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Biomedical subjects

M A Moore

Publications and source records attributed to M A Moore.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

Human herpesvirus-8/Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus is a new transmissible virus that infects B cells.

Herpesviral DNA fragments isolated from AIDS-associated Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) tissue (KSHV-DNA) share homology with two lymphotropic oncogenic gamma-herpesviruses, Epstein-Barr virus and Herpesvirus saimiri, and are present in the lesions of more than 95% of HIV and non-HIV-associated forms of KS, AIDS-related body cavity-based lymphomas, and AIDS-related multicentric Castleman's disease. Here we show that BC-1, a KSHV-DNA-positive, body cavity-based lymphoma cell line, produces infective herpesviral particles carrying a linear 270-kb genome that specifically transmits KSHV-DNA to CD19+ B cells. Transmission of KSHV-DNA is dependent upon a biologically active, replicating virus, since it is blocked by UV irradiation and foscarnet, an inhibitor of viral DNA-polymerase. This study represents the first isolation and transmission of the human herpesvirus-8/KS-associated herpesvirus.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Telomerase activity is repressed during differentiation of maturation-sensitive but not resistant human tumor cell lines.

The effects of induced differentiation on telomerase activity were examined in human acute promyelocytic leukemic (NB4) and human embryonal carcinoma (NTERA-2) cells exposed to all-trans-retinoic acid or hexamethylene bisacetamide. Retinoic acid treatment of NB4 and NTERA-2 cells, and hexamethylene bisacetamide treatment of NTERA-2 cells caused a decline in telomerase activity in differentiation-sensitive but not in resistant clones of these cell lines. Changes in telomerase activity as measured by the PCR-based telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay were noted by 24-72 h of exposure to the inducer, suggesting that its regulation may precede terminal differentiation. The degree of telomerase activity decline was greater in NB4 cells than in NTERA-2 cells, probably reflecting in part a more mature state of NB4 cells after 5 days of exposure to the inducer. Mixing of protein extracts from treated and untreated cells did not suggest the presence of diffusible telomerase inhibitors. Expression of the RNA component of telomerase was also examined in NB4 cells, and its decline correlated with the reduced telomerase activity measured by the telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay during induced differentiation of these tumor cells. Taken together, these findings indicate that telomerase is a regulated enzyme system during induced human tumor cell differentiation, showing an inverse relationship between the degree of differentiation and telomerase activity. These models will be be useful to study the regulation and role of telomerase during induced differentiation of human tumor cells.

Acetamides↗

Shrinkage temperature versus protein extraction as a measure of stabilization of photooxidized tissue.

A rise in thermal denaturation temperature has been utilized as an indication of stabilization of collagen-containing materials such as pericardial tissue and porcine heart-valve leaflets following treatment with glutaraldehyde, Denacol, or other chemical agents. In contrast, stabilization of bovine pericardial tissue by dye-mediated photooxidation does not result in a significant rise in shrinkage temperature comparable with these treated materials. It was therefore hypothesized that a rise in shrinkage temperature is not a necessary indication for tissue stabilization. A sensitive protein extraction assay has been developed which can be used to monitor the stabilization of pericardial tissue by a variety of treatment methods, including photooxidation. A reduction in extractable protein, as analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, is noted for pericardial tissue treated with photooxidation, glutaraldehyde, or Denacol. Loss of extractable protein, as a function of treatment time, correlates well with a significant rise in shrinkage temperature for pericardium treated with glutaraldehyde or Denacol but not with photooxidation. This difference is attributed to the stabilization processes of glutaraldehyde and Denacol, which involve extensive crosslinking and polymer formation within and in addition to the native pericardial matrix, leading to a rise in matrix complexity and thermal stability. In contrast, photooxidation is a catalytic process involving modification and crosslink formation within existing matrix components, resulting in a material with little added matrix complexity.

Animals↗

The effects of Flk-2/flt3 ligand as compared with c-kit ligand on short-term and long-term proliferation of CD34+ hematopoietic progenitors elicited from human fetal liver, umbilical cord blood, bone marrow, and mobilized peripheral blood.

The Flk-2/flt3 ligand (FL) was evaluated and compared with c-kit ligand (KL) for its in vitro proliferative effects on CD34+ cells from human fetal liver, umbilical cord blood, bone marrow, and mobilized peripheral blood. Using a 7-day liquid culture system, FL in combination with interleukin-3 (IL-3), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) was comparable with KL in combination with IL-3, IL-6, and G-CSF for the expansion of hematopoietic progenitors. When FL-containing cultures were assayed after 21 or 28 days, a greater number of progenitors were generated as compared with KL-containing cultures. Using bone marrow microvascular endothelial cells as support stroma, cultures supplemented with FL generated a greater number of progenitors in both the nonadherent and adherent layers at day 35. These data suggest that FL ligand, in combination with other cytokines, can be used for short-term ex vivo expansion of hematopoietic progenitors and facilitates the preservation and possible expansion of primitive cells capable of long-term generation of progenitors.

Antigens, CD34↗

Peripheral blood progenitor cell transplantation: where do we stand? Chairman's Summary of the European School of Oncology Task Force meeting Peripheral Blood progenitor cell's held September 29-30, 1995.

Whether or not peripheral stem cells have an unlimited capacity for self renewal is debated. However, everyday haematopoietic requirements are met by progenitors; and it seems that few "real' stem cells are needed. Although we may not yet have identified these "true' stem cells, for practical purposes the long term culture-initiating cells (LTC-ICs) are a close approximation. To date, experience in peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) transplantation is largely confined to non-ablative regimens. It is therefore difficult to determine the number of PBPCs needed to effect long-term reconstitution. The number of tumour cells present among mobilised PBPCs can be reduced using the CD34 affinity column and by positive purging methods. The ex vivo expansion of CD34 cells also has the effect of diluting tumour cell concentration. In clinical use, PBPC transplantation has a proven role in support of high dose chemotherapy in certain haematological and oncological malignancies but the concept of dose intensification is not universally accepted. With the exception of leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma or relapsed testicular cancer and possibly some subgroups of breast cancer; high dose chemotherapy does not demonstrate a survival benefit. For patients with CML, autografting with Ph- cells appears to become a useful alternative to allogeneic BMT. Allogeneic PBPC transplantation may have potential, though work is preliminary. Cord blood transplantation between matched siblings is viable, but it is not yet clear whether this source will increase the donor pool for adults needing allogeneic transplantation. For gene therapy using haematopoietic cells to be effective, a greatly increased rate of transduction will be needed. Meeting in Paris in September 1995, a European School of Oncology Task Force considered a number of important questions relating to peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) physiology and transplantation. This review is a brief account of their conclusions.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Density enrichment and characterization of hematopoietic progenitors and stem cells from umbilical cord blood.

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is being used for hematopoietic rescue after myeloablative therapy in a rapidly growing number of patients. Recent developments of cord blood banking, ex vivo progenitor expansion and gene therapy techniques have raised the issue of efficient progenitor and stem cell enrichment procedures using UCB. We have used discontinuous density gradient techniques to analyze progenitor distribution in the mononuclear cell fraction of cord blood. This resulted in establishment of a highly reproducible, rapid, cost-effective single-step density separation method that generates a light density fraction, which when compared to conventional mononuclear cells has a high number of clonogenic progenitors, can be extensively expanded in vitro for up to 21 days and has the ability to sustain long-term hematopoiesis when inoculated on a preformed stromal layer. It can also serve as an efficient target for retrovirally mediated gene transfer, utilizing a vector expressing a mutated dihydrofolate reductase gene that confers methotrexate resistance.

Cell Culture Techniques↗

Human bone marrow microvascular endothelial cells support long-term proliferation and differentiation of myeloid and megakaryocytic progenitors.

Endothelial cells are a major component of the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment that regulate the trafficking and homing of hematopoietic progenitor and stem cells. In this paper, we provide evidence that BM endothelial cells (BMECs) also support multilineage hematopoiesis by elaboration of soluble cytokines. Hematopoietic progenitor cells incubated in direct contact with BMEC monolayers, or physically separated by microporous membrane, expanded five-fold to sevenfold at 7 days, in the absence of exogenous cytokines. Flow cytometric analysis of proliferating progenitor cells grown in the presence of BMEC monolayers showed that by day 14 of coculture, 70% to 80% of hematopoietic cells were myeloid, expressing CD15 or CD14, and 14% to 19% were megakaryocytic, expressing GPIIb/IIIa or GPIb. CD34+ cells derived from umbilical cord blood, cultured in the upper chamber of transwell culture plates, as well as the cells grown in direct contact with BMEC monolayers, generated progenitors for up to 70 days. Unstimulated BMEC monolayers constitutively produce interleukin-6, Kit-ligand, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, and granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor. These data suggest that BMEC regulate proliferation of hematopoietic progenitor cells and long-term culture initiating cells by elaboration of lineage-specific cytokines.

Antigens, CD↗

Identification of dendritic cell colony-forming units among normal human CD34+ bone marrow progenitors that are expanded by c-kit-ligand and yield pure dendritic cell colonies in the presence of granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor and tumor necrosis factor alpha.

Several cytokines, especially granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), have been identified that foster the development of dendritic cells from blood and bone marrow precursors in suspension cultures. These precursors are reported to be infrequent or to yield small numbers of dendritic cells in colony-forming assays. Here we readily identify dendritic cell colony-forming units (CFU-DC) that give rise to pure dendritic cell colonies. Human CD34+ bone marrow progenitors were expanded in semi-solid cultures with serum-replete medium containing c-kit-ligand, GM-CSF, and TNF-alpha. The addition of TNF-alpha to GM-CSF did not alter the number of typical GM colonies but did generate pure dendritic cell colonies that accounted for approximately 40% of the total colony growth. When the two distinct types of colonies were plucked from methylcellulose and tested for T cell-stimulatory activity in the mixed leukocyte reaction, the potency of colony-derived dendritic cells exceeded that of CFU-GM progeny from the same cultures by at least 1.5-2 logs. Immunophenotyping and cytochemical staining of the CFU-DC-derived progeny was also characteristic of dendritic cells. Other myeloid cells were not identified in these colonies. The addition of c-kit-ligand to GM-CSF- and TNF-alpha-supplemented suspensions of CD34+ bone marrow cells expanded CFU-DCs almost 100-fold by 14 d. We conclude that normal human CD34+ bone marrow cells include substantial numbers of clonogenic progenitors, distinct from CFU-GMs, that can give rise to pure dendritic cell colonies. These CFU-DCs can be expanded for several weeks by in vitro culture with c-kit-ligand, and their differentiation requires exogenous TNF-alpha in addition to GM-CSF. We speculate that this dendritic cell-committed pathway may in the steady state contribute cells to the epidermis and afferent lymph, where dendritic cells are the principal myeloid cell type, and may increase the numbers of these specialized antigen-presenting cells during T cell-mediated immune responses.

Antigens, CD34↗

Expansion of immunostimulatory dendritic cells among the myeloid progeny of human CD34+ bone marrow precursors cultured with c-kit ligand, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and TNF-alpha.

Human CD34+ bone marrow progenitors cultured in the presence of granulocyte-macrophage CSF (GM-CSF) develop along a myeloid pathway, and the addition of exogenous TNF-alpha leads to the differentiation of dendritic cells among the myeloid progeny. These bone marrow CD34+ -derived dendritic cell that develop during 2-wk culture have the same morphologic, phenotypic, and functional properties that distinguish mature dendritic cells in blood. c-kit ligand does not directly influence dendritic cell differentiation per se, but rather increases the total cell number in synergistic combination with GM-CSF and TNF-alpha. This degree of expansion translates into an effective yield of approximately 1.7 x 10(6) mature dendritic cells per single ml of normal adult human bone marrow, compared with approximately 10(6) dendritic cells usually obtained from 450 to 500 ml of peripheral blood. In addition to dendritic cells that constitute approximately 10 to 15% of the total myeloid progeny, the cultures contain monocytes/macrophages and intermediate granulocytic precursors. Monocytes/macrophages and dendritic cells together comprise all of the class II MHC-positive progeny. Sorted cells bearing the CD14+ HLA-DR+ phenotype of mature monocytes are at least 1.5 to 2 logs less active than CD14- HLA-DR+ dendritic cells as stimulators in the allogeneic MLR, even though both CD14+ and CD14- subpopulations share expression of several costimulatory ligands. The synergistic combination of c-kit ligand, GM-CSF, and TNF-alpha therefore expands substantial numbers of immunostimulatory CD14- HLA-DR+ dendritic cells from defined CD34+ progenitors in human bone marrow. This should facilitate the use of dendritic cells in the manipulation of T cell-mediated immune responses.

Antigens, CD↗

Snake venom toxins, unlike smaller antagonists, appear to stabilize a resting state conformation of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.

Previous studies have shown that the pattern and degree of 3-(trifluoromethyl)-3-(m-[125I]iodophenyl)diazirine ([125I]TID) photoincorporation into the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) can be used as a sensitive measure of nAChR conformation. Upon desensitization by prolonged exposure to agonists, certain drugs and detergents, or reconstitution into desensitizing lipids, the levels of [125I]TID incorporation into the subunits of the nAChR are dramatically reduced. In this study, we characterized the effects of the snake venom proteins alpha-bungarotoxin and alpha-cobrotoxin, as well as the smaller antagonists tubocurarine and gallamine, on [125I]TID incorporation into the subunits of both partially-purified nAChR in native lipids, or affinity-purified nAChR reconstituted into different combinations of lipids. Unlike all other compounds previously tested, alpha-bungarotoxin and alpha-cobrotoxin reproducibly increased the level of [125I]TID incorporation into all four subunits of nAChR reconstituted into dioleoylphosphatidylcholine, dioleoylphosphatidic acid and cholesterol. Gallamine had little or no effect on [125I]TID incorporation at any concentration tested (0.1 microM-5 mM). Tubocurarine had no effect on [125I]TID incorporation at low concentrations, but at higher concentrations reduced the level of [125I]TID labeling. The snake venom proteins may shift the population of nAChR, which exists as a mixture of resting state and desensitized conformations, entirely to the resting state. However, the binding of the snake venom toxins does not appear sufficient to induce the resting state conformation in nAChR which have been desensitized by other means, such as solubilization in desensitizing detergents or reconstitution in densitizing lipids.

Affinity Labels↗

Ex vivo expansion and selection of human CD34+ peripheral blood progenitor cells after introduction of a mutated dihydrofolate reductase cDNA via retroviral gene transfer.

Retroviral gene transfer into human myeloid precursor cells allows introduction of marker genes as well as genes conferring resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs. We transduced a human mutant dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) cDNA into CD34 antigen-positive peripheral blood cells from patients with breast or ovarian cancer obtained after treatment with chemotherapy and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). This mutant DHFR has been shown to confer resistance to methotrexate (MTX) in murine bone marrow. We established a transduction protocol that permitted ex vivo expansion and selection of transduced early progenitor cells. The number of progenitor cells from transduced CD34-positive cells increased 50-fold after cytokine prestimulation with interleukin-1 (IL-1), c-kit ligand (KL; stem cell factor), and IL-3 and 2 weeks in liquid culture. Transduced colony-forming unit-granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM), assayed directly after the transduction procedure, were protected completely against 2 x 10(-8) mol/L MTX, a concentration that significantly reduced the CFU-GM detected in the control population. Gene transfer of the mutant DHFR led to a twofold selective advantage for a pre-CFU population after exposure to MTX in liquid culture (P < .001). Polybrene, in contrast with protamine, significantly inhibited the expansion of progenitors. The presence of proviral DNA was monitored by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and was detected in greater than 80% of CFU-GM and ex vivo expanded pre-CFU. We have demonstrated that human hematopoietic precursor cells can be expanded extensively after retroviral gene transfer. The same population of early progenitors can be selected ex vivo with low-dose MTX. As long-term expression of transduced genes in human hematopoietic cells remains a problem in vivo, these results may have implications for future clinical trials, especially for the introduction of nonselectable genes.

Antigens, CD↗

Characterization of structural sequences in the chicken osteocalcin gene: expression of osteocalcin by maturing osteoblasts and by hypertrophic chondrocytes in vitro.

Osteocalcin is one of the major noncollagenous proteins specific to mineralized connective tissues of vertebrates. A cDNA clone encoding the chicken osteocalcin gene was isolated, and the complete coding sequence for the 97-amino-acid pre-pro-osteocalcin was deduced. The 48-amino-acid pre-pro-peptide contains the expected hydrophobic leader sequence and the dibasic Lys-Arg sequence preceding the NH2-terminal His of the mature 49-amino-acid chicken osteocalcin, which is believed to be necessary for pro-peptide cleavage. The pro-peptide sequence also contains the expected motif of polar and hydrophobic residues, including Phe at -16, which targets vitamin K-dependent gamma-carboxylation of the three specific Glu residues at positions 17, 21, and 24 in the mature protein. Northern blots of total RNA were prepared from embryonic and adult chicken tissues (bone, brain, heart, intestine, kidney, muscle) and probed with chicken osteocalcin cDNA. The appearance of a single 0.5 kb mRNA species confirms that bone is the major site of osteocalcin expression in vivo. In primary osteoblasts isolated from 17-day embryonic chicken calvaria, an osteocalcin mRNA of similar size is expressed concurrently with culture mineralization in vitro. Hypertrophic chondrocytes from 12-day ventral vertebrae and from the cephalic half of 17-day caudal sternae also express osteocalcin mRNA, but nonhypertrophic chondrocytes from the caudal half of 17-day sternae do not express osteocalcin mRNA.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Characterization of an avian bone sialoprotein (BSP) cDNA: comparisons to mammalian BSP and identification of conserved structural domains.

Bone sialoprotein (BSP) is one of the major noncollagenous proteins found in mineralized vertebrate tissue. It is an acidic glycoprotein containing a high sialic acid content and is phosphorylated on several of its Ser and Thr residues. While it has been extensively characterized from various mammalian species, little is known about its sequence or expression in lower vertebrates. The cloning and characterization of several cDNAs encoding the chicken bone sialoprotein are reported here. A partial cDNA clone encoding the carboxyl terminus of the protein was initially isolated from a lambda GT11 expression library using a polyclonal antibody gains BSP purified from chicken bone matrix. Subsequently, several additional clones were obtained by further screening and by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Three overlapping clones encompassing about 1 kb, which included the complete coding sequence for BSP, were analyzed. The deduced amino acid sequence revealed that chicken BSP contains 276 amino acid residues. Although the overall identity between chicken and mammalian BSP is only approximately 39%, the diversity in amino acid sequence occurs mostly between the major functional domains of this molecule. These domains include: (1) three acidic poly-Glu regions; (2) two tyrosine-rich domains, which may be sites for protein sulfation; (3) several casein kinase II phosphorylation sites; (4) an Asn glycosylation site; and (5) an RGD cell-binding motif. Of interest in the chicken BSP is the identification of two additional RGD motifs within the avian sequence, unlike the mammalian forms of BSP which has only one.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Chimeric anti-TNF-alpha monoclonal antibody cA2 binds recombinant transmembrane TNF-alpha and activates immune effector functions.

Results of clinical trials have indicated that cA2, a neutralizing mouse/human IgG1 chimeric anti-human TNF-alpha monoclonal antibody, may have therapeutic benefit for rheumatoid arthritis patients. Arthritic joints contain, in addition to elevated levels of soluble TNF-alpha, high numbers of CD4+ T cells and macrophages, cells known to express transmembrane TNF-alpha upon activation. For that reason, we sought to determine if cA2 binds to transmembrane TNF-alpha and what effects such binding may have on TNF-alpha-expressing cells. A cell line expressing a cell-surface, mutant form of transmembrane TNF-alpha was prepared for these studies. Analysis of these TNF+ cells by flow cytometry, direct binding, and competitive binding assays showed that cA2 binds to the transmembrane form of TNF-alpha with high avidity. Binding of the IgG1 isotype of cA2, but not an IgG4 version of cA2, resulted in efficient killing of the TNF+ cells by both antibody-dependent cellular toxicity and complement-dependent cytotoxicity effector mechanisms. These findings indicate that, in addition to blocking soluble TNF-alpha activity, cA2 can bind to transmembrane TNF-alpha in vitro and suggest that cA2 binding may lead to lysis of TNF-alpha-expressing cells in vivo.

Animals↗

Progenitor recruitment and in vitro expansion of immunostimulatory dendritic cells from human CD34+ bone marrow cells by c-kit-ligand, GM-CSF, and TNF alpha.

Several cytokines have been identified that support the development of dendritic cells from murine and human precursor populations, most notably GM-CSF, TNF alpha, and IL-4. We have been interested in human bone marrow as a source of defined CD34+ progenitors to generate large numbers of autologous dendritic cells for use as adjuvants in immune based therapy. In serum-replete conditions with c-kit-ligand, GM-CSF, and TNF alpha, dendritic cells constitute approximately 10-15% of the myeloid progeny (equivalent to approximately 1.7 x 10(6) dendritic cells per single ml of starting bone marrow); and they develop together with granulocytic intermediates and monocytes in the same cultures. CD14- dendritic cells share expression of class II MHC and costimulatory ligands with CD14+ monocyte progeny, but only the CD14- HLA-DR+ dendritic cells are highly stimulatory of resting unprimed T cells. We have further identified a novel colony that develops in the presence of GM-CSF and TNF alpha alongside typical CFU-GM, which is comprised of dendritic cells mixed with < or = 15% monocytes (CFU-DC/mono). c-kit-ligand recruits and expands early progenitors responsive to the dendritic cell-differentiating effects of GM-CSF and TNF alpha, effecting a 100- to 1000-fold greater expansion of CFU-DC/mono by 14d and 21d respectively than does the combination of GM-CSF and TNF alpha without c-kit-ligand.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Antigens, CD34↗

New routes in pediatric sedation: a research-based protocol for intranasal midazolam.

The quality assurance and improvement committee on a general pediatric unit identified a problem with sedation for neuroradiologic studies. Twenty-three percent of children (n = 63) failed to sedate with one dose of chloral hydrate, resulting in delays or cancellations. For children receiving a second dose of chloral hydrate, average time to study completion was 97 minutes, and 70 percent of the children (n = 10) were successfully sedated. A protocol was developed for the use of intranasal midazolam as the follow-up agent. Evaluation on a pilot unit revealed that the average time to test completion decreased to 55 minutes and that the success rate was 82 percent (n = 11). The nursing staff prefer the use of intranasal midazolam as the follow-up agent because of its quicker sedation and decreased duration of action.

Administration, Intranasal↗