Role of the cyclin dependent kinase-4 in normal and neoplastic proliferation

In the last few years, our laboratory has studied the regulatory mechanisms of proliferation and differentiation in epidermal tissues. Our results showed differences in the roles of cyclin dependent-kinases 4 and 6, and the three D-type cyclins, during normal epidermal proliferation and neoplastic development. Thus, to elucidate the role of the different cell cycle regulators, we developed transgenic mice that overexpress CDK4 (K5-CDK4), or their cognate D-type cyclins, in epithelial tissues. The most severe phenotype was observed in K5-CDK4 animals that developed dermal fibrosis, epidermal hyperplasia and hypertrophy. Forced expression of CDK4 in the epidermal basal cell layer increased the malignant conversion of skin papillomas to squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). Contrastingly, lack of CDK4 completely inhibited tumor development, suggesting that CDK4 is required in this process. Biochemical studies demonstrated that p21 Cip1 and p27Kip1 inhibitors are sequestered by CDK4 resulting in indirect activation of Cyclin E/CDK2, implicating the non-catalytic activity of CDK4 in deregulation of the cell cycle progression. ^ It has been proposed that the proliferative and oncogenic role of Myc is linked to its ability to induce the transcription of CDK4, cyclin D1, and cyclin D2 in vitro. Deregulation of Myc oncogene has been found in several human cancers. Also it has been demonstrated that CDK4 has the ability to functionally inactivate the product of the tumor suppressor gene Rb, providing a link between Myc and the CDK4/cyclin D1/pRb/p16 pathway in some malignant tumors. Here, we sought to determine the role of CDK4 as a mediator of Myc activities by developing a Myc overexpressing mouse nullizygous for CDK4. We demonstrated that lack of CDK4 results in reduced keratinocyte proliferation and epidermal thickness in K5-Myc/CDK4-null mice. In addition, complete reversion of tumor development was observed. All together, this work demonstrates that CDK4 acts as an oncogene independent of the D-type cyclin levels and it is an important mediator of the tumorigenesis induced by Myc. In addition, we showed that the sequestering activity of CDK4 is critical for the development of epidermal hyperplasia during normal proliferation, malignant progression from papillomas to squamous cell carcinomas, and tumorigenesis induced by Myc. ^

STUDY OF REST AS A NEGATIVE REGULATOR OF P16INK4A

STUDY OF REST AS A NEGATIVE REGULATOR OF P16INK4A Monica Gireud, B.S. Thesis Advisor: Vidya Gopalakrishnan, Ph.D. The RE1 Silencing Transcription Factor (REST) is a negative regulator of neuronal differentiation. It is expressed ubiquitously in early embryos, but downregulated in neural progenitors concomitant with onset of neuronal differentiation in these cells. REST has been widely studied as a negative regulator of neuronal differentiation genes. Our recent work identified a novel role for REST in control of cell proliferation. However, the underlying molecular mechanism(s) are not known and is a focus of the current thesis project. Here, we provide evidence that REST signaling controls the expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, p16Ink4a, a negative regulator of the cell cycle and passage through G1. We determined that REST expression in the proliferating granule progenitors of the cerebellum and its lack of expression in the differentiated neurons is reciprocally correlated with that of p16Ink4a. Decline in REST levels in differentiating primary and neural stem cells immortalized with v-myc (NSC-M) granule progenitors in vitro was also associated with upregulation of p16Ink4a expression. Conversely, constitutive human REST transgene expression in NSC-M cells (NSC-MRs) blocked p16Ink4 upregulation, even under neuronal differentiation conditions. However, the lack of a consensus REST DNA binding RE1 element in the regulatory regions of p16Ink4a locus suggested an indirect regulation of p16Ink4a by REST. Based on work from other groups that showed repression of p16Ink4a transcription by the polycomb protein Bmi-1, and its negative regulation by microRNA-203 (miR-203) and our identification of a RE1 element in the downstream regulatory region of miR-203, we asked if the p16Ink4a expression was controlled by REST through a series of negative regulatory events involving miR-203 and Bmi-1. We observed that Bmi1 -expression mirrored that of REST and inversely correlated with that of miR-203 in the postnatal cerebellum and in vitro differentiated granule and NSC-M progenitors. In contrast, forced REST transgene expression in NSC-MR cells abrogated the decrease in Bmi-1 levels and elevation in miR-203 expression. Significant REST binding to the miR-203 RE1 element was also observed in NSC-M cells, indicating that REST had the potential to directly regulate miR-203 expression. In conclusion, our studies suggest a role for REST in control of cell cycle transit in neural progenitors through negative regulation of p16Ink4a. Further validation of these results in REST knockout mice is needed, and is ongoing.

Dasatinib inhibits the growth of molecularly heterogeneous myeloid leukemias.

PURPOSE: Dasatinib is a dual Src/Abl inhibitor recently approved for Bcr-Abl+ leukemias with resistance or intolerance to prior therapy. Because Src kinases contribute to multiple blood cell functions by triggering a variety of signaling pathways, we hypothesized that their molecular targeting might lead to growth inhibition in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We studied growth factor-dependent and growth factor-independent leukemic cell lines, including three cell lines expressing mutants of receptor tyrosine kinases (Flt3 or c-Kit) as well as primary AML blasts for responsiveness to dasatinib. RESULTS: Dasatinib resulted in the inhibition of Src family kinases in all cell lines and blast cells at approximately 1 x 10(-9) mol/L. It also inhibited mutant Flt3 or Kit tyrosine phosphorylation at approximately 1 x 10(-6) mol/L. Mo7e cells expressing the activating mutation (codon 816) of c-Kit were most sensitive to growth inhibition with a GI(50) of 5 x 10(-9) mol/L. Primary AML blast cells exhibited a growth inhibition of <1 x>10(-6) mol/L. Cell lines that showed growth inhibition at approximately 1 x 10(-6) mol/L showed a G(1) cell cycle arrest and correlated with accumulation of p21 and p27 protein. The addition of rapamycin or cytotoxic agents enhanced growth inhibition. Dasatinib also caused the apoptosis of Mo7e cells expressing oncogenic Kit. CONCLUSIONS: Although all of the precise targets for dasatinib are not known, this multikinase inhibitor causes either growth arrest or apoptosis in molecularly heterogeneous AML. The addition of cytotoxic or targeted agents can enhance its effects.

The regulation of JAB1 and its role in herceptin resistance

The Jun activation domain-binding protein (JAB1) is a c-Jun co-activator and a member of the COP9 signalosome. Additionally, it has recently been named a key negative regulator of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, p27. JAB1 overexpression has been observed in breast cancer and correlates with low p27 levels as well as poor prognosis, yet the mechanism of JAB1 deregulation is unknown. Data from our laboratory suggest that constitutive transcriptional activation of the jab1 gene is responsible for JAB1 protein overexpression. Therefore, we hypothesized that overexpression of JAB1 in breast cancer can be attributed to increased transcriptional activity. To identify potential positive regulators of JAB1, we characterized the promoter and found a 128 bp region that was critical for jab1 transcriptional activation. Our studies show that two oncogenic transcription factors, C/EBPβ and STAT3, play an important role in modulating jab1 transcription. Further, we have identified jab1 as a direct target gene of the SRC/STAT3 pathway. These studies provide insight to the mechanism of JAB1 overexpression in breast cancer and open up possibilities for therapies to inhibit its expression. ^ The development of the humanized monoclonal antibody, Herceptin (trastuzumab) targeting the HER2 (ErbB2) receptor has provided promising treatment to patients with aggressive HER2 positive breast cancer. However, many patients are resistant to Herceptin and additional therapies are needed to overcome resistance. Recent findings indicate that one mechanism of resistance involves AKT phosphorylation and subsequent mislocalization of the cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor, p27. We examined whether JAB1 facilitated degradation of p27 may be another mechanism of resistance to Herceptin. Our studies show that overexpression of JAB1 inhibited Herceptin induced G1-arrest and p27 accumulation. Interestingly, increased JAB1 levels were observed in two BT-474 Herceptin resistant clones. Targeted silencing of JAB1 increased p27 protein levels, reinstated a G1 checkpoint, and reduced cellular proliferation in the resistant clones. Our studies have demonstrated that inhibition of JAB1 sensitizes Herceptin resistant cells to treatment. Therefore, inhibition of JAB1 could provide a novel method of sensitizing resistant tumors to Herceptin-induced tumor growth arrest. ^

Emodin, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, and human cancer

Many human diseases, including cancers, result from aberrations of signal transduction pathways. The recent understanding of the molecular biochemistry of signal transduction in normal and transformed cells enable us to have a better insight about cancer and design new drugs to target this abnormal signaling in the cancer cells. Tyrosine kinase pathway plays a very important role in normal and cancer cells. Enhanced activity of tyrosine kinases has been associated with many human cancer types. Therefore, identifying the type of tyrosine kinases involved in a particular cancer type and blocking these tyrosine kinase pathways may provide a way to treat cancer. Receptor tyrosine kinase expression, namely epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family, was examined in the oral squamous cell carcinoma patients. The expression levels of different members of the EGFR family were found to be significantly associated with shorter patients' survival. Combining EGFR, HER-2/neu, and HER-3 expression can significantly improve the predicting power. The effect of emodin, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, on these receptors in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell lines was examined. Emodin was found to suppress the tyrosine phosphorylation of HER-2/neu and EGF-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of EGFR. Emodin also induced apoptosis and downregulated the expression of anti-apoptotic protein bcl-2 in oral squamous cell carcinoma cells. It is known that tyrosine kinase pathways are involved in estrogen receptor signaling pathway. Therefore, the effects of inhibiting the tyrosine kinase pathway in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancers was studied. Emodin was found to act similarly to antiestrogens, capable of inhibiting estrogen-stimulated growth and DNA synthesis, and the phosphorylation of Rb protein. Interestingly, emodin, and other tyrosine kinase inhibitors, such as RG 13022 and genistein, depleted cellular levels of estrogen receptor protein. Emodin-induced depletion of estrogen receptor was mediated by the proteasome degradation pathway. In summary, we have demonstrated that tyrosine kinase pathways play an important role in oral squamous cell carcinoma and estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Targeting the tyrosine kinases by inhibitors, such as emodin, may provide a potential way to treat the cancer patients. ^

The low molecular weight (LMW) isoforms of cyclin E provide a novel mechanism of cell cycle deregulation

Cyclin E, in complex with cyclin dependent kinase 2 (CDK2), is a positive regulator of G1 to S phase progression of the cell cycle. Deregulation of G1/S phase transition occurs in the majority of tumors. Cyclin E is overexpressed and post-translationally generates low molecular weight (LMW) isoforms in breast cancer, but not normal cells. Such alteration of cyclin E is linked to poor prognosis. Therefore, we hypothesized that the LMW isoforms of cyclin E provide a novel mechanism of cell cycle de-regulation in cancer cells. Insect cell expression system was used to explore the biochemical properties of the cyclin E isoforms. Non-tumorigenic (76NE6) and tumorigenic (T47D) mammary epithelial cells transfected with the cyclin E isoforms and breast tumor tissue endogenously expressing the LMW isoforms were used to study the biologic consequences of the LMW isoforms of cyclin E. All model systems studied show that the LMW forms (compared to full-length cyclin E) have increased kinase activity when partnered with CDK2. Increases in the percentage of cells in S phase and colony formation were also observed after overexpression of LMW compared to full-length cyclin E. The LMW isoforms of cyclin E utilize several mechanisms to attain their hyper-activity. They bind CDK2 more efficiently, and are resistant to inhibition by cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors (CKIs) as compared to full-length cyclin E. In addition, the LMW isoforms sequester the CKIs from full-length cyclin E abrogating the overall negative regulation of cyclin E. Despite their correlation with adverse biological consequences, the direct role of the LMW isoforms of cyclin E in mediating tumorigenesis remained unanswered. Subsequent to LMW cyclin E expression in 76NE6 cells, they lose their ability to enter quiescence and exhibit genomic instability, both characteristic of a tumor cell phenotype. Furthermore, injection of 76NE6 cells overexpressing each of the cyclin E isoforms into the mammary fat pad of nude mice revealed that the LMW isoforms of cyclin E yield tumors, whereas the full-length cyclin E does not. In conclusion, the LMW isoforms of cyclin E utilize several mechanisms to acquire a hyperactive phenotype that results in deregulation of the cell cycle and initiates the tumorigenic process in otherwise non-transformed mammary epithelial cells. ^

Study on the effect of metformin in patients of metastatic renal cell cancer with diabetes receiving tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy

Objective: The primary objective of our study was to study the effect of metformin in patients of metastatic renal cell cancer (mRCC) and diabetes who are on treatment with frontline therapy of tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The effect of therapy was described in terms of overall survival and progression free survival. Comparisons were made between group of patients receiving metformin versus group of patients receiving insulin in diabetic patients of metastatic renal cancer on frontline therapy. Exploratory analyses were also done comparing non-diabetic patients of metastatic renal cell cancer receiving frontline therapy compared to diabetic patients of metastatic renal cell cancer receiving metformin therapy. ^ Methods: The study design is a retrospective case series to elaborate the response rate of frontline therapy in combination with metformin for mRCC patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The cohort was selected from a database, which was generated for assessing the effect of tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy associated hypertension in metastatic renal cell cancer at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Patients who had been started on frontline therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma from all ethnic and racial backgrounds were selected for the study. The exclusion criteria would be of patients who took frontline therapy for less than 3 months or were lost to follow-up. Our exposure variable was treatment with metformin, which comprised of patients who took metformin for the treatment of type 2 diabetes at any time of diagnosis of metastatic renal cell carcinoma. The outcomes assessed were last available follow-up or date of death for the overall survival and date of progression of disease from their radiological reports for time to progression. The response rates were compared by covariates that are known to be strongly associated with renal cell cancer. ^ Results: For our primary analyses between the insulin and metformin group, there were 82 patients, out of which 50 took insulin therapy and 32 took metformin therapy for type 2 diabetes. For our exploratory analysis, we compared 32 diabetic patients on metformin to 146 non-diabetic patients, not on metformin. Baseline characteristics were compared among the population. The time from the start of treatment until the date of progression of renal cell cancer and date of death or last follow-up were estimated for survival analysis. ^ In our primary analyses, there was a significant difference in the time to progression of patients receiving metformin therapy vs insulin therapy, which was also seen in our exploratory analyses. The median time to progression in primary analyses was 1259 days (95% CI: 659-1832 days) in patients on metformin therapy compared to 540 days (95% CI: 350-894) in patients who were receiving insulin therapy (p=0.024). The median time to progression in exploratory analyses was 1259 days (95% CI: 659-1832 days) in patients on metformin therapy compared to 279 days (95% CI: 202-372 days) in non-diabetic group (p-value <0.0001). ^ The median overall survival was 1004 days in metformin group (95% CI: 761-1212 days) compared to 816 days (95%CI: 558-1405 days) in insulin group (p-value<0.91). For the exploratory analyses, the median overall survival was 1004 days in metformin group (95% CI: 761-1212 days) compared to 766 days (95%CI: 649-965 days) in the non-diabetic group (p-value<0.78). Metformin was observed to increase the progression free survival in both the primary and exploratory analyses (HR=0.52 in metformin Vs insulin group and HR=0.36 in metformin Vs non-diabetic group, respectively). ^ Conclusion: In laboratory studies and a few clinical studies metformin has been proven to have dual benefits in patients suffering from cancer and type 2-diabetes via its action on the mammalian target of Rapamycin pathway and effect in decreasing blood sugar by increasing the sensitivity of the insulin receptors to insulin. Several studies in breast cancer patients have documented a beneficial effect (quantified by pathological remission of cancer) of metformin use in patients taking treatment for breast cancer therapy. Combination of metformin therapy in patients taking frontline therapy for renal cell cancer may provide a significant benefit in prolonging the overall survival in patients with metastatic renal cell cancer and diabetes. ^

Circumvention of cellular defense responses to DNA -directed nucleoside analogues by the protein kinase inhibitor, UCN-01

DNA-directed nucleoside analogues, such as ara-C, fludarabine, and gemcitabine, are antimetabolites effective in the treatment of a variety of cancers. However, resistance to nucleoside analogue-based chemotherapy in treatments is still a major problem in therapy. Therefore, it is essential to develop rationales for optimizing the use of nucleoside analogues in combination with other anticancer drugs or modalities such as radiation. The present study focuses on establishing mechanism-based combination strategy to overcome resistance to nucleoside analogues. ^ I hypothesized that the cytostatic concentrations of nucleoside analogues may cause S-phase arrest by activating an S-phase checkpoint that consists of a series of kinases. This may allow cells to repair damaged DNA over time and spare cytotoxicity. Thus, the ability of cells to enact an S-phase arrest in response to incorporation of potentially lethal amounts of nucleoside analogue may serve as a mechanism of resistance to S-phase-specific agents. As a corollary, the addition of a kinase inhibitor, such as UCN-01, may dysregulate the checkpoint response and abrogate the survival of S-phase-arrested cells by suppression of the survival signaling pathways. Using gemcitabine as a model of S-phase-specific nucleoside analogues in human acute myelogenous leukemia ML-1 cells, I demonstrated that cells arrested in S-phase in response to cytostatic conditions. Proliferation continued after washing the cells into drug-free medium, suggesting S-phase arrest served as a resistance mechanism of cancer cells to spare cytotoxicity of nucleoside analogues. However, nontoxic concentrations of UCN-01 rapidly killed S-phase-arrested cells by apoptosis. Furthermore, the molecular mechanism for UCN-01-induced apoptosis in S-phase-arrested cells was through inhibition of survival pathways associated with these cells. In this regard, suppression of the PI 3-kinase-Akt-Bad survival pathway as well as the NF-κB signaling pathway were associated with induction of apoptosis in S-phase-arrested cells by UCN-01, whereas the Ras-Raf-MEK-ERK pathway appeared not involved. This study has provided the rationales and strategies for optimizing the design of effective combination therapies to overcome resistance to nucleoside analogues. In fact, a clinical trial of the combination of ara-C with UCN-01 to treat relapsed or refractory AML patients has been initiated at U.T.M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. ^

THE ROLE AND MECHANISM OF THE HOMEOBOX GENE DLX4 IN TRANSFORMING GROWTH FACTOR-B RESISTANCE IN CANCER

Transforming growth factor-b (TGF-b) is a cytokine that plays essential roles in regulating embryonic development and tissue homeostasis. In normal cells, TGF-b exerts an anti-proliferative effect. TGF-b inhibits cell growth by controlling a cytostatic program that includes activation of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p15Ink4B and p21WAF1/Cip1 and repression of c-myc. In contrast to normal cells, many tumors are resistant to the anti-proliferative effect of TGF-b. In several types of tumors, particularly those of gastrointestinal origin, resistance to the anti-proliferative effect of TGF-b has been attributed to TGF-b receptor or Smad mutations. However, these mutations are absent from many other types of tumors that are resistant to TGF-b-mediated growth inhibition. The transcription factor encoded by the homeobox patterning gene DLX4 is overexpressed in a wide range of malignancies. In this study, I demonstrated that DLX4 blocks the anti-proliferative effect of TGF-b by disabling key transcriptional control mechanisms of the TGF-b cytostatic program. Specifically, DLX4 blocked the ability of TGF-b to induce expression of p15Ink4B and p21WAF1/Cip1 by directly binding to Smad4 and to Sp1. Binding of DLX4 to Smad4 prevented Smad4 from forming transcriptional complexes with Smad2 and Smad3, whereas binding of DLX4 to Sp1 inhibited DNA-binding activity of Sp1. In addition, DLX4 induced expression of c-myc, a repressor of p15Ink4B and p21WAF1/Cip1 transcription, independently of TGF-b signaling. The ability of DLX4 to counteract key transcriptional control mechanisms of the TGF-b cytostatic program could explain in part the resistance of tumors to the anti-proliferative effect of TGF-b. This study provides a molecular explanation as to why tumors are resistant to the anti-proliferative effect of TGF-b in the absence of mutations in the TGF-b signaling pathway. Furthermore, this study also provides insights into how aberrant activation of a developmental patterning gene promotes tumor pathogenesis.

The functional and structural interactions between v-{\it mos\/} proteins and cell cycle control elements

The v-mos gene of Moloney murine sarcoma virus (Mo-MuSv) encodes a serine/threonine protein kinase capable of inducing cellular transformation. The c-mos protein is an important cell cycle regulator that functions during meiotic cell division cycles in germ cells. The overall function of c-mos in controlling meiosis is becoming better understood but the role of v-mos in malignant transformation of cells is largely unknown.^ In this study, v-mos protein was shown to be phosphorylated by M phase kinase in vitro and in vivo. The kinase activity and neoplastic transforming ability of v-mos is positively regulated by the phosphorylation. Together with the earlier finding of activation of M phase kinase by c-mos, these results raise the possibility of mutual regulation between M phase kinase and mos kinases.^ In addition to its functional interaction with the M phase kinase, the v-mos protein was shown to be present in the same protein complex with a cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk). In addition, an antibody that recognizes the cdk proteins was shown to co-precipitate the v-mos proteins in the interphase and mitotic cells transformed by p85$\sp{\rm gag-mos}$. Cdk proteins have been shown to be associated with nonmitotic cyclins which are potential oncogenes. The perturbation of cdk kinase or the activation of non-mitotic cyclins as oncogenes by v-mos could contribute directly to v-mos induced cellular transformation. v-mos proteins were also shown to interact with tubulin and vimentin, the essential components of microtubules and type IV intermediate filaments, respectively. The organizations of both microtubules and intermediate filaments are cell cycle-regulated. These results suggest that the v-mos kinase could be directly involved in inducing morphological changes typically seen in transformed cells.^ The interactions between the v-mos protein and these cell cycle control elements in regards to v-mos induced neoplastic transformation are discussed in detail in the text. ^

Cloning and genetic characterization of Skb1: A novel regulator of Shk1 and mitosis in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

A partial skb1 gene was originally isolated in a yeast two-hybrid screen for Shk1-interacting polypeptides. Shk1 is one of two Schizosaccharomyces pombe p21Cdc42/Rac-activated kinases (PAKs) and is an essential component of the Ras1-dependent signal transduction pathways regulating cell morphology and mating responses in fission yeast. After cloning the skb1 gene we found the Skb1 gene product to be a novel, nonessential protein lacking homology to previously characterized proteins. However the identification of Skb1 homologs in C. elegans, S. cerevisiae, and H. sapiens reveals evolution has conserved the skb1 gene. Fission yeast cells carrying a deletion of skb1 exhibit a defect in cell size but not mating abilities. This defect is suppressed by high copy shk1. Fission yeast overexpressing skb1 were found to undergo cell division at a length 1.5X greater than normal. In the two-hybrid system, Skb1 interacts with a subdomain of the Shk1 regulatory region distinct from that with which Cdc42 interacts, and forms a ternary complex with Shk1 and Cdc42. By use of yeast genetics, we have established a role for Skb1 as a positive regulator of Shk1. Co-overexpression of shk1 with skb1 was found to suppress the morphology defect, but not the sterility, of ras1Δ fission yeast. Thus, the function of Skb1 is restricted to a morphology control pathway. We determined that Skb1 functions as a negative regulator of mitosis and does this through a Shk1-dependent mechanism. The mitotic regulatory function of Skb1 and Shk1 was also partially dependent upon Wee1, a direct negative regulator of the cyclin-dependent kinase Cdc2. The role for Skb1 and Shk1 as mitotic regulators is the first connection from a PAK protein to control of the cell cycle. Furthermore, Skb1 is the first non-Cdc42/Rac PAK modulator to be identified. ^

14-3-3zeta overexpression in multiple human cancers plays a critical role in cancer progression

14-3-3 is a family of highly conserved and ubiquitously expressed proteins in eukaryotic organisms. 14-3-3 isoforms bind in a phospho-serine/threonine-dependent manner to a host of proteins involved in essential cellular processes including cell cycle, signal transduction and apoptosis. We fortuitously discovered 14-3-3 zeta overexpression in many human primary cancers, such as breast, lung, and sarcoma, and in a majority of cancer cell lines. To determine 14-3-3 zeta involvement in breast cancer progression, we used immunohistochemical analysis to examine 14-3-3 zeta expression in human primary invasive breast carcinomas. High 14-3-3 zeta expression was significantly correlated with poor prognosis of breast cancer patients. Increased expression of 14-3-3 zeta was also significantly correlated with elevated PKB/Akt activation in patient samples. Thus, 14-3-3 zeta is a marker of poor prognosis in breast cancers. Furthermore, up-regulation of 14-3-3 zeta enhanced malignant transformation of cancer cells in vitro. ^ To determine the biological significance of 14-3-3 zeta in human cancers, small interfering RNAs (siRNA) were used to specifically block 14-3-3 zeta expression in cancer cells. 14-3-3 zeta siRNA inhibited cellular proliferation by inducing a G1 arrest associated with up-regulation of p27 KIP1 and p21CIP1 cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors. Reduced 14-3-3 zeta inhibited PKB/Akt activation while stimulating the p38 signaling pathway. Silencing 14-3-3 zeta expression also increased stress-induced apoptosis by caspase activation. Notably, 14-3-3 zeta siRNA inhibited transformation related properties of breast cancer cells in vitro and inhibited tumor progression of breast cancer cells in vivo. 14-3-3 zeta may be a key regulatory factor controlling multiple signaling pathways leading to tumor progression. ^ The data indicate 14-3-3 zeta is a major regulator of cell growth and apoptosis and may play a critical role in the development of multiple cancer types. Hence, blocking 14-3-3 zeta may be a promising therapeutic approach for numerous cancers. ^

The transcriptional repressor Delta EF1 controls resistance to the EGFR inhibitor erlotinib in human HNSCC lines

Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) overexpression occurs in about 90% of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) cases. Aberrant EGFR signaling has been implicated in the malignant features of HNSCC. Thus, EGFR appears to be a logical therapeutic target with increased tumor specificity for the treatment of HNSCC. Erlotinib, a small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor, specifically inhibits aberrant EGFR signaling in HNSCC. Only a minority of HNSCC patients were able to derive a substantial clinical benefit from erlotinib. ^ This dissertation identifies Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) as the biological marker that distinguishes EGFR-dependent (erlotinib-sensitive) tumors from the EGFR-independent (erlotinib-resistant) tumors. This will allow us to prospectively identify the patients who are most likely to benefit from EGFR-directed therapy. More importantly, our data identifies the transcriptional repressor DeltaEF1 as the mesenchymal marker that controls EMT phenotype and resistance to erlotinib in human HNSCC lines. si-RNA mediated knockdown of DeltaEF1 in the erlotinib-resistant lines resulted in reversal of the mesenchymal phenotype to an epithelial phenotype and significant increase in sensitivity to erlotinib. ^ DeltaEF1 represses the expression of the epithelial markers by recruiting HDACs to chromatin. This observation allows us to translate our findings into clinical application. To test whether the transcriptional repression by DeltaEF1 underlines the mechanism responsible for erlotinib resistance, erlotinib-resistant lines were treated with an HDAC inhibitor (SAHA) followed by erlotinib. This resulted in a synergistic effect and substantial increase in sensitivity to erlotinib in the resistant cell lines. Thus, combining an HDAC inhibitor with erlotinib represents a novel promising pharmacologic strategy for reversing resistance to erlotinib in HNSCC patients. ^

Requirement of the Jak2 tyrosine kinase in Bcr -Abl oncogenic transformation

Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-positive chronic myeloid leukemia is caused by a clonal myeloproliferative expansion of malignant primitive hematopoietic progenitor cells. The Ph results from the reciprocal translocation of the ends of chromosome 9 and 22, which generate Bcr-Abl fusion proteins. The Bcr-Abl proteins possess a constitutively activated Abl tyrosine kinase, which is the driving force responsible for causing leukemia. The activated Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase stimulates multiple signal transduction pathway affecting growth, differentiation and survival of cells. It is known that the Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase activates several signaling proteins including Stat5, which is a member of the Jak/Stat pathway that is activated by cytokines that control the growth and differentiation of normal hematopoietic cells. Our laboratory was the first one to report that Jak2 tyrosine kinase is activated in a human Bcr-Abl positive hematopoietic cell line. In this thesis, we further investigated the activation of Jak2 by Bcr-Abl. We found that Jak2 is activated not only in cultured Bcr-abl positive cell lines but also in blood cells from CML blast crisis patients. We also demonstrated that SH2 domain of Bcr-Abl is required for efficient activation Jak2. We further showed that Jak2 binds to the C-terminal domain of Bcr-Abl; tyrosine residue 1007, which is critical for Jak2 activation, is phosphorylated by Bcr-Abl. We searched downstream targets of Jak2 in Bcr-Abl positive cells. We treated Bcr-Abl positive cells with a Jak2 kinase inhibitor AG490 and found that c-Myc protein expression is inhibited by AG490. We further demonstrated that Jak2 inhibitor AG490 not only inhibit C-MYC transcription but also protect c-Myc protein from proteasome-dependent degradation. We also showed that AG490 did not affect Bcr-Abl kinase activity and Stat5 activation and its downstream target Bcl-xL expression. AG490 also induced apoptosis of Bcr-Abl positive cells, similar to Bcr-Abl kinase inhibitor STI571 (also termed Gliveec, a very effective drug for CML), but unlike STI571 the apoptosis effects induced by AG490 can not be rescued by IL-3 containing WEHI conditioned medium. We further established several Bcr-Abl positive clones that express a kinase-inactive Jak2 and found that these clones had reduced tumor formation in nude mice assays. Taken together, these results establish that Jak2 is activated in Bcr-Abl positive CML cells and it is required for c-Myc induction and the oncogenic effects of Bcr-Abl. Furthermore, Jak2 and Stat5 are two independent targets of Bcr-Abl. ^

Specific, Reversible Cytostatic Protection of Normal Cells Against Negative Effects of Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a common and effective method to treat many forms of cancer. However, treatment of cancer with chemotherapy has severe side effects which often limit the doses of therapy administered. Because some cancer chemotherapeutics target proliferating cells and tissues, all dividing cells, whether normal or tumor, are affected. Cell culture studies have demonstrated that UCN-01 is able to reversibly and selectively arrest normal dividing cells; tumor cells lines do not undergo this temporary arrest. Following UCN-01 treatment, normal cells displayed a 50-fold increase in IC50 for camptothecin; tumor cells showed no such increased tolerance. We have examined the response of the proliferating tissues of the mouse to UCN- 01 treatment, using the small bowel epithelium as a model system. Our results indicate that UCN-01 treatment can cause a cell cycle arrest in the gut epithelium, beginning 24 hours following UCN-01 administration, with cell proliferation remaining suppressed for one week. Two weeks post-UCN-01 treatment the rate of proliferation returns to normal levels. 5-FU administered during this period demonstrates that UCN-01 is able to provide protection to normal cells of the mouse within a narrow window of efficacy, from three to five days post-UCN-01. UCN-01 pretreated mice displayed improved survival, weight status and blood markers following 5-FU compared to control mice, indicating that UCN-01 can protect normal dividing tissues. The mechanism by which UCN-01 arrests normal cells in vivo was also examined. We have demonstrated that UCN-01 treatment in mice causes an increase in the G1 phase cell cycle proteins cdk4 and cyclin D, as well as the inhibitor p27. Phosphorylated Rb was also elevated in the arrested cells. These results are a departure from cell culture studies, in which inhibition of G1 phase cyclin dependent kinases led to hyposphosphorylation of Rb. Future investigation will be required to understand the mechanism of UCN-01 action. This is important information, especially for identification of alternate compounds which could provide the protection afforded by UCN-01.