Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.4.23.5 (cathepsin D)
 4,130 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The FACS-analysis of diseases as different as cancer, autoimmune disorders and chronic (retro)viral infections, including HIV-infection, shows -at least temporarily- a common feature of lymphocyte hyperactivation, characterized by cellular activation markers (HLA-DR, CD26, CD38, CD69, CD2R and/or CD30), as well as by solubilized membrane structures, such as beta-2m, sICAM-I, sIL-2R/sCD25, sCD8, and by some oversecreted immunocyte products (e.g. neopterin, lysozyme and/or cathepsin D). We tested two potential approaches to down-regulate the pathologically elevated CD8+ and HLA-DR+ T cells: (a) In animal model, we tested the sensibility of these, disease inducing and maintaining T cell subsets to in vitro pretreated (cell death preprogrammed) semi-syngeneic and allogeneic donor T cells in tumor-bearing mice. (b) In the first clinical study, we used a novel combination of FDA-approved drugs which inhibits Ca(2+)-influx and concomitantly down-regulates cytosolic cAMP in patient's overstimulated immunocompetent cells. We could achieve a 94.6-100% long-term survival in tumor-bearing mice. In patients, large primary tumors and large metastases shrinked by 80-85% and small metastases disappeared completely. Since in HIV-infected persons, the increased number of HLA-DR+ CD38+T (T8) cells is associated with a fall in CD4-level and with development of AIDS, we are looking for the elimination of these HLA-DR+ targets by our novel technique in two AIDS-simulating (FIV/FeLV and SIV) animal models.
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PMID:Treatment of solid tumors should obligatorily be combined with the in vivo codepletion of tumor-protecting, CD8+/HLA-DR(+)-suppressor T cells by alloreactive donor T cells whose preprogrammed cell death allows a high GvL-effect before GvHD can be established. Results of animal experiments, including more than 6000 mice. 873 48

Current monoclonal antibody therapies for multiple myeloma have had limited success, perhaps due to narrow target specificity. We have previously described the ability of polyclonal rabbit antithymocyte globulin (rATG) to induce caspase- and cathepsin-mediated apoptosis in human B and plasma cells. We now extend this observation to myeloma cells. Complement independent cell death was measured after addition of rATG (1-1000 microg/mL) to cultures of myeloma cell lines or primary CD138+ isolates from patient bone marrow aspirates. rATG induced significant levels of apoptosis in myeloma cells as assayed by caspase induction, annexin V binding, subdiploid DNA fragmentation, plasma-membrane permeability, and loss of mitochondrial-membrane potential. Addition of complement greatly augmented myeloma-cell death. Binding of rATG to individual myeloma cell-surface proteins, primarily CD38, CD52, CD126, and CD138, was demonstrated by competitive inhibition experiments with targeted monoclonal antibodies. Three pathways of cell death were identified involving caspase activation, cathepsin D, and the genistein sensitive tyrosine kinase pathway. Fab'2 fragments of rATG had reduced proapoptotic activity, which was restored by coincubation with Fc fragments, and anti-CD32 or anti-CD64 antibodies. We conclude that rATG is an effective agent for in vitro induction of apoptosis in multiple myeloma, and that exploratory clinical trials may be warranted.
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PMID:Apoptosis and complement-mediated lysis of myeloma cells by polyclonal rabbit antithymocyte globulin. 1636 90