The cancer cell secretome: A good source for discovering biomarkers?

Cancer is a leading cause of death. Early detection is usually associated with better clinical outcomes. Recent advances in genomics and proteomics raised hopes that new biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis or monitoring therapeutic response will soon be discovered. Proteins secreted by cancer cells, referred also as “the cancer cell secretome”, is a promising source for biomarker discovery. In this review we will summarize recent advances in cancer cell secretome analysis, focusing on the five most fatal cancers (lung, breast, prostate, colorectal, and pancreatic). For each cancer type we will describe the proteomic approaches utilized for the identification of novel biomarkers. Despite progress, identification of markers that are superior to those currently used has proven to be a difficult task and very few, if any, newly discovered biomarker has entered the clinic the last 10 years.     

Novel immunoassay for carcinoembryonic antigen based on protein A-conjugated immunosensor chip by surface plasmon resonance and cyclic voltammetry

In this study, an immunosensor chip utilizing surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) was fabricated for detecting carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Specifically, we applied in parallel an SPR instrument and a CV device to monitor the assembly of carcinoembryonic antibody (anti-CEA) on a protein A-conjugated surface and the subsequent ligand reaction. The immunosensor chips were constructed by various concentrations of protein A. To determine the surface characteristics of different self-assembly monolayers (SAMs), several quantitative and kinetic measurements were carried out. The extent of immobilization of anti-CEA and the immune response of anti-CEA antibody against CEA were measured using the SPR instrument and CV device. The terminal functional groups of protein A have different effects on the adsorption and covalent binding of immunoprotein depending on the steric hindrance. Through the parallel measurements, we demonstrate that SPR and CV are sensitive to measure the antigen–antibody binding capacity.     

HIV-1 p24-immunoglobulin fusion molecule: a new strategy for plant-based protein production

We describe the engineering of a human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) p24-immunoglobulin A (IgA) antigen-antibody fusion molecule for therapeutic purposes and its enhancing effect on fused antigen expression in tobacco plants. Although many recombinant proteins have been expressed in transgenic plants as vaccine candidates, low levels of expression are a recurring problem. In this paper, using the HIV p24 core antigen as a model vaccine target, we describe a strategy for increasing the yield of a recombinant protein in plants. HIV p24 antigen was expressed as a genetic fusion with the alpha2 and alpha3 constant region sequences from human Ig alpha-chain and targeted to the endomembrane system. The expression of this fusion protein was detected at levels approximately 13-fold higher than HIV p24 expressed alone, and a difference in the behaviour of the two recombinant proteins during trafficking in the plant secretory pathway has been identified. Expressing the antigen within the context of alpha-chain Ig sequences resulted in the formation of homodimers and the antigen was correctly recognized by specific antibodies. Furthermore, the HIV p24 elicited T-cell and antibody responses in immunized mice. The use of Ig fusion partners is proposed as a generic platform technology for up-regulating the expression of antigens in plants, and may represent the first step in a strategy to design new vaccines with enhanced immunological properties.     

黑色素瘤相关抗原家族新基因restin的组织表达谱

Restin是从维甲酸诱导肿瘤分化细胞中克隆的一种黑色素瘤相关抗原家族(MAGE)的新成员.对该基因在不同组织、不同细胞系的表达水平进行研究,将有利于揭示其生物学功能.使用α3-2P-dCTP标记人restin编码区基因作为探针,针对12种不同成人组织mRNA的Multiple TissueNorthern(MTN)膜和含76种成人、胎儿及常用细胞系mRNA的Multiple Tissue Expression(MTE)Array膜进行杂交分析,同时利用地高辛标记探针对11种常见肿瘤组织进行原位杂交检测.结果显示,MTN膜杂交中,12种组织显示均一杂交条带,约1.8 kb,提示该基因可能不存在剪接变异体;MTE膜杂交中,正常组织中均有不同程度的表达,但在肿瘤细胞系中均低表达或者不表达;原位杂交的结果显示,在8种恶性肿瘤组织中均不表达,而在3种良性肿瘤组织中呈现较低的表达.结果提示,该基因在正常组织中的表达明显高于肿瘤组织和肿瘤细胞系,完全不同于其它MAGE-A、B、C的组织表达方式.结合该基因在维甲酸诱导分化的肿瘤细胞中高表达,推测restin可能与正常细胞的分化、增殖有关.     

猪链球菌2型疫苗研究进展

猪链球菌2型可引起人、猪急性败血型、脑膜炎型和关节炎型等传染病,致死率极高,是近年来致病性最强、危害性最大的猪链球菌类型之一。目前因该菌的致病机理不清、抗原类型复杂,限制了疫苗研究的顺利进行。当前在研的猪链球菌2型疫苗类型有死疫苗、弱毒苗、蛋白亚单位疫苗等。     

制备肺炎衣原体抗原片检测血清抗体

目的:探索肺炎衣原体抗原片检测血清抗体法在诊断Cpn感染中的实际应用前景。方法:应用进口肺炎衣原体(Cpn)毒株感染Hep-2细胞,分别以瑞氏-姬母萨染色、吖啶橙染色和直接免疫荧光染色等3种方法鉴定Cpn感染细胞。纯化获取大量Cpn抗原,用于制备斑点抗原片。建立微量免疫荧光染色法(MIF)检测血清抗体,诊断Cpn感染。结果:Cpn感染Hep-2细胞的最适条件是用含1μg/mL放线菌酮的维持液,在35℃、5%CO2孵箱中培养7d,并在培养的第0、3、4、5天以2600r/min离心1h,感染成功率极高。染色反应显示,瑞氏-姬母萨染色可将Cpn包涵体染成蓝紫色或红紫色;吖啶橙染色则使Cpn感染的Hep-2细胞呈现鲜明的橘红色;免疫荧光抗体染色后,在Cpn感染细胞内可见亮苹果绿色包涵体。通过斑点抗原荧光抗体染色的方法抽样检测了100份病人血清中的Cpn抗体,其中抗Cpn-IgG抗体的阳性血清共61份,阳性率为61%。与Cpn-外周血单核细胞(Cpn-PBMC)抗原片比较,阳性检出率无明显差别。结论:用Cpn感染细胞制作的Cpn斑点抗原片可用于临床检测血清Cpn-IgG抗体,且具有特异性、敏感性高的特点,但要求检测人员有一定的经验。     

From pathogen to medicine: HIV-1-derived lentiviral vectors as vehicles for dendritic cell based cancer immunotherapy

Over the years, the unique capacity of dendritic cells (DC) for efficient activation of naive T cells has led to their extensive use in cancer immunotherapy protocols. In order to be able to fulfil their role as antigen-presenting cells, the antigen of interest needs to be efficiently introduced and subsequently correctly processed and presented by the DC. For this purpose, a variety of both viral and non-viral antigen-delivery systems have been evaluated. Amongst those, HIV-1-derived lentiviral vectors have been used successfully to transduce DC.This review considers the use of HIV-1-derived lentiviral vectors to transduce human and murine DC for cancer immunotherapy. Lentivirally transduced DC have been shown to present antigenic peptides, prime transgene-specific T cells in vitro and elicit a protective cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) response in animal models. Different parameters determining the efficacy of transduction are considered. The influence of lentiviral transduction on the DC phenotype and function is described and the induction of immune responses by lentivirally transduced DC in vitro and in vivo is discussed in detail. In addition, direct in vivo administration of lentiviral vectors aiming at the induction of antigen-specific immunity is reviewed. This strategy might overcome the need for ex vivo generation and antigen loading of DC. Finally, future perspectives towards the use of lentiviral vectors in cancer immunotherapy are presented.     

Usefulness of ploidy, AgNOR and immunocytochemistry for differentiating benign and malignant cells in serous effusions

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to establish the value of different markers in differentiating reactive mesothelial cells from metastatic adenocarcinomatous cells in serous effusions (SE). METHODS: Forty-five SE were processed for morphological examination (Papanicolaou stain), assessment of ploidy, AgNOR counting and immunocytochemical assay of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), epithelial membrane antigens (EMA), Ber-EP4 and Leu-M1. Ploidy was established in an image-analyser in smears stained by the Feulgen stain method. AgNOR dots were counted in the smears stained with the silver nitrate assay for non-histone proteins present in the nucleolar organizer region. CEA, EMA, Ber-EP4 and Leu-M1 were evaluated by immunocytochemistry using the streptavidin-biotin complex method. RESULTS: All the smears with positive cytology were aneuploid. Three false negatives by morphological studies were aneuploid, with AgNOR values in two of them corresponding to the neoplastic group. CEA and Leu-M1 showed a low specificity; EMA and Ber-EP4 showed moderate sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: The assessment of ploidy and the study of AgNOR were better methods than immunocytochemistry for distinguishing between reactive mesothelial cells and adenocarcinomatous cells in serous fluid.     

Cytotoxic properties of a ricin A chain immunotoxin recognising the cluster-5A antigen associated with human small-cell lung cancer

Summary The cytotoxic properties of a ricin A chain immunotoxin made with the mouse monoclonal antibody SWA20, recognising a family of sialoglycoprotein antigens selectively expressed by human small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), were examined using a panel of tumour cell lines in tissue culture. SWA20—ricin-A-chain was selectively toxic to the SW2, NCI-H69 and GLC-8 SCLC cell lines, inhibiting the incorporation of [³H]leucine by 50% at a concentration of 0.2–2 nM, but had no selective activity against the NCI-H23 and NCI-H125 lung adenocarcinoma or the control CEM T-lymphoblastoid cell lines. The SWA20 immunotoxin intoxicated the SW2 cell line rapidly, inhibiting [³H]leucine incorporation by 50% within 2 h compared with 0.5 h for ricin. Analysis of the effects of SWA20—ricin-A-chain on the growth of SW2 cells using a limiting-dilution clonogenic assay revealed that the immunotoxin could eliminate 95% of clonogenic malignant cells. Although SWA20—ricin-A-chain was found to be rapidly active against the majority of tumour cells, its action was limited by the presence of insensitive cells expressing low levels of the target antigen.