Recent advances with cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors: therapeutic agents for breast cancer and their role in immuno-oncology

Introduction: Collaborative interactions between several diverse biological processes govern the onset and progression of breast cancer. These processes include alterations in cellular metabolism, anti-tumor immune responses, DNA damage repair, proliferation, anti-apoptotic signals, autophagy, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, components of the non-coding genome or onco-mIRs, cancer stem cells and cellular invasiveness. The last two decades have revealed that each of these processes are also directly regulated by a component of the cell cycle apparatus, cyclin D1.

Area covered: The current review is provided to update recent developments in the clinical application of cyclin/CDK inhibitors to breast cancer with a focus on the anti-tumor immune response.

Expert opinion: The cyclin D1 gene encodes the regulatory subunit of a proline-directed serine-threonine kinase that phosphorylates several substrates. CDKs possess phosphorylation site selectivity, with the phosphate-acceptor residue preceding a proline. Several important proteins are substrates including all three retinoblastoma proteins, NRF1, GCN5, and FOXM1. Over 280 cyclin D3/CDK6 substrates have b\een identified. Given the diversity of substrates for cyclin/CDKs, and the altered thresholds for substrate phosphorylation that occurs during the cell cycle, it is exciting that small molecular inhibitors targeting cyclin D/CDK activity have encouraging results in specific tumors.     

Responses of CDKs and p53 in Delayed Ischemic Neuronal Death

Stroke is a debilitating disease that affects millions each year.While in many cases cerebral ischemic in jury can be limited by effectivw resuscitation or thrombolytic treatment,the injured neurons wither in a process known as delayed neuronal death(DND).Mounting evidence indicates that DND is not simply necrosis played out in slow motion but apoptosis is triggered.Of particular interest are two groups of signal proteins that participate in apoptosis-cyclin dependent kinases(CDKs) and p53-among a myriad of signaling events after an ischemic insult.Recent investigations have shown that CDKs,a family of enzymes initially known for their role in cell cycle regulation,are activated in injured neurons in DND.As for p53,new reports suggest that its up-regulation may represent a failed attempt to rescue in jured neurons,although its up-regulation was previously considered an indication of apoptosis.These observations thus rekindle an old quest to identify new neuroprotective targets to minimize the stroke damage.In this review,the author will examine the evidence that indicates the participation of CDKs and p53 in DND and then introduce pre-clinical data to explore CDK inhibition as a potential neuroprotective target.Finally,using CDK inhibition as an example,this paper will discuss the pertinent criteria for a viable neuroprotective strategy for ischemic in jury.     

Cyclin D1 in astrocytic tumours: an immunohistochemical study

Forty-eight astrocytic tumours were stained immunohistochemically with antibodies to the cell cycle-regulating protein, cyclin D1, and to the proliferation marker MIB1 (Ki-67) using formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue and a microwave antigen retrieval system. Cases were classified by the WHO system (1993). The labelling indices (LI) for both antibodies were compared with each other and with the tumour type. The mean labelling indices for both antibodies increased with the degree of malignancy, and a significant difference was seen between the pilocytic astrocytoma and diffuse astrocytoma together vs anaplastic astrocytoma and glioblastoma together. However, within each tumour type there was considerable variation in the labelling indices and a clear cut off value could not be demonstrated. There was a strong positive correlation between labelling indices for cyclin D1 and MIB1 in diffuse astrocytoma, but this correlation broke down increasingly in anaplastic astrocytoma and glioblastoma. There was poor correlation between cyclin D1 and MIB1 in pilocytic astrocytoma, a feature which appeared to separate them from the diffuse astrocytoma. Average labelling indices for cyclin D1 were higher than those of MIB1, which suggests that cyclin D1 positive cells represent a pool of cells from which proliferation and hence MIB1 expression can take place. In conclusion, cyclin D1 is overexpressed in astrocytic tumours, more so with increasing grade of malignancy and in a way which approximately correlates with MIB1 expression.     

P16、Cyclin D1蛋白表达与胰腺癌生物学行为

目的 探讨P16、CyclinD1蛋白表达水平与胰腺癌发生、发展及预后的关系。方法 应用免疫组织化学SP法结合微波抗原修复法对53例原发性胰腺癌和42例胰腺良性病变及正常组织中P16蛋白及CyclinD1蛋白进行检测。结果 胰腺癌组织、胰腺良性病变和正常组织中P16蛋白的阳性率分别为66．04％和87．71％（P＜0．05）；CyclinD1表达的阳性率分别为52．83％和23．81％（P＜0．05），P16及CyclinD1蛋白表达与胰腺癌的组织分化、病理分期及术后生存期密切相关。结论 P16及CyclinD1蛋白在胰腺癌中的表达可判断胰腺癌的预后。     

Correlation between Cyclin A Gene Expression in Adult Patients with Acute Leukemia and Drug Resistance

Adultacuteleukemia (AL)isoneofthemostcommonmalignanttumorsofhematology .Withtherecentprogressinchemotherapyandsupportivether apy ,theremissionandsurvivalrateinALhavebeenmarkedlyimproved .However ,drugresistanceandrelapsearestillimportantfactorsaffectinglongsur vivalofthese patients .Theabnormalregulationofcellcycleisanotherfactorthatcannotbeignoredex ceptformultipledrugresistance (MDR) .WedetectcyclinA ,multidrugresistantgene (mdrl) ,topoiso meraseⅡα(TopⅡα)andbcl 2inadultpatientswithA…     

Cyclin D1在胶质瘤细胞系中表达分布模式的初步研究

目的：探讨cyclin D1在胶质瘤细胞系中的细胞周期表达模式，将为从生物学功能上阐明cyclin D1在胶质瘤细胞周期演进中的作用．方法：利用流式细胞仪双参数法和细胞同步化，确定cyclin D1在胶质瘤细胞系SHG-44和BT-325中的细胞周期表达分布模式．结果：在胶质瘤细胞系SHG-44和BT-325中，Cyclin Dl的表达呈细胞周期依赖性：在SHG-44中，cyclin D1在G1期表达最高，4h左右达到峰值，S期及G2／M期下降，但仍可检测到；在BT-325中，cyclin D1在G1期表达最高，6h左右达到峰值，S期及G2／M期下降，但仍可检测到．结论：cyclin D1蛋白质的表达呈细胞周期依赖性，且与细胞周期行进有关；cyclin D1在SHG-44和BT-325胶质瘤细胞进入G1期的早期发挥着重要的生物学作用。     

人脑胶质瘤中β-catenin的表达与细胞增殖相关性研究

目的:探讨人脑胶质瘤中βcatenin的表达及与细胞增殖的相关性。方法:用免疫组化法观察了47例胶质瘤标本βcatenin、cyclinD1、增殖细胞核抗原(PCNA)的表达,并分析其相关性。结果:在胶质瘤中βcatenin、cyclinD1、PCNA均随肿瘤恶性程度增高而增高(P分别为0.017、0.017、0.027),相关分析发现βcatenin、cyclinD1、PCNA的表达两两相关(P<0.001,P<0.001和P=0.005)。结论:βcatenin表达水平的异常与胶质瘤细胞周期调节紊乱、增殖指数上升有关,因此可能是控制肿瘤细胞增殖活性的候选基因之一。     

Determination of proliferating fractions in malignant melanomas by anti-PCNA/cyclin monoclonal antibody

An immunohistochemical study of melanocytic tumours using 19A2, a monoclonal antibody against proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA/cyclin), was performed on tissues routinely processed with formalin fixation and paraffin embedding. In normal skin, keratinocytes of the suprabasal region in epidermis, the papillae and outer root sheath of hair follicles and the basal cells lining the lobules of sebaceous glands were stained in the nucleus. Other skin components, including basal and follicular melanocytes, did not demonstrate nuclear labelling. In addition, expression of PCNA/cyclin in keratinocytes was higher in sun-exposed skin compared with unexposed skin. In melanocytic lesions, PCNA/cyclin positive tumour cells increased in number and staining intensity according to the following progression: common melanocytic naevi; dysplastic naevi; primary melanomas; and metastatic melanomas. Expression of PCNA/cyclin, therefore, provides a useful marker for proliferation and tumour progression in skin.     

Deregulation of the G1/S-phase control in human testicular germ cell tumours

Deregulated cell cycle and defective genome-integrity checkpoints are among the hallmarks of cancer.Here we summarize our recent studies of key components of the GI/S machinery in normal human spermatogenesis, and their abnormalities in testicular germ cell tumours (TGCTs), with special emphasis on carcinoma in situ lesions (CIS). Our combined immunohistochemical and immunoblotting analyses of normal human adult and fetal testes, CIS, seminomas, embryonal carcinomas, and teratomas, revealed an 'unorthodox' spectrum of defects within the so-called RB pathway in TGCTs. The early aberrations included lack of expression of the retinoblastoma tumour suppressor (pRB) and the CDK inhibitor pl9ink4d, and overexpression of cyclin D2. Progression from CIS to invasive TGCTswas associated with loss of another two CDK inhibitors and tumour suppressors: pl6ink4a and pl8ink4c. We also found the lack of pRB and pl9ink4d in fetal gonocytes, the candidate target cell for all types of TGCTs. These findings, together with the status of the Chk2-p53 DNA-integrity checkpoint, are considered in relation to the origin, biology and pathogenesis of TGCTs, and potential implications of the GI/S defects for the curability of these tumours.