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Biomedical subjects

B E Bierer

Publications and source records attributed to B E Bierer.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Gene immunotherapy in murine acute myeloid leukemia: granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor tumor cell vaccines elicit more potent antitumor immunity compared with B7 family and other cytokine vaccines.

In an attempt to explore novel treatment modalities in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), we studied the role of costimulatory and cytokine gene immunotherapy in murine AML. We have previously shown that leukemic mice can be cured with CD80 transfected leukemic cells (B7. 1-AML vaccine) administered early in the course of the disease and that the failure B7.1-AML vaccines administered late cannot be attributed to immunosuppression induced by tumor growth. CD8+ T cells, which are necessary for tumor rejection, are activated rather than suppressed during the first half of the leukemic course in nonvaccinated mice. In this report, we question whether CD86 (B7.2) or the cytokines granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin-4 (IL-4), or tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) can improve the vaccination potential of AML cells. The choice of cytokines was based on their combined and alone as well ability to direct the differentiation of CD34+ cells into potent antigen-presenting dendritic cells in vitro. Our studies show that (1) mice vaccinated with a leukemogenic number of AML cells engineered to express B7.2 (B7.2-AML) or to secrete GM-CSF, IL-4, or TNF-alpha (GM-, IL-4-, TNF-alpha-AML) do not develop leukemia; (2) GM-AML cells are tumorigenic in sublethally irradiated SJL/J mice but not in Swiss nu/nu mice, indicating that killing of tumor cells is not T-cell-dependent; (3) vaccines with irradiated GM-AML, but not B7.2-, IL-4-, or TNF-alpha-AML cells, can elicit leukemia-specific protective and therapeutic immunity; and (4) in head-to-head comparison experiments, vaccination with irradiated GM-AML is more potent than B7.1-AML, curing 80% and providing 20% prolonged survival of the leukemic mice at week 2, as opposed to cures only up to 1 week with B7.1-AML vaccines. These preclinical data emphasize that GM-CSF gene immunotherapy deserves clinical evaluation in AML.

Acute Disease↗

Identification of a proline-rich sequence in the CD2 cytoplasmic domain critical for regulation of integrin-mediated adhesion and activation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase.

The CD2 molecule is one of several lymphocyte receptors that rapidly initiates signaling events regulating integrin-mediated cell adhesion. CD2 stimulation of resting human T cells results within minutes in an increase in beta1-integrin-mediated adhesion to fibronectin. We have utilized the HL60 cell line to map critical residues within the CD2 cytoplasmic domain involved in CD2 regulation of integrin function. A panel of CD2 cytoplasmic domain mutants was constructed and analyzed for their ability to upregulate integrin-mediated adhesion to fibronectin. Mutations in the CD2 cytoplasmic domain implicated in CD2-mediated interleukin-2 production or CD2 avidity do not affect CD2 regulation of integrin activity. A proline-rich sequence, K-G-P-P-L-P (amino acids 299 to 305), is essential for CD2-mediated regulation of beta1 integrin activity. CD2-induced increases in beta1 integrin activity could be blocked by two phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI 3-K) inhibitors or by overexpression of a dominant negative form of the p85 subunit of PI 3-K. In addition, CD2 cytoplasmic domain mutations that abrogate CD2-induced increases in integrin-mediated adhesion also ablate CD2-induced increases in PI 3-K enzymatic activity. Surprisingly, CD2 cytoplasmic domain mutations that inhibit CD2 regulation of adhesion do not affect the constitutive association of the p85 subunit of PI 3-K association with CD2. Mutation of the proline residues in the K-G-P-P-L-P motif to alanines prevented CD2-mediated activation of integrin function and PI 3-K activity but not mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase activity. Furthermore, the MEK inhibitor PD 098059 blocked CD2-mediated activation of MAP kinase but had no effect on CD2-induced adhesion. These studies identify a proline-rich sequence in CD2 critical for PI 3-K-dependent regulation of beta1 integrin adhesion by CD2. In addition, these studies suggest that CD2-mediated activation of MAP kinase is not involved in CD2 regulation of integrin adhesion.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Treatment of chronic graft-versus-host disease with clofazimine.

Clofazimine (Lamprene) is an antimycobacterial drug that has antiinflammatory activity in a number of chronic autoimmune skin disorders. We report 22 patients treated with clofazimine for chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD). The initial dose was 300 mg orally in a single daily dose for 90 days. After 90 days, the dose was lowered to 100 mg orally each day and the medication continued indefinitely as tolerated. Treatment courses lasted 7 to 835 days and were generally well tolerated. Gastrointestinal side effects occurred in eight of 22 patients (36%) and hyperpigmentation was noted in 12 of 22 patients (55%), which resolved upon decrease or discontinuation of the drug. Over 50% of patients with skin involvement, flexion contractures, or oral manifestations achieved complete or partial responses. Seven of 22 patients (32%) were able to reduce other immunosuppressive medications. Thus, clofazimine is safe and has encouraging efficacy in cGVHD, particularly if sclerodermatous skin, joint contractures, or oral manifestations are present. The mechanism by which clofazimine induces a response is unknown, but might be secondary to suppression of alloreactive T-cell function in cGVHD target organs. Clofazimine deserves further study for the treatment of cGVHD.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

Isolated testicular relapse in an adolescent 5 years following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for acute myelogenous leukemia.

A case of isolated testicular relapse occurring 5 years after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is reported. The patient presented with M4 AML at age 13 and underwent allogeneic BMT in first remission, 5 months after diagnosis. He had no acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) but developed mild chronic GVHD 5 months following transplant and received immunosuppressive therapy for the next 2 years. Five years post-transplant he had an isolated testicular relapse that was treated with chemotherapy and testicular radiation. The patient remains in remission 17 months following relapse and more than 15 months following the cessation of therapy.

Adolescent↗

Tacrolimus (FK506) in allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for severe aplastic anemia following orthotopic liver transplantation.

Severe aplastic anemia (SAA) is a frequent complication of orthotopic liver transplantation for non-typeable viral hepatitis. Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) may successfully reconstitute hematopoiesis but the optimal conditioning regimen and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis in such patients are unknown. Allogeneic BMT was undertaken in an 8-year-old male patient who developed SAA 6 weeks after cadaveric orthotopic liver transplantation for fulminant hepatic failure secondary to presumed non-typeable viral hepatitis. The preparative regimen for his HLA genotypically identical sibling BMT consisted of cytoxan and anti-thymocyte globulin. Tacrolimus (FK506) and prednisone, used to prevent liver graft rejection, were supplemented with methotrexate on post-BMT days, 1, 3, 6 and 11 for GVHD prophylaxis. Engraftment proceeded promptly and without complications. Transfusion dependence resolved 6 weeks after BMT. The patient is alive and well 1 year after his BMT on FK506 and prednisone without any signs of GVHD or liver allograft rejection. This case is the first demonstration of the feasibility of continuing FK506 used for prevention of liver graft rejection as GVHD prophylaxis for allogeneic BMT.

Anemia, Aplastic↗

Bone marrow transplantation for therapy-related myelodysplasia: comparison with primary myelodysplasia.

Therapy-related myelodysplasia (MDS) is a fatal marrow disorder distinct from primary MDS. We examined the efficacy of bone marrow transplantation (BMT) as a treatment for patients with therapy-related MDS. Eighteen patients with therapy-related MDS and twenty-five patients with primary MDS received an allogeneic, syngeneic, or unrelated donor BMT. Graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis included methotrexate, methotrexate plus cyclosporine, FK-506, or T cell depletion. Conditioning regimens consisted of cyclophosphamide/total body irradiation, with and without cytosine arabinoside, busulfan/cyclophosphamide, and cyclophosphamide/etoposide/carmustine. For patients with therapy-related MDS, the median age was 32 years and the actuarial disease-free survival was 24% (95% confidence interval 6, 42%) with a median follow-up of 3 years. For patients with primary MDS, the median age was 36 years and the actuarial disease-free survival at 3 years was 43% (95% confidence interval 22, 64%). Four of the therapy-related patients and two of the primary patients have relapsed. Three patients experienced graft failure; all three had received T cell-depleted marrow and two had marrow fibrosis. Our results suggest that patients with therapy-related MDS can be successfully transplanted. Transplantation should be considered early in the disease, since long-term disease-free survival is achievable.

Adolescent↗

Competitive inhibition of calcineurin phosphatase activity by its autoinhibitory domain.

Calcineurin (protein phosphatase 2B), a calmodulin- and calcium-dependent serine/threonine phosphatase, appears to be regulated by a C-terminal autoinhibitory domain. A 25 amino acid peptide derived from this domain inhibits calcineurin phosphatase activity in vitro. Here we show that a 97 amino acid fragment of the calcineurin A alpha C-terminus is approx. 8-fold more potent than the shorter peptide in calcineurin inhibition experiments. Mutation of an evolutionarily conserved Asp to Asn, previously shown to disrupt calcium-dependent signalling and calcineurin regulation in T-lymphocytes, greatly reduced inhibition by the autoinhibitory domain in vitro. Kinetic analysis of wild-type and mutated autoinhibitory domains show that both are competitive inhibitors of calcineurin phosphatase activity with Ki values of 5.0 +/- 0.2 microM and 36.0 +/- 3.7 microM respectively. This suggests intrasteric regulation of calcineurin, with the autoinhibitory domains interacting at the active site of the enzyme. The competitive behaviour of the autoinhibitory domains contrasts with the mechanism of calcineurin inhibition by immunosuppressant-immunophilin complexes, which have been shown to bind to calcineurin at a region removed from the active site.

Allosteric Regulation↗

Differential phosphorylation of the T lymphocyte costimulatory receptor CD28. Activation-dependent changes and regulation by protein kinase C.

Treatment of T lymphocytes with phorbol ester and anti-CD28 monoclonal antibody (mAb) can induce proliferation and interleukin 2 production by triggering still undefined intracellular signaling pathways. We have developed a deglycosylation procedure that allows the precise identification of a distinct CD28 protein band, facilitating the analysis of activation-dependent changes in the phosphorylation state of CD28. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) treatment induced the in vitro phosphorylation of CD28 on threonine as detected in immune complex kinase assays. This effect of PMA was (i) rapid, preceding a PMA-induced increase in CD28 surface expression; (ii) occurred using kinase buffer containing either manganese or magnesium; and (iii) was found in human peripheral T cells, Jurkat T cells, and in a Jurkat subclone, J.Cam1, that is deficient in Lck tyrosine kinase activity. In contrast, anti-CD28 monoclonal antibody stimulation led to in vitro phosphorylation of CD28 on tyrosine that was manganese-dependent and required Lck tyrosine kinase activity, as it was undetectable in J.Cam1 cells. Importantly, CD28 was phosphorylated on tyrosine in vivo as detected with anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies after stimulation with anti-CD28 monoclonal antibody. The in vivo tyrosine phosphorylation of CD28 was inhibited by PMA treatment and was absent in J.Cam1 cells. Thus, the CD28 coreceptor can trigger different intracellular signaling pathways, depending upon the nature of the initial costimulatory signal.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

FK506 (Tacrolimus) monotherapy for prevention of graft-versus-host disease after histocompatible sibling allogenic bone marrow transplantation.

FK506 (Tacrolimus) is an immunosuppressive drug that blocks the activation of antigen-specific T lymphocytes, a major component in the pathogenesis of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). This study was designed to obtain first estimates of the safety and efficacy of FK506 monotherapy in the prevention of GVHD following HLA-identical sibling marrow transplantation. Additionally, a subset of patients was studied to define the pharmacokinetic profile of FK506. Twenty-seven adult patients with leukemia or myelodysplasia received FK506 starting the day before transplant at a dose of 0.04 mg/kg/d by continuous intravenous infusion. When clinically possible, FK506 was given orally in two divided doses starting at five times the daily intravenous dose. FK506 doses were adjusted to target a steady state or trough blood level between 10 to 30 ng/mL. These patients were followed for 6 months posttransplant. All patients had sustained marrow engraftment. Frequently noted adverse events included reversible renal dysfunction, diarrhea, fever, nausea, vomiting, and headache. Most patients required FK506 dose reductions associated with elevated serum creatinine. Two (7%) patients relapsed, one of whom died of the disease within the 6-month study period. A second patient died due to pulmonary mucor. Whole blood pharmacokinetic parameters indicated a half-life of 18.2 +/- 12.1 hours; volume of distribution of 1.67 +/- 1.02 L/kg; clearance of 71 +/- 34 mL/h/kg; and bioavailability of 32 +/- 24%. Eleven of 27 (41%) patients developed grade II to IV acute GVHD, including 10 grade II and one grade III. Six of 24 (25%) evaluable patients developed chronic GVHD. These data indicate that FK506 monotherapy has activity in preventing GVHD. Further studies of FK506 with lower doses to improve tolerability and in combination with other immunosuppressants to augment efficacy are warranted.

Adolescent↗

Identification of a physical interaction between calcineurin and nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFATp).

In T lymphocytes, the calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine/threonine phosphatase, calcineurin, plays a pivotal role in transducing membrane-associated signals to the nucleus. One of the putative targets of calcineurin is the pre-existing, cytosolic component of the nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFATp; also referred to as NFAT1), which is one of several transcription factors required for the expression of interleukin 2. Inhibition of calcineurin by the immunosuppressive drugs cyclosporin A and FK506 prevents dephosphorylation of NFATp and its translocation to the nucleus. However, a physical interaction between calcineurin and NFATp has not been demonstrated. Here we demonstrate the binding of NFATp from lysates of T cells to immobilized calcineurin. Stimulation of T cells with calcium ionophore induced a shift in the molecular weight of NFATp that is due to its dephosphorylation. This dephosphorylation was inhibited by treatment of T cells with cyclosporin A or FK506 prior to stimulation. Of note, both the phosphorylated and the dephosphorylated form of NFATp bound to calcineurin. Furthermore, the binding of both forms of NFATp to calcineurin was inhibited by pretreatment of calcineurin with a complex of FK506 and its ligand FKBP12. Taken together these data strongly suggest a direct interaction of calcineurin with NFATp and that this interaction does not depend upon the phosphorylation sites of NFATp affected by activation.

Animals↗

Identification and characterization of an immunophilin expressed during the clonal expansion phase of adipocyte differentiation.

Mouse 3T3-L1 cells differentiate into fat-laden adipocytes in response to a cocktail of adipogenic hormones. This conversion process occurs in two discrete steps. During an early clonal expansion phase, confluent 3T3-L1 cells proliferate and express the products of the beta and delta members of the CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) family of transcription factors. The cells subsequently arrest mitotic growth, induce the expression of the alpha form of C/EBP, and acquire the morphology of fully differentiated adipocytes. Many of the genes induced during the terminal phase of adipocyte conversion are directly activated by C/EBP alpha, and gratuitous expression of this transcription factor is capable of catalyzing adipose conversion in a number of different cultured cell lines. The genetic program undertaken during the clonal expansion phase of 3T3-L1 differentiation, controlled in part by C/EBP beta and C/EBP delta, is less clearly understood. To study the molecular events occurring during clonal expansion, we have identified mRNAs that selectively accumulate during this phase of adipocyte conversion. One such mRNA encodes an immunophilin hereby designated FKBP51. In this report we provide the initial molecular characterization of FKBP51.

Adipocytes↗

Rapamycin inhibits clonal expansion and adipogenic differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells.

Differentiating 3T3-L1 cells express an immunophilin early during the adipocyte conversion program as described in this issue [Yeh, W.-C., Li, T.-K., Bierer, B. E. & McKnight, S. L. (1995) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 92, 11081-11085]. The temporal expression profile of this protein, designated FK506-binding protein (FKBP) 51, is concordant with the clonal-expansion period undertaken by 3T3-L1 cells after exposure to adipogenic hormones. Having observed FKBP51 synthesis early during adipogenesis, we tested the effects of three immunosuppressive drugs--cyclosporin A, FK506, and rapamycin--on the terminal-differentiation process. Adipocyte conversion was not affected by either cyclosporin A or FK506 and yet was significantly reduced by rapamycin at drug concentrations as low as 10 nM. Clonal expansion was impeded in drug-treated cultures, as was the accumulation of cytoplasmic lipid droplets normally seen late during differentiation. Rapamycin treatment likewise inhibited the expression of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha, a transcription factor required for 3T3-L1 cell differentiation. All three of these effects were reversed by high FK506 concentrations, indicating that the operative inhibitory event was mediated by an immunophilin-rapamycin complex.

3T3 Cells↗

Phorbol ester treatment inhibits phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activation by, and association with, CD28, a T-lymphocyte surface receptor.

CD28 is a costimulatory receptor found on the surface of most T lymphocytes. Engagement of CD28 induces interleukin 2 (IL-2) production and cell proliferation when combined with an additional signal such as treatment with phorbol ester, an activator of protein kinase C. Recent studies have established that after CD28 ligation, the cytoplasmic domain of CD28 can bind to the 85-kDa subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3 kinase). There is a concomitant increase in PI3 lipid kinase activity that may be important in CD28 signaling. Despite the requirement of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) for effector function, we have found, however, that treatment of Jurkat T cells with the phorbol ester PMA dramatically inhibits (i) the association of PI3 kinase with CD28, (ii) the ability of p85 PI3 kinase to be immunoprecipitated by anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies, and (iii) the induction of PI3 kinase activity after stimulation of the cells with the anti-CD28 monoclonal antibody 9.3. These changes occur within minutes of PMA treatment and are persistent. In addition, we have found that wortmannin, a potent inhibitor of PI3 kinase, does not interfere with the induction of IL-2 after stimulation of Jurkat T cells with anti-CD28 monoclonal antibody and PMA. We conclude that PI3 kinase activity may not be required for CD28-dependent IL-2 production from Jurkat T cells in the presence of PMA.

Androstadienes↗

The complex of FK506-binding protein 12 and FK506 inhibits calcineurin phosphatase activity and IgE activation-induced cytokine transcripts, but not exocytosis, in mouse mast cells.

FK506 and cyclosporin A (CsA) are immunosuppressive agents that inhibit IL-2 production by activated T cells, but only CsA inhibits IgE activation-induced cytokine transcripts in mouse IL-3-dependent, bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMC). We previously associated the resistance of BMMC to FK506 with a deficiency in the expression of FK506 binding protein (FKBP) 12, a molecule that forms a complex with FK506 capable of inhibiting calcineurin phosphatase activity in vitro. In this report, we establish that FKBP12 mediates FK506 inhibition of both calcineurin phosphatase activity and IgE activation-induced cytokine transcripts in a Kirsten murine sarcoma virus-immortalized mast cell line that is FKBP12 deficient. Overexpression of FKBP12 by transfection enhanced the ability of FK506 to inhibit calcineurin phosphatase activity (IC50 = 2 nM), compared with cells transfected with the expression vector alone (IC50 > 30 nM). The IC50 value for FK506 inhibition of IgE activation-induced transcripts for TNF-alpha decreased from 40 nM in vector control cells to 10 nM in FKBP12 transfectants. Similarly, the IC50 value for inhibition of IL-6 transcripts decreased from > 1000 nM in vector control cells to 35 nM in FKBP12 transfectants. In contrast, activation-elicited release of the secretory granule mediator beta-hexosaminidase was only partially inhibited by FK506 at 1000 nM, regardless of the levels of FKBP12 expressed by the cells. Thus, FKBP12 is the dominant cytosolic protein that mediates FK506 inhibition of TNF-alpha and IL-6 transcripts.

Animals↗

FK506 binding protein 12 mediates sensitivity to both FK506 and rapamycin in murine mast cells.

The immunosuppressive drugs FK506 and rapamycin bind to a family of intracellular proteins termed FK506-binding proteins (FKBP). FK506 and rapamycin inhibit lymphocyte-activation pathways by forming complexes with an FKBP; subsequently, the drug/FKBP complexes interact with target molecules involved in signal transduction. A key target of FK506/FKBP12 complexes is calcineurin, a calcium- and calmodulin-dependent serine/threonine phosphatase. In mammalian cells, rapamycin treatment is associated with inhibition of the activity of several cellular serine/threonine kinases, including p70 S6 kinase. These kinases may function in signaling pathways involving TOR gene producs, which have been shown to interact with rapamycin/FKBP12 complexes in vitro. To determine if FKBP12 mediates the effects of both FK506 and rapamycin in mammalian cells, we overexpressed FKBP12 in a murine mast cell line. Increased expression of FKBP12 resulted in increased sensitivity to FK506 and rapamycin, as measured by inhibition of calcineurin activity and p70 S6 kinase activity, respectively. In contrast, overexpression of FKBP25 had no effect on sensitivity to either drug. Two distinct point mutations in FKBP12, one altering a hydrophobic residue within the drug-binding pocket and the other changing a charged surface residue of FKBP12, abrogated its ability to mediate sensitivity to FK506 and rapamycin. These results establish that FKBP12 can mediate sensitivity to both FK506 and rapamycin in mammalian cells.

Animals↗

Intracellular mediators regulate CD2 lateral diffusion and cytoplasmic Ca2+ mobilization upon CD2-mediated T cell activation.

CD2 is a T cell surface glycoprotein that participates in T cell adhesion and activation. These processes are dynamically interrelated, in that T cell activation regulates the strength of CD2-mediated T cell adhesion. The lateral redistribution of CD2 and its ligand CD58 (LFA-3) in T cell and target membranes, respectively, has also been shown to affect cellular adhesion strength. We have used the fluorescence photobleaching recovery technique to measure the lateral mobility of CD2 in plasma membranes of resting and activated Jurkat T leukemia cells. CD2-mediated T cell activation caused lateral immobilization of 90% of cell surface CD2 molecules. Depleting cells of cytoplasmic Ca2+, loading cells with dibutyric cAMP, and disrupting cellular microfilaments each partially reversed the effect of CD2-mediated activation on the lateral mobility of CD2. These intracellular mediators apparently influence the same signal transduction pathways, because the effects of the mediators on CD2 lateral mobility were not additive. In separate experiments, activation-associated cytoplasmic Ca2+ mobilization was found to require microfilament integrity and to be negatively regulated by cAMP. By directly or indirectly controlling CD2 lateral diffusion and cell surface distribution, cytoplasmic Ca2+ mobilization may have an important regulatory role in CD2 mediated T cell adhesion.

Actin Cytoskeleton↗

Characterization of a mutant calcineurin A alpha gene expressed by EL4 lymphoma cells.

The calmodulin-stimulated phosphatase calcineurin plays a critical role in calcium-dependent T-lymphocyte activation pathways. Here, we report the identification of a missense mutation in the calcineurin A alpha gene expressed by EL4 T-lymphoma cells. This mutation changes an evolutionarily conserved aspartic acid to asparagine within the autoinhibitory domain of the calcineurin A alpha protein. A comparison of wild-type and mutant autoinhibitory peptides indicates that this amino acid substitution greatly reduces inhibition of calcineurin phosphatase activity. Additional peptide inhibition studies support a pseudosubstrate model of autoinhibitory function, in which the conserved aspartic acid residue may serve as a molecular mimic of either phosphoserine or phosphothreonine. Expression of the mutant calcineurin appears to affect cellular signal transduction pathways, as EL4 cells can be activated by suboptimal concentrations of calcium ionophore in the presence of phorbol esters. Moreover, this phenotype can be transferred to Jurkat T cells by transfection of the mutated calcineurin gene. These findings implicate a conserved aspartic acid in the mechanism of calcineurin autoinhibition and suggest that mutation of this residue is associated with aberrant calcium-dependent signaling in vivo.

Amino Acid Sequence↗