Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:2.7.10.2 (focal adhesion kinase)
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Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is the best understood human cancer. The molecular basis of CML involves activation of a cellular proto-oncogene--ABL. The consequence is to increase tyrosine kinase activity. This results in a marked clonal increase in the myeloid mass. Later on, cellular maturation is blocked and the decrease eventuates in acute leukemia. Abnormalities of other proto-oncogenes or antioncogenes, like P53, may be involved in leukemia progression. Treatment of CML involves chemotherapy and, more recently, interferon. Whether this treatment prolongs survival or increases the likelihood of cure is unknown but either result seems unlikely. Bone marrow transplants which cure about 50% of persons with CML are most effective when performed in chronic phase.
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PMID:Chronic myelogenous leukemia: molecule to man. 189 3

The first consistent karyotypic abnormality found to be associated with neoplastic disease was the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome (Nowell & Hungerford, 1960). Furthermore, the best-studied example of translocation-mediated gene activation occurs in leukaemia patients bearing this abnormality (reviewed by Kurzrock et al, 1988). In these individuals, the Ph translocation (t(9;22)(q34;q11)) results in transposition of the ABL proto-oncogene from chromosome 9q34 to 22q11, where it is fused with part of the BCR gene. It is now known that as a result of the Ph translocation, p160BCR and p145ABL (the normal BCR and ABL gene products) are replaced by p210BCR-ABL. This aberrant protein constitutes the molecular fingerprint of CML. The enhanced tyrosine phosphokinase enzymatic activity (a property possessed by some growth factor receptors and transformation-inducing oncogenes) of p210BCR-ABL implicates a direct role for this molecule in the pathogenesis of CML. Because the Ph translocation is present in the early chronic phase, the union of the BCR and ABL genes is probably involved in the initiation of the leukaemic process. The secondary molecular forces driving progression of CML to blast crisis are however unknown, and may differ from patient to patient. Approximately 10% of CML patients lack a Ph chromosome. One-half of these individuals have bcr rearrangement and express p210BCR-ABL. Ph+ and Ph- bcr+ (p210+) CML are identical and should be treated the same. Molecular follow-up of diploid bcr+ CML patients is essential for detection of persistent malignancy after therapy. The presence of a specific marker--the BCR-ABL message--permits the development of new diagnostic approaches for CML. For instance, detection of a BCR-ABL message with the use of the highly sensitive polymerase chain reaction, a technique capable of detecting up to one leukaemia cell amongst one million normal cells, yields important information about minimal residual disease. Finally, the use of therapy directed against the BCR-ABL product may be a worthwhile strategy which deserves investigation, and may prompt a new era of tumour-specific treatment.
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PMID:The molecular pathology of chronic myelogenous leukaemia. 193 6

Leukemia cells from adults with Philadelphia (Ph1)-chromosome positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) have a characteristic molecular rearrangement between the BCR and ABL genes whereby major breakpoint cluster region (Mbcr) exons 2 or 3 are joined to ABL exon II. Ph1-chromosome positive CML is uncommon in children and it is unknown whether these children have similar rearrangements. We studied 17 children with Ph1-chromosome positive CML. Five were studied for Mbcr rearrangement using Southern blotting, nine for the presence of chimeric BCR-ABL mRNA using reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction, and three for both. All eight children studied by Southern blotting had BCR rearrangement. Of 12 children in whom BCR-ABL mRNA was studied, 10 had Mbcr exon 2 joined to ABL exon II, one had Mbcr exon 3 joined to ABL II, and one had both Mbcr-ABL junctions. These data indicate a similarity to adult CML. However, mRNA processing in children may preferentially splice Mbcr exon 2 to ABL exon II. No child had BCR exon 1 joined to ABL exon II, the rearrangement typical of childhood Ph1-chromosome positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
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PMID:BCR-ABL rearrangements in children with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia. 193 52

Previous studies have revealed a consistent defect in the cycling behavior of primitive neoplastic progenitor cells in patients with Philadelphia chromosome (Ph1)-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). This is manifested both in vivo and in long-term cultures of CML cells as an increased rate of turnover amongst Ph1-positive progenitor cell types whose counterparts in normal individuals are mainly quiescent. To determine whether this deregulated proliferative activity of primitive Ph1-positive cells might be explained by a perturbation in the production of growth factors that regulate the turnover of primitive normal cells, the possibility of either autocrine or paracrine mechanisms of Ph1-positive cell stimulation was investigated. Northern blot analysis of total cellular RNA extracted from various CML blood cell populations showed no evidence of increased expression of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), granulocyte-macrophage-CSF (GM-CSF), interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha), IL-1 beta, IL-3, IL-6, or tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) compared with analogous normal peripheral blood cell populations in which transcripts for most of these growth factors are not detectable. A similar analysis of RNA extracted from the adherent layer of 4-week-old long-term cultures established from CML marrow (in which the Ph1-positive cells typically disappear) or from CML blood seeded onto normal marrow adherent layers (in which Ph1-positive cells typically persist) also revealed no difference in growth factor production compared with analogous cultures established with exclusively normal cells. For some of the growth factors studied, the assessment of bioactivity detectable in the medium confirmed the RNA data. There was also no evidence of a decreased production of putative inhibitors of primitive hematopoietic cells, i.e. transforming growth factor-beta and macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha by CML versus normal cells or cultures. These results do not support the existence of BCR-ABL induced autocrine or paracrine mechanisms in CML and suggest that constitutive activation of events normally dependent on growth factor receptor stimulation is more likely to underlie the lack of proliferation control exhibited by primitive Ph1-positive cells.
Leukemia 1991 Oct
PMID:Lack of evidence for abnormal autocrine or paracrine mechanisms underlying the uncontrolled proliferation of primitive chronic myeloid leukemia progenitor cells. 196 Oct 20

The BCR gene, on chromosome 22, is involved in the Philadelphia (Ph1) chromosome which is a characteristic cytogenetic marker of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). Breakpoints in CML occur within the M-bcr region (5.8 kb) which encompasses exons 12-15 (b1-b4), and the M-bcr can be conveniently divided into five zones by restriction mapping. One of these zones (3) contains exon b3 which can be either present or absent from the hybrid mRNA, even if it is present in the chimaeric gene. We have mapped the breakpoints around BCR exon b3 and related this to the type of RNA splice site expressed, in CML patients at diagnosis. Breakpoints within zone 3 were restriction mapped to one of six sub-zones and the site related to the type of RNA splice site. Two clusters of breakpoints within zone 3 were observed. One cluster was located around exon b3 and often resulted in deletion of exon b3 from the chimaeric gene. The majority of this cluster expressed b2-a2 spliced RNA, usually as a consequence of a deletion removing exon b3. The second cluster occurred within two sub-zones that spanned an Alu sequence, and 90% of this cluster exhibited b3-a2 spliced RNA. Furthermore, a greater number of patients had entered blast crisis if the RNA contained BCR exon b3 (8 of 10 patients), compared to those with b2-a2 spliced RNA (3 of 12 patients). The high degree of heterogeneity in the site of the breakpoint within zone 3 of the M-bcr, combined with the type of BCR-ABL hybrid mRNA expressed, further implicates BCR exon b3 in the pathogenesis of CML.
Leukemia 1991 Nov
PMID:Mapping of breakpoints, and relationship to BCR-ABL RNA expression, in Philadelphia-chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukaemia patients with a breakpoint around exon 14 (b3) of the BCR gene. 196 Oct 34

The purpose of the study was to characterize in vivo an immunodepressive murine retroviral 'model' for the possible testing of drugs against HIV infection. Urethane leukaemia virus (ULV) injected into adult BALB/c mice (10(5) focus-forming units/mouse) caused a small, significant splenomegaly from 2 to at least 9 weeks after virus inoculation. Virus was also present in up to 60% nucleated splenocytes (XC 'infectious centre assay'). Effects on splenomegaly and virus in splenocytes were assayed following various regimens of zidovudine given as 0.5 mg/ml or 0.25 mg/ml in drinking water. Regimens included continuous treatment both before and after ULV, only before, and only after ULV inoculation. Zidovudine was also given for a limited period immediately after virus, or initiated after virus infection was established. Zidovudine given continuously at and following ULV infection completely prevented splenomegaly and virus expression in splenocytes. No other regimen was as effective; however, limited zidovudine treatment immediately after virus inoculation greatly reduced the effects of virus, while the same dose initiated after virus infection was established had only a small ameliorating effect. We conclude that ULV may prove to be a useful addition to other available murine systems, and this is discussed.
Int J STD AIDS 1990 Sep
PMID:Inhibition of urethane leukaemia virus, a murine retrovirus, in mice by zidovudine. 196 87

Expression of the 93-kd tyrosine kinase encoded by the human c-fes proto-oncogene (also known as FES) is restricted to mature hematopoietic cells of the granulocytic and monocytic lineages, suggestive of a function essential to normal myeloid differentiation. However, recent studies have shown that c-fes can transform fibroblasts if sufficient levels of gene expression are achieved. These findings indicate that strict regulation of the c-fes gene is critical to normal myeloid development, whereas elevated c-fes expression may contribute to malignant transformation. In the present study, we compared the c-fes messenger RNA (mRNA) levels in leukemia blasts from patients with myeloid or lymphoid leukemia with those of peripheral monocytes from a normal donor with the use of a quantitative ribonuclease protection assay. The presence of c-fes mRNA was readily detected in both acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells, but c-fes mRNA was present in low levels or was absent in lymphoid leukemia cells. The leukemia cells of two of five AML patients and four of four CML patients expressed more c-fes mRNA than monocytes from a normal donor, with more than a threefold elevation in the cells of one CML patient. No evidence of amplification or rearrangement of the c-fes gene was detectable by Southern blot analysis of myeloid leukemia DNA, suggesting that the variation in c-fes mRNA levels are related to differences in transcriptional activity and/or message stability. These results indicate that elevated c-fes expression is a common feature of myeloid leukemia cells that could potentially contribute to the leukemia phenotype.
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PMID:Elevated expression of the c-fes proto-oncogene in adult human myeloid leukemia cells in the absence of gene amplification. 198 16

The Philadelphia (Ph1) chromosome is present in greater than 90% of patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and in 2% to 20% of those with acute leukemias, for which it is an important prognostic marker too. The chimeric BCR-ABL mRNAs resulting from the translocation encode either a 210-Kd or a 190-Kd protein. The techniques used to detect Ph1 chromosome include karyotyping, Southern analysis to demonstrate bcr rearrangement, and polymerase chain reaction to amplify the BCR-ABL transcripts. However, the routine performance of these methods by clinical laboratories is cumbersome, time consuming, and exposes laboratory personnel to radioisotopes. We describe here the clinical application of a new method, the hybridization protection assay (HPA), which uses chemiluminescent acridinium-ester-labeled probes in conjunction with PCR for detection of the amplified BCR-ABL sequences. The method is sensitive, specific, and can reliably distinguish between the transcripts for P190BCR-ABL and P210BCR-ABL. In contrast to the 2 days or longer required for conventional hybridization, HPA analysis can be completed in less than 30 minutes. We have successfully used this method to analyze 60 leukemia samples (34 from Ph1-negative acute leukemias; 6 from Ph1-positive acute leukemias; and 20 from CML) with complete correlation (of BCR-ABL positivity or negativity) with the results of karyotype or Southern Blot analysis of genomic DNA for bcr rearrangement. Therefore, the HPA, in conjunction with PCR, appears to provide a rapid and reliable test for the diagnosis of Ph1-positivity.
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PMID:Hybridization protection assay: a rapid, sensitive, and specific method for detection of Philadelphia chromosome-positive leukemias. 198 90

The Philadelphia chromosome (Ph) is the cytogenetic hallmark of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and as such has been used to confirm the diagnosis of CML based on morphological and clinical criteria. We have investigated 12 patients who were considered to have clinical and morphological features of CML and who did not have detectable abnormalities of chromosomes 9q34 or 22q11. In six of the 12 patients, rearrangement within the 5.8 kb major breakpoint region (M-bcr) and amplification of CML specific M-bcr-ABL cDNA sequences by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was demonstrated. Six other CML patients did not have rearrangement of the M-bcr gene or amplification of BCR-ABL by PCR. These patients had atypical CML. They were significantly older, most had less than 10% immature granulocytic cells (metamyelocytes, myelocytes and promyelocytes) and had various degrees of marrow fibrosis. Three of these six patients died of blastic transformation at 4, 15 and 54 months from diagnosis.
Leukemia 1991 Mar
PMID:Molecular diagnosis of Philadelphia negative CML using the polymerase chain reaction and DNA analysis: clinical features and course of M-bcr negative and M-bcr positive CML. 201 77

The Philadelphia translocation in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) results in the production of a 210 kD BCR-ABL protein. In contrast, in 50% of Philadelphia-positive acute leukemias, the translocation results in the production of a 190 kD BCR-ABL protein. To investigate the hypothesis that the production of P190 may be associated with the progression from chronic phase to blast crisis in CML, we used polymerase chain reaction to analyze blood from 37 patients with accelerated phase/blast crisis CML for the transcripts coding for the P210BCR-ABL and P190BCR-ABL. The mRNA encoding for P210 was detected in all patients. In three patients, mRNA encoding both P210 and P190 was present. In two of these three patients, samples were available from the time of initial diagnosis. Analysis of these samples did not reveal any transcripts for P190. We conclude that in some patients the appearance of P190BCR-ABL may correlate with transformation to a more aggressive, terminal phase of CML.
Leukemia 1991 Mar
PMID:Appearance of acute leukemia-associated P190BCR-ABL in chronic myelogenous leukemia may correlate with disease progression. 201 78


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