Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0025202 (melanoma)
 69,561 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Alteration of the melphalan molecule by shifting the di(2-choroethyl)aminogroup from the para- to the meta-position of the phenylalanine residue results in m-L-sarcolysin. By covalent conjugation of different amino acids at the amino- and carboxylgroups of this molecule, a mixture of six peptides known as Peptichemio has been synthesized. In a previous investigation we found that Peptichemio was less toxic to human lymphoblasts than m-L-sarcolysin. In contrast, in the present investigation we found that Peptichemio has higher cytotoxic effect than m-L-sarcolysin on two human melanoma cell lines. The higher cytotoxicity was paralleled by a higher induction of DNA cross-links by Peptichemio as compared to m-L-sarcolysin. A comparative analysis of the six peptides on Peptichemio showed differences in cytotoxic effects on a melanoma cell line. One of the six peptides displayed a considerably higher cytotoxicity than peptichemio itself.
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PMID:Increased toxicity and DNA cross-linking by peptide bound m-L-sarcolysin (Peptichemio) as compared to melphalan and m-L-sarcolysin in human melanoma cell lines. 201 66

2-Thiouracil (TU), an antithyroid drug, is receiving growing interest as a specific tumor marker for malignant melanoma, owing to its capability of being selectively accumulated into active melanin-producing tissues. However, up until now, the molecular mechanism of TU uptake by growing melanin has remained largely unknown. In an attempt to fill this gap, we have investigated the effect of TU on the tyrosinase catalyzed oxidation of tyrosine. At a concentration of 0.5 mM, TU was found to totally inhibit melanin formation by tyrosinase catalyzed oxidation of 0.25 mM tyrosine in phosphate buffer at pH 6.8. Polarographical monitoring of oxygen consumption under conditions of complete suppression of melanogenesis revealed a significant tyrosinase activity, with TU acting as a modest non-competitive inhibitor of the enzyme (Ki = 0.6 mM). HPLC and TLC analysis of the tyrosine-tyrosinase reaction in the presence of excess TU showed that the substrate is progressively consumed and a major hitherto unknown product (lambda max = 284 nm), positive to ninhydrin and ferric chloride, is concomitantly formed. This was isolated by repeated gel filtration chromatography of the reaction mixture on Sephadex G-10 and was formulated as the TU-dopa adduct 3,4-dihydroxy-6-(4'-hydroxypyrimidinyl-2'-thio)phenylalanine by spectral analysis. These results suggest that selective TU incorporation in pigmented melanomas and other melanin-producing systems is due to the covalent binding to dopaquinone, produced by tyrosinase catalyzed oxidation of tyrosine.
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PMID:Selective uptake of 2-thiouracil into melanin-producing systems depends on chemical binding to enzymically generated dopaquinone. 212 40

Amino acid restriction modulates tumor growth, although effects on metastasis are poorly documented. We demonstrate that low levels of tyrosine (Tyr) and phenylalanine (Phe) suppress metastasis of B16-BL6 melanoma and that these effects are specific to these two amino acids. Weight loss and sustained low body weight in mice fed low Tyr and Phe diet do not contribute to the antimetastatic effects. Furthermore, methionine (Met) restriction, which decreased survival of mice inoculated i.p. with B16 melanoma, only slightly inhibited spontaneous metastasis compared to the dramatic inhibition during Tyr and Phe restriction. Tyr and Phe restriction inhibited spontaneous metastasis by impairing the ability of tumor cells to establish metastatic foci and not via differential tumor cell removal from the blood. Spontaneous metastasis is blocked by Tyr and Phe intervention even in mice with established lymph node tumors. Tumors isolated from mice fed low Tyr and Phe diet reinoculated into mice fed normal diet exhibited lower experimental metastatic potential, reflected by decreased formation of lung tumor colonies and increased survival of inoculated mice. This decrease in metastatic potential is not associated with tumor chemosensitivity. These findings indicate that Tyr and Phe restriction could become an important adjuvant to effective melanoma treatment.
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PMID:Specificity of the suppression of metastatic phenotype by tyrosine and phenylalanine restriction. 220 33

We previously demonstrated that tyrosine (Tyr) and phenylalanine (Phe) restriction suppresses metastatic heterogeneity of B16-BL6 (BL6) melanoma and selects for tumor variants with decreased metastatic potential. In this study, we investigate stability of this Tyr- and Phe-modulated tumor phenotype by sequentially transplanting BL6 in vivo into mice fed Low Tyr and Phe Diet. Metastatic potential of BL6 is suppressed after one subcutaneous passage. Suppression is unlikely to result from inhibition of tumor growth, since growth in vitro is significantly increased. The metastatic potential of the Tyr- and Phe-modulated tumor is unstable after in vivo passage, and lung colonizing ability is regenerated after ten in vivo passages. Conversely, the antimetastatic effect of Tyr and Phe restriction is stable after prolonged in vitro passage. The metastatic potential of tumors from mice fed Normal Diet is unstable after long-term in vitro culture. Sensitivity to adriamycin of BL6 from mice fed Low Tyr and Phe Diet is increased and is not altered by change in metastatic potential.
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PMID:Phenotypic stability of B16-BL6 melanoma exposed to low levels of tyrosine and phenylalanine. 224 Nov 8

The radiotherapeutic management of primary brain tumors and metastatic melanoma in brain has had disappointing clinical results for many years. Although neutron capture therapy was tried in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s, the results were not as hoped. However, with the newly developed capability to measure boron concentrations in blood and tissue both quickly and accurately, and with the advent of epithermal neutron beams obviating the need for scalp and skull reflection, it should now be possible to mount such a clinical trial of NCT again and avoid serious complications. As a prerequisite, it will be important to demonstrate the differential uptake of boron compound in brain tumor as compared with normal brain and its blood supply. If this can be done, then a trial of boron neutron capture therapy for brain tumors should be feasible. Because boronated phenylalanine has been demonstrated to be preferentially taken up by melanoma cells through the biosynthetic pathway for melanin, there is special interest in a trial of boron neutron capture therapy for metastatic melanoma in brain. Again, the use of an epithermal beam would make this a practical possibility. However, because any epithermal (or thermal) beam must contain a certain contaminating level of gamma rays, and because even a pure neutron beam causes gamma rays to be generated when it interacts with tissue, we think that it is essential to deliver treatments with an epithermal beam for boron neutron capture therapy in fractions in order to minimize the late-effects of low-LET gamma rays in the normal tissue. I look forward to the remainder of this Workshop, which will detail recent progress in the development of epithermal, as well as thermal, beams and new methods for tracking and measuring the uptake of boron in normal and tumor tissues.
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PMID:Clinical considerations for neutron capture therapy of brain tumors. 226 42

Clomesone was evaluated for antitumor activity against a spectrum of animal tumor models. Clomesone exhibited significant antitumor activity against the murine L1210 leukemia implanted i.p., s.c., and intracerebrally (i.c.). Activity against s.c.-implanted tumor was largely independent of schedule and route of administration. Therapeutically optimal single-dose treatment (for tumored mice) was less toxic to nontumored mice than therapeutically optimal prolonged treatment. Clomesone also exhibited activity against other murine tumors (P388 leukemia, B16 melanoma, Lewis lung carcinoma, and M5076 sarcoma). It was active against P388 leukemia sublines resistant to cyclophosphamide, L-phenylalanine mustard, and cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II). No activity was observed against a P388 subline resistant to N,N'-bis(2-chloroethyl)-N-nitrosourea or against Ridgway osteogenic sarcoma, a nitrosourea-resistant murine solid tumor. Clomesone is generally as effective as the chloroethylnitrosoureas against experimental tumor models. Since clomesone does not have the hydroxyethylating and carbamoylating activities of the chloroethylnitrosoureas (which do not appear to contribute to antitumor activity), it would likely be a more toxicologically selective compound. It may prove to be less carcinogenic than the chloroethylnitrosoureas, and it may contribute less target organ toxicity and less interference with the actions of other drugs when used in combinations.
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PMID:Antitumor activity of 2-chloroethyl (methylsulfonyl)methanesulfonate (clomesone, NSC 33847) against selected tumor systems in mice. 253 44

Two analogues of alpha-MSH (Ac-Ser-Tyr-Ser-Met-Glu-His-Phe-Arg-Trp-Gly-Lys-Pro-Val-NH2), Ac-[Nle4, Asp5, D-Phe7, Lys10]alpha-MSH4-10NH2 and Ac-[Nle4, Asp5, D-Phe7, Lys10] alpha-MSH4-10-NH2, were synthesized, and the melanotropic activities of the peptides were compared in several bioassays. Potencies were determined in the in vitro frog and lizard skin bioassays and in the S91 melanoma cell tyrosinase assay. Both analogues were equipotent or more potent than alpha-MSH in all bioassays, and the activities of the analogues were prolonged compared to alpha-MSH. The two analogues were very resistant to inactivation by purified proteolytic enzymes (alpha-chymotrypsin, trypsin, and pepsin). The two peptides could be topically applied and transdermally delivered across the skin of mice in vivo, resulting in a shift from pheomelanogenesis to eumelanogenesis within follicular melanocytes. The cyclic analogue exhibited greater potency, prolonged activity, and stability against enzyme inactivation than did the linear peptide. The significance of the findings for the further design of melanotropin analogues is discussed, as in the possible relevance of these melanotropin analogues for use in biomedical studies.
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PMID:Linear and cyclic alpha-melanotropin [4-10]-fragment analogues that exhibit superpotency and residual activity. 255 3

Tyrosinase was isolated from cultured melanoma cells using a procedure involving solubilization of the enzyme by means of Triton X-100, followed by different types of chromatography and tryptic digestion to make the enzyme soluble even in the absence of detergent. Starting with a membranous material containing 72 mg protein, 0.21 mg tyrosinase was obtained. The recovery of tyrosinase was 36% of the quantity found in the membranous starting material. In order to acquire a completely purified enzyme preparation suitable for amino acid sequence analysis, SDS-PAGE followed by blotting onto a polyvinylidene difluoride membrane was performed as a final step. The apparent molecular weight was found to be 66,000. Determination of the amino acids of the aminoterminal portion by automated Edman degradation showed the following sequence: His-Phe-Pro-Arg-Ala-X-Val-Ser-Ser-Lys-Asn-Leu-Met-Glu-Lys-Glu-X-X-Pro-Pr o-The enzyme purified has an amino acid sequence identical with that of human tyrosinase deduced from c-DNA by Kwon et al. Striking similarities between our amino acid sequence and that predicted by Yamamoto et al. from mouse tyrosinase c-DNA were also observed.
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PMID:Isolation of human tyrosinase from cultured melanoma cells. 256 29

Uptake of the bifunctional alkylating agent, PTT.119, p-F-Phe-m-bis-(2-chloroethyl)amino-L-Phe-Met-ethoxy-HCl, by the MJY-alpha mammary tumor and B16 melanoma cell lines occurred via two natural pathways for amino acid transport. The primary route of PTT.119 entry was the classical L System, whereas, the ASC System carrier was inconsistently operational for uptake of the tripeptide accounting for 5-6% of PTT.119 transport in the B16 melanoma cells. Tripeptide uptake by MJY-alpha mammary tumor cells did not occur via ASC carriers indicating that the mechanism of drug transport was dissimilar among the tumor cells. In spite of these differences the results support the hypothesis that amino acid residues covalently linked to an alkylating moiety do serve as carriers to enhance drug delivery.
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PMID:Mammary tumor and melanoma cell transport of PTT.119, a bis-(2-chloroethyl)amino-L-phenylalanine derivative with carrier amino acids. 283 30

L-dopa is a key metabolite in the process of melanogenesis. However, it is difficult to use in biological experiments because it is subject to auto-oxidation and relatively insoluble at neutral pH. Dopa phosphates contain phosphate ester linkages at positions 3 and/or 4 of the phenylalanine ring of L-dopa, rendering them highly soluble and stable to auto-oxidation when compared to L-dopa. Dopa phosphates are readily taken up by melanoma cells in culture and converted to L-dopa and inorganic phosphate by cellular phosphatases, making them useful for studying L-dopa effects in vivo. Here we investigated the effects of dopa phosphates on receptors for MSH in cultured melanoma cells. We found that dopa phosphates caused a 3-fold stimulation of MSH binding capacity by the cells which probably occurred through an increase in the number of receptors for MSH with no apparent change in affinity of the receptors. The increased binding capacity for MSH was followed by increased cellular tyrosinase activity and melanogenesis. Thus dopa phosphates and/or L-dopa can act as regulators of the MSH receptor system. The observations suggest a novel mechanism for regulation of hormonal responsiveness: hormonal signal amplification by a metabolite in the target pathway.
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PMID:Phosphorylated isomers of L-dopa stimulate MSH binding capacity and responsiveness to MSH in cultured melanoma cells. 288 96


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