Preclinical studies of Apogossypolone: a new nonpeptidic pan small-molecule inhibitor of Bcl-2, Bcl-XL and Mcl-1 proteins in Follicular Small Cleaved Cell Lymphoma model

Elevated expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins have been linked to a poor survival rate of patients with Follicular Lymphoma (FL). This prompted us to evaluate a very potent non-peptidic Small-Molecule Inhibitor (SMI) targeting Bcl-2 family proteins, Apogossypolone (ApoG2) using follicular small cleaved cell lymphoma cell line (WSU-FSCCL) and cell isolated from lymphoma patients. ApoG2 inhibited the growth of WSU-FSCCL significantly with a 50% growth inhibition of cells (IC50) of 109 nM and decreased cell number of fresh lymphoma cells. ApoG2 activated caspases-9, -3, and -8, and the cleavage of Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and Apoptosis Inducing Factor (AIF). In the WSU-FSCCL-SCID xenograft model, ApoG2 showed a significant anti-lymphoma effect, with %ILS of 84% in the intravenous and 63% in intraperitoneal treated mice. These studies suggest that ApoG2 can be an effective therapeutic agent against FL

Preclinical studies of Apogossypolone: a new nonpeptidic pan small-molecule inhibitor of Bcl-2, Bcl-X\u3csub\u3eL \u3c/sub\u3eand Mcl-1 proteins in Follicular Small Cleaved Cell Lymphoma model

Abstract Elevated expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins have been linked to a poor survival rate of patients with Follicular Lymphoma (FL). This prompted us to evaluate a very potent non-peptidic Small-Molecule Inhibitor (SMI) targeting Bcl-2 family proteins, Apogossypolone (ApoG2) using follicular small cleaved cell lymphoma cell line (WSU-FSCCL) and cell isolated from lymphoma patients. ApoG2 inhibited the growth of WSU-FSCCL significantly with a 50% growth inhibition of cells (IC50) of 109 nM and decreased cell number of fresh lymphoma cells. ApoG2 activated caspases-9, -3, and -8, and the cleavage of Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and Apoptosis Inducing Factor (AIF). In the WSU-FSCCL-SCID xenograft model, ApoG2 showed a significant anti-lymphoma effect, with %ILS of 84% in the intravenous and 63% in intraperitoneal treated mice. These studies suggest that ApoG2 can be an effective therapeutic agent against FL

I-kappa-kinase-2 (IKK-2) inhibition potentiates vincristine cytotoxicity in non-Hodgkin\u27s lymphoma

Abstract Background IKK-2 is an important regulator of the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) which has been implicated in survival, proliferation and apoptosis resistance of lymphoma cells. In this study, we investigated whether inhibition of IKK-2 impacts cell growth or cytotoxicity of selected conventional chemotherapeutic agents in non-Hodgkin\u27s lymphoma. Two established model systems were used; Follicular (WSU-FSCCL) and Diffuse Large Cell (WSU-DLCL2) Lymphoma, both of which constitutively express p-IκB. A novel, selective small molecule inhibitor of IKK-2, ML120B (N-[6-chloro-7-methoxy-9H-β-carbolin-8-yl]-2-methylnicotinamide) was used to perturb NF-κB in lymphoma cells. The growth inhibitory effect of ML120B (M) alone and in combination with cyclophosphamide monohydrate (C), doxorubicin (H) or vincristine (V) was evaluated in vitro using short-term culture assay. We also determined efficacy of the combination in vivo using the SCID mouse xenografts. Results ML120B down-regulated p-IκBα protein expression in a concentration dependent manner, caused growth inhibition, increased G0/G1 cells, but did not induce apoptosis. There was no significant enhancement of cell kill in the M/C or M/H combination. However, there was strong synergy in the M/V combination where the vincristine concentration can be lowered by a hundred fold in the combination for comparable G2/M arrest and apoptosis. ML120B prevented vincristine-induced nuclear translocation of p65 subunit of NF-κB. In vivo, ML120B was effective by itself and enhanced CHOP anti-tumor activity significantly (P = 0.001) in the WSU-DLCL2-SCID model but did not prevent CNS lymphoma in the WSU-FSCCL-SCID model. Conclusions For the first time, this study demonstrates that perturbation of IKK-2 by ML120B leads to synergistic enhancement of vincristine cytotoxicity in lymphoma. These results suggest that disruption of the NF-κB pathway is a useful adjunct to cytotoxic chemotherapy in lymphoma

SMI of Bcl-2 TW-37 is active across a spectrum of B-cell tumors irrespective of their proliferative and differentiation status

The Bcl-2 family of proteins is critical to the life and death of malignant B-lymphocytes. Interfering with their activity using small-molecule inhibitors (SMI) is being explored as a new therapeutic strategy for treating B-cell tumors. We evaluated the efficacy of TW-37, a non-peptidic SMI of Bcl-2 against a range spectrum of human B-cell lines, fresh patient samples and animal xenograft models. Multiple cytochemical and molecular approaches such as acridine orange/ethidium bromide assay for apoptosis, co-immunoprecipitation of complexes and western blot analysis, caspase luminescent activity assay and apoptotic DNA fragmentation assay were used to demonstrate the effect of TW-37 on different B-cell lines, patient derived samples, as well as in animal xenograft models. Nanomolar concentrations of TW-37 were able to induce apoptosis in both fresh samples and established cell lines with IC50 in most cases of 165–320 nM. Apoptosis was independent of proliferative status or pathological classification of B-cell tumor. TW-37 was able to block Bim-Bcl-XL and Bim-Mcl-1 heterodimerization and induced apoptosis via activation of caspases -9, -3, PARP and DNA fragmentation. TW-37 administered to tumor-bearing SCID mice led to significant tumor growth inhibition (T/C), tumor growth delay (T-C) and Log10kill, when used at its maximum tolerated dose (40 mg/kg × 3 days) via tail vein. TW-37 failed to induce changes in the Bcl-2 proteins levels suggesting that assessment of baseline Bcl-2 family proteins can be used to predict response to the drug. These findings indicate activity of TW-37 across the spectrum of human B-cell tumors and support the concept of targeting the Bcl-2 system as a therapeutic strategy regardless of the stage of B-cell differentiation

Saudi-KAU Coupled Global Climate Model: Description and Performance

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Bayesian profiling of molecular signatures to predict event times

BACKGROUND: It is of particular interest to identify cancer-specific molecular signatures for early diagnosis, monitoring effects of treatment and predicting patient survival time. Molecular information about patients is usually generated from high throughput technologies such as microarray and mass spectrometry. Statistically, we are challenged by the large number of candidates but only a small number of patients in the study, and the right-censored clinical data further complicate the analysis. RESULTS: We present a two-stage procedure to profile molecular signatures for survival outcomes. Firstly, we group closely-related molecular features into linkage clusters, each portraying either similar or opposite functions and playing similar roles in prognosis; secondly, a Bayesian approach is developed to rank the centroids of these linkage clusters and provide a list of the main molecular features closely related to the outcome of interest. A simulation study showed the superior performance of our approach. When it was applied to data on diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), we were able to identify some new candidate signatures for disease prognosis. CONCLUSION: This multivariate approach provides researchers with a more reliable list of molecular features profiled in terms of their prognostic relationship to the event times, and generates dependable information for subsequent identification of prognostic molecular signatures through either biological procedures or further data analysis

Epigenetic control of the ubiquitin carboxyl terminal hydrolase 1 in renal cell carcinoma

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase 1 (UCHL1) gene involved in the regulation of cellular ubiquitin levels plays an important role in different cellular processes including cell growth and differentiation. Aberrant expression of UCHL1 has been found in a number of human solid tumors including renal cell carcinoma (RCC). In RCC, UCHL1 overexpression is associated with tumor progression and an altered von Hippel Lindau gene expression.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To determine the underlying mechanisms for the heterogeneous UCHL1 expression pattern in RCC the UCHL1 promoter DNA methylation status was determined in 17 RCC cell lines as well as in 32 RCC lesions and corresponding tumor adjacent kidney epithelium using combined bisulfite restriction analysis as well as bisulfite DNA sequencing.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>UCHL1 expression was found in all 32 tumor adjacent kidney epithelium samples. However, the lack of or reduced UCHL1 mRNA and/or protein expression was detected in 13/32 RCC biopsies and 7/17 RCC cell lines and due to either a total or partial methylation of the UCHL1 promoter DNA. Upon 2'-deoxy-5-azacytidine treatment an induction of UCHL1 mRNA and protein expression was found in 9/17 RCC cell lines, which was linked to the demethylation degree of the UCHL1 promoter DNA.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Promoter hypermethylation represents a mechanism for the silencing of the UCHL1 gene expression in RCC and supports the concept of an epigenetic control for the expression of UCHL1 during disease progression.</p

Hair Trace Element and Electrolyte Content in Women with Natural and In Vitro Fertilization-Induced Pregnancy

The objective of the present study was to perform comparative analysis of hair trace element content in women with natural and in vitro fertilization (IVF)-induced pregnancy. Hair trace element content in 33 women with IVF-induced pregnancy and 99 age- and body mass index-matched control pregnant women (natural pregnancy) was assessed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The results demonstrated that IVF-pregnant women are characterized by significantly lower hair levels of Cu, Fe, Si, Zn, Ca, Mg, and Ba at p < 0.05 or lower. Comparison of the individual levels with the national reference values demonstrated higher incidence of Fe and Cu deficiency in IVF-pregnant women in comparison to that of the controls. IVF pregnancy was also associated with higher hair As levels (p < 0.05). Multiple regression analysis revealed a significant interrelation between IVF pregnancy and hair Cu, Fe, Si, and As content. Hair Cu levels were also influenced by vitamin/mineral supplementation and the number of pregnancies, whereas hair Zn content was dependent on prepregnancy anthropometric parameters. In turn, planning of pregnancy had a significant impact on Mg levels in scalp hair. Generally, the obtained data demonstrate an elevated risk of copper, iron, zinc, calcium, and magnesium deficiency and arsenic overload in women with IVF-induced pregnancy. The obtained data indicate the necessity of regular monitoring of micronutrient status in IVF-pregnant women in order to prevent potential deleterious effects of altered mineral homeostasis