端粒酶抑制剂

端粒酶被激活被认为是发生恶性肿瘤的主要因素,其激活及表达程度与肿瘤的发生和转移密切相关,因此端粒酶是肿瘤靶向治疗的理想靶点。研究和开发端粒酶抑制剂将为肿瘤治疗揭开新的篇章。端粒酶全酶复合物有很多可以做抑制剂的靶点,包括hTR(端粒酶RNA成分)、hTERT(端粒酶逆转录催化亚单位)、引物锚定位点、全酶的组装和那些招募端粒酶到端粒的因子。     

人端粒酶催化亚基(hTERT)基因及其表达调控

端粒酶是一种核糖核蛋白复合物 ,能引起染色体的末端结构端粒的完全复制。端粒作为一种保护性结构 ,是由短的重复ＤＮＡ序列组成。在人体中这种序列为ＴＴＡＧＧＧ ,其平均长度为 5～ 1 5ｋｂ[1] ,细胞每经过一次分裂端粒缩短 50～ 2 0 0ｂｐ ,这种分子侵蚀作用使得细胞的分裂次数有了生理限制 ,从而限制了体细胞的寿命。一种逃避这种限制的机制是端粒酶的激活 ,因为端粒酶能弥补端粒的缩短 ,因此端粒酶被认为与细胞的永生化、肿瘤发生和细胞衰老密切相关。近来 ,组成人端粒酶复合物的 3个主要成分已被鉴定。人端粒酶ＲＮＡ成分 (ｈＴＲ)提…     

人端粒酶逆转录酶(hTERT)基因第3内含子的克隆和分析

从端粒酶活性呈阳性的永生细胞株人肺腺癌细胞SPC A 1中分离了总RNA ,以此为模板 ,结合RT PCR技术和长模板PCR技术 ,用hTERT基因特异性引物扩增到一长约 2 .2kb的cDNA片段。将该片段纯化后克隆到通用测序载体T easyvector上得到重组质粒。用测序引物SP6和T7对该片段进行部分双向测序。经序列分析和同源比较推测该片段包含了hTERT基因的第 3内含子。该结果提示了RT PCR技术和长模板PCR技术用于真核生物基因内含子克隆的可行性。进一步的分析表明 ,该片段在不同细胞的RT PCR产物中的产量不同 ,提示hTERT基因前体mRNA中的第 3内含子可能在不同细胞中有不同的剪接效率。     

hTERT基因片段的克隆、表达和抗hTERT抗体用于端粒酶及hTERT检测的研究

端粒酶是一种重要的肿瘤生物学标志,其活性在生殖细胞、绝大多数肿瘤细胞和体外培养的永生细胞可以测知,但在大多数体细胞中不易测出。人端粒酶由两部分组成,包括hTERC和hTERT,hTERC在正常细胞和肿瘤细胞中均有表达,而hTERT的表达似乎受到严格的调控且和端粒酶活性一致。为了检测肿瘤细胞中端粒酶及hTERT的表达,我们制备了抗hTERT蛋白的特异性多克隆抗体。首先用RT-PCR方法克隆了hTERTcDNA的一个片段,将其连接到GST融合表达载体pGEX-5X-3后在大肠杆菌中融合表达。将纯化的融合蛋白抗原免疫动物,制备抗hTERT蛋白的多克隆抗体。不同的细胞抽提物用该抗体进行了Westernblot分析,结果表明该抗体可特异识别端粒酶阳性细胞株中的hTERT及端粒酶,为端粒酶及hTERT的检测初步提供了一个简单有效的检测手段。     

氧化应激与端粒、端粒酶的关系

端粒是真核生物染色体末端的DNA与特殊蛋白质结合的复合体。端粒酶是一种由蛋白质和RNA组成的核糖核蛋白复合物,具有逆转录酶的活性。除末端复制问题是端粒DNA缩短的原因之外,氧化应激也能加速端粒缩短,而抗氧化剂则能延缓端粒缩短率。氧化应激对端粒酶活性的影响仍不确定。研究表明氧化应激是端粒缩短及其所致细胞衰老的重要调节因子。     

影响hTERT表达水平的主要因子

脐血中存在干 /祖细胞并具有移植造血功能 ,它对临床有重要作用。造血干 /祖细胞中有端粒酶活性 ,此活性与其端粒长短密切相关。端粒酶不仅对人造血过程起重要作用 ,而且对干 /祖细胞移植后的机能恢复也起着键性的作用。人类端粒酶逆转录酶 (ｈＴＥＲＴ)是端粒酶的催化亚单位 ,它与端粒酶的活性高低有直接关系。为探讨ｈＴＥＲＴ基因在人脐血干 /祖细胞中的表达 ,华中科技大学同济医学院马艳萍和邹萍二医师作了分子生物学技术核酸原位杂交研究 ,其结果证实了造血干 /祖细胞成功的移植不仅取决于输入干 /祖细胞的数量 ,而且与其端粒长度密切…     

HepG2及其克隆形成细胞端粒酶活性的异质性研究

目的研究端粒酶在肝癌细胞株HepG2及其克隆形成细胞中的表达,探讨不同增殖能力的肝癌细胞中端粒酶活性的异质性,为肝癌的诊断以及治疗提供新的思路。方法利用软琼脂克隆形成实验富集分离人肝癌HepG2细胞的克隆形成细胞;常规培养HepG2及其克隆形成细胞,利用免疫细胞化学、Western blotting和RT-PCR检测hTERT蛋白和mRNA在HepG2细胞及其克隆形成细胞中表达的异质性。结果①HE染色显示,克隆形成细胞的胞核较HepG2细胞大,核仁明显;细胞伸出较多的细长突起,并连接形成网状。②免疫细胞化学染色显示,hTERT在HepG2细胞的表达以细胞质为主,克隆形成细胞则以细胞核为主。③Western blotting和RT-PCR结果显示,克隆形成细胞中hTERT蛋白质和mRNA的表达均高于HepG2细胞。结论①hTERT在HepG2细胞及其克隆形成细胞中的表达存在异质性,且在克隆形成细胞中表达较高。②hTERT在HepG2细胞及其克隆形成细胞中的表达模式提示克隆形成细胞具有肝癌干细胞的特征。     

端粒酶与癌症靶向治疗

端粒酶是癌组织中特异表达的关键酶,与肿瘤细胞无限增殖关系密切。端粒酶在癌细胞表面表达特异性抗原,是癌细胞的标记之一。靶向治疗作为癌症新兴的治疗方法,具有特异性强、副作用小等传统方法所不具有的优点。针对端粒酶这一特异靶点的靶向治疗可以利用免疫学基本原理,通过抗原的特异性识别有效杀伤癌细胞。已有许多端粒酶肽段应用于实验室及临床研究,具有广阔的应用前景;但应用免疫疗法也有其缺陷,端粒酶抗原免疫耐受的问题也是亟待解决的问题之一,在临床上的广泛应用还有一段路要走。     

人端粒酶催化亚基hTERT基因启动子的克隆

为了确定人端粒酶催化亚基 h TERT基因的启动子结构特征 ,采用 Panhandle PCR技术 ,从正常人外周血单核细胞基因组 DNA中扩增 h TERT基因 5′端上游旁侧序列 ,结果获得了 h TERT基因翻译起始位点上游 2 0 90 bp的基因组 DNA序列。序列分析表明 h TERT基因的启动子区域缺少典型真核启动子的核心元件 ( TATA box和 CAAT box) ,但含有多个已知转录因子蛋白结合的核心序列 ,如 E box及 Sp1核心序列。提示 h TERT基因的表达可能受特殊的转录因子调控 ,这些转录因子的激活可能与癌变细胞中 h TERT重新组成型表达有关     

Adenovirus-mediated suicide SCLC gene therapy using the increased activity of the hTERT promoter by the MMRE and SV40 enhancer

Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein complex of which the function is to add telomeric repeats to chromosomal ends. Telomerase consists of two essential components, the telomerase RNA template (hTR) and the catalytic subunit (hTERT). hTERT is expressed only in cells and tissues positive for telomerase activity, i.e., tumor or stem cells. The aim of this study was to use increased telomerase promoter activity in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) gene therapy. The hTERT promoter and Myc-Max response elements (MMRE) in pGL3-Control vector containing SV40 enhancer resulted in strong expression of the luciferase gene only in telomerase positive and myc overexpressing SCLC cell line but not in normal human cell line. To investigate the possibility of the utilization of the MMRE, hTERT promoter, and SV40 enhancer in targeted SCLC gene therapy, adenovirus vector expressing HSV-TK controlled by the MMRE, hTERT promoter, and SV40 enhancer for the induction of telomerase positive and myc-overexpressing cancer specific cell death was constructed. SCLC cells infected with Ad-MMRE-hT-TK-enh were significantly suppressed and induced apoptosis more than those of Ad-hT-TK or Ad-hT-TK-enh infected cells. Telomerase and c-myc are activated in 60 approximately 80% of SCLC, so the increased activity of telomerase promoter can be used for targeted SCLC gene therapy. These results show that the MMRE, hTERT promoter, and SV40 enhancer can be used in SCLC targeted cancer gene therapy.     

Activity of the Human Telomerase Catalytic Subunit (hTERT) Gene Promoter Could Be Increased by the SV40 Enhancer

Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein complex of which the function is to add telomeric repeats to chromosomal ends. Telomerase consists of two essential components, the telomerase RNA template (hTR) and the catalytic subunit (hTERT). hTERT is expressed only in cells and tissues positive for telomerase activity, i.e., tumor and fetal cells. The aim of this study is to test the increased telomerase promoter activity for cancer gene therapy in adenovirus vector. We cloned the hTERT promoter in place of the SV40 promoter in the pGL3-contol vector to be increased by the SV40 enhancer sequences, resulting in strong expression of luc+ only in telomerase positive cancer cells. Then we transfected the constructed plasmid into a normal human cell line and several cancer cell lines. Through these experiments, we identified the selective and increased expression of the luciferase gene controlled by the hTERT promoter and the SV40 enhancer in the telomerase positive cancer cell lines. To investigate the possibility of utilizing the hTERT promoter and the SV40 enhancer in targeted cancer gene therapy, we constructed an adenovirus vector expressing HSV-TK controlled by the hTERT promoter and the SV40 enhancer for the induction of specific telomerase positive cancer cell death. NSCLC cells infected by Ad-hT-TK-enh were more significantly suppressed and induced apoptosis than those infected by Ad-hT-TK. Telomerase is activated in 80～90% of cancers, so adenovirus with increasing telomerase promoter activity might be used for targeted cancer gene therapy using suicide genes. These results show that the hTERT promoter and the SV40 enhancer might be used for targeted cancer gene therapy.     

Activity of the human telomerase catalytic subunit (hTERT) gene promoter could be increased by the SV40 enhancer

Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein complex of which the function is to add telomeric repeats to chromosomal ends. Telomerase consists of two essential components, the telomerase RNA template (hTR) and the catalytic subunit (hTERT). hTERT is expressed only in cells and tissues positive for telomerase activity, i.e., tumor and fetal cells. The aim of this study is to test the increased telomerase promoter activity for cancer gene therapy in adenovirus vector. We cloned the hTERT promoter in place of the SV40 promoter in the pGL3-contol vector to be increased by the SV40 enhancer sequences, resulting in strong expression of luc+ only in telomerase positive cancer cells. Then we transfected the constructed plasmid into a normal human cell line and several cancer cell lines. Through these experiments, we identified the selective and increased expression of the luciferase gene controlled by the hTERT promoter and the SV40 enhancer in the telomerase positive cancer cell lines. To investigate the possibility of utilizing the hTERT promoter and the SV40 enhancer in targeted cancer gene therapy, we constructed an adenovirus vector expressing HSV-TK controlled by the hTERT promoter and the SV40 enhancer for the induction of specific telomerase positive cancer cell death. NSCLC cells infected by Ad-hT-TK-enh were more significantly suppressed and induced apoptosis than those infected by Ad-hT-TK. Telomerase is activated in 80 approximately 90% of cancers, so adenovirus with increasing telomerase promoter activity might be used for targeted cancer gene therapy using suicide genes. These results show that the hTERT promoter and the SV40 enhancer might be used for targeted cancer gene therapy.     

Adenovirus-mediated suicide gene therapy using the human telomerase catalytic subunit (hTERT) gene promoter induced apoptosis of ovarian cancer cell line

Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein complex the function of which is to add telomeric repeats (TTAGGG)(n) to chromosomal ends, and it is known to play an important role in cellular immortalization. Telomerase is highly active in most tumor cells, yet not in normal cells. As such, it may have possible applications in cancer gene therapy. Telomerase consists of two essential components, telomerase RNA template (hTR) and catalytic subunit (hTERT). hTERT is expressed only in cells and tissues positive for telomerase activity, i.e., tumor and fetal cells. We here tested the possibility of the utilization of the hTERT promoter in targeted cancer gene therapy. We cloned the hTERT promoter in the replace of the CMV promoter and sub-cloned HSV-TK gene to be controlled by hTERT gene promoter in adenovirus shuttle plasmid. Then we constructed recombinant adenovirus Ad-hT-TK, and infected them into normal and human gynecological cancer cell lines. Through these experiments, we identified the selective tumor specific cell death by Ad-hT-TK. Furthermore, FACS analysis and TUNEL assay suggests that the reduced viability is mediated through the induction of apoptosis, indicating that this approach may be a useful method for suppressing cancer growth in targeted cancer gene therapy. These results show that Ad-hT-TK could be used for gynecological cancer gene therapy.