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Influence of variable N-glycosylation on the cytolytic potential of chimeric CD19 antibodies.

To investigate the influence of N-linked oligosaccharides at asparagines-297 on the cytolytic potential of chimeric CD19 antibodies, three distinct variants were generated by production in different expression systems. The same chimeric CD19 antibody was produced in Sf21 insect cells, human 293 T cells, and 293 T cells expressing a co-transfected beta1,4-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III (GnTIII). The N-glycan structures and the cytolytic potential of the antibodies produced in these three systems were directly compared. After expression in insect cells, the antibody carried paucimannosidic N-linked oligosaccharides, distinct from the complex biantennary carbohydrate moieties attached to the product from human cells. After co-expression with GnTIII in human cells, the antibody carried an eightfold greater percentage of oligosaccharides with a bisecting N-acetylglucosamine (78.7% versus 9.6%) and a 30-fold increased proportion of bisecting, defucosylated oligosaccharides (15.9% versus 0.5%). The insect cell product triggered stronger antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) of a human leukemia-derived cell line than the product from non-re-engineered 293 T cells and was equally effective at 50- to 100-fold lower concentrations. The antibody from glyco-engineered 293 T cells had comparable lytic activity as the insect cell product. Both mediated significant ADCC at lower effector-to-target cell ratios than the antibody from non-re-engineered 293 T cells, and both were highly effective against primary blasts from pediatric leukemia patients. The data demonstrate the influence of the N-glycosylation pattern on the ADCC activity of chimeric CD19 antibodies and point to the importance of suitable expression systems for the production of highly active therapeutic antibodies.

Animals↗

Design of a perfusion bioreactor specific to the regeneration of vascular tissues under mechanical stresses.

The objective of this work was to design a bioreactor to stimulate the three-dimensional regeneration of arterial tissue on a cylindrical scaffold with a methodological approach. Once seeded, the scaffold is perfused internally and the externally with culture medium with two independent perfusion systems at different flow rates. The horizontal position and the rotation of the construct ensure the uniformity of the arterial growth and of the endothelial cell spreading. During cell culture, the parameters, such as internal flow and stretching of the vessel, can evolve gradually from the fetal stage to the adult stage. The bioreactor will also be useful for investigating the influence of mechanical stresses and strains on the properties of mature arteries (rigidity, burst strength, adhesion of endothelial cells, etc.).

Arteries↗

Infectious disease issues in xenotransplantation.

Xenotransplantation, the transplantation of living organs, tissues, or cells from one species to another, is viewed as a potential solution to the existing shortage of human organs for transplantation. While whole-organ xenotransplantation is still in the preclinical stage, cellular xenotransplantation and extracorporeal perfusion applications are showing promise in early clinical trials. Advances in immunosuppressive therapy, gene engineering, and cloning of animals bring a broader array of xenotransplantation protocols closer to clinical trials. Despite several potential advantages over allotransplantation, xenotransplantation encompasses a number of problems. Immunologic rejection remains the primary hindrance. The potential to introduce infections across species barriers, another major concern, is the main focus of this review. Nonhuman primates are unlikely to be a main source for xenotransplantation products despite their phylogenetic proximity to humans. Genetically engineered pigs, bred under special conditions, are currently envisaged as the major source. Thus far, there has been no evidence for human infections caused by pig xenotransplantation products. However, the existence of xenotropic endogenous retroviruses and the clinical evidence of long-lasting porcine cell microchimerism indicate the potential for xenogeneic infections. Thus, further trials should continue under regulatory oversight, with close clinical and laboratory monitoring for potential xenogeneic infections.

Animals↗

The double-stranded RNA binding protein 76:NF45 heterodimer inhibits translation initiation at the rhinovirus type 2 internal ribosome entry site.

Poliovirus (PV) plus-strand RNA genomes initiate translation in a cap-independent manner via an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) in their 5' untranslated region. Viral translation is codetermined by cellular IRES trans-acting factors, which can influence viral propagation in a cell-type-specific manner. Engineering of a poliovirus recombinant devoid of neuropathogenic properties but highly lytic in malignant glioma cells was accomplished by exchange of the cognate poliovirus IRES with its counterpart from human rhinovirus type 2 (HRV2), generating PV-RIPO. Neuroblast:glioma heterokaryon analyses revealed that loss of neurovirulence is due to trans-dominant repression of PV-RIPO propagation in neuronal cells. The double-stranded RNA binding protein 76 (DRBP76) was previously identified to bind to the HRV2 IRES in neuronal cells and to inhibit PV-RIPO translation and propagation (M. Merrill, E. Dobrikova, and M. Gromeier, J. Virol. 80:3347-3356, 2006). The results of size exclusion chromatography indicate that DRBP76 heterodimerizes with nuclear factor of activated T cells, 45 kDa (NF45), in neuronal but not in glioma cells. The DRBP76:NF45 heterodimer binds to the HRV2 IRES in neuronal but not in glioma cells. Ribosomal profile analyses show that the heterodimer preferentially associates with the translation apparatus in neuronal cells and arrests translation at the HRV2 IRES, preventing PV-RIPO RNA assembly into polysomes. Results of this study suggest that the DRBP76:NF45 heterodimer selectively blocks HRV2 IRES-driven translation initiation in neuron-derived cells.

5' Untranslated Regions↗

Molecular biology of pituitary development and disease.

The major endocrine cell types of the anterior and intermediate pituitary arise in sequential order during development. Our laboratory seeks to understand the molecular basis for different lineages among these cell types. Previous data from our group and others have shown that the POU-domain factor, Pit-1, and the orphan nuclear receptor, SF-1, are critical in the specification and maintenance of these cell types. The analysis of naturally occurring mutations revealed that Pit-1 is needed for development of three cell types, the thyrotropes (thyroid-stimulating hormone), somatotropes (growth hormone), and lactotropes (prolactin). Recently, a genetically engineered mouse mutant demonstrated that SF-1 is required for the maintenance of the gonadotrope (luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone) cellular phenotype. To date, a similar factor for the corticotrope and melanotrope lineages expressing propiomelanocortin (POMC) has not been identified. Surprisingly, the serotonin (5-HT) neurotransmitter receptor 5-HT3 was found to be expressed in the anterior and intermediate lobes of the developing rodent pituitary. We are using this new marker to examine the molecular basis of the POMC lineages.

Animals↗

A cancer-specific transcriptional signature in human neoplasia.

The molecular anatomy of cancer cells is being explored through unbiased approaches aimed at the identification of cancer-specific transcriptional signatures. An alternative biased approach is exploitation of molecular tools capable of inducing cellular transformation. Transcriptional signatures thus identified can be readily validated in real cancers and more easily reverse-engineered into signaling pathways, given preexisting molecular knowledge. We exploited the ability of the adenovirus early region 1 A protein (E1A) oncogene to force the reentry into the cell cycle of terminally differentiated cells in order to identify and characterize genes whose expression is upregulated in this process. A subset of these genes was activated through a retinoblastoma protein/E2 viral promoter required factor-independent (pRb/E2F-independent) mechanism and was overexpressed in a fraction of human cancers. Furthermore, this overexpression correlated with tumor progression in colon cancer, and 2 of these genes predicted unfavorable prognosis in breast cancer. A proof of principle biological validation was performed on one of the genes of the signature, skeletal muscle cell reentry-induced (SKIN) gene, a previously undescribed gene. SKIN was found overexpressed in some primary tumors and tumor cell lines and was amplified in a fraction of colon adenocarcinomas. Furthermore, knockdown of SKIN caused selective growth suppression in overexpressing tumor cell lines but not in tumor lines expressing physiological levels of the transcript. Thus, SKIN is a candidate oncogene in human cancer.

Adenovirus E1A Proteins↗

The nature of antioxidant defense mechanisms: a lesson from transgenic studies.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of many clinical disorders such as adult respiratory distress syndrome, ischemia-reperfusion injury, atherosclerosis, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. Genetically engineered animal models have been used as a tool for understanding the function of various antioxidant enzymes in cellular defense mechanisms against various types of oxidant tissue injury. Transgenic mice overexpressing three isoforms of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and the cellular glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx-1) in various tissues show an increased tolerance to ischemia-reperfusion heart and brain injury, hyperoxia, cold-induced brain edema, adriamycin, and paraquat toxicity. These results have provided for the first time direct evidence demonstrating the importance of each of these antioxidant enzymes in protecting the animals against the injury resulting from these insults, as well as the effect of an enhanced level of antioxidant in ameliorating the oxidant tissue injury. To evaluate further the nature of these enzymes in antioxidant defense, gene knockout mice deficient in copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) and GSHPx-1 have also been generated in our laboratory. These mice developed normally and showed no marked pathologic changes under normal physiologic conditions. In addition, a deficiency in these genes had no effects on animal survival under hyperoxida. However, these knockout mice exhibited a pronounced susceptibility to paraquat toxicity and myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. Furthermore, female mice lacking CuZnSOD also displayed a marked increase in postimplantation embryonic lethality. These animals should provide a useful model for uncovering the identity of ROS that participate in the pathogenesis of various clinical disorders and for defining the role of each antioxidant enzyme in cellular defense against oxidant-mediated tissue injury.

Animals↗

Envelope exchange for the generation of live-attenuated arenavirus vaccines.

Arenaviruses such as Lassa fever virus cause significant mortality in endemic areas and represent potential bioterrorist weapons. The occurrence of arenaviral hemorrhagic fevers is largely confined to Third World countries with a limited medical infrastructure, and therefore live-attenuated vaccines have long been sought as a method of choice for prevention. Yet their rational design and engineering have been thwarted by technical limitations. In addition, viral genes had not been identified that are needed to cause disease but can be deleted or substituted to generate live-attenuated vaccine strains. Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, the prototype arenavirus, induces cell-mediated immunity against Lassa fever virus, but its safety for humans is unclear and untested. Using this virus model, we have developed the necessary methodology to efficiently modify arenavirus genomes and have exploited these techniques to identify an arenaviral Achilles' heel suitable for targeting in vaccine design. Reverse genetic exchange of the viral glycoprotein for foreign glycoproteins created attenuated vaccine strains that remained viable although unable to cause disease in infected mice. This phenotype remained stable even after extensive propagation in immunodeficient hosts. Nevertheless, the engineered viruses induced T cell-mediated immunity protecting against overwhelming systemic infection and severe liver disease upon wild-type virus challenge. Protection was established within 3 to 7 d after immunization and lasted for approximately 300 d. The identification of an arenaviral Achilles' heel demonstrates that the reverse genetic engineering of live-attenuated arenavirus vaccines is feasible. Moreover, our findings offer lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus or other arenaviruses expressing foreign glycoproteins as promising live-attenuated arenavirus vaccine candidates.

Animals↗

Acute renal failure: prevailing challenges and prospects for the future.

The increasing understanding of the molecular and cellular basis of acute renal failure and the development of cell culture methodology to grow differentiated cells in engineered structures provide substantial promise for new therapeutic derivatives to treat patients with acute renal failure (Table 3). The use of disintegrins to ameliorate intratubular obstruction, the administration of ANF to improve glomerular filtration, or the injection of growth factors to speed re-epithelialization may prove effective in altering the natural history of this severe clinical disorder. Furthermore, the development of cell therapy with a renal tubule replacement device may add critical renal functional components not currently substituted with dialysis or hemofiltration. The potential therapeutic advances which may occur as we enter the next century to treat this devastating clinical disease process have substantial promise.

Acute Kidney Injury↗

A CRISPR-Cas9 Toolkit Enabling Tunable Integration and Transient Homologous Recombination Enhancement in Yarrowia lipolytica.

Although the oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica is a promising microbial cell factory, its application remains constrained by inefficient homology-directed repair (HDR) and a lack of precise genomic integration tools. To address these limitations, we developed a comprehensive genetic toolkit featuring three synergistic advancements. First, we systematically identified 55 neutral integration sites with tunable expression profiles, enabling stable, position-independent gene integration with predictable transcriptional output across a 12.88-fold dynamic range. Second, we established a dual-readout high-throughput screening platform combining colony morphology analysis with hrGFP fluorescence. This approach accurately measures locus-specific homologous recombination (HR) efficiency while eliminating false positives by dominant non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). Third, we engineered a transient HR enhancement system by fusing the Sae2 exonuclease to Cas9 via a flexible (GGGGS)3 linker. This fusion significantly boosts HR efficiency and surpasses the cleavage activity of unmodified Cas9 without introducing permanent genomic modifications or compromising cellular fitness. Finally, HR efficiency for single-gene integration was increased from 46.5% to 77.5% while the dual-locus editing efficiency reached 64.1% when using 500-bp homology arms, and the engineered strains demonstrated improved genetic stability compared to those with constitutive HR enhancement.

Yarrowia↗

Use of a rotating bioreactor toward tissue engineering the temporomandibular joint disc.

This objective of this study was to determine the effects of a rotating bioreactor in temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc tissue engineering. Porcine TMJ disc cells were seeded at a density of 20 million cells/mL onto nonwoven poly(glycolic acid) (PGA) scaffolds in spinner flasks for 1 week and then cultured either under static conditions or in a rotating bioreactor for a period of 6 weeks. A series of analyses was performed, including mechanical testing, measurement of cellularity, quantification of matrix biosynthesis with a hydroxyproline assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, and observation of matrix distribution with immunohistochemistry. Between the bioreactor and static cultures, there were marked differences in gross appearance, histological structure, and distribution of collagen types I and II. Engineered constructs from the bioreactor contracted earlier and to a greater extent, resulting in a denser matrix and cell composition. In addition, immunostaining intensity was generally uniform in static constructs, in contrast to higher intensity around the periphery of bioreactor constructs. Moreover, bioreactor constructs had higher amounts of collagen II than did static constructs. However, differences in total matrix content and compressive stiffness were generally not significant. On the basis of the results of this study there is no clear benefit from use of the rotating bioreactor, although a sequence of static culture followed by rotating bioreactor culture may prove in the future to be more beneficial than either alone.

Animals↗

The quest for the mechanisms of life.

The genomic revolution, manifested by the sequencing of the complete genome of many organisms, along with technological advances, such as DNA microarrays and developments in high-throughput analysis of proteins, metabolites, and isotopic tracer distribution patterns, challenged the conventional ways in which questions are approached in the biological sciences: (a) rather than examining a small number of genes and/or reactions at any one time;, we can now analyze gene expression and protein activity in the context of systems of interacting genes and gene products; (b) comprehensive analysis of biological systems requires the integration of all cellular fingerprints: genome sequence, maps of gene expression, protein expression, metabolic output, and in vivo enzymatic activity; and (c) collecting, managing, and analyzing comparable data from various cellular profiles requires expertise from several fields that transcend traditional discipline boundaries. While researchers in systems biology have still to address difficult challenges in both experimental and computational arenas, they possess, for the first time, the opportunity to unravel the mechanisms of life. The enormous impact of these discoveries in diverse areas, such as metabolic engineering, strain selection, drug screening and development, bioprocess development, disease prognosis and diagnosis, gene and other medical therapies, is an obvious motivation for pursuing integrated analyses of cellular systems.

Cell Physiological Phenomena↗

Engineering regulatory elements for conditionally-replicative adeno-viruses.

Virus-mediated oncolysis is a rapidly growing field with the potential to dramatically alter the future of cancer therapy. Replication-selective viruses are superior to non-replicating vectors in several aspects, such as the amplification of the initial low-dose viral inoculum up to 10(3)-10(3)-fold, lateralization into neighboring cells, introduction of novel cell killing mechanisms, and a potential for a safe profile. However, due to their capacity to replicate, the importance of tumor selectivity is further underscored. Of the replication-selective viruses, adenoviruses (Ad) possess several attributes that appear essential for targeting and eliminating tumor cells. These include susceptibility to genomic modifications, convergence with cellular pathways implicated in carcinogenesis, and a high oncolytic capacity. A primary tumor targeting strategy of oncolytic Ad is based on re-engineering the viral genome viruses to construct conditionally replicative adenoviruses (CRAds). In this regard, modification of CRAd genome is traditionally designated as type I or type II. Type I CRAds are based on mutation or deletion of early Ad genes. Type II CRAds are based on the placement of essential early Ad genes under tissue/tumor-specific regulatory elements in a heterologous context. Thus, both strategies confer varying degrees of tumor-specific replication. Recent data, however, indicate that type III CRAds, embodying the paradigms of both type I and II, offer better replication selectivity for tumor cells while maintaining efficient oncolysis. These characteristics of CRAds yield therapeutic indices unprecedented heretofore in cancer therapy. However, other biological aspects of CRAds should also be addressed before these agents prove as first-line antitumor agents. When these issues are resolved, novel tumor cell killing potential of CRAds may truly be realized and dramatically alter future cancer therapy.

Adenoviridae↗

Basic reactions of osteoblasts on structured material surfaces.

In order to assess how bone substitute materials determine bone formation in vivo it is useful to understand the mechanisms of the material surface/tissue interaction on a cellular level. Artificial materials are used in two applications, as biomaterials alone or as a scaffold for osteoblasts in a tissue engineering approach. Recently, many efforts have been undertaken to improve bone regeneration by the use of structured material surfaces. In vitro studies of bone cell responses to artificial materials are the basic tool to determine these interactions. Surface properties of materials surfaces as well as biophysical constraints at the biomaterial surface are of major importance since these features will direct the cell responses. Studies on osteoblastlike cell reactivity towards materials will have to focus on the different steps of protein and cell reactions towards defined surface properties. The introduction of new techniques allows nowadays the fabrication of materials with ordered surface structures. This paper gives a review of present knowledge on the various stages of osteoblast reactions on material surfaces, focused on basic cell events under in vitro conditions. Special emphasis is given to cellular reactions towards ordered nano-sized topographies.

Biocompatible Materials↗

Modulation of the cellular pharmacology of JM118, the major metabolite of satraplatin, by copper influx and efflux transporters.

Satraplatin is an orally bioavailable platinum analog that has activity in prostate cancer. JM118 is the most abundant species found in the plasma following the oral ingestion of satraplatin and has anti-tumor activity in vitro against cell lines that are resistant to cisplatin (DDP). The goal of the current study was to determine whether the activity of JM118 in some DDP-resistant cells can be explained by differences in the cellular pharmacology of the two drugs. The effect of each of the Cu transporters CTR1, ATP7A and ATP7B on sensitivity to the growth inhibitory effect of JM118 and its cellular pharmacology was examined to identify the characteristics of JM118 that distinguish it from DDP. These studies were performed using wild type and CTR1-/- homozygous knockout mouse embryo cells, and human Me32a Menkes disease fibroblasts that do not express either ATP7A or ATP7B plus sublines molecularly engineered to express either ATP7A (MeMNK cells) or ATP7B (MeWND cells). Knockout of the Cu influx transporter CTR1 in murine embryo cells increased their resistance to DDP and reduced its cellular accumulation but had no effect on sensitivity to JM118 or its uptake. In the case of DDP, forced expression of either of the two Cu efflux transporters, ATP7A or ATP7B, in Me32a cells rendered them resistant to DDP, increased whole cell accumulation of Pt but reduced the amount of Pt in DNA. In the case of JM118, forced expression of either ATP7A or ATP7B rendered Me32a cells resistant, increased not only whole cell Pt accumulation but also increased rather than decreased the amount of Pt in DNA. These results demonstrate that both ATP7A and ATP7B mediate resistance to JM118 as well as DDP and suggest that they sequester both DDP and JM118 into vesicular compartments within the cell resulting in enhanced whole cell accumulation and reduced cytotoxicity. We conclude that there are two important differences between DDP and JM118 with respect to the effect of Cu transporters on their cellular pharmacology. First, whereas CTR1 is involved in DDP accumulation it does not play a role in the uptake of JM118. Second, ATP7A and ATP7B, while they both mediate resistance, have opposite effects on the accumulation of Pt in DNA following exposure to the two drugs. ATP7A and ATP7B appear to be able to modulate the toxicity of the Pt that accumulates in DNA following exposure to JM118. These results suggest that JM118 will retain activity in cells in which DDP resistance is due to the loss of CTR1, but not in cells in which resistance is due to enhanced expression of ATP7A or ATP7B.

Animals↗

Customized PEG-derived copolymers for tissue-engineering applications.

PEG-containing copolymers play a prominent role as biomaterials for different applications ranging from drug delivery to tissue engineering. These custom-designed materials offer enormous possibilities to change the overall characteristics of biomaterials by improving their biocompatibility and solubility, as well as their ability to crystallize in polymer blends and to resist protein adsorption. This article demonstrates various principles of PEG-based material design that are applied to fine tune the properties of biomaterials for different tissue engineering applications. More specifically, strategies are described to develop PEG copolymers with various block compositions and specific bulk properties, including low melting points and improved surface hydrophilicity. Highly hydrated polymer gel networks for promoting cellular growth or suppressing protein adsorption and cell adhesion are introduced. By incorporating selectively cleavable cross-links, these hydrophilic polymers can also serve as smart hydrogel scaffolds, mimicking the natural extracellular matrix for cell cultivation and tissue growth. Ultimately, these developments lead to the creation of biomimetic materials to immobilize bioactive compounds, allowing precise control of cellular adhesion and tissue growth. [image: see text]

Biocompatible Materials↗

[Antigen measurement and biomechanical characteristics of the inbred-line Banna mini-pig acellular bone matrix].

In this study, we prepared the acellular bone matrix of the inbred-line Banna mini-pig by using tissue engineering method and evaluated its possible application in bone tissue engineering. Histological analysis, xenoantigen expression and biomechanical measurement were performed on the matrix. HE staining and scanning electron microscopy showed the cellular components were almost removed. Immunohischemical result demonstrated that the xenoantigen, alpha-gal,was also eliminated. There was no statistically significant difference between the acellular bone matrix group and control group. The acellular bone matrix can provide appropriate space structure and strength for grafts. In conclusion, our data suggest that acellular bone matrix is a new kind of ideal bone scaffold material.

Animals↗