Cloning and Characterization of Two Potent Kunitz Type Protease Inhibitors from Echinococcus granulosus

The tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus is responsible for cystic echinococcosis (CE), a cosmopolitan disease which imposes a significant burden on the health and economy of affected communities. Little is known about the molecular mechanisms whereby E. granulosus is able to survive in the hostile mammalian host environment, avoiding attack by host enzymes and evading immune responses, but protease inhibitors released by the parasite are likely implicated. We identified two nucleotide sequences corresponding to secreted single domain Kunitz type protease inhibitors (EgKIs) in the E. granulosus genome, and their cDNAs were cloned, bacterially expressed and purified. EgKI-1 is highly expressed in the oncosphere (egg) stage and is a potent chymotrypsin and neutrophil elastase inhibitor that binds calcium and reduced neutrophil infiltration in a local inflammation model. EgKI-2 is highly expressed in adult worms and is a potent inhibitor of trypsin. As powerful inhibitors of mammalian intestinal proteases, the EgKIs may play a pivotal protective role in preventing proteolytic enzyme attack thereby ensuring survival of E. granulosus within its mammalian hosts. EgKI-1 may also be involved in the oncosphere in host immune evasion by inhibiting neutrophil elastase and cathepsin G once this stage is exposed to the mammalian blood system. In light of their key roles in protecting E. granulosus from host enzymatic attack, the EgKI proteins represent potential intervention targets to control CE. This is important as new public health measures against CE are required, given the inefficiencies of available drugs and the current difficulties in its treatment and control. In addition, being a small sized highly potent serine protease inhibitor, and an inhibitor of neutrophil chemotaxis, EgKI-1 may have clinical potential as a novel anti-inflammatory therapeutic.

Growth inhibition by tyrosine kinase inhibitors in mesothelioma cell lines.

Clinical outcome following chemotherapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma is poor and improvements are needed. This preclinical study investigates the effect of five tyrosine kinase inhibitors (PTK787, ZD6474, ZD1839, SU6668 and SU11248) on the growth of three mesothelioma cell lines (NCI H226, NCI H28 and MSTO 211H), the presence of growth factor receptors and inhibition of their downstream signalling pathways. GI50 values were determined: ZD6474 and SU11248, mainly VEGFR2 inhibitors, gave the lowest GI50 across all cell lines (3.5-6.9 microM) whereas ZD1839 gave a GI50 in this range only in H28 cells. All cell lines were positive for EGFR, but only H226 cells were positive for VEGFR2 by Western blotting. ZD6474 and ZD1839 inhibited EGF-induced phosphorylation of EGFR, AKT and ERK, whereas VEGF-induced phosphorylation of VEGFR2 was completely inhibited with 0.1 microM SU11248. VEGFR2 was detected in tumour samples by immunohistochemistry. VEGFR2 tyrosine kinase inhibitors warrant further investigation in mesothelioma.