-oncogene that can be activated by transcriptional deregulation. Its previously demonstrated ability to interact with putative cell cycle regulators suggests that cyclin D1 defines a new class of proto-oncogenes.

Functional domains in cyclin D1: pRb-kinase activity is not essential for transformation.

Although cyclin D1 plays a major role during cell cycle progression and is involved in human tumourigenesis, its domain structure is still poorly understood. In the present study, we have generated a series of cyclin D1 N- and C-terminal deletion constructs. These mutants were used to define the domains required for transformation of rat embryonal fibroblasts (REF) in cooperation with activated Ha-ras and and to establish correlations with defined biochemical properties of cyclin D1. Protein binding and REF assays showed that the region of the cyclin box required for the interaction with CDK4 as well as C-terminal sequences determining protein stability were crucial for transformation. Surprisingly, however, the N-terminal deletion of 20 amino acids which impaired pRb kinase activity did not affect the transforming ability of cyclin D1. Likewise, no effect on transformation was observed with mutants defective in p21CIP interaction. These observations argue against a crucial role of pRb inactivation or p21CIP squelching in cyclin D1-mediated transformation.

G-protein coupled receptor assays: to measure affinity or efficacy that is the question.

Cell-based assays have always played an important role in the pharmaceutical industry, providing information about the functional effects of compounds. These functional assays have traditionally accompanied facile biochemical high throughput screening programmes, being applied as secondary assays in the later stages of lead development. However, with the disappointing reality that there is not likely to be a plethora of novel, druggable targets in the post-genomic era, the role of cell-based assays in drug discovery is beginning to change. Competition to develop the "best" agents for well established targets and find more effective ways of identifying "novel" agents is driving the industry towards a "quality" versus "quantity" approach. Advances in genetic engineering, automation compatible functional assay technologies and the introduction of more sophisticated robotic systems, have facilitated the application of cell-based assays to primary screening. However, despite some apparent success to move these assays into the routine "toolbox" for high throughput screening, certain preconceptions and concerns about cell-based assays persist and the subject remains a topic of much debate. Here we use examples from the screening portfolio at Pfizer, Sandwich, to discuss the practical and theoretical considerations of employing cell-based assays in HTS with a focus on G-protein coupled receptors.