Interpreting clinical assays for histone deacetylase inhibitors

As opposed to genetics, dealing with gene expressions by direct DNA sequence modifications, the term epigenetics applies to all the external influences that target the chromatin structure of cells with impact on gene expression unrelated to the sequence coding of DNA itself. In normal cells, epigenetics modulates gene expression through all development steps. When “imprinted” early by the environment, epigenetic changes influence the organism at an early stage and can be transmitted to the progeny. Together with DNA sequence alterations, DNA aberrant cytosine methylation and microRNA deregulation, epigenetic modifications participate in the malignant transformation of cells. Their reversible nature has led to the emergence of the promising field of epigenetic therapy. The efforts made to inhibit in particular the epigenetic enzyme family called histone deacetylases (HDACs) are described. HDAC inhibitors (HDACi) have been proposed as a viable clinical therapeutic approach for the treatment of leukemia and solid tumors, but also to a lesser degree for noncancerous diseases. Three epigenetic drugs are already arriving at the patient’s bedside, and more than 100 clinical assays for HDACi are registered on the National Cancer Institute website. They explore the eventual additive benefits of combined therapies. In the context of the pleiotropic effects of HDAC isoforms, more specific HDACi and more informative screening tests are being developed for the benefit of the patients

Smoking cessation—but not smoking reduction—improves the annual decline in FEV1 in occupationally exposed workers

SummaryIntroductionIndividuals exposed both to cigarette smoke and respiratory pollutants at work incur a greater risk of development of airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and accelerated decline in forced expiratory volume in 1s (FEV1) than that incurred by subjects undergoing each exposure separately. We examined whether smoking cessation or smoking reduction improves AHR and thereby slows down the decline in FEV1 in occupationally exposed workers.MethodsWe examined 165 workers (137 males and 28 females) participating in a smoking cessation programme. Nicotine tablets were used for smoking cessation or smoking reduction. Respiratory symptoms were assessed by questionnaire, FEV1 by spirometry and AHR by methacholine challenge test. At 1 year, subjects were classified into quitters, reducers, or continuing smokers.ResultsSixty-seven subjects completed the study (32 quitters; 17 reducers; 18 continuing smokers). Respiratory symptoms improved markedly in quitters (P<0.001 for all comparisons) and less so in reducers (P values between 0.163 and 0.027). At 1 year, FEV1 had slightly but significantly improved in quitters (P=0.006 vs. smokers; P=0.038 vs. reducers) and markedly deteriorated in reducers and continuing smokers. Concurrent, 1-year change in AHR did not differ significantly among the groups.ConclusionIn occupationally exposed workers, stopping smoking markedly improved respiratory symptoms and, in males, slowed the annual decline in FEV1. Smoking reduction resulted in smaller improvements in symptoms but deterioration in FEV1. These findings were independent of AHR. While smoking cessation should remain the ultimate goal in workplace cessation programmes more studies are necessary to better ascertain the benefits of smoking reduction

SOX2 Is an Oncogene Activated by Recurrent 3q26.3 Amplifications in Human Lung Squamous Cell Carcinomas

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the lung is a frequent and aggressive cancer type. Gene amplifications, a known activating mechanism of oncogenes, target the 3q26-qter region as one of the most frequently gained/amplified genomic sites in SCC of various types. Here, we used array comparative genomic hybridization to delineate the consensus region of 3q26.3 amplifications in lung SCC. Recurrent amplifications occur in 20% of lung SCC (136 tumors in total) and map to a core region of 2 Mb (Megabases) that encompasses SOX2, a transcription factor gene. Intense SOX2 immunostaining is frequent in nuclei of lung SCC, indicating potential active transcriptional regulation by SOX2. Analyses of the transcriptome of lung SCC, SOX2-overexpressing lung epithelial cells and embryonic stem cells (ESCs) reveal that SOX2 contributes to activate ESC-like phenotypes and provide clues pertaining to the deregulated genes involved in the malignant phenotype. In cell culture experiments, overexpression of SOX2 stimulates cellular migration and anchorage-independent growth while SOX2 knockdown impairs cell growth. Finally, SOX2 over-expression in non-tumorigenic human lung bronchial epithelial cells is tumorigenic in immunocompromised mice. These results indicate that the SOX2 transcription factor, a major regulator of stem cell function, is also an oncogene and a driver gene for the recurrent 3q26.33 amplifications in lung SCC

Validation d'outils moléculaires pour la cancérologie clinique (Etude de l'expression des récepteurs aux rétinoïdes dans les cancers bronchiques)

Les Récepteurs aux Rétinoïdes sont impliqués dans le développement et dans l homéostasie cellulaire. Des altérations de leurs expressions ont été observées dans les cancers bronchiques. Cependant, les essais de chimioprévention utilisant les rétinoïdes dans des populations à risques ont échoué. Par conséquent, avant de procéder à de nouveaux essais cliniques utilisant des rétinoïdes de seconde génération, il apparaît nécessaire de mieux comprendre les mécanismes moléculaires impliqués dans la signalisation des rétinoïdes. Tel est ici notre objectif en présentant la validation d outils de recherches destinés à l étude de ces récepteurs, et en particulier à celle du Récepteur à l Acide Rétinoïque ß, dont le rôle majeur dans le cancer du poumon est documenté. Des outils bioinformatiques ont été utilisés afin de reconstituer in silico l organisation génomique de RARß. Les caractéristiques d un promoteur potentiel P1 -RARß ont été étudiées expérimentalement. Des mesures spécifiques, réalisées dans des essais de qRT-PCR Syber Green et avec un triplex de sondes Taqman, ont été validées extensivement afin d établir des valeurs de référence de l expression ARNm des Récepteurs aux Rétinoïdes dans les cellules épithéliales bronchiques humaines normales. Les expressions relatives des différentes isoformes ARNm RRs ont ensuite été quantifiées dans des échantillons de tumeurs bronchiques ainsi que dans plusieurs lignées de cellules cancéreuses. Enfin, un anticorps reconnaissant toutes les isoformes protéiques RARß, a été conçu et validé extensivement par western-blot et immunoprécipitation. Aucune activité promotrice n a pu être démontrée pour P1 -RARß. Une augmentation des quantités d ARNm P2-RARß signe la différenciation normale de l épithélium bronchique, alors qu une diminution significative de ces ARNm est observée dans la plupart des lignées de cellules cancéreuses bronchiques. Une sous-régulation concomitante de RARß et RXRß a également été mise en évidence dans les tumeurs bronchiques. En utilisant des extraits nucléaires de cellules BEAS-2B et de cellules bronchiques normales, seule l isoforme protéique longue RARß2 a été reconnue par notre anticorps. Un traitement rigoureux des échantillons ainsi qu une analyse bioinformatique exhaustive sont les points clés de cette étude. Des valeurs ARNm de référence ainsi que des outils validés sont maintenant disponibles pour faire progresser la recherche sur le signal rétinoïde dans les cellules bronchiques.Retinoid Receptors are involved in development and cell homeostasis. Alterations of their expressions have been observed in lung cancer. However, retinoid chemoprevention trials in populations at risk to develop such tumours have failed. Therefore, the pertinence of new clinical trials using second generation retinoids requires prior better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the retinoid signalling. This is our aim when validating extensively research tools, focused on the Retinoic Acid Receptor ß, whose major role in lung cancer is documented. Biocomputing was used to draw in silico an updated RARß genomic organisation. Features of a putative P1'-RARß promoter were investigated experimentally. Specific measures realised, with qRT-PCR Syber Green assays and a triplex of Taqman probes, were extensively validated to establish Retinoid Receptors mRNAs reference values for normal human bronchial epithelial cells. Relative expressions of the different RRs mRNA isoforms were further quantified in lung tumour samples and in several cancer cell lines. Finally, an antibody recognising all the RARß protein isoforms, was generated and extensively validated by western-blot and immunoprecipitation. No promoter-like activity was found for P1'-RARß. P2-RARß mRNA increase signs the normal differentiation of the human bronchial epithelium while a significant decrease is observed in most lung cancer cell lines. Accordingly, it is also, along with RXRß, down-regulated in lung tumours. When using nuclear extracts of BEAS-2B and normal lung cells, only the P2-long RARß2 protein isoform was recognised by our antibody. Rigorous samples processing and extensive biocomputing, were the key factors for this study. mRNA reference values and validated tools are now available to advance researches on retinoid signalling in the lung.NANCY1-Bib. numérique (543959902) / SudocSudocFranceF

Robot Control using Monocular Pose Estimation

International audienceSince the last years, we are interested in visual servo-ing and we h a ve d e v eloped many visual servoing applications using 2D visual features. The aim of this paper is to study how w e c a n i n troduce 3D visual features in a robot control loop. We consider a camera mounted on the end e ector of the manipulator robot to estimate the pose of the target object. The required positioning task is to reach a speci c pose between the sensor frame and a target object frame. Knowing the target object model, we can localize the object in the 3D visual sensor frame and obtain the pose between the camera and the target object at each iteration. To insure the visual servoing task, we h a ve d e v eloped two approaches. The rst approach is based on the task function approach i n troduced by Samson and Espiau at the end of 80's. We considered a 3D visual sensor which gives the 3D visual pose of an object in the sensor frame. In this case, the sensor signal (dimen-sion 6) is composed of the position and the orientation of the frame object in the sensor frame. The second approach consists to split the trajectory between the current and the desired pose in a set of elementaries screwing tasks. At e a c h iteration, the situation between the sensor and the object is computed, and then the trajectory is updated

Delivery of epidrugs

International audienceInhibitors of epigenetic targets have entered clinical trials with some success, in particular for combined therapies. Like many other chemotherapeutics these new classes of molecules have dose-limiting toxicities and highly active metabolism in vivo resulting in lower efficacy than expected. This review presents drug delivery strategies proposed to prolong epigenetic inhibitor effects while reducing toxicities and metabolic clearance. Inspired from the work done in cancer-targeted strategies, prodrugs and nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems are discussed in a comprehensive way, detailing the chemical and physiological principles of the selected releasing method and, when available, how epigenetic chemistry can be exploited