Human carcinoma cell lines xenografted in athymic mice: biological and antigenic characteristics of an intraabdominal model

Summary In order to investigate in vivo clinical applications of murine monoclonal antibodies directed against human ovarian carcinoma a preclinical in vivo model was developed using BALB/c athymic mice. Three human carcinoma cell lines (MCF7, HT29, and SW626) were injected into the peritoneal cavity of pristane-primed animals and the biological and antigenic characteristics of the i.p. grown tumors were studied. The animals were killed when moribund or 6–8 weeks after tumor injection. At autopsy tumor take was observed in 85% of the injected animals, whereas palpable nodules were evident in only 83%. Examination of the peritoneal cavity revealed intraabdominal carcinomatosis with tumor masses varying in size between 0.2 and 0.5 cm in diameter and tumor sheets. The most frequently affected organs were the diaphragm, the liver, and the reproductive system. Ascitic fluid formation was rare and no animal developed tumors outside the peritoneal cavity. To determine whether the in vivo tumors retained the same antigenic characteristics as the in vitro cell lines, four monoclonal antibodies (MBrl, MOv2, MOv8, and MOv15) directed against ovarian carcinoma-associated antigens and two different experimental approaches (immunofluorescence and immunoblotting) were used. Variations at either a quantitative or a qualitative level were observed for some antigens, whereas no evident changes were apparent for others. In particular, the antigens detected by MBr1 and MOv15 on the MCF7 line both maintained high levels of expression and immunoblotting staining pattern, whereas the antigens detected by MOv2 on the HT29 and SW626 lines, although present at a high level, clearly changed their staining pattern. As regards the antigens recognized by MOv8 and MOv15 on the HT29 and SW626 lines, we observed a drastic decrease in the level of their expression and in many cases a drop below the threshold of detectability of the test. The intraabdominal carcinomatosis described partially mimics the growth characteristics of human ovarian cancer and maintains the expression of some antigenic markers associated with epithelial tumors of the ovary and may therefore be useful in devising immunodiagnostic and/or immunotherapeutic strategies for ovarian carcinoma.     

Modulation of drug-induced cytotoxicity by a bispecific monoclonal antibody that recognizes the epidermal growth factor receptor and doxorubicin

A hybrid hybridoma secreting a bispecific hybrid mAb (bsmAb), which recognizes both the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) and the drug doxorubicin, was produced by somatic hybridization of two hybridomas. The bsmAb obtained was able to retarget doxorubicin cytotoxicity in vitro specifically on EGF-R-positive cells exerting at the same time an antidotal effect on cells that did not overexpress the EGF-R. Distribution studies in mice indicate that the bsmAb selectively delivers the drug to tumour cells and modifies doxorubicin biodistribution with a statistically significant decrease of drug concentration in the intestine, which is the main target of early anthracycline toxicity. In keeping with this finding is the remarkable antidotal activity exerted by bsmAb in mice treated with doxorubiein, which is proved by retardation in loss of body weight and mortality. The effectiveness on tumour growth of the mAb followed by the administration of doxorubicin appears to be equal to that of the drug alone; however, the bsmAb exerts a remarkable antidotal activity.     

In vitro mimicry of CaMBr1 tumor-associated antigen by synthetic oligosaccharides

The murine monoclonal antibody (Mab) MBr1, raised against thebreast cancer cell line MCF7, recognizes a saccharidic epitopeoverexpressed on a high percentage of human breast, ovary, andlung carcinomas. This antigen was originally identified on theimmunogen as a globo-series glycosphingolipid with an H-likedeterminant at its terminus (globo-H). We report here the biologicalcharacterization of the entire globo-H hexasaccharide and fivesynthetic oligosaccharides representing fragments of the entirestructure andlor different anomeric configurations. Using competitivebinding assays on live cells, we identified the residues andthe linkages essential for mimicry of the cellular antigensrecognized by Mab MBr1 on the breast carcinoma cell line MCF7and small cell lung cancer cell line POVD. The terminal tetrasaccharidicfragment of globo-H is the oligosaccharide that most resemblesthe MBr1-defined epitope both on glycolipids and on glycoproteins.This information will help in the rational design of a highlyspecific reagent for active specific immunotherapy of carcinomasoverexpressing the MBr1-defined antigen. CaMBr1 immunotherapy monoclonal antibody oligosaccharides tumor-associated antigen     

A monoclonal antibody extends the half-life of an anti-HIV oligodeoxynucleotide and targets it to CD4+ cells.

An approach was sought to increase the half-life and target cell specificity of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (oligos). A monoclonal antibody (MAb) was derived from mice immunised with an oligo complementary to a region (1-20) of the HIV genome. This MAb exerts a protective effect on the oligo from the degradation induced by plasma exonucleases in vitro and in vivo. Moreover the anti-oligo MAb dissociates from the oligo in the presence of its complementary sequence to allow hybridization of the two complementary strands. To direct the oligo to CD4+ cells the anti-oligo MAb was cross-linked to an anti-CD4 MAb. The heteroaggregate determines a 5-fold increase in the cellular membrane binding of the oligo to CD4+ lymphocytes. These findings suggest a new approach to enhancing the therapeutic action and the target specificity of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides useful for the selective inhibition of HIV replication in vivo.     

Shedding of the 67-kD laminin receptor by human cancer cells

The 67-kD laminin receptor (67LR) is a cell membrane-associated molecule exhibiting high affinity for the basement membrane glycoprotein, laminin. While export of the 67LR toward the extracellular matrix has been recently suggested by electron microscopy studies, there is to date no evidence of shedding of the 67LR from cells. Using two monoclonal antibodies directed against the 67LR, we developed a double-determinant radioimmunoassay that demonstrates that the 67LR is released from cancer cells into the culture medium. The shed molecule exhibited the same apparent molecular weight as that of the membrane-associated 67LR, suggesting that no proteolytic cleavage is involved in the process. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the 67LR is not anchored to the membrane through a glycolsyl-phosphatidylinositol bridge. However, the observation that lactose increased the release of 67LR suggests that a lectin-type interaction is involved in the cell membrane association of this laminin binding protein and the cell surface. Interestingly, the released 67LR recovered after HPLC gel filtration was found free as well as associated to high molecular weight complexes. The free 67LR retained its ability to bind to the cell surface. Our study is the first demonstration that the 67LR is effectively shed by cancer cells. The released free 67LR could play an important role in modulating interactions between cancer cells and laminin during tumor invasion and metastasis. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Molecular requirements for attachment of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor to the human alpha folate receptor

The alpha isoform of the folate receptor (FR) is a 38-KDa glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) protein which mediates the internalization of folates. The FR amino acid sequence has features typical of GPI-linked proteins, including the presence of a hydrophobic carboxyl-terminus, a hinge region, and a stretch of small and uncharged amino acids. Substitution of predicted cleavage/attachment Ser234 with arginine or threonine, or replacement of Gly235 with proline by site-directed mutagenesis had no effect on GPI processing. In fact, CHO cells transfected with each of the three cDNA variants or with FR wild-type showed comparable amounts of phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C-resistant FR in double-determinant radioimmunoassay. Western blot analysis of total cell lysates from all transfectants consistently revealed the 38-KDa FR band. Deletion of residues 233-237 in the amino-terminal portion of the FR cDNA constructs derived by a polymerase chain reaction strategy abrogated GPI processing, with only a small proportion of the FR remaining in the cytoplasm in four of the five clones tested. This finding suggests that FR residues 233-237 are essential in properly juxtaposing the FR hydrophobic domain. Together, these data support the hypothesis that the postulated Ser234 is not the only potential cleavage/attachment site of the alpha isoform of FR.     

Mutagenic analysis of Thr-232 in rhodanese from Azotobacter vinelandii highlighted the differences of this prokaryotic enzyme from the known sulfurtransferases

Azotobacter vinelandii RhdA uses thiosulfate as the only sulfur donor in vitro, and this apparent selectivity seems to be a unique property among the characterized sulfurtransferases. To investigate the basis of substrate recognition in RhdA, we replaced Thr-232 with either Ala or Lys. Thr-232 was the target of this study since the corresponding Lys-249 in bovine rhodanese has been identified as necessary for catalytic sulfur transfer, and replacement of Lys-249 with Ala fully inactivates bovine rhodanese. Both T232K and T232A mutants of RhdA showed significant increase in thiosulfate-cyanide sulfurtransferase activity, and no detectable activity in the presence of 3-mercaptopyruvate as the sulfur donor substrate. Fluorescence measurements showed that wild-type and mutant RhdAs were overexpressed in the persulfurated form, thus conferring to this enzyme the potential of a persulfide sulfur donor compound. RhdA contains a unique sequence stretch around the catalytic cysteine, and the data here presented suggest a possible divergent physiological function of A. vinelandii sulfurtransferase.     

Liaisons between Survivin and Plk1 during Cell Division and Cell Death

Survivin and Plk1 kinase are important mediators of cell survival that are required for chromosome alignment, cytokinesis, and protection from apoptosis. Interference with either survivin or Plk1 activity manifests many similar outcomes: prometaphase delay/arrest, multinucleation, and increased apoptosis. Moreover, the expression of both survivin and Plk1 is deregulated in cancer. Given these similarities, we speculated that these two proteins may cooperate during mitosis and/or in cell death pathways. Here we report that survivin and Plk1 interact during mitosis and that Plk1 phosphorylates survivin at serine 20. Importantly, we find that overexpression of a non-phosphorylatable version, S20A, is unable to correct chromosomes connected to the spindle in a syntelic manner during prometaphase and allows cells harboring these maloriented chromosomes to enter anaphase, evading the spindle tension checkpoint. By contrast, the constitutive phosphomimic, S20D, completes congression and division ahead of schedule and, unlike S20A, is able to support proliferation in the absence of the endogenous protein. Despite the importance of this residue in mitosis, its mutation does not appear to affect the anti-apoptotic activity of survivin in response to TRAIL. Together, these data suggest that phosphorylation of survivin at Ser²⁰ by Plk1 kinase is essential for accurate chromosome alignment and cell proliferation but is dispensable for its anti-apoptotic activity in cancer cells.     

Unidirectional potentiation of binding between two anti-FBP MAbs: Evaluation of involved mechanisms

The monoclonal antibody MOv19 directed to a folate binding protein shows temperature-dependent potentiation of binding of the noncompeting monoclonal antibody MOv18 to the relevant antigen, but the mechanism involved in this phinomenon had remained unclear. Use of chimeric versions of both monoclonal antibodies and the F(ab′)₂ and fan fragments of MOv19 revealed an increment in MOv18 binding in all combinations irrespective of the orgin of the Fc portin of the monoclonal antibody. The potentiating effect of bivalent MOv19 fragments on ¹²⁵l-MOv18 binding was similar to that of the entire monoclonal antibody and occurred at saturating concentrations of both reagents at which monovalent binding prevails. Similarly, the monovalent fragment also induced a significant increase in MOv18 bunding. Howener, the potentiation sccurred only at very high concentrations of antibody fragment. Homologous inhibition was drastically reduced using MOv19 Fab fragment, suggesting a low binding stability of the monovalent reagent. Immunoblotting analysis and binding in the presence of exogenous purified folate binding protein indicated a cross-linking between soluble and cell surface molecules mediated by the bivalent monoclonal antibodies. The extentof the increase in MOv18 binging at O°C with high amounts of exogenous folate binding protein was lower than that obtained at 37⁰C in the absence of added molecule. Release of ¹²⁵l-MOv18 from the cell surface was significantly higher in the absence of MOv19 than in its presence. Affinity constant values of ¹²⁵l-MOv18 binding evaluated in the presence of MOv19 or control monoclonal antibody MINT5 were comparable, whereas the number of binding sites per cell detected by ¹²⁵l-MOv18 was significantly higher in the presence of MOv19 than MINT5. Together, the data suggest that monoclonal antibody MOv19 induces a conformational change of the molecule it binds that increases the number of antigenic sites anvailable for MOv18 binding and, in turn, the binding stability of the latter, MOv19 bivalency also contributes to the MOv18 binding increment by cross-linking released and cell surface–anchored folate binding protein molecules. © Wiley-Liss, Inc.