Citations

AbstractExtracellular vesicles are endogenous biological nanoparticles that have potential for use as therapeutic nanoparticles or as delivery vehicles for therapeutic agents. Milk nanovesicles (MNV) are extracellular vesicles isolated from bovine milk that have been explored for use as delivery vehicles for RNA therapeutics such as small interfering RNA (siRNA). We performed in vivo toxicological studies of MNV or therapeutic MNV (tMNV) loaded with siRNA as a prelude to their clinical use. Development toxicity was assessed in zebrafish embryos. Acute toxicity was assessed in both mice and zebrafish whereas safety, biochemical, histological and immune effects after multiple dosing were assessed in mice. Zebrafish embryo hatching was accelerated with MNV and tMNV. While acute toxicity or effects on mortality were not observed in zebrafish, developmental effects were observed at high concentrations of MNV. There was a lack of discernable toxicity, mortality and systemic inflammatory or immunological responses in mice following administration of either MNVs or tMNVs. The tolerability and lack of discernable developmental or systemic in vivo toxicity support their use as biological nano‐therapeutics. Adoption of a standardized protocol for systematic analysis of in vivo safety and toxicity will facilitate preclinical assessment of EV based formulations for therapeutic use.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is among the most commonly diagnosed malignancies in the world. Patients with OSCC often develop treatment resistance, resulting in a poor prognosis. Mounting evidence indicates that interactions between cancerous cells and other components of the tumor microenvironment (TME) determine their response to treatment. Herein, we examined the role of cancer stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (CSC_EVs) generated from CAL27 and SCC-15 OSCC cells in the development of cisplatin (CDDP) resistance. We demonstrated that CSC_EVs enhance CDDP resistance, clonogenicity, and the tumorsphere formation potential of OSCC cells. Our bioinformatics analyses revealed that OSCC_EVs are enriched with microRNA (miR)-21-5p and are associated with increased metastasis, stemness, chemoresistance, and poor survival in patients with OSCC. Mechanistically, enhanced activity of CSC_EVs was positively correlated with upregulated β-catenin, phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 messenger (m)RNA and protein expression levels. CSC_EVs also conferred a cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) phenotype on normal gingival fibroblasts (NGFs), with the resultant CAFs enhancing the oncogenicity of OSCC cells. Interestingly, treatment with ovatodiolide (OV), the bioactive component of Anisomeles indica, suppressed OSCC tumorigenesis by reducing the cargo content of EVs derived from CSCs, suppressing self-renewal, and inhibiting the NGF-CAF transformation by disrupting EV-TME interactions. Moreover, by suppressing miR-21-5p, STAT3, and mTOR expressions in CSC_EVs, OV re-sensitized CSCs to CDDP and suppressed OSCC tumorigenesis. In vivo, treatment with OV alone or in combination with CDDP significantly reduced the tumor sphere-forming ability and decreased EV cargos containing mTOR, PI3K, STAT3, β-catenin, and miR-21-5p. In summary, our findings provide further strong evidence of OV’s therapeutic effect in OSCC.

Schematic representation demonstrating the fabrication and in vivo evaluation of an immune-modulatory nano-formulation consisting of irinotecan and curcumin in immune-competent mouse models of pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Abstract We have found that CLL B cells spontaneously secrete vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and that a VEGF autocrine pathway can induce apoptosis resistance in these cells. Recently, we also found that hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) is highly expressed in CLL B cells. Since this protein is a potent transcription factor for the induction of VEGF, we were interested in further definition of HIF-1α regulation and its function in CLL B cells. CLL blood B cells overexpress HIF-1α protein but not mRNA for HIF-1α compared to normal blood and splenic B cells. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) showed that circulating blood CLL B cells and a subset of CLL marrow cells uniformly express HIF. Hypoxic conditions (i.e., 1% O2) did not increase the protein levels of HIF-1α nor mRNA for HIF-1α in CLL B cells, indicating that the high HIF-1α protein level is due to post-translation modification. Blockade of signaling pathways known to increase HIF-1α levels also did not alter the high levels of HIF-1α in CLL B cells. IHC and nuclear extraction assay demonstrated that HIF-1α was predominantly located in the CLL B cell nucleus. In addition, the nuclear extract when immunoprecipitated for HIF-1α was shown to be complexed with the co-activator p300, indicating that HIF-1α is transcriptionally active. Co-immunoprecipitation assay showed that HIF-1α from CLL B cells does not associate and form a complex with von Hippel-Landau protein tumor suppressor (pVHL), indicating that the proteasome dependent degradation pathway for HIF-1α protein in CLL B cells is dysfunctional. Using immunoblot or IHC methods, we were unable to detect pVHL protein in CLL B cells; however, we were able to use immunoprecipitation of CLL B cell lysates to demonstrate there is pVHL in CLL B cells. Prolyl hydroxylases (PHD 1, 2, and 3) are negative regulators for HIF-1α via hydroxylation of amino acid prolines in the oxygen degradation domain (ODD) which permits interaction with pVHL. RT-PCR results revealed that there is a subset of CLL patients who had ≥ 50% reduction of PHD 1 and 3 mRNA levels. However using a hydroxylation specific polyclonal antibody we found that HIF-1α from CLL B cells is indeed hydroxylated. Finally, silencing of HIF-1α by RNA interference in CLL B cells was associated with a selective decrease in VEGF mRNA levels but not VEGF-R1, Mcl-1 and prolyl hydroxylases (PHD 1–3) other downstream target genes of HIF-1α. These data show that the high endogenous HIF-1α levels in CLL B cells are due to a defect in HIF-1α degradation via the proteosomal pathway. We believe that this abnormality is linked to the autocrine VEGF pathway in CLL B cells and ultimately results in increases in their apoptotic resistance. Inhibition of HIF-1α levels may be of therapeutic benefit to CLL patients.

Abstract Abstract 54 B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is characterized by the progressive accumulation of CD5+ B-lymphocytes in the peripheral blood, lymphoid organs and bone marrow. Despite aggressive therapy, CLL is still incurable partly because of intrinsic defect in apoptosis induction. Deregulated expression of protein kinases by gene deletion, mutation, or amplification has been found to be important for tumor initiation and progression involving cancer cell proliferation, survival, motility, and invasiveness as well as tumor angiogenesis and chemotherapy resistance. Because of their critical functions in oncogenesis, protein kinases have been at the forefront of targeted cancer therapy development since the 1980s. A novel receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) Axl has been reported to be overexpressed in several types of human cancers including colon, prostatic, thyroid, breast, gastric, renal and lung. Indeed, our recent investigation (ASH 2009, Abstract #2368) identified Axl to be constitutively phosphorylated in CLL B-cells obtained from a majority of CLL patients. We wished to examine whether the constitutively phosphorylated Axl plays a pivotal role in regulating leukemic CLL B-cell survival and could be a potential target to treat this disease. We used freshly isolated purified CLL B-cells after obtaining informed written consent from the patients. Expression status of various kinases in relation to Axl expression and their functional involvement with this novel RTK to drive downstream cell survival signaling pathway(s) were analyzed in CLL B-cell lysates by immunoprecipitation/Western blot analyses using specific antibodies. Finally, we evaluated the functional importance of Axl in CLL by employing two RTK inhibitory agents (Bosutinib [SKI-606] and R428) of different specificity and affinity for receptor tyrosine kinases in order to target Axl and determined the impact on apoptotic/cytotoxic effects on CLL B-cells by flow cytometric analysis. In some experiments, we used bone marrow stromal cells to evaluate if they could diminish the impact of the RTK agent R428. To further our initial examination of Axl status in CLL, we assessed the expression of phosphorylated-Axl (P-Axl) in freshly isolated CLL B-cells by Western blot analysis. Indeed, we detected differential levels of P-Axl in CLL B-cells (n=10). Further analysis revealed that the expression of P-Axl was associated with co-expression of other constitutively phosphorylated kinases/enzymes including Src family kinases (SFKs), PI3K, SyK/ZAP70 and PLC-g2 in CLL B-cells. Importantly, we found by immunoprecipitation of Axl and subsequent Western blotting that these intracellular signaling molecules were complexed with P-Axl in primary CLL B-cells. Further analysis using a siRNA approach targeting Axl suggests that phosphorylation of Axl is an upstream event of SFK-activation in CLL B-cells indicating a pivotal role of Axl in regulating CLL B-cell survival. Finally, when Axl and Src kinases were targeted by a Src/Abl kinase inhibitor, SKI-606 (dose range 2.5–20mM) or the specific-inhibitor of Axl, R428 (dose range 0.5–10 mM) robust induction of CLL B-cell apoptosis was observed in both a dose- and time-dependent manner (Figure). Although both RTK inhibitory agents showed clear induction of apoptosis in CLL B-cells, R428 was found to be the most potent in inducing apoptosis exhibiting an IC50 ∼4-fold lower than SKI-606. Furthermore, we have observed that R428 could target P-Axl resulting in inhibition of SFK-activation further suggesting that Axl regulates SFK-activity in CLL B-cells. Interestingly, R428-induced apoptosis in CLL B-cells (doses of 1.0 mM and 2.5 mM) was significantly inhibited when these leukemic cells were co-cultured with bone marrow stromal cells, but when we tested a higher dose (5 mM) of R428 this stroma-mediated protection was overcome. Further studies are underway to test R428 in combination other chemotherapeutic agents. Thus, we have identified a novel RTK, Axl, in CLL B-cells which appears to work as a docking site for multiple non-RTKs and drives cell survival signals. These findings indicate a unique therapeutic target for CLL treatment. Importantly, there are currently several Axl inhibitory agents that are available to be tested in CLL patients. Disclosures: Holland: Rigel: Employment.

Abstract We and others previously reported that leukemic CLL cells spontaneously secrete VEGF and that VEGF can enhance the leukemic B cell apoptosis resistance via unknown mechanisms. Here, we report elevated VEGF secretion is associated with CLL B cell over-expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α), a transcription factor that is a key regulator of VEGF synthesis. Immunostaining analysis confirmed CLL B cells in blood and bone marrow over-expressed both HIF-1α and VEGF. The high HIF-1α levels were not linked to proline residue (402/564) mutations in oxygen dependent degradation domains; absence of proline hydroxylation dependent enzymes (PHD1, 2, 3, and FIH); or to pVHL mutation (exon 1, 2 and 3); or aberrant transcription of HIF-1α. However, pVHL, a regulator of HIF-1α degradation, was found to be lower in CLL B cells and unable to physically interact with HIF-1α in CLL B cells. Nuclear extraction assay revealed that HIF-1α interacted with its co-factor, p300/CRP in B cells, indicating that HIF-1α was transcriptionally active. We hypothesized that reduction of pVHL expression in CLL B cells could be related to repression by micro RNA function which is known to be aberrantly expressed in CLL. We focused on miR-92-1 known to be over-expressed in CLL B cells and it has pVHL as a putative target. In a luciferase assay of transfected human megakaryocytic cell line, MEG-01, we found a direct effect for miR-92-1 on pVHL, with significant repression of luciferase activity of VHL expression by miR-92-1 compared to both control vectors and a mutated target mRNA sequences. This result indicated that wild-type miR-92-1 was able to interact directly with the 3′ UTR sequence of pVHL and subsequently repress pVHL expression. To further confirm this finding, we did transient transfections of either the CLL cell line Mec-1, primary CLL B cells or normal B cells with a sense oligo miR-92-1 (both Mec-1 and CLL B cells) or wild-type miR-92-1 plasmid (normal B cells). We found the level of flow detectable pVHL lower when compared to non-transfected cells. Because we were interested in the relationship of HIF-1α to CLL B cell survival we studied if chemotherapeutic drugs can downregulate HIF-1α in CLL B cells. To do this we studied flavopiridol a drug that has very promising activity in CLL. Our results indicated that flavopiridol does down-regulate HIF-1α levels in CLL B cells. This latter change was associated with induction of apoptosis in CLL B cells. Overall, our data show that elevated VEGF secretion is related to constitutively elevated HIF-1α levels and is an explanation for the VEGF-based autocrine pathway found in CLL B cells. We also show that elevated HIF-1α levels could be partially related to depressed pVHL with a unique mechanism for its repression: the over-expressed microRNA, miR-92-1 in CLL-B cells.

Abstract Abstract 2368 Poster Board II-345 Background: B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is characterized by the progressive accumulation of CD5+ B lymphocytes in the peripheral blood, lymphoid organs and bone marrow. Despite aggressive therapy, CLL is still incurable partly because of intrinsic defect in apoptosis induction. A novel therapeutic agent, Bosutinib, was initially developed as an inhibitor of Src and Abl kinases and is currently in phase II clinical trials for the treatment of several human malignancies. Recently, Bosutinib has been shown to inhibit phosphorylation of a novel receptor tyrosine kinase, Axl which has been reported to be overexpressed in several types of human cancers including colon, prostatic, thyroid, breast, gastric, renal and lung. Previously, Dasatinib, another Src/Abl kinase inhibitor, showed cytotoxic effects on CLL B cells by decreasing levels of activated, phosphorylated forms of Akt, Erk1/2 and p38 and reducing expression of anti-apoptotic proteins Mcl-1 and Bcl-xL in CLL B cells. Here, we wished to examine receptor or non-receptor tyrosine kinases active in primary CLL B-cells and determine their status after exposure to Bosutinib as well as the latter drug's effect on CLL B-cell viability. Methods: We used freshly isolated CLL B cells after obtaining written consent from patients. Bosutinib was used at various doses (2.5, 5.0, 10.0 and 20.0 μM) to treat CLL B cells in vitro for 24/48 hrs. Induction of apoptosis was assessed by annexin/propidium staining. To examine the impact of stroma on Bosutinib induced CLL B-cell death, primary CLL-bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) were cocultured with CLL B cells at a cell density ratio of 1:20 and treated with various doses of Bosutinib for 24 hrs. Expression status of various kinases and downstream targets were analyzed in CLL B cell lysates with or without Bosutinib-treatment by Western blot using specific antibodies. Results: Treatment of CLL B-cells with Bosutinib induces a massive apoptotic cell death in a dose- and time-dependent manner (IC50 for 24 h; ∼10 μM and IC50 for 48 h: 5-10 μM) which involves PARP cleavage as demonstrated by Western blot analysis. Moreover, Bosutinib-treatment reduced expression of several key anti-apoptotic proteins, Mcl-1, XIAP and Bcl-2 reported to be overexpressed in CLL B cells. Interestingly, we detected that the majority of CLL B-cells express constitutively active Axl. Importantly, Bosutinib treatment inhibited phosphorylation of Axl in CLL B cells resulting in inhibition of AKT-activation, one of its downstream signaling pathways. Previous studies have suggested a possible physical association between Axl and Src kinase. We observed that expression of constitutively active Axl was associated with the presence of highly phosphorylated Src kinase when compared with that in CLL B-cells with low or unphosphorylated Axl. These observations suggest that phosphorylation of Axl may be an upstream event for Src activation in CLL. We found inhibition of constitutively active Axl resulted in subsequent inhibition of Src kinase activation in CLL B-cells following Bosutinib-treatment. We also detected inhibition of ZAP70/Syk-phosphorylation in CLL B cells upon Bosutinib-treatment. Finally, we found Bosutinib was able to overcome stomal protection of CLL B cells at a dose of 10 μM in an in vitro coculture system suggesting its potential as a therapeutic agent against CLL. Conclusion: Together, these observations suggest that Bosutinib induces apoptosis in CLL B-cells, even in the presence of stromal cells, in association with the down regulation of multiple kinases including the novel receptor-tyrosine kinase, Axl, and reduces expression of the anti-apoptotic proteins critical to CLL B-cell survival. In total, these findings for the first time indicate that Bosutinib has the potential to be a very potent therapeutic agent for CLL patients. Disclosures: Kay: Biogenc-Idec, Celgene, Genentech, genmab: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Genentech, Celgene, Hospira, Polyphenon Pharma, Sanofi-Aventis: Research Funding.

Abstract Quiescin sulfhydryl oxidase 1 (QSOX1) is an enzyme overexpressed by many different tumor types. QSOX1 catalyzes the formation of disulfide bonds in proteins. Because short hairpin knockdowns (KD) of QSOX1 have been shown to suppress tumor growth and invasion in vitro and in vivo, we hypothesized that chemical compounds inhibiting QSOX1 enzymatic activity would also suppress tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis. High throughput screening using a QSOX1-based enzymatic assay revealed multiple potential QSOX1 inhibitors. One of the inhibitors, known as “SBI-183,” suppresses tumor cell growth in a Matrigel-based spheroid assay and inhibits invasion in a modified Boyden chamber, but does not affect viability of nonmalignant cells. Oral administration of SBI-183 inhibits tumor growth in 2 independent human xenograft mouse models of renal cell carcinoma. We conclude that SBI-183 warrants further exploration as a useful tool for understanding QSOX1 biology and as a potential novel anticancer agent in tumors that overexpress QSOX1.

The management of glioblastomas (GBMs) is challenged by the development of therapeutic resistance and early disease recurrence, despite multi-modal therapy. This may be attributed to the presence of glioma stem cells (GSCs) which are known to survive radio- and chemotherapy, by circumventing death signals and inducing cell re-population. Recent findings suggest GSCs may be enriched by certain treatment modality. These necessitate the development of novel therapeutics capable of targeting GBM cell plasticity and therapy-resistant GSCs. Here, aided by computer-assisted structure characterization and target identification, we predicted that a novel 5-(2′,4′-difluorophenyl)-salicylanilide derivative, LCC-09, could target dopamine receptors and oncogenic markers implicated in GBMs. Bioinformatics data have indicated that dopamine receptor (DRD) 2, DRD4, CD133 and Nestin were elevated in GBM clinical samples and correlated to TMZ (Temozolomide) resistance and increased ALDH (Aldehyde dehydrogenase) activity (3.5–8.9%) as well as enhanced (2.1–2.4-fold) neurosphere formation efficiency in U87MG and D54MG GBM cell lines. In addition, TMZ-resistant GSC phenotype was associated with up-regulated DRD4, Akt, mTOR, β-catenin, CDK6, NF-κB and Erk1/2 expression. LCC-09 alone, or combined with TMZ, suppressed the tumorigenic and stemness traits of TMZ-resistant GBM cells while concomitantly down-regulating DRD4, Akt, mTOR, β-catenin, Erk1/2, NF-κB, and CDK6 expression. Notably, LCC-09-mediated anti-GBM/GSC activities were associated with the re-expression of tumor suppressor miR-34a and reversal of TMZ-resistance, in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, these data lay the foundation for further exploration of the clinical feasibility of administering LCC-09 as single-agent or combinatorial therapy for patients with TMZ-resistant GBMs.