Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0027627 (metastases)
 103,950 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Pharmacological treatment of disseminated melanoma is characterized by rather low objective response rates with mono- and combined chemotherapy and by significant toxicity. For these reasons, many centres do not now offer any systemic treatment to melanoma patients with distant metastases. Systemic treatment with interferons has not fulfilled all that was expected of it, but type-I interferons (-alpha, -beta) have proved to be effective in about 10-15% of patients treated. The antitumour activity of these substances seems to be related mainly to their antiproliferative effect, whereas no immunomodulatory effects have been substantiated in clinical trials. Combined therapy with interferons and cytostatic drugs was introduced into clinical trials only a few years ago, and the initial results are promising. Large studies with a total of over 200 patients have already been performed to evaluate the combination of interferon-alpha and dacarbazine. This treatment was effective in around 50% of the patients, complete or partial remission being achieved in 30% and stabilization of the disease, in 20%. Toxicity is significant, but still manageable; the new generation of antiemetic drugs (serotonin receptor blockers), in particular appears promising. Up to now, no improvement of efficacy has been found following addition of interferon-alpha to cisplatin in four clinical trials. In a study in our own department, however, the combined action of interferon alpha and vindesine was found to be superior to that of either used as a single agent, and the combination was well tolerated on an outpatient basis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
 ...
PMID:[Combination of interferon-alpha with cytostatic drugs: a potentially successful therapeutic approach in metastatic melanoma]. 146 37

A total of 12 patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma received interferon alpha (3 million units intramuscularly 6 times weekly) and OK-432 (5 KE (Klinische Einheit) intramuscularly twice weekly). Metastatic lesions appeared before operation in six patients and after operation in six patients. Among them 5 patients had received interferon therapy and this combination therapy was started after the judgment of progressive disease for interferon therapy. Eleven pulmonary and 5 bone metastases were evaluable. The median duration of the combination therapy was 89.3 weeks. There were 4 partial responses and no complete responses among the 12 patients, giving a response rate of 33.3%. The median duration of response was 25 months, with a range of 6 to 54 months. Responses were seen predominantly in patients in whom metastases appeared after operation (3 of 4 responders). However, regarding the individual organs, two complete and 2 partial responses were observed among 11 pulmonary metastases and 2 partial responses among 5 bone metastases. The survival period after discovery of the metastasis was 10 to 67 months and the 5-year survival rate was 70.5%. Almost all patients had fever and induration at the injection site. Other side effects included leukopenia, anorexia, and depression. This combination therapy is thought to be effective against bone or other organs metastasis resistant to interferon alone.
 ...
PMID:[Treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma with interferon alpha and OK-432 (streptococcal preparation)]. 148 85

We developed a syngeneic mouse IgG2a monoclonal antibody (MAb) A9D41 directed against the Friend leukemia virus envelope gp70 antigen present on the cell surface membranes of virus producer 3C18 Friend leukemia cells (FLC). A9D41 showed a marked antitumor activity in DBA/2 mice given injections of gp70 positive 3C18 FLC, but it was ineffective in mice given injections of gp70 negative 745 FLC or unrelated tumor cells. A9D41 was particularly effective in inhibiting the development of 3C18 FLC liver and spleen metastases. MAb was also effective as adjuvant therapy in inhibiting visceral metastases after excision of an established s.c. FLC tumor, and combined therapy of A9D41 with mouse interferon alpha/beta was more effective than MAb or interferon alpha/beta alone. The immune system of the host played a decisive role in the antimetastatic action of A9D41. Thus, although MAb was cytotoxic for 3C18 FLC in vitro in the presence of rabbit complement, the F(ab')2 fragment was ineffective in vivo, and the antitumor effect of MAb was abolished in mice treated with an antibody to CD4 and diminished in natural killer cell-deficient beige and athymic nude mice. MAb-treated mice surviving injection of FLC developed an immune response to 3C18 FLC.
 ...
PMID:Inhibition of Friend leukemia cell visceral metastases by a new monoclonal antibody and role of the immune system of the host in its action. 158 3

The aim of the present study has been to assess the therapeutic efficacy of various cytokines, singly or in combination, with and without chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, Cy), in mice carrying advanced, weakly immunogenic tumors (MCA-105 sarcoma, M109 carcinoma). Treatment of animals with i.p. growths or experimental pulmonary metastases began 8-18 days after i.p. or i.v. tumor cell inoculation respectively. None of the cytokines tested [interleukin-2 (IL-2), interferon alpha (IFN alpha), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) and macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF)] nor Cy had by itself a significant curative effect. A synergistic therapeutic effect was obtained with IL-2 or IFN alpha (but not with TNF alpha or M-CSF) in combination with Cy. The most efficacious regimen (65%-90% cure of mice carrying i.p. tumors) was the combination of Cy+IL-2+IFN alpha. Preliminary experiments suggested that sequential administration of these cytokines might be more beneficial than concurrent administration. Following successful immunotherapy, long-term (3-6 months) survivors showed a tumor-specific resistance to a second tumor challenge and their spleen contained an increased number of specific antitumor cytotoxic T lymphocyte precursors (5- to 20-fold, compared to control mice). In vitro and in vivo cell-depletion experiments using monoclonal antibodies revealed that T cells (primarily CD8), but not NK cells, are crucial for the therapeutic effects. This study indicates that a potent specific antitumor T cell immunity can be elicited against advanced weakly immunogenic tumors by combining chemotherapy (Cy) with IL-2 and IFN alpha.
 ...
PMID:Chemo-immunotherapy of murine solid tumors: enhanced therapeutic effects by interleukin-2 combined with interferon alpha and the role of specific T cells. 161 25

A new cell line (SARG) was established from a human radiation-induced osteosarcoma (OSA). It showed an epithelial-like morphology with polymorphous and sometimes bizarre nuclei. SARG had an osteoblastic differentiation pattern: almost 100% of the cells were positive for alkaline phosphatase, type I and III collagens and osteonectin. The expression of class I HLA antigens was detectable even after 40 in vitro passages. The expression of MHC antigens was greatly increased after in vitro treatment with interferon gamma (IFN-gamma), whereas interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) increased the expression of class I antigens, but not of class II antigens. SARG was tumorigenic after subcutaneous injection in nude mice. Experimental metastases were never detected.
 ...
PMID:SARG: a new human osteosarcoma cell line. Expression of bone markers and of major histocompatibility antigens. 162 59

A total of 65 patients with advanced cutaneous malignant melanoma (MM) have now been treated with interferon alpha-2b (Intron A) at a dose of 10 million IU/m2 administered subcutaneously thrice weekly. Fifty-one patients were evaluable for response, and 4 of these (7.8%) achieved complete remission; 2 of these 4 remain so at 37 + and 54 + months. Six additional patients achieved a partial remission. All responders had subcutaneous, lymph node and/or pulmonary metastases only. In all responders, therapy was continued for a total of 12 months. The vast majority of patients experienced side effects, largely flu-like symptoms, mild leukopenia and mild hepatocellular dysfunction. No evidence of cumulative toxicity was observed. Our experience indicates that interferon alpha-2b is active in patients with advanced cutaneous MM.
 ...
PMID:Role of recombinant alpha-interferon in the treatment of advanced cutaneous malignant melanoma. 174 82

The present studies were designed to examine whether treatment of disseminated melanoma with a combination of recombinant interferon alpha (rIFN alpha-2a) and DTIC may provide better results than either agent alone. Two dose levels of rIFN alpha-2a were examined with the same dose and schedule of DTIC administration. In the first study 76 patients were treated with rIFN alpha-2a (3 x 10(6) IU days 1-3, 9 x 10(6) IU days 4-70 then 9 x 10(6) IU TIW) plus DTIC (i.v. 200 mg/m2, escalating to 800 mg/m2 each 21 d) for 6 months or longer or until failure. Responses were seen in 26% of patients overall (7CR, 13PR) with the highest responses being seen in those assessed as having a good prognosis and in patients with skin and/or lung metastases. It was notable that males showed a better response than females and that patients with metastases in lymph nodes showed low responses. Response rates in 30 patients treated with high-dose rIFN alpha-2a (18 x 10(6) IU days 7-70) were not superior to that seen at the lower dose and was accompanied by significant increase in bone marrow toxicity. The duration of responses appeared longer than expected from responses to DTIC alone and four patients remain progression free at periods in excess of 3 years. Failure in nine of the responders was due to the development of brain metastases which emphasizes the need for additional treatment approaches to treat micrometastases at this site. The results of a randomized control study comparing DTIC alone with DTIC plus 'low' dose rIFN alpha-2a are awaited with interest.
 ...
PMID:Treatment of advanced malignant melanoma with recombinant interferon alfa-2a in combination with DTIC: long-term follow-up of two phase II studies. 193 12

Alteration in interactions between tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and tumor cells after chemotherapy or immunotherapy was studied in metastatic melanoma patients. Tumors were harvested from surgical specimens 17 days after the end of chemotherapy with cisplatin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (CVD). Tumors of nonlymph-node metastases from two responders yielded neither TILs nor tumor cells, whereas those from all four nonresponders had both TILs [(1.1-13.8) x 10(6) cells/g tumor] and tumor cells [(2.8-30.8) x 10(6) cells/g tumor). Tumors of lymph node metastases from nine patients yielded substantial numbers both of TILs and tumor cells, regardless of different clinical responses, except with one complete responder, whose tumor did not contain tumor cells. The mean increase of TILs from these tumors (n = 14) 3-4 weeks after incubation with 200 U/ml recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) was 2.5-fold, whereas there was a 56-fold increase in TILs from untreated tumors (n = 3). CD3+ T cells predominated in TILs before and after expansion with IL-2. IL-2-activated TILs from five of six tumors tested displayed higher cytotoxicity against autologous tumor cells than against cells from any of three allogeneic tumors. Mean tumor cell numbers (10(6) cells/trial) obtained by serial needle biopsies for the same tumor in five patients decreased from 1.2 before therapy to 0.25 at day 4 of therapy (interferon alpha alone), and to 0.02 at day 8 (interferon alpha and IL-2). This decrease did not correlate with clinical responses. Yields (x 10(6) cells/g tumor) of TILs and tumor cells in subcutaneous melanomas obtained by excisional biopsies in one nonresponder under IL-2 therapy were respectively 0.2 and 1.1 before therapy (day 0), 0.1 and less than 0.01 during (day 7), 0.2 and less than 0.01 at the end of therapy (day 21), and 0.5 and 0.5 at the time of tumor progression (day 66). Yields of TILs and tumor cells in the other nonresponder were respectively 3 and 26 before (day 0), 16 and 3 during (day 7), and 0.4 and less than 0.01 at the end of IL-2 therapy (day 17), and 2.5 and 6 at the time of progression (day 62). TILs in these two patients before therapy proliferated well in culture with IL-2 (570- and 720-fold, respectively), and showed higher cytotoxicity against autologous tumor cells, whereas none of those from the five tumors biopsied during or at the end of IL-2 therapy proliferated. TILs at the time of progression showed modest proliferation (54- and 76-fold, respectively) and showed major-histocompatibility-complex-nonrestricted cytotoxicity. In summary, a decrease in the number of live tumor cells did not always correlate with clinical response in either therapy. CVD chemotherapy may simply impair IL-2-induced proliferation of TILs. IL-2 therapy may induce transient unresponsiveness of TILs to IL-2.
 ...
PMID:Alteration in interactions between tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and tumor cells in human melanomas after chemotherapy or immunotherapy. 205 68

Experimental results suggest synergistic activity of interferon with different cytotoxic agents, including vinblastine. Both interferon and vinblastine have shown synergistic activity against renal cell carcinoma in the human stem cell assay. In this multicenter phase II study, patients with documented advanced renal cell carcinoma were treated with interferon alpha-2a at a dose of 18 x 10(6) IU i.m. 3 days per week and vinblastine 0.1 mg/kg body weight i.v. every 3 weeks. Combination therapy was given for 6 months except patients with progressive disease. We observed 6/34 (17.6%) partial remissions and 16/34 (47%) no changes. Five out of six responses were seen in pulmonary metastases with a median response duration of 10 months and a median survival for the responders of 17 months. A dose reduction because of interferon toxicity was necessary in 60% of the treated patients. The main side effects were fever and influenza-like symptoms of different intensity in 70% of the patients, which decreased during the treatment periods. This trial demonstrates modest but definite antitumor activity of the combination of interferon alpha-2a/vinblastine. In comparison with single agent therapy we did not observe improved remission rates for the combination treatment.
 ...
PMID:[Combination of recombinant interferon alpha-2A and vinblastine in advanced renal cell cancer]. 208 31

Metastasis to distant organs is the principal cause of death from renal cell carcinoma (RCC). No commonly accepted therapy is available for disseminated RCC at present. Immunotherapy is a mode of therapy that either interferes with the immune system or makes use of drugs that have been derived from soluble mediators of the immune system. Several lines of evidence suggest that combinations of genetically engineered cytokines (e.g. interleukin-2 and interferon alpha) may be particularly active in the treatment of advanced RCC. There are two major rationales for considering immunotherapy for RCC: (1) there is currently no other therapy available, and (2) there is hardly any innovative approach besides immunotherapy. Still, immunotherapy is far from being a standard therapy for disseminated RCC.
 ...
PMID:Rationale for immunotherapy of renal cell carcinoma. 210 Apr 10


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>