Amiloride Derivative Compound 10357 in the Treatment of B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Compound 10357 is an amiloride derivative with potential promise as an adjunct to current chemotherapeutics. This study investigates the therapeutic efficacy of Compound 10357 in B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL)

The incidence and risk factors of venous thromboembolism in Japanese inpatients with inflammatory bowel disease: a retrospective cohort study

Background/AimsVenous thromboembolism (VTE) is a major extraintestinal manifestation in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), regarded as an independent risk factor for VTE according to reports from Western countries. However, the incidence and risk factors of VTE in Asian IBD patients are not fully understood. We aimed to reveal the incidence and risk factors of VTE in Japanese IBD inpatients.MethodsThe incidence of VTE in inpatients with IBD (n=340), gastrointestinal cancers (n=557), and other gastrointestinal diseases (n=569) treated at our hospital from 2009 to 2013 was retrospectively investigated. The characteristics and laboratory data of IBD inpatients with and without VTE were compared in univariate and multivariate analyses. Clinical courses of VTE in IBD were surveyed.ResultsVTE was detected in 7.1% of IBD inpatients, significantly higher than in gastrointestinal cancer inpatients (2.5%) and inpatients with other gastrointestinal diseases (0.88%). The incidence of VTE in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients (16.7%) was much higher than that in those with Crohn's disease (3.6%). In the univariate analysis, the risk factors were an older age, central venous catheter, prednisolone, surgery, low serum albumin, high serum C-reactive protein and D-dimer. According to a multivariate analysis, >50 years of age and surgery were the only risk factors. The in-hospital mortality rate of IBD inpatients with VTE was 4.2%.ConclusionsThe incidence of VTE with IBD, especially UC, was found to be high compared with other digestive disease, which was almost equivalent to that of Western countries. The efficacy of prophylaxis needs to be investigated in Asian IBD patients

Therapeutic efficacy of RAS inhibitor trametinib using a juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia patient-derived xenograft model

Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) is an aggressive pediatric leukemia with few effective treatments and poor outcomes even after stem cell transplantation, the only current curative treatment. We developed a JMML patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse model and demonstrated the in vivo therapeutic efficacy and confirmed the target of trametinib, a RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK pathway inhibitor, in this model. A PDX model was created through transplantation of patient JMML cells into mice, up to the second generation, and successful engraftment was confirmed using flow cytometry. JMML PDX mice were treated with trametinib versus vehicle control, with a median survival of 194 days in the treatment group versus 124 days in the control group (p = 0.02). Trametinib’s target as a RAS pathway inhibitor was verified by showing inhibition of ERK phosphorylation using immunoblot assays. In conclusion, trametinib monotherapy significantly prolongs survival in our JMML PDX model by inhibiting the RAS pathway. Our model can be effectively used for assessment of novel targeted treatments, including potential combination therapies, to improve JMML outcomes.</p

Cmpd10357 to treat B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is the most common type of cancer found in children. Although the overall survival rates are now &gt;80%, 15%-20% of pediatric patients relapse, with survival rates subsequently dropping to 5%-10%. Cmpd10357, 3-amino-5-arylamino-6-chloro-N- (diaminomethylene) pyrazine-2-carboximide, is a highly potent, cell-permeant compound recently shown to have cytotoxic effects on solid tumors, including human breast cancer and high-grade gliomas, independent of their proliferative status. Cmpd10357 demonstrated concentration-dependent cytotoxicity in two human B-ALL cell lines, JM1 and Reh, at half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of 3.2 and 3.3 μM, respectively. Cmpd10357, at a dose of 5 mg/kg, significantly prolonged survival in our B-ALL xenograft mouse model, with a median survival time of 49.0 days compared with 45.5 days in the control group (p &lt; 0.05). The cytotoxicity of Cmpd10357 demonstrated caspase-independent, nonapoptotic cancer cell demise associated with the nuclear translocation of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF). The cytotoxicity of Cmpd10357 in B-ALL cells was inhibited by Necrostatin-1 but not by Necrosulfonamide. These studies suggest that an AIF-mediated, caspase-independent necrosis mechanism of Cmpd10357 in B-ALL could be used in combination with traditional apoptotic chemotherapeutic agents

Novel Patient Metastatic Pleural Effusion-Derived Xenograft Model of Renal Medullary Carcinoma Demonstrates Therapeutic Efficacy of Sunitinib.

BackgroundRenal medullary carcinoma (RMC) is a rare but aggressive tumor often complicated by early lung metastasis with few treatment options and very poor outcomes. There are currently no verified RMC patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse models established from metastatic pleural effusion (PE) available to study RMC and evaluate new therapeutic options.MethodsRenal tumor tissue and malignant PE cells from an RMC patient were successfully engrafted into 20 NOD.Cg-Prkdcscid Il2rgtm1Wjl/SzJ (NSG) mice. We evaluated the histopathological similarity of the renal tumor and PE PDXs with the original patient renal tumor and PE, respectively. We then evaluated the molecular integrity of the renal tumor PDXs between passages, as well as the PE PDX compared to two generations of renal tumor PDXs, by microarray analysis. The therapeutic efficacy of sunitinib and temsirolimus was tested in a serially-transplanted generation of 27 PE PDX&nbsp;mice.ResultsThe pathologic characteristics of the patient renal tumor and patient PE were retained in the PDXs. Gene expression profiling revealed high concordance between the two generations of renal tumor PDXs (RMC-P0 vs. RMC-P1, r=0.865), as well as between the first generation PE PDX and each generation of the renal tumor PDX (PE-P0 vs. RMC-P0, r=0.919 and PE-P0 vs. RMC-P1, r=0.843). A low number (626) of differentially-expressed genes (DEGs) was seen between the first generation PE PDX and the first generation renal tumor PDX. In the PE-P1 xenograft, sunitinib significantly reduced tumor growth (p&lt;0.001) and prolonged survival (p=0.004) compared to the vehicle control.ConclusionsA metastatic PE-derived RMC PDX model was established and shown to maintain histologic features of the patient cancer. Molecular integrity of the PDX models was well maintained between renal tumor and PE PDX as well as between two successive renal tumor PDX generations. Using the PE PDX model, sunitinib demonstrated therapeutic efficacy for RMC. This model can serve as a foundation for future mechanistic and therapeutic studies for primary and metastatic RMC

Novel Patient Metastatic Pleural Effusion-Derived Xenograft Model of Renal Medullary Carcinoma Demonstrates Therapeutic Efficacy of Sunitinib.

BackgroundRenal medullary carcinoma (RMC) is a rare but aggressive tumor often complicated by early lung metastasis with few treatment options and very poor outcomes. There are currently no verified RMC patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse models established from metastatic pleural effusion (PE) available to study RMC and evaluate new therapeutic options.MethodsRenal tumor tissue and malignant PE cells from an RMC patient were successfully engrafted into 20 NOD.Cg-Prkdcscid Il2rgtm1Wjl/SzJ (NSG) mice. We evaluated the histopathological similarity of the renal tumor and PE PDXs with the original patient renal tumor and PE, respectively. We then evaluated the molecular integrity of the renal tumor PDXs between passages, as well as the PE PDX compared to two generations of renal tumor PDXs, by microarray analysis. The therapeutic efficacy of sunitinib and temsirolimus was tested in a serially-transplanted generation of 27 PE PDX&nbsp;mice.ResultsThe pathologic characteristics of the patient renal tumor and patient PE were retained in the PDXs. Gene expression profiling revealed high concordance between the two generations of renal tumor PDXs (RMC-P0 vs. RMC-P1, r=0.865), as well as between the first generation PE PDX and each generation of the renal tumor PDX (PE-P0 vs. RMC-P0, r=0.919 and PE-P0 vs. RMC-P1, r=0.843). A low number (626) of differentially-expressed genes (DEGs) was seen between the first generation PE PDX and the first generation renal tumor PDX. In the PE-P1 xenograft, sunitinib significantly reduced tumor growth (p&lt;0.001) and prolonged survival (p=0.004) compared to the vehicle control.ConclusionsA metastatic PE-derived RMC PDX model was established and shown to maintain histologic features of the patient cancer. Molecular integrity of the PDX models was well maintained between renal tumor and PE PDX as well as between two successive renal tumor PDX generations. Using the PE PDX model, sunitinib demonstrated therapeutic efficacy for RMC. This model can serve as a foundation for future mechanistic and therapeutic studies for primary and metastatic RMC

Takayasu’s arteritis associated with eosinophilic gastroenteritis, possibly via the overactivation of Th17

Abstract Background Takayasu’s arteritis (TA) is a large-vessel vasculitis pathologically characterized by granulomatous necrotizing vasculitis with giant cells. Although the cause of TA is still unclear, genetic factors as well as immunological abnormalities, particularly the overactivation of Th1 and Th-17, are considered to play important roles in the pathogenesis of this disease. Eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE) is a type of refractory inflammation in which numerous eosinophils infiltrate the inflammatory area. It is known that the overactivation of Th2 is associated with the pathogenesis of EGE, although the cause of EGE is still unclear. The immunological abnormalities in TA are therefore thought to be different from those in EGE. To date, no cases of complication of TA and EGE have been reported. Case presentations An 18 year-old female was diagnosed with EGE and treated with prednisolone. At 6 months after completion of the treatment, the patient experienced chest pain, and was diagnosed with TA. TH1 and TH17 immunity are thought to be involved with TA, while TH2 are considered to be involved with EGE. In this case, the expression of IL-17 mRNA in the colon mucosa greatly decreased after prednisolone treatment for EGE. Conclusions This is the first report of TA complicated with EGE, and the overactivation of TH17 is considered to be associated with the pathogenesis of these two diseases