Histochemical study of pituitary adenomas with Ki-67 and anti-DNA polymerase α monoclonal antibodies,bromodeoxyuridine labeling,and nucleolar organizer region counts

Summary The growth potential of 65 pituitary adenomas was determined by histochemical analysis with Ki-67 and anti-DNA polymerase monoclonal antibodies, bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUdR) labeling, and counts of argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions (Ag-NORs). The mean proliferating cell indices (PCIs) determined by Ki-67 and anti-DNA polymerase and the BrdUdR labeling index (LI) were generally very low [1.0±0.2%, 1.1±0.2%, and 0.5±0.1% (±SE), respectively]. Apart from adrenocorticotropic hormone-positive adenomas, which had significantly higher indices, there were no statistically significant differences in the indices among the other subtypes of pituitary adenomas. Recurrent tumors had higher Ki-67 and DNA polymerase PCIs and BrdUdR LIs (3.6%, 4.2%, 1.4%) than primary tumors (0.8%, 0.8%, 0.3%; P<0.005). The number of Ag-NORs did not correlated significantly with any of the three indices. The mean number of Ag-NORs was higher in nonfunctioning adenomas than in functioning adenomas (2.04 vs 1.66, P<0.005); among prolactin-positive adenomas, those treated preoperatively with bromocriptine had more Ag-NORs than untreated tumors (1.75 vs 1.57, P<0.005). These results suggest that the Ki-67 and DNA polymerase PCIs and the BrdUdR LI predict the growth potential of individual pituitary adenomas, whereas the number of Ag-NORs appears to correlate with hormone production rather than with the proliferative potential.Supported by grants CA-13525 and CA-50210 from the National Cancer Institute, by a grant from the Phi Beta Psi Sorority, and by Grant-in-Aid A 63771083 from the Ministry of Education, Science, and Culture of Japan     

Tolerability,pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of CMAB001, an anti-CD11a antibody,in Chinese healthy volunteers and psoriatic patients

Aim:

To evaluate the pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD) and primary tolerability of an anti-CD11a monoclonal antibody (CMAB001) in Chinese healthy volunteers and psoriatic patients.

Methods:

Two open-label studies were conducted. One was a parallel-group, single-center, dose-escalation test, including 24 healthy adult volunteers from 18 to 45 years in age. All subjects randomly received a single subcutaneous injection dose of 0.5, 1.0 or 2.0 mg/kg. The other was a multiple-dose study: 10 adult psoriatic patients were administered weekly subcutaneous injections of 1.0 mg/kg for 7 weeks.

Results:

CMAB001 was well tolerated in the single- and multiple-dose studies. Slow absorption was observed in both studies. In the single-dose study, the concentration of CMAB001 reached its highest level 2 d later after the injection, and the C_max increased in an approximate dose-proportionate manner, while the area under curve (AUC) showed much greater than dose-proportionate increase. In the multiple-dose study, the steady-state serum concentration level was attained following the 4th injection.

Conclusion:

CMAB001 exhibited a nonlinear pharmacokinetic profile over the dose range from 0.5 to 2.0 mg/kg, and was well tolerated in healthy volunteers and psoriatic patients.     

Intravenous injection of oncolytic picornavirus SVV-001 prolongs animal survival in a panel of primary tumor–based orthotopic xenograft mouse models of pediatric glioma

Background

Seneca Valley virus (SVV-001) is a nonpathogenic oncolytic virus that can be systemically administered and can pass through the blood–brain barrier. We examined its therapeutic efficacy and the mechanism of tumor cell infection in pediatric malignant gliomas.

Methods

In vitro antitumor activities were examined in primary cultures, preformed neurospheres, and self-renewing glioma cells derived from 6 patient tumor orthotopic xenograft mouse models (1 anaplastic astrocytoma and 5 GBM). In vivo therapeutic efficacy was examined by systemic treatment of preformed xenografts in 3 permissive and 2 resistant models. The functional role of sialic acid in mediating SVV-001 infection was investigated using neuraminidase and lectins that cleave or competitively bind to linkage-specific sialic acids.

Results

SVV-001 at a multiplicity of infection of 0.5 to 25 replicated in and effectively killed primary cultures, preformed neurospheres, and self-renewing stemlike single glioma cells derived from 4 of the 6 glioma models in vitro. A single i.v. injection of SVV-001 (5 × 10¹² viral particles/kg) led to the infection of orthotopic xenografts without harming normal mouse brain cells, resulting in significantly prolonged survival in all 3 permissive and 1 resistant mouse models (P < .05). Treatment with neuraminidase and competitive binding using lectins specific for α2,3-linked and/or α2,6-linked sialic acid significantly suppressed SVV-001 infectivity (P < .01).

Conclusion

SVV-001 possesses strong antitumor activity against pediatric malignant gliomas and utilizes α2,3-linked and α2,6-linked sialic acids as mediators of tumor cell infection. Our findings support the consideration of SVV-001 for clinical trials in children with malignant glioma.     

β-catenin inhibitors ICG-001 and pyrvinium sensitize bortezomib-resistant multiple myeloma cells to bortezomib

Although bortezomib (BTZ) displays efficacy in treating multiple myeloma (MM), BTZ resistance in MM patients has been reported. Meanwhile, treating BTZ resistant MM cells with β-catenin inhibitors have demonstrated the ability to reserve BTZ resistance. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the synergistic effect of the β-catenin inhibitors, ICG-001 and pyrvinium (PP), with BTZ in the treatment of BTZ-resistant MM cells. Different concentrations of ICG-001 (0–32 µM) or PP (0–32 nM) were used to treat the BTZ-resistant RPMI-8226 (RPMI-8226BR) and BTZ-resistant KMS-11 (KMS-11BR) cell lines, followed by a BTZ combination treatment. Subsequently, cell viability and apoptosis in these two cell lines were determined by CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry, respectively. The proteins involved in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway were detected using western blotting. The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway was activated in the RPMI-8226BR and the KMS-11BR cells. In addition, the cell viability of RPMI-8226BR and KMS-11BR cells were decreased following β-catenin inhibitor (ICG-001 and PP) treatment alone. Furthermore, the β-catenin inhibitors, ICG-001 and PP, plus BTZ combination treatment revealed a notable decrease in cell viability and a marked increase in cell apoptosis rate, compared with that in cells treated with ICG-001, PP or BTZ alone in the RPMI-8226BR and KMS-11BR cell lines. In conclusion, the β-catenin inhibitors, ICG-001 and PP not only increased apoptosis, but also sensitized BTZ-resistant MM cells to BTZ, indicating their potential therapeutic application in MM.     

RAD001对胃癌耐药细胞株SGC7901／DDP的VEGF表达的影响

目的研究哺乳动物雷帕霉素靶蛋白（mammaliantargetofrapamycin,mTOR）特异性抑制剂RAD001对胃癌耐药细胞株SGC7901／DDP的血管内皮生长因子（vascularendothelialgrowthfactor,VEGF）表达的影响,以期为临床治疗肿瘤提供新的线索。方法常规培养胃癌耐药细胞株SGC7901／DDP,RAD001单独或联合顺铂（DDP）干预48h后,ELISA法测定药物对细胞分泌VEGF蛋白的影响,蛋白免疫印迹法和免疫细胞化学法检测药物作用后细胞中VEGF蛋白的表达情况。结果RAD001单独或联合DDP干预后,SGC7901／DDP细胞分泌的VEGF蛋白减少,呈剂量依赖性;SGC7901／DDP细胞的VEGF蛋白的表达降低。结论RAD001可以减少胃癌SGC7901／DDP细胞的VEGF蛋白的分泌和表达,与DDP联合用药时作用更明显。     

Epitope-based approaches to a universal influenza vaccine

The development of vaccines has been one of the most important contributions of immunology to public health to date. Although several infectious diseases have all but vanished thanks to effective vaccines, the most common infectious disease, influenza, still represents a major threat to public health. This is more concerning than ever before in light of potentially virulent avian pandemic strains which have emerged in the last decade and infected human hosts, causing high morbidity and mortality. Despite considerable efforts to improve production of influenza vaccines and vaccinate large portions of the population annually, the currently available influenza vaccines are strain-specific and not effective enough. Considering the vulnerability of infants and elderly to seasonal influenza-related complications and the ever present public health threat of a deadly influenza pandemic, there is urgent need for a new kind of influenza vaccine. Ideally, such a vaccine should provide enhanced long term, multi-strain protection without compromising safety and in this way, dramatically improve global protection against seasonal and pandemic influenza viruses. This review highlights one approach to developing a universal influenza vaccine, which is based on highly conserved viral sequences, ‘epitopes’, that specifically activate humoral and/or cellular immune responses. This approach to vaccinology was pioneered by Prof Arnon, who initiated development of an epitope-based universal vaccine called Multimeric-001 (M-001), which has already been validated in clinical trials to induce broad immunity against A and B-Type, seasonal and pandemic strains.     

一种难溶性原料药细菌内毒素检查方法的建立

摘 要 目的：建立原料药HSSYO 001 3S细菌内毒素检查方法。方法: 以二甲亚砜（DMSO）溶解HSSYO 001 3S,用适量细菌内毒素检查用水（BET水）稀释后,离心取上清液,按中国药典2015年版四部通则11431检查凝胶法,对HSSYO 001 3S进行细菌内毒素检查的方法学研究。结果:HSSYO 001 3S加助溶剂并以BET水稀释至1 mg·m^-1 ,经离心后取上清液稀释4倍及以上时对鲎试剂凝集反应无干扰作用。结论:HSSYO 001 3S可采用细菌内毒素检查法控制其质量。