Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:3.2.1.23 (beta-galactosidase)
14,648 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The majority of immunotherapy-based gene therapy protocols consist of ex vivo gene transfer in tumor cells. To prevent further in vivo growth, modified cells must be irradiated before reinjection into patients. The present study examines the effects of gamma-irradiation on transgene expression in transduced leukemic cells. Human and murine leukemic cells were transfected with retroviral vectors or plasmids carrying beta-galactosidase, GM-CSF or CD80 genes. Fresh leukemic cells from patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) were transfected with AdZ.F(pK7) adenoviral vector. gamma-irradiation at various lethal doses enhanced transgene expression in leukemic cell lines and fresh AML cells when the gene of interest was under CMV promoter but not when SV40 promoter was used. Oxidative stress also enhanced transgene expression and both irradiation and oxidative stress effects were inhibited by addition of N-acetyl-L-cysteine, a thiol anti-oxidant, indicating the involvement of reactive oxygen species. Transgene expression was also enhanced in vivo 48 and 120 h after subcutaneous injection of irradiated leukemic cells in syngeneic mice. These results show that a cell vaccine protocol using ex vivo gene transfer of transduced cells might be feasible in acute leukemia even if leukemic cells must be irradiated at lethal doses prior to reinjection to patients.
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PMID:Gamma-irradiation enhances transgene expression in leukemic cells. 1257 30

In mammals, methylation of DNA within regulatory sites and histone deacetylase recruitment in transcriptional repressing domains are involved in the loss of the expression of retroviral DNA or repeat arrays transferred in cells for therapeutic purposes. Various investigation results suggest that methylation/deacetylation events are modulated by extracellular and cytoplasmic signal transduction pathways closely involved in regulating cell differentiation. To analyse gene silencing mechanisms and assess if potential pharmacological treatment affects gene silencing kinetics we transduced U937 myelomonocytic cells with a bicistronic retroviral construct carrying the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-TK) and beta-galactosidase (Lac-Z) genes. This vector can be employed in vivo and in vitro to render transduced cell populations susceptible to ganciclovir (GCV). We verified the effect of the histone deacetylase inhibitor Trichostatin A (TSA) alone or combined with 5'-azacytidine (5'aza-C) on transcription downmodulation. Our results indicate that in our in vitro model TSA is able to reactivate transgene expression, more efficiently and with quicker kinetics (12-24h) than 5'aza-C (36-48 h). The effect is dose dependent (between 1 and 50 nM), with no relevant toxicity. Treatment with both drugs is synergistic in gene reactivation in terms of extension and persistence, with low toxicity and no relevant differentiating effects. The cells in which transgene expression has been reactivated undergo progressive silencing, but once weekly drug treatment can maintain high transgene expression levels for more than 90 days with no evidence of selection. The results obtained by treating U937 transduced clones with TSA and/or 5'aza-C together with IL-3, G-CSF or GM-CSF cytokines suggest that transduced U937 differentiation levels do not affect basal expression, but render these cells more responsive to reactivation by TSA or TSA plus 5'aza-C, but not to 5'aza-C alone. In conclusion, the results suggest that in vitro inhibition of histone deacetylase by TSA can interfere with gene silencing mechanisms affecting 5' Moloney murine leukaemia virus long terminal repeat (MoMuLV-LTR) driven transgene expression thus providing the rationale for TSA and/or 5'aza-C administration in animal models for the translation on gene therapy applications.
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PMID:Effect of trichostatin a and 5'-azacytidine on transgene reactivation in U937 transduced cells. 1277 May 23

Subcutaneous injection of GM-CSF-expressing cancer cells into experimental animals results in protective cancer immunity. To delineate the mode of action of such vaccines, we used trinitrophenyl, the antigenic moiety of the contact allergen trinitrochlorobenzene, as surrogate Ag. Trinitrophenyl-derivatized bone marrow-derived dendritic cells were found to elicit a contact hypersensitivity response in syngeneic, but not in allogeneic recipients, compatible with their expected mode of direct Ag presentation. When expressing GM-CSF, haptenized M3 melanoma cells were also able to induce a contact hypersensitivity response but, in contrast to bone marrow-derived dendritic cells, not only in syngeneic but also in allogeneic recipients. This argues for a critical role of host APC. To identify their nature, we introduced the beta-galactosidase (betagal) gene into M3-GM cells. Their administration activated betagal-specific, L(d)-restricted CTL in syngeneic BALB/c mice. Evaluation of lymph nodes draining M3-GM-betagal injection sites revealed the presence of cells presenting the respective L(d)-binding betagal peptide epitope. Based on their capacity to activate betagal-specific CTL, they were identified as being CD11c(+) dendritic cells. These experiments provide a rational basis for the use of GM-CSF-based melanoma cell vaccines in an allogeneic setting.
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PMID:Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor-based melanoma cell vaccines immunize syngeneic and allogeneic recipients via host dendritic cells. 1460 18

Previous studies have documented that Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) is a potent negative regulator of normal hematopoiesis. However, the mechanism by which TNFalpha acts at the cellular level is not totally understood. Although apoptotic cell killing appears to be the most common cellular effect of TNFalpha, other studies suggest that this cytokine may elicit other cellular responses such as prolonged growth inhibition. In this context, we have investigated whether TNFalpha may induce senescence in hematopoietic cells, which display intrinsic defect in the apoptotic machinery. The present study described that, in the leukemic KG1 cells, TNFalpha induced no apoptosis but a senescence state characterized by prolonged growth arrest, increased beta-galactosidase activity, p21WAF-1 induction, decreased telomerase activity, telomeric disturbances (shortening, losses, fusions), and additional chromosomal aberrations. Telomerase inhibition correlated with reduced levels of hTERT transcripts. GM-CSF prevented TNFalpha effects and allowed leukemic cells to recover growth capacity. Finally, our study shows for the first time that, at least in some hematopoietic cells, TNFalpha may induce senescence with important functional consequences, including sustained growth inhibition and genetic instability, and that this cellular response is efficiently regulated by hematopoietic growth factors.
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PMID:Tumor necrosis factor alpha induces senescence and chromosomal instability in human leukemic cells. 1532 80

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a potent immune stimulant when administered with different vaccines. Optimal use of GM-CSF resides in its ability to act locally to stimulate the proliferation and maturation of professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs) (i.e., Langerhans' cells) at the injection site. GM-CSF was engineered into a replication-incompetent recombinant avian (fowlpox) virus (rF-GM-CSF) and a single subcutaneous injection resulted in a sustained enrichment of activated dendritic cells within the regional draining lymph nodes. Those changes were attributed to local GM-CSF production at the injection site by rF-GM-CSF-infected cells. Studies were carried out in which mice were administered different types of beta-galactosidase (beta-gal)-based vaccines--whole protein, peptide, recombinant poxviruses--and GM-CSF was administered either as a single injection of rF-GM-CSF or four daily bolus injections of the recombinant protein. The use of rF-GM-CSF either improved the immune adjuvant effect, as observed for poxvirus-based vaccines, or was equivalent to rGM-CSF, as observed with the beta-gal protein vaccine. It is important to note that with either the replication-competent (vaccinia) or replication-incompetent (fowlpox) vaccines expressing LacZ, strong CTL responses directed against beta-gal were induced only when rF-GM-CSF was used as the immune adjuvant. Engineering GM-CSF into a recombinant fowlpox virus offers an excellent vehicle for the delivery of this cytokine as an immune adjuvant with specific vaccine platforms. In particular, delivery of GM-CSF via the rF-GM-CSF construct would be preferred over bolus injections of rGM-CSF when used as an immune adjuvant with whole protein or recombinant poxvirus-based vaccines. The study underscores the importance of defining the appropriate delivery form of an immune adjuvant, such as GM-CSF, relative to the immunization strategy to maximize the host immune responses against a specific antigen.
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PMID:Comparative studies of Avipox-GM-CSF versus recombinant GM-CSF protein as immune adjuvants with different vaccine platforms. 1578 Jul 40

Despite many decades of drug development, effective therapies for neuropathic pain remain elusive. The recent recognition of spinal cord glia and glial pro-inflammatory cytokines as important contributors to neuropathic pain suggests an alternative therapeutic strategy; that is, targeting glial activation or its downstream consequences. While several glial-selective drugs have been successful in controlling neuropathic pain in animal models, none are optimal for human use. Thus the aim of the present studies was to explore a novel approach for controlling neuropathic pain. Here, an adeno-associated viral (serotype II; AAV2) vector was created that encodes the anti-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-10 (IL-10). This anti-inflammatory cytokine is known to suppress the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Upon intrathecal administration, this novel AAV2-IL-10 vector was successful in transiently preventing and reversing neuropathic pain. Intrathecal administration of an AAV2 vector encoding beta-galactosidase revealed that AAV2 preferentially infects meningeal cells surrounding the CSF space. Taken together, these data provide initial support that intrathecal gene therapy to drive the production of IL-10 may prove to be an efficacious treatment for neuropathic pain.
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PMID:Controlling neuropathic pain by adeno-associated virus driven production of the anti-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-10. 1581 97

Recent studies in both animal models and clinical trials have demonstrated that the avidity of T cells is a major determinant of antitumor and antiviral immunity. In this study, we evaluated several different vaccine strategies for their ability to enhance both the quantity and avidity of CTL responses. CD8(+) T cell quantity was measured by tetramer binding precursor frequency, and avidity was measured by both tetramer dissociation and quantitative cytolytic function. We have evaluated a peptide, a viral vector expressing the Ag transgene alone, with one costimulatory molecule (B7-1), and with three costimulatory molecules (B7-1, ICAM-1, and LFA-3), with anti-CTLA-4 mAb, with GM-CSF, and combinations of the above. We have evaluated these strategies in both a foreign Ag model using beta-galactosidase as immunogen, and in a "self" Ag model, using carcinoembryonic Ag as immunogen in carcinoembryonic Ag transgenic mice. The combined use of several of these strategies was shown to enhance not only the quantity, but, to a greater magnitude, the avidity of T cells generated; a combination strategy is also shown to enhance antitumor effects. The results reported in this study thus demonstrate multiple strategies that can be used in both antitumor and antiviral vaccine settings to generate higher avidity host T cell responses.
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PMID:Multiple costimulatory modalities enhance CTL avidity. 1587 92

Adenovirus is endocytosed and efficiently destroyed by human and murine alveolar macrophages (AMs) and rapidly cleared from the lungs of wild-type but not GM-CSF(-/-) mice. We hypothesized that GM-CSF may regulate adenovirus clearance in AMs via the transcription factor PU.1 by redirecting virion trafficking from the nucleus to lysosomes. This hypothesis was tested in murine AM cell lines with altered GM-CSF and/or PU.1 expression including MH-S (GM-CSF(+/+)PU.1(Pos)), mAM (GM-CSF(-/-)/PU.1(Neg)), and mAM(PU.1+) (GM-CSF(-/-)/PU.1(Pos); PU.1-transduced mAM cells) and A549 (an epithelial-like cell line) using a human adenovirus expressing a beta-galactosidase reporter. In PU.1(Neg) mAM and A549 cells, adenovirus efficiently escaped from endosomes, translocated to the nucleus, and expressed the viral reporter in most cells. In marked contrast, in PU.1(Pos) mAM(PU.1+) and MH-S cells, adenovirus failed to escape from endosomes, colocalized exclusively with endosome/lysosome markers (Rab5, Rab7, and Lamp1), and rarely expressed the reporter. Retroviral expression of PU.1 in A549 cells blocked endosomal escape, nuclear translocation and reporter expression. Inhibition of endosome acidification also blocked escape, nuclear translocation, and reporter expression in PU.1(Neg) cells. The effect of PU.1 on viral trafficking and transduction could not be explained by an effect on endosome acidification or on differences in viral load. PU.1 reduced expression of integrin beta(5), a host factor important for endosomal escape of adenovirus, suggesting that PU.1 redirects adenoviral trafficking by modulating integrin signaling. These results demonstrate that PU.1 uncouples infection from internalization in AMs, providing a mechanism for AMs to avoid infection by adenovirus during clearance.
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PMID:PU.1 redirects adenovirus to lysosomes in alveolar macrophages, uncoupling internalization from infection. 1727 51

Gamma-irradiation is a usual method to inactivate whole-cellular anticancer vaccines consisting viable tumor cells. To evaluate the effect of gamma-irradiation to transgene expression in tumor cells we constructed several stably transfected clones of human and mouse cell lines expressing transgenic GM-CSF or GFP under control of IE-CMV promoter. Irradiation of those cells with different doses (ranged from 20 to 100 Gr) of gamma-radiation caused loss of proliferation capacity with survival of the cells population clearly depended on irradiation dose. Cell-cycle staining reveals accumulation of the cells with G2/M DNA content and almost loss of cells in S-phase. Substantial proportion of irradiated cells shows beta-galactosidase activity and morphological changes associated with cell senescence. An irradiated cell shows no changes in the level of mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity regardless irradiation dose exposed. Irradiated cells retain their ability to express transgene. Moreover, amount of the secreted GM-CSF as well as MFI in GFP-expressing cells significantly increases after gamma-irradiation up to 10 fold for cells exposed with 100 Gr. Enhancing of the transgene expression in both human and mouse cells positively correlates with total dose of gamma-irradiation gained by the cells and demonstrates gradual nature. Overall, our results supports using of 100 Gr of gamma-irradiation as the optimal dose for whole-cell anticancer vaccine inactivation.
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PMID:[High-dose gamma-irradiation enhance expression of transgene under control of immediate-early CMV promoter in stably transfected tumor cells]. 1870 9

alpha-Synuclein is central in Parkinson's disease pathogenesis. Although initially alpha-synuclein was considered a purely intracellular protein, recent data suggest that it can be detected in the plasma and CSF of humans and in the culture media of neuronal cells. To address a role of secreted alpha-synuclein in neuronal homeostasis, we have generated wild-type alpha-synuclein and beta-galactosidase inducible SH-SY5Y cells. Soluble oligomeric and monomeric species of alpha-synuclein are readily detected in the conditioned media (CM) of these cells at concentrations similar to those observed in human CSF. We have found that, in this model, alpha-synuclein is secreted by externalized vesicles in a calcium-dependent manner. Electron microscopy and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry proteomic analysis demonstrate that these vesicles have the characteristic hallmarks of exosomes, secreted intraluminar vesicles of multivesicular bodies. Application of CM containing secreted alpha-synuclein causes cell death of recipient neuronal cells, which can be reversed after alpha-synuclein immunodepletion from the CM. High- and low-molecular-weight alpha-synuclein species, isolated from this CM, significantly decrease cell viability. Importantly, treatment of the CM with oligomer-interfering compounds before application rescues the recipient neuronal cells from the observed toxicity. Our results show for the first time that cell-produced alpha-synuclein is secreted via an exosomal, calcium-dependent mechanism and suggest that alpha-synuclein secretion serves to amplify and propagate Parkinson's disease-related pathology.
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PMID:Cell-produced alpha-synuclein is secreted in a calcium-dependent manner by exosomes and impacts neuronal survival. 2048 26


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