UMLS:C0025202 - FACTA Search

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Query: UMLS:C0025202 (melanoma)
69,561 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Interleukin-2 and interferon-alpha have been used as therapeutic options in the treatment of certain malignancies such as metastatic malignant melanoma, acute myelogenous leukemia, and renal cell carcinoma. However, the outcome with these agents has been less than optimal. While experiments in vitro would lead one to believe that these agents would be useful therapeutic alternatives, the situation in vivo is confounded by the fact that the microenvironments of the tumor and surrounding tissue are infiltrated with monocytes and macrophages, which suppress the cytotoxic activity of T cells and natural killer cells. The mechanism by which this occurs is through the generation of reactive oxygen species that are responsible for apoptosis by both T cells and natural killer cells. Histamine abrogates this suppression, thus restoring the cytotoxicity of these cells. Therefore, the addition of histamine to regimens containing cytokines is expected to optimize cytokine therapy. Clinical trials with these regimens are under way in the treatment of metastatic malignant melanoma, acute myelogenous leukemia, and renal cell carcinoma. Results published thus far indicate that the addition of histamine to cytokine therapy is both safe and efficacious in the treatment of these diseases.
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PMID:Histamine as an adjunct to immunotherapy. 1206 86

The components of the apoptotic program are targets for anticancer therapy. Bcl-2 protein inhibits apoptosis and confers resistance to treatment with traditional cytotoxic chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and monoclonal antibodies (mAb). Oblimersen sodium (G3139, Genasense, Genta Inc., Berkeley Heights, NJ) is an antisense oligonucleotide (AS-ON) compound designed to specifically bind to the first 6 codons of the human bcl-2 mRNA sequence, resulting in degradation of bcl-2 mRNA and subsequent decrease in Bcl-2 protein translation. Oblimersen is the first oligonucleotide to demonstrate proof of principle of an antisense effect in human tumors by the documented downregulation of the target Bcl-2 protein. A growing body of preclinical and clinical evidence suggests that oblimersen synergizes with many cytotoxic and biologic/immunotherapeutic agents against a variety of hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. Randomized clinical trials are currently underway to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of oblimersen in combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy in chronic lymphocytic leukemia, multiple myeloma, malignant melanoma, and non-small cell lung cancer. In addition, nonrandomized trials are under way to evaluate oblimersen in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, acute myeloid leukemia, and hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Preclinical data also support the clinical evaluation of oblimersen in additional tumor types, including chronic myelogenous leukemia and breast, small cell lung, gastric, colon, bladder, and Merkel cell cancers. Enhancement of the efficacy of anticancer treatments with oblimersen Bcl-2 antisense therapy represents a promising new apoptosis-modulating strategy, and ongoing clinical trials will test this therapeutic approach.
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PMID:Oblimersen Bcl-2 antisense: facilitating apoptosis in anticancer treatment. 1216 2

Epstein-Barr Virus-transformed B lymphoblastoid cell lines (EBV-LCLs) are routinely used for the in vitro expansion of T cells. However, these cell lines are reported to produce the cytokine IL-10, which is inhibitory for T cells. We, therefore, characterized a panel of 37 EBV-LCLs for a variety of cell surface markers, for secretion of various cytokines including IL-10 and for immunoglobulin production. These cell lines were derived from normal donors or patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer, acute myelogenous leukemia, melanoma or colon cancer. Overall, 26 lines were positive for CD19 and CD20, and 11 were negative for both. All of the lines were strongly HLA-DR+, while CD40 expression was variable. Twenty-four (65%) were both CD23+ and secreted immunoglobulin, and 33 expressed kappa and/or lambda light chains. Additionally, all of the EBV-LCLs were negative for T cell (CD3), NK cell (CD16, CD56), monocyte (CD14) and granulocyte (CD66b) surface markers. Some level of IL-10, IL-6, IL-12p40 and TNF-alpha cytokine production was detected in 33, 18, 19 and 12 EBV-LCLs, respectively. Together, these data reflect the heterogeneity of EBV-LCLs, which cautions their use nondiscriminately in various immunologic assays.
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PMID:Cell surface phenotyping and cytokine production of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)-transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs). 1219 5

NKG2D, together with NKp46 and NKp30, represents a major triggering receptor involved in the induction of cytotoxicity by both resting and activated human natural killer cells. In this study, we analyzed the expression and the functional relevance of MHC class I-related chain A (MICA) and UL16 binding protein (ULBP), the major cellular ligands for human NKG2D, in human tumor cell lines of different histological origin. We show that MICA and ULBP are frequently coexpressed by carcinoma cell lines, whereas MICA is expressed more frequently than ULBP by melanoma cell lines. Interestingly, the MICA(-) ULBP(+) phenotype was detected in most T cell leukemia cell lines, whereas the MICA(-) ULBP(-) phenotype characterized all acute myeloid leukemia and most B-cell lymphoma cell lines analyzed. These results, together with functional experiments, based on monoclonal antibody-mediated blocking of either NKG2D or its ligands, showed that killing of certain MICA(-) cell tumors is at least in part NKG2D dependent. Indeed, leukemic T cells as well as certain B-cell lymphomas were killed in a NKG2D-dependent fashion upon recognition of ULBP molecules. Moreover, ULBP could induce NKG2D-mediated NK cell triggering also in tumors coexpressing MICA. Our data suggest that the involvement of NKG2D in natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity strictly correlates with the expression and the surface density of MICA and ULBP on target cell tumors of different histotypes.
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PMID:Major histocompatibility complex class I-related chain A and UL16-binding protein expression on tumor cell lines of different histotypes: analysis of tumor susceptibility to NKG2D-dependent natural killer cell cytotoxicity. 1241 45

The mammalian protein DEK has been implicated in multiple cellular processes, including transcriptional regulation, mRNA processing, and chromatin remodeling, and is associated with a number of clinical autoimmune and neoplastic conditions. The connection between DEK and cancer exists at multiple levels: (a) the t(6;9) chromosomal translocation that characterizes a subtype of acute myelogenous leukemia cases results in the formation of a DEK-CAN fusion oncoprotein; (b) a fragment of dek cDNA is capable of partially reversing the radiation-sensitive phenotype of fibroblasts cultured from ataxia-telangiectasia patients; and (c) increased levels of dek mRNA have been found to be associated with hepatocellular carcinoma, glioblastoma, and melanoma. Despite the growing list of cancer subtypes with a connection to DEK, the factors that mediate its expression have yet to be characterized. Here we undertake the analysis of DEK regulation by mapping the discrete elements within the proximal promoter that are responsible for constitutive transcription of dek in transformed cells. We find that functional elements include an inverted CCAAT box and a YY1 consensus binding site, and the introduction of point mutations into these sites markedly diminishes transcriptional activity. In addition, we identify the transcriptional activator NF-Y as a member of the CCAAT-binding complex, and verify binding of the transcription factor YY1 at its consensus site in the dek promoter. The discovery of NF-Y and YY1 as regulatory determinants of DEK expression is consistent with the well-documented roles of these two factors in cellular proliferation and transformation.
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PMID:YY1 and NF-Y binding sites regulate the transcriptional activity of the dek and dek-can promoter. 1248 38

Translocations interrupting the mixed lineage leukemia gene (MLL) occur in 7-10% of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and 5-6% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cases. One of these translocations, t(11;15)(q23;q14), occurs rarely in both ALL and AML. The gene on chromosome 15, AF15q14, was cloned recently in a patient with AML-M4. We have identified the same gene in a de novo T-ALL patient. However, both the MLL and AF15q14 breakpoints in these patients differed: in the previously reported AML-M4, both gene breaks were within exons, while in our ALL case the MLL break is intronic and the AF15q14 break is exonic. The MLL-AF15q14 fusion described previously shares no AF15q14 residues in common with the chimera reported here. The fusion proteins also differ with respect to MLL--the previously described fusion contains 55 extra amino acids as its MLL break is in exon 11, while the chimera we report breaks in intron 9. Contrary to the originally described normal AF15q14 (5925-bp cDNA encoding a 1833-aa protein), we identify a 7542-bp cDNA and a 2342-aa AF15q14 protein. AF15q14 appears identical to an mRNA previously found to be expressed in melanoma rendered nontumorigenic by microcell-mediated introduction of normal chromosome 6, suggesting the gene may function normally to suppress cell growth and/or enhance maturation.
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PMID:Characterization of the MLL partner gene AF15q14 involved in t(11;15)(q23;q14). 1261 68

The components of the apoptotic pathway are targets for anticancer therapy. Bcl-2 protein inhibits apoptosis and confers resistance to treatment with traditional cytotoxic chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and monoclonal antibodies. Oblimersen sodium (G3139, Genasense, Genta Inc, Berkeley Heights, NJ) is an antisense oligonucleotide compound designed to specifically bind to the first six codons of the human bcl-2 mRNA sequence, resulting in degradation of bcl-2 mRNA and subsequent decrease in Bcl-2 protein translation. Oblimersen is the first oligonucleotide to demonstrate proof of principle of an antisense effect in human tumors by the documented downregulation of the target Bcl-2 protein. A growing body of preclinical and clinical evidence suggests that oblimersen synergizes with many cytotoxic and biologic/immunotherapeutic agents against a variety of hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. Randomized clinical trials are currently underway to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of oblimersen in combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), multiple myeloma (MM), malignant melanoma, and non-small cell lung cancer. In addition, nonrandomized trials are underway to evaluate oblimersen in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Preclinical data support the clinical evaluation of oblimersen in additional tumor types, including chronic myelogenous leukemia, and breast, small cell lung, gastric, colon, bladder (CML), and Merkel cell cancers. Enhancement of the efficacy of anticancer treatments with oblimersen Bcl-2 antisense therapy represents a promising new apoptosis-modulating strategy, and ongoing clinical trials will test this therapeutic approach.
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PMID:Oblimersen sodium (G3139 Bcl-2 antisense oligonucleotide) therapy in Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia: a targeted approach to enhance apoptosis. 1272 Jan 57

To design a specific immunotherapy for leukemia patients, the identification of leukemia-associated antigens (LAAs) is a pivotal step. Antileukemic effects after hematopoetic stem cell transplantation for myeloid leukemias are observed and might be related to the recognition of LAAs. Using the serological screening of an expression library (SEREX) of K562 cells, we identified 16 different clones encoding LAAs eliciting a humoral immune response, among them the heat shock proteins HSJ2 and HSP70, the M-phase phosphoprotein 11 (MPP11), the BRCA1-associated protein (BRAP), the Jkappa recombination binding protein (RBPJkappa) and the receptor for hyaluronic acid mediated motility (RHAMM). Serological responses to MPP11 were observed in 7/19 (37%) of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and 6/16 (38%) of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), but not in healthy volunteers (0/20). IgG antibodies directed against MPP11 were also detected in 25-50% of the sera of patients with solid tumors such as melanoma, renal cell, ovarian and breast carcinoma. mRNA expression of MPP11 was detected in 20/20 AML patients and 7/10 patients with CML. In normal tissues, strong mRNA expression of MPP11 was only detected in testis. By real-time PCR, we detected upregulation of MPP11 in leukemic blasts. Simultaneous humoral immune responses to 2 or more of the 16 LAAs identified here was observed, suggesting the feasibility of a polyvalent vaccination as an option for immunotherapies in leukemia patients.
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PMID:Characterization of several leukemia-associated antigens inducing humoral immune responses in acute and chronic myeloid leukemia. 1280 Jan 98

Troxacitabine [BCH 4556; SPD 758; Troxatyl] is a DNA synthesis inhibitor. This profile has been selected from R&D Insight, a pharmaceutical intelligence database produced by Adis International Ltd. It is a member of a novel class of nucleoside analogues discovered by BioChem Pharma and is the first example of a synthetic L-nucleoside analogue to have shown anticancer activity in animal models. On 11 May 2001, BioChem Pharma was acquired by, and integrated into, Shire Pharmaceuticals Group. In February 2002 Shire announced that it intended to pursue development of troxacitabine as a treatment for solid tumours. In addition, Shire indicated that it would pursue the drug's development for acute myeloid leukaemia. In March 1999, phase II trials were initiated to investigate the efficacy and tolerability of troxacitabine in a variety of solid tumours including pancreas, prostate, colorectal, renal and non-small cell lung cancers and melanoma. The trials were conducted throughout North America and were closed to patient accrual in 2000. Two phase I combination chemotherapy trials in solid tumours (one with cisplatin and another with paclitaxel) have been initiated. One of these trials is in patients with pancreatic cancer. A phase III trial in patients with pancreatic cancer is expected to begin during the second or third quarter of 2003. In addition, further clinical development was initiated in May 2000, in the form of a combination chemotherapy trial in patients with acute leukaemia. A phase II trial in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and chronic myeloid leukaemia-blast phase (CML-BP) has reported that troxacitabine demonstrated significant activity in these cancers. However, Shire indicated that no further development for CML-BP will be conducted. The company indicated that it would focus future development in the haematological malignancy area on AML and has initiated an exploratory phase III trial of troxacitabine in previously untreated patients with poor prognosis AML. The study will compare troxacitabine in combination with either cytarabine or idarubicin, with a control drug regimen. The aim is to identify the most promising treatment regimens in a relatively small number of patients before commencing the larger pivotal trial. A pivotal phase III trial is expected to begin in the first half of 2003. In September 2002, Shire Pharmaceuticals forecast Troxatyl to reach peak sales of $US100-200 million, for the indications of pancreatic cancer and myeloid leukaemia.
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PMID:Troxacitabine: BCH 4556, SPD 758, Troxatyl. 1284 94

Pentostatin (2'-deoxycoformycin, dCF) is a purine nucleoside analog and a product of the fermentation of Streptomyces antibioticus. It is a tight-binding inhibitor of adenosine deaminase (ADA), an enzyme essential in the cellular metabolism of purines. Children with congenital absence of ADA suffer from atrophy of lymphoid tissues and severe combined immune deficiency (SCID) syndrome. It was hypothesized that pentostatin would be lymphocytotoxic and this proved to be true; this finding prompted its investigation in lymphoid neoplasms. It was anticipated that pentostatin would be most active in neoplasms with high intracellular concentrations of ADA, e.g. acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), particularly of the T-cell variety. Although pentostatin proved to be active in ALL, large doses were required and major toxic effects outweighed therapeutic benefits. By contrast, pentostatin proved to be exceptionally active in hairy cell leukemia (HCL), a B-cell neoplasm with low intracellular concentrations of ADA. Pentostatin has since been shown to possess activity in chronic lymphocytic leukemia, prolymphocytic leukemia, cutaneous T-cell lymphomas, adult T-cell lymphoma-leukemia, and low grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. It potentiates the activity of vidarabine against viruses and against the cells of acute myeloid leukemia. Pentostatin is inactive in melanoma and renal carcinoma, but has not been adequately evaluated in other solid tumors. The toxic effects of pentostatin include renal failure, central nervous system (CNS) depression, immunosuppresion, keratoconjunctivitis, and opportunistic infections. In the absence of pre-existing bone marrow compromise, pentostatin produces only mild myelosuppression. Aside from its use as an antineoplastic agent, pentostatin has potential applications as an immunosuppressive drug, as an antiviral agent, as an antimalarial compound, and in the protection of cells of the CNS from damage induced by ischemia and anoxia. Clinical studies with pentostatin are ongoing, and its roles in the management of neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases have yet to be fully defined.
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PMID:Deoxycoformycin (pentostatin): clinical pharmacology, role in the chemotherapy of cancer, and use in other diseases. 1465 Dec 24

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