INPP4B suppresses prostate cancer cell invasion

Background

INPP4B and PTEN dual specificity phosphatases are frequently lost during progression of prostate cancer to metastatic disease. We and others have previously shown that loss of INPP4B expression correlates with poor prognosis in multiple malignancies and with metastatic spread in prostate cancer.

Results

We demonstrate that de novo expression of INPP4B in highly invasive human prostate carcinoma PC-3 cells suppresses their invasion both in vitro and in vivo. Using global gene expression analysis, we found that INPP4B regulates a number of genes associated with cell adhesion, the extracellular matrix, and the cytoskeleton. Importantly, de novo expressed INPP4B suppressed the proinflammatory chemokine IL-8 and induced PAK6. These genes were regulated in a reciprocal manner following downregulation of INPP4B in the independently derived INPP4B-positive LNCaP prostate cancer cell line. Inhibition of PI3K/Akt pathway, which is highly active in both PC-3 and LNCaP cells, did not reproduce INPP4B mediated suppression of IL-8 mRNA expression in either cell type. In contrast, inhibition of PKC signaling phenocopied INPP4B-mediated inhibitory effect on IL-8 in either prostate cancer cell line. In PC-3 cells, INPP4B overexpression caused a decline in the level of metastases associated BIRC5 protein, phosphorylation of PKC, and expression of the common PKC and IL-8 downstream target, COX-2. Reciprocally, COX-2 expression was increased in LNCaP cells following depletion of endogenous INPP4B.

Conclusion

Taken together, we discovered that INPP4B is a novel suppressor of oncogenic PKC signaling, further emphasizing the role of INPP4B in maintaining normal physiology of the prostate epithelium and suppressing metastatic potential of prostate tumors.

     

Pre-clinical assessment of autologous DC-based therapy in ovarian cancer patients with progressive disease

Dendritic cell–based vaccines offer promise for therapy of ovarian cancer. Previous studies have demonstrated that oxidation of several antigens, including ovarian cancer cells, using hypochlorous acid strongly enhances their immunogenicity and their uptake and presentation by dendritic cells. The response of T cells and dendritic cells to autologous tumour from patients with active disease has not previously been investigated. Monocyte-derived dendritic cells were generated from patients with active disease and activated by co-culture with oxidised tumour cells and the TLR agonist poly I:C. The dendritic cells showed an activated phenotype, but secreted high levels of TGFβ. Co-culture of the antigen-loaded dendritic cells with autologous T cells generated a population of effector T cells that showed a low level of specific lytic activity against autologous tumour, as compared to autologous mesothelium. The addition of neutralising antibody to TGFβ in DC/T cell co-cultures increased the levels of subsequent tumour killing in three samples tested. Co-culture of monocytes from healthy volunteers with the ovarian cell line SKOV-3 prior to differentiation into dendritic cells reduced the ability of dendritic cells to stimulate cytotoxic effector cells. The study suggests that co-culture of dendritic cells with oxidised tumour cells can generate effector cells able to kill autologous tumour, but that the high tumour burden in patients with active disease may compromise dendritic cell and/or T cell function.     

Synthesis and X-ray crystal structure analysis of 1:1 and 1:2 complexes of cisplatin with the model nucleobase 9-methyladenine in its protonated form and a unique HNO3 adduct of cis-[(NH3)2Pt(9-MeAH-N7)2]

The 1:1 and 1:2 complexes of cis-(NH₃)₂Pt^II with 9-methyladeninium cations, 9-MeAH⁺, have been prepared and characterized by X-ray crystallography: cis-[(NH₃)₂Pt(9-MeAH-N7)Cl](NO₃)₂ (1) and cis-[(NH₃)₂Pt(9-MeAH-N7)₂](NO₃)₄ · 2HNO₃ · 2H₂O (2). The pK_a values for 9-MeAH⁺ in H₂O are 1.7 in 1 as well as 0.4 (pK_a1) and 1.3 (pK_a2) for 2, as determined by pD dependent ¹H NMR spectroscopy. Compound 2 is special in that it crystallizes with two equivalents of HNO₃ per Pt entity. The HNO₃ molecules are stacked in rectangular channels provided by cis-(NH₃)₂Pt^II units, 9-methyladeninium ligands and nitrate anions, which form a porous network of hydrogen bonds.