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D S Shewach

Publications and source records attributed to D S Shewach.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Radiosensitizing nucleosides.

Chemotherapeutic drugs that perturb nucleotide metabolism have the potential to produce substantial sensitization of tumor cells to radiation treatment. The process is called radiosensitization, and the agents that induce it are called radiosensitizers. The clinical effectiveness of fluoropyrimidines as radiosensitizers has been proven in multiple randomized trials. Thymidine analogues and hydroxyurea also appear to produce clinically relevant increases in radiation sensitivity. Recent laboratory investigations have identified difluorodeoxycytidine (gemcitabine) and fludarabine as promising agents to use in combination with radiation. Until recently, little was known about how the biochemical changes caused by these drugs produced radiosensitization. However, advances in related fields, such as cell cycle checkpoint control, have permitted the development of a hypothesis that may explain the relative tumor selectivity of fluoropyrimidine-mediated radiosensitization. In addition, recent findings suggest that the rational manipulation of drug administration schedules and the use of combinations of radiosensitizers have the potential to improve the efficacy of the currently used agents and to establish the benefit of new ones.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) expression in the central nervous system of HPRT-deficient mice following adenoviral-mediated gene transfer.

In this study we show that recombinant adenovirus can augment hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) levels in the central nervous system (CNS) of HPRT-deficient mice. Recombinant adenovirus containing the cDNA for rat HPRT (rHPRT) expressed from the Rous sarcoma virus LTR (RSV LTR) was constructed (AdRSVrHPRT). AdRSVrHPRT was injected into the right caudate nucleus of 7-week-old HPRT-deficient mice. Brains were analyzed for gene transfer, transgene expression and function by DNA PCR, in situ RNA hybridization, and enzyme bioactivity. The results show that rHPRT cDNA delivered by an adenoviral vector can augment HPRT levels in brain tissue and documents the utility of gene transfer to restore HPRT activity in an HPRT-deficient CNS.

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed1996

Preclinical studies of chemotherapy and radiation therapy for pancreatic carcinoma.

The use of radiation therapy combined with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in the treatment of pancreatic cancer has been well established. It has been hypothesized that any benefit from combined 5-FU and radiation has been due to radiosensitization. Improved therapy could result from a better understanding of the mechanism of radiosensitization and the development of compounds capable of providing better radiosensitization. This article reviews preclinical findings on the mechanism of cytotoxicity and radiosensitization for 5-FU, fluorodeoxyuridine, thymidine analogs, and gemcitabine (2',2'-difluorodeoxycytidine) and discusses the clinical implications of these findings.

Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic↗
PubMed1996

Radiosensitization of pancreatic cancer cells by 2',2'-difluoro-2'-deoxycytidine.

PURPOSE: We have reported that the deoxycytidine analog 2',2'difluoro-2'-deoxycytidine (dFdCyd) is a potent radiosensitizer of HT29 human colon cancer cells probably through its effects on intracellular deoxyribonucleotide (dNTP) pools. Because dFdCyd has activity against pancreatic cancer in clinical trials, we wished to determine if dFdCyd would radiosensitize human pancreatic cancer cells. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We assessed the effect of dFdCyd on radiation sensitivity of two human pancreatic cancer cell lines, Panc-1 and BxPC-3. To begin to investigate the mechanism of sensitization, we determined the effect of dFdCyd on dNTP pools and cell cycle distribution. RESULTS: We found that dFdCyd produced radiation enhancement ratios of 1.7-1.8 under noncytotoxic conditions in both cell lines. Sensitization was not associated with intracellular levels of 2',2'-difluoro-2'-deoxycytidine triphosphate, the cytotoxic metabolite of dFdCyd, but occurred when dATP pools were depleted below the level of approximately 1 micromolar. Although both cell lines showed substantial cell cycle redistribution after drug treatment, the flow cytogram of the BxPC-3 cells would not, by itself, be anticipated to result in increased radiation sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that dFdCyd is a potent radiation sensitizer of human pancreatic cancer cells and support the development of a clinical protocol using combined dFdCyd and radiation therapy in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1996

Gemcitabine and radiosensitization in human tumor cells.

Gemcitabine is a nucleoside analogue with excellent clinical activity against solid tumors. Within the cell, gemcitabine is rapidly phosphorylated to its active di- and triphosphate metabolites. Cytotoxicity with gemcitabine appears to be related to multiple effects on DNA replication, where gemcitabine triphosphate can serve as both an inhibitor and substrate for DNA synthesis. Gemcitabine diphosphate inhibits ribonucleotide reductase, producing decreases in cellular dNTP pool levels in a cell-specific manner. These two major characteristics of gemcitabine, reduction in cellular dNTP pools and incorporation into DNA, are features of other antimetabolites antitumor agents which also exhibit radiosensitizing properties. Based on these favorable metabolic characteristics and the clinical activity of gemcitabine in tumor types which are commonly treated with radiation, the ability of gemcitabine to enhance X-radiation induced cytotoxicity was evaluated. Gemcitabine has been shown to be a potent radiosensitizer in a variety of tumor cell lines, including HT-29 colorectal carcinoma, pancreatic cancer, breast, non-small cell lung and head and neck cancer cell lines. Gemcitabine was most effective as a radiosensitizer when administered at least 2 hours prior to irradiation. For most cell lines, radiosensitization was evident at non-cytotoxic concentrations. The extent of radiosensitization increased with both increasing gemcitabine concentration and duration of exposure. Radiosensitization did not require redistribution of cells into a more radiosensitive phase of the cell cycle. The major metabolic effects observed under radiosensitizing conditions were the accumulation of high levels of gemcitabine triphosphate, and a selective decrease in the cellular dATP pool. The pattern of dATP decrease paralleled the increase in radiosensitization, whereas the level of gemcitabine triphosphate was not associated with the enhanced sensitivity to radiation. Compared to other radiosensitizers, the advantage of gemcitabine is that is can induce radiosensitization at concentrations that are 1000 times lower than typical plasma levels obtained with this drug. These studies will be used as guidelines for developing clinical trials of gemcitabine with radiation.

Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic↗
PubMed1996

Paracrine mediation of calcium signaling in human SK-N-MCIXC neuroepithelioma cells.

Paracrine-mediated Ca2+ signaling in SK-N-MCIXC neuroepithelioma cells was evaluated by means of two experimental paradigms. In the first, single SK-N-MCIXC cells were microinjected with inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate [Ins(1,4,5)P3] and cytoplasmic Ca2+ was monitored by fura 2 digital-imaging microfluorometry. In response to Ins(1,4,5)P3 or CaCl2, but not inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate, an increase in cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) was observed in injected cells and also in neighboring cells. The direction of intercellular propagation of Ca2+ signals was influenced by the presence of a flow in the extracellular medium and occurred in the absence of any detectable gap-junctional communication. The P2 purinoceptor antagonist suramin, but not antagonists of other phosphoinositide-linked receptors, blocked cell-to-cell Ca2+ signaling initiated by microinjections of Ins(1,4,5)P3. In the second paradigm, conditioned medium (CM) obtained from monolayers of SK-N-MCIXC cells elicited increases in [Ca2+]i when reapplied to cells on coverslips. The Ca(2+)-mobilizing activity of CM was reversibly antagonized by suramin and abolished by pretreatment with apyrase. The presence of nucleotide di- and triphosphates in CM was confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography. We conclude that SK-N-MCIXC cells release nucleotides that then activate specific receptors on neighboring cells. A rise in [Ca2+]i in these cells, and subsequent additional release of nucleotides, serves to further the propagation of intercellular Ca2+ signals.

Biological Transport↗
PubMed1996

Radiosensitization of human solid tumor cell lines with gemcitabine.

Gemcitabine has high clinical activity in several solid tumors that are treated with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. The mode of action of gemcitabine involves a number of intracellular changes that are shared by other radiation sensitizing anticancer drugs. There is therefore a clear rationale for investigating the interaction between gemcitabine and radiation in human cancer cell lines in vitro. Gemcitabine has been shown to be a potent radiosensitizer in human colorectal, pancreatic, and other solid tumor cell lines. Gemcitabine produces radiation enhancement ratios that are higher than those of other established radio-sensitizing agents, and this radiation enhancement occurs at low noncytotoxic concentrations. Radiosensitization increases with dose and with duration of exposure to gemcitabine, and is greatest when exposure to gemcitabine precedes radiation. The primary radiosensitizing effect of gemcitabine seems to be associated with depletion of endogenous nucleotide pools; deoxyadenosine triphosphate reduction is particularly striking, even at the lowest concentrations of gemcitabine. These studies suggest a number of approaches that are relevant to the clinical use of gemcitabine in patients with solid tumors.

Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic↗
PubMed1995

Radiosensitization of human tumor cells by gemcitabine in vitro.

Gemcitabine is a novel nucleoside analog that has shown clinical activity in a variety of solid tumors. The use of gemcitabine in combination with radiation was investigated in vitro using HT-29 colon carcinoma cells. Gemcitabine was demonstrated to be a potent radiosensitizer even at noncytotoxic concentrations. Increasing the concentration of gemcitabine and/or the duration of exposure increased the radiosensitization of cells. Biochemical studies indicated that a reduction in the dATP pool was the most likely mechanism of radiosensitization by gemcitabine. This effect is of great clinical importance and should be investigated in vivo.

Cell Cycle↗
PubMed1994

Metabolism of 2',2'-difluoro-2'-deoxycytidine and radiation sensitization of human colon carcinoma cells.

Difluorodeoxycytidine (dFdCyd) is a new antimetabolite with clinical activity in patients with solid tumors but not leukemias. We have studied the metabolism, cytotoxicity, and radiosensitizing properties of dFdCyd in HT-29 human colon carcinoma cells. The results demonstrated that dFdCyd rapidly accumulated as the 5'-triphosphate dFdCTP in HT-29 cells, which was eliminated slowly in the absence of dFdCyd with a half-life of > 12 h. Accumulation of dFdCTP was associated with rapid depletion of cellular dATP pools. Exposure to the concentration that reduces cell survival by 50% of 30 nM dFdCyd decreased dATP levels by > 80% within 4 h. dGTP pools were depleted at higher concentrations of dFdCyd, whereas smaller decreases were effected in dTTP and dCTP pools. These results contrast with previous reports in leukemic cells which demonstrated that dFdCyd exposure depleted the endogenous dCTP pool to a greater extent than the dTTP, dATP, or dGTP pools. Based on these data, we suggest that the profound depletion by dFdCyd of dATP and dGTP pools in HT-29 compared to leukemic cells accounts for the superiority of this agent in solid tumors versus leukemias. Additional studies demonstrated that dFdCyd was a potent radiosensitizer in HT-29 cells. Maximal radiosensitization was observed when cells were irradiated immediately following dFdCyd exposure instead of prior to or in the middle of drug treatment. Radiation sensitization was dose and time dependent, with a noncytotoxic exposure to 10 nM dFdCyd for 24 h or 30 nM dFdCyd for 16 h producing a radiation enhancement ratio of approximately 2. Under these conditions, only the cellular dATP pool was depleted. When cells were exposed to higher concentrations of dFdCyd for 4 h, equivalent radiosensitization with a radiation enhancement ratio of 1.4 was obtained using 0.1, 1.0, or 10 microM dFdCyd. Despite a 15-fold increase in dFdCTP and depletion of dGTP and dCTP pools to < 25% of the control value with 10 microM compared to 0.1 microM dFdCyd, no increase in radiosensitization was observed. These results suggest that dATP depletion is an important factor in the radiosensitizing property of this promising new antitumor compound.

Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic↗
PubMed1994

Expression of Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase and rat HPRT in the CNS of Macaca mulatta following adenoviral mediated gene transfer.

Adenoviral-mediated gene transfer to the caudate nucleus of Macaca mulatta was accomplished using stereotactic injection of two distinct recombinant Ad5 vectors containing the gene for Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase and the cDNA for rat hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosylphosphotransferase (HPRT), respectively. Multiple analyses (including immunohistochemistry, histochemistry, transmission electron microscopy, RNA in situ hybridization, nucleotide pool analysis, and enzyme assay) confirmed efficient expression of beta-galactosidase and rat HPRT. Transgene expression was evident in both neurons and glia. Clinically, no evidence of meningitis or cerebritis was observed and no focal neurological deficits were detected in the animal. These preliminary studies indicate that recombinant adenovirus is capable of mediating high level transgene expression to the brains of higher order mammals.

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed1994

Enhanced cytotoxicity of antiviral drugs mediated by adenovirus directed transfer of the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene in rat glioma cells.

The antiviral agents ganciclovir, 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylthymine (araT), acyclovir, and 5-iodo-5'-amino-2',5'-dideoxyuridine were cytotoxic to rat C6 glioma cells expressing retrovirally transferred herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 thymidine kinase (TK) coding sequence, with concentrations that inhibited cell survival by 50% (IC50 values) of 0.06, 3, 13, and 23 mumol/L, respectively. In C6 cells not expressing HSV-TK, the IC50 value for ganciclovir was 140 mumol/L and a concentration of 1 mmol/L killed more than 99% of the cells. The other antiviral agents tested were less toxic in nontransduced cells. Compared with retrovirally transduced cells, transduction of C6BU1 cells with an adenovirus vector containing the coding sequence for HSV-TK (Ad.RSVtk) increased the cellular activity of the viral kinase up to 600-fold with increasing multiplicity of infection (MOl). Cells transduced with Ad.RSVtk exhibited as much as a fivefold and 12-fold decrease in IC50 value for ganciclovir and araT, respectively, compared with retrovirally transduced cells. Sensitivity to antiviral drugs increased with increasing exposure to Ad.RSVtk, with IC50 values of 0.6 and 0.005 mumol/L for araT and ganciclovir, respectively, at an MOl of 1000. These data suggest that adenoviral transfer of HSV-TK will allow the use of less toxic drugs or lower concentrations of toxic drugs such as ganciclovir for directed antitumor therapy in vivo.

Acyclovir↗
PubMed1993

Resistance to fluorodeoxyuridine-induced DNA damage and cytotoxicity correlates with an elevation of deoxyuridine triphosphatase activity and failure to accumulate deoxyuridine triphosphate.

Deoxyuridine triphosphate (dUTP) misincorporation and uracil misrepair have long been implicated in fluoropyrimidine-induced DNA damage; however, the enzymatic activities responsible for these lesions have not been previously identified as critical determinants of overall sensitivity to the antitumor effects of these agents. The purpose of this study was to determine whether differences in uracil misincorporation/misrepair could account for the difference in sensitivity to fluorodeoxyuridine (FdUrd)-induced cytotoxicity and DNA damage in 2 human colorectal tumor cell lines having identical sensitivities to FdUrd-induced thymidylate synthase inhibition. Compared to HT29 cells, SW620 cells were resistant to both cytotoxicity and induction of DNA double-strand breaks, as assessed by pulse field gel electrophoresis. Alkaline elution experiments demonstrated that this resistance coincided with delayed induction of DNA single-strand breaks on parental DNA and, to a lesser extent, on nascent DNA. Following treatment with FdUrd for 24 h, HT29 cells accumulated 904 +/- 273 pmol deoxyuridine triphosphate (dUTP)/10(7) cells, whereas SW620 cells accumulated 20 +/- 7 pmol dUTP. Consistent with this difference in extent of dUTP accumulation was the observation that deoxyuridine triphosphatase levels in SW620 cellular extracts were 4.4-fold higher than in HT29 extracts. The ability to accumulate dUTP, intracellular deoxyuridine triphosphatase activity, and extent of DNA damage appear to be important determinants for predicting the response to FdUrd treatment in these cell lines.

Cell Survival↗
PubMed1993

Nucleosides. 5. Synthesis of guanine and formycin B derivatives as potential inhibitors of purine nucleoside phosphorylase.

In an effort to develop potent human purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) inhibitors as immunosuppressive and chemotherapeutic agents, several 8-aminoguanine derivatives were synthesized and evaluated as potential PNP inhibitors. These studies were designed to investigate the hydrophobic effect of a substituent on the N-9 of the purine heterocycle and/or the C-5' positions. Compounds such as 8-aminoguanosine, guanosine, formycin B, and 8-aminoacyclovir containing a p-(fluorosulfonyl)benzoyl moiety were synthesized. The affinity of these compounds to erythrocytic PNP was determined and none of these compounds showed a better affinity than those of the parent compounds. However, we found that the effect of hydrophobicity at the N-9 and the C-5' positions might play an important role in binding to the active site of PNP. Thus, 8-amino-5'-deoxy-5'-(phenylthio)guanosine (19) was found to be the best inhibitor in this series of compounds with a Ki = 0.45 microM.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1993

Affinity of the antiviral enantiomers of oxathiolane cytosine nucleosides for human 2'-deoxycytidine kinase.

The two enantiomers of 2',3'-dideoxy-3'-thiacytidine (BCH-189) and their 5-fluoro analogs (FTC) were found to be good substrates for human 2'-deoxycytidine kinase with Km values in the 5.7 to 42.1 microM range. The affinity of the (-)-enantiomers was greater than that of the (+)-compounds. These results may explain the greater in vitro antiviral potency against human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis B virus of the (-)-enantiomers when compared to their (+)-counterparts. The (+)- and (-)-enantiomers of FTC and BCH-189 are the first nucleoside analogs for which we have observed lower apparent kinetic constants for this enzyme in the presence of ATP compared to UTP.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1992

Inhibition of adenosine deaminase by azapurine ribonucleosides.

We have synthesized several 8-azapurine nucleosides as inhibitors of adenosine deaminase. The presence of a nitrogen on the imidazole ring decreased the Ki value for nebularine by 100-fold but did not lower the Ki value for coformycin. Evaluation of these compounds in a MOLT-4 growth assay revealed that 2-azacoformycin was as effective as 2'-deoxycoformycin in potentiating growth inhibition by 2'-deoxyadenosine. The azapurine nucleosides merit further study as antitumor agents.

Adenosine Deaminase Inhibitors↗
PubMed1992

Resistance to 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine in human T-lymphoblasts mediated by mutations within the deoxycytidine kinase gene.

We have recently identified a complementary DNA clone which encodes the complete amino acid sequence for 2'-deoxycytidine kinase (dCK), the enzyme required for the initial phosphorylation of several deoxyribonucleosides and their analogues that are widely used as chemotherapeutic and antiviral agents. In order to identify the molecular basis for dCK deficiency in two clonal T-lymphoblast cell lines generated by virtue of their resistance to 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (ara-C-8D) or to 2',3'-dideoxycytidine (ddC50), we have cloned and sequenced their dCK complementary DNAs. The ara-C-8D cell line contained two identifiable mutations: (a) a 115-base pair deletion within the coding region, corresponding to the fifth exon of the gene and presumably resulting from a splice site mutation; and (b) a G to A point mutation that substitutes glutamic acid for glycine within the ATP-binding domain of the protein. Expression of each protein in Escherichia coli demonstrated a complete loss of catalytic activity and, in the case of the deletion, a proteolytic degradation product of the altered protein. The substitution of a negatively charged amino acid within the ATP-binding domain resulted in loss of enzyme activity with all nucleoside triphosphates tested. The ddC50 cell line contained a single identifiable structural gene mutation in all clones sequenced resulting in the substitution of arginine for glutamine at amino acid 156 of the protein. This mutation markedly diminished the catalytic activity of the expressed protein with the three substrates, deoxycytosine, deoxyadenosine, and deoxyguanosine. On the basis of the presence of a single point mutation and a marked reduction in dCK mRNA in this cell line, we postulate that the second allele either is not expressed or is expressed at extremely low levels. We conclude that cellular resistance to the toxicity of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine and dideoxycytidine in these cell lines is mediated by specific mutations within the dCK gene. Further elucidation of structural genes alterations in dCK-deficient cells will facilitate a more detailed understanding of the functional domains of this complex enzyme.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Decrease in TTP pools mediated by 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine exposure in a human glioblastoma cell line.

The antitumor and radiosensitizing properties of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BUdR) appear to be due, in part, to its incorporation into cellular DNA. To optimize conditions for incorporation of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine-5'-monophosphate (BrdUMP) into DNA, we investigated the metabolism of BUdR to its DNA precursor form, the 5'-triphosphate BrdUTP, in the U251 human glioblastoma cell line. The results demonstrated that BrdUTP accumulated rapidly in this cell line, achieving steady-state values within 2 hr of drug addition. The level of BrdUTP accumulation was proportional to the amount of exogenous BUdR up to a concentration of 100 microM, without apparent saturation. Exposure of glioblastoma cells to BUdR was associated with substantial selective decreases in both the cellular dCTP and TTP pools, the extent of which was dependent on the exogenous BUdR concentration. In the absence of exogenous BUdR, BrdUTP was eliminated rapidly from cells with an initial half-life of approximately 15 min. As the cellular BrdUTP level declined, the dCTP and TTP levels increased to control values. Incorporation of BrdUMP into DNA appeared linear with time as long as the cellular BrdUTP level remained constant. This incorporation was not enhanced by the addition of 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine (FUdR), a potent inhibitor of thymidylate synthetase, which at a concentration of 10 nM had no effect on TTP pools in this cell line. Thus, the decrease in cellular TTP pools mediated by BrdUTP allows the halogenated pyrimidine to enhance its own incorporation into DNA.

Antineoplastic Agents↗