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Combination immunotherapy of primary prostate cancer in a transgenic mouse model using CTLA-4 blockade.

We have previously shown that antibodies to CTLA-4, an inhibitory receptor on T cells, can be effective at inducing regression of transplantable murine tumors. In this study, we demonstrate that an effective immune response against primary prostate tumors in transgenic (TRAMP) mice can be elicited using a strategy that combines CTLA-4 blockade and an irradiated tumor cell vaccine. Treatment of TRAMP mice at 14 weeks of age resulted in a significant reduction in tumor incidence (15% versus control, 75%), as assessed 2 months after treatment. Histopathological analysis revealed that treated mice had a lower tumor grade with significant accumulation of inflammatory cells in interductal spaces when treated with anti-CTLA-4 and a granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor-expressing vaccine. Vaccination of nontransgenic mice with this regimen resulted in marked prostatitis accompanied by destruction of epithelium, indicating that the immune response was, at least in part, directed against normal prostate antigens. These findings demonstrate that this combinatorial treatment can elicit a potent antiprostate response and suggest potential of this approach for treatment of prostate cancer.

Abatacept↗

Prophylactic DNA vaccine for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection: HCV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte induction and protection from HCV-recombinant vaccinia infection in an HLA-A2.1 transgenic mouse model.

DNA vaccines express antigens intracellularly and effectively induce cellular immune responses. Because only chimpanzees can be used to model human hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections, we developed a small-animal model using HLA-A2.1-transgenic mice to test induction of HLA-A2.1-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and protection against recombinant vaccinia expressing HCV-core. A plasmid encoding the HCV-core antigen induced CD8(+) CTLs specific for three conserved endogenously expressed core peptides presented by human HLA-A2.1. When challenged, DNA-immunized mice showed a substantial (5-12 log(10)) reduction in vaccinia virus titer compared with mock-immunized controls. This protection, lasting at least 14 mo, was shown to be mediated by CD8(+) cells. Thus, a DNA vaccine expressing HCV-core is a potential candidate for a prophylactic vaccine for HLA-A2.1(+) humans.

Animals↗

Response of the 5'-flanking region of the human 25-hydroxyvitamin D 1alpha-hydroxylase gene to physiological stimuli using a transgenic mouse model.

The enzyme 25-hydroxyvitamin D 1alpha-hydroxylase, or CYP27B1, is the key enzyme in the two-step activation process of vitamin D to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25D). While a number of regulators of the renal CYP27B1 enzyme activity have been recognized for some years, their underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown, and the DNA regions involved in the in vivo regulation of gene expression by these factors have not been delineated. We have generated a transgenic mouse line that expresses 1501 bp of 5' flanking region together with 44 bp of 5' untranslated region of the human CYP27B1 gene fused to the firefly luciferase reporter gene. Animals expressing the luciferase gene demonstrated that both luciferase protein and mRNA for CYP27B1 were localized to proximal convoluted tubule cells of the kidney. In 2-week-old animals, the expression of the transgene and the endogenous CYP27B1 mRNA levels in the kidney were highest and fell with increasing age. Both reporter gene expression and CYP27B1 mRNA levels were downregulated in response to increasing amounts of dietary calcium in a dose-dependent manner. Vitamin D deficiency resulted in an increase in both the reporter gene and CYP27B1 expression. Interestingly, the increase in CYP27B1 mRNA levels was substantially higher than the increase in reporter gene expression, suggesting either that there is a post-transcriptional mechanism that increases the amount of CYP27B1 mRNA or that other regulatory elements are required to maximize the effect of vitamin D deficiency. These findings demonstrate that the 1501 bp 5' flanking region of the CYP27B1 gene directs expression to the proximal convoluted tubules of the kidney and is responsible for increasing transcriptional activity when dietary calcium and vitamin D levels are depleted. It also responds in the kidney to the physiological regulators of development and ageing.

25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 1-alpha-Hydroxylase↗

Overexpression of wild-type heat shock protein 27 and a nonphosphorylatable heat shock protein 27 mutant protects against ischemia/reperfusion injury in a transgenic mouse model.

BACKGROUND: The small heat shock protein 27 (hsp27) increases in expression with ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) insult in the heart. One feature of the small hsps is their ability to oligomerize and form intracellular aggregates. Oligomerization pattern is governed by the phosphorylation state of the protein that may influence their ability to protect against cellular stresses. METHODS AND RESULTS: We generated transgenic (tg) mice that overexpress a wild-type human hsp27 (hsp27tg) protein or a mutant hsp27 protein (mut-hsp27tg), in which serine residues (aa15, aa78, and aa82) were replaced by alanine residues, rendering them incapable of phosphorylation. Using a Langendorff perfusion model and an intraventricular balloon, we subjected hearts to 20 minutes of ischemia followed by 1 hour of reperfusion. During reperfusion, negative and positive pressure derivatives as well as developed pressures were significantly higher in both hsp27tg and mut-hsp27tg compared with control (P<0.01) mice, with no significant difference between hsp27tg and mut-hsp27tg. Creatine kinase release during reperfusion was higher in control compared with both hsp27tg and mut-hsp27tg (P<0.05). Malondialdehyde content as well as protein oxidation products were lower in mut-hsp27tg compared with control (P<0.05). hsp27tg hearts possessed oligomers that ranged in size from small to large, whereas mut-hsp27tg hearts contained no small oligomers. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that in a tg mouse model, overexpression of either wild-type hsp27 or a nonphosphorylatable hsp27 mutant was equally capable of protecting the heart from I/R injury. Furthermore, the phosphorylation status of hsp27 may influence its ability to decrease oxidative stress.

Amino Acid Substitution↗

Antitumor activity of rapamycin in a transgenic mouse model of ErbB2-dependent human breast cancer.

The ErbB2 (Neu) receptor tyrosine kinase is frequently overexpressed in human breast cancers, and this phenotype correlates with a poor clinical prognosis. We examined the effects of the mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor, rapamycin, on mammary tumorigenesis in transgenic mice bearing an activated ErbB2 (NeuYD) transgene in the absence or presence of a second transgene encoding vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Treatment of NeuYD or NeuYD x VEGF mice with rapamycin dramatically inhibited tumor growth accompanied by a marked decrease in tumor vascularization. Two key events that may underlie the antitumor activity of rapamycin were decreased expression of ErbB3 and inhibition of hypoxia-inducible factor-1-dependent responses to hypoxic stress. Rapamycin exposure caused only a modest inhibition of the proliferation of tumor-derived cell lines in standard monolayer cultures, but dramatically inhibited the growth of the same cells in three-dimensional cultures, due in part to the induction of apoptotic cell death. These studies underscore the therapeutic potential of mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors in ErbB2-positive breast cancers and indicate that, relative to monolayer cultures, three-dimensional cell cultures are more predictive in vitro models for studies of the antitumor mechanisms of rapamycin and related compounds.

Animals↗

Aberrant expression and regulation of hepatic epidermal growth factor receptor in a c-myc transgenic mouse model.

In an attempt to elucidate the mechanism by which c-myc and transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) cooperate in hepatocyte tumor development, we have analyzed signaling by the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor and the consequent regulation of receptor number in transgenic mice bearing the c-myc transgene under the control of the albumin enhancer/promoter. 125I-EGF binding and Scatchard analysis indicated a single class of high affinity receptors with the total number of binding sites of 1.2 X 10(4) +/- 600 and 2.5 X 10(5) +/- 1000 sites/cell in the normal and c-myc hepatocytes in primary culture, respectively. After 72 h of EGF exposure in culture, the number of detectable EGF receptors on the cell surface of the c-myc hepatocytes was not reduced, whereas the number of EGF receptors on normal hepatocytes was reduced to 32% that of untreated hepatocytes. Nuclear run-on experiments done with nuclei isolated from intact livers demonstrated that transcription of the EGF receptor was 4.9-fold higher in c-myc mice. Increased levels of the transcriptional factor SP1 in the c-myc hepatocytes in vivo and in primary culture, suggest a mechanism for the increased transcription of the EGF receptor. c-myc also increases the expression of TGF-alpha; a consequent increase in tyrosine phosphorylation is also detected in vivo. Thus, the increased number of EGF receptors in c-myc expressing hepatocytes, even after prolonged exposure to EGF, or TGF-alpha in vivo, may allow greater triggering of the EGF receptor signaling cascade.

Animals↗

Chronic xanthine oxidase inhibition prevents myofibrillar protein oxidation and preserves cardiac function in a transgenic mouse model of cardiomyopathy.

Heart failure is a clinical syndrome associated with elevated levels of oxygen-derived free radicals. Xanthine oxidase activity is believed to be one source of reactive oxygen species in the failing heart. Interventions designed to reduce oxidative stress are believed to have significant therapeutic potential in heart failure. This study tested the hypothesis that xanthine oxidase activity would be elevated in a mouse model of dilated cardiomyopathy and evaluated the effect of chronic oral allopurinol, an inhibitor of xanthine oxidase, on contractility and progressive ventricular dilation in these mice. Nontransgenic and transgenic mice containing a troponin I truncation were treated with oral allopurinol from 2-4 mo of age. Myocardial xanthine oxidase activity was threefold higher in untreated transgenic mice compared with nontransgenic mice. Analyses of myofilament proteins for modification of carbonyl groups demonstrated myofibrillar protein damage in untreated transgenic mice. Treatment with allopurinol for 2 mo suppressed xanthine oxidase activity and myofibrillar protein oxidation. Allopurinol treatment also alleviated ventricular dilation and preserved shortening fraction in the transgenic animals. In addition, cardiac muscle twitch tension was preserved to 70% of nontransgenic levels in allopurinol-treated transgenic mice, a significant improvement over untreated transgenic mice. These findings indicate that chronic inhibition of xanthine oxidase can alter the progression of heart failure in dilated cardiomyopathy.

Actin Cytoskeleton↗

A novel transgenic mouse model for immunological evaluation of carcinoembryonic antigen-based DNA minigene vaccines.

A lack of relevant animal models has hampered preclinical screening and critical evaluation of the efficacy of human vaccines in vivo. Carcinoembryonic antigen-A2Kb (CEA-A2Kb) double transgenic mice provide a biologically relevant model for preclinical screening and critical evaluation of human CEA vaccine efficacy in vivo, particularly because such animals are peripherally tolerant of CEA. We established the utility of this model by demonstrating that an oral DNA minigene vaccine induces effective HLA-A2-restricted, CEA-specific antitumor CTL responses. This finding is supported by three lines of evidence: (a). an effective HLA-A2-restricted, CEA(691)-specific CTL response; (b). specific in vitro killing of CEA-A2Kb transduced MC-38 colon carcinoma cells; and (c). protective immunity induced in vaccinated mice against challenges of these tumor cells. Importantly, peripheral T cell tolerance against CEA in CEA-A2Kb double transgenic mice was broken by the CEA(691) (IMIGVLVGV) minigene vaccine. In conclusion, CEA-A2Kb double transgenic mice were demonstrated to be good candidates for in vivo testing of human CEA-based vaccines. This result suggests a potential for these vaccines in future human vaccine development. The feasibility of using nonmutated self-antigens as targets for therapeutic vaccinations was indicated, provided that such antigens are presented in an immunogenic context; that is, as a DNA minigene in a bacterial carrier system.

Animals↗

Transgenic mouse model of stunned myocardium.

Stunned myocardium is a syndrome of reversible contractile failure that frequently complicates coronary artery disease. Cardiac excitation is uncoupled from contraction at the level of the myofilaments. Selective proteolysis of the thin filament protein troponin I has been correlated with stunned myocardium. Here, transgenic mice expressing the major degradation product of troponin I (TnI1-193) in the heart were found to develop ventricular dilatation, diminished contractility, and reduced myofilament calcium responsiveness, recapitulating the phenotype of stunned myocardium. Proteolysis of troponin I also occurs in ischemic human cardiac muscle. Thus, troponin I proteolysis underlies the pathogenesis of a common acquired form of heart failure.

Actin Cytoskeleton↗

Integrative role of cPLA with COX-2 and the effect of non-steriodal anti-inflammatory drugs in a transgenic mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is a key molecule in the inflammatory pathway in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Cytosolic phospholipase A (cPLA2) is an important enzyme providing substrate for cyclooxygenases. We therefore examined cPLA2 expression in human ALS and mutant Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) transgenic mice and its relation to COX-2. Immunohistochemistry and real-time RT-PCR revealed elevated cPLA2 protein and its mRNA levels in the lumbar spinal cord of mutant SOD1 mice. COX-2 immunoreactivity was increased in lumbar spinal cord sections from both familial ALS (FALS) and sporadic ALS (SALS) as compared to controls, and cPLA2 immunoreactivity was increased in a patient with FALS. Oral administration of the non-selective cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitor, sulindac, extended the survival (by 10%) of G93A SOD1 mice as compared to littermate controls. Sulindac, as well as the selective COX-2 inhibitors, rofecoxib and celecoxib reduced cPLA2 immunoreactivity in the lumbar spinal cord of G93A transgenic mice. Sulindac treatment preserved motor neurons, and reduced microglial activation and astrocytosis, in the spinal cord of G93A SOD1 transgenic mice. These results suggest that cPLA2 plays an important role in supplying arachidonic acid to the COX-2 driven inflammatory pathway in ALS associated with SOD1 mutations.

Adult↗

A transgenic mouse model for human neurofibromatosis.

Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) has been associated with the neurologic disorder tropical spastic paraparesis and possibly with multiple sclerosis. The tat gene of HTLV-1 under control of its own long terminal repeat is capable of inducing tumors in transgenic mice. The morphologic and biologic properties of these tumors indicate their close resemblance to human neurofibromatosis (von Recklinghausen's disease), the most common single gene disorder to affect the nervous system. The high spontaneous incidence of this disease, together with the diverse clinical and pathologic features associated with it, suggests that environmental factors may account for some of the observed cases. Multiple tumors developed simultaneously in the transgenic tat mice at approximately 3 months of age, and the phenotype was successfully passed through three generations. The tumors arise from the nerve sheaths of peripheral nerves and are composed of perineural cells and fibroblasts. Tumor cells from these mice adapt easily to propagation in culture and continue to express the tat protein in significant amounts. When transplanted into nude mice, these cultured cells efficiently induce tumors. Evidence of HTLV-1 infection in patients with neural and other soft tissue tumors is needed in order to establish a link between infection by this human retrovirus and von Recklinghausen's disease and other nonlymphoid tumors.

Animals↗