Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0027819 (neuroblastoma)
 27,800 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Neuroblastomas often show amplification and high expression of the N-myc oncogene. N-myc expression could be explained as a consequence of gene amplification, but an alternative possibility is that expression primarily results from the inactivation or loss of some factor that normally represses the N-myc gene. To test this idea, we fused N-myc-overexpressing neuroblastoma cell lines with lines that do not express N-myc. In the resulting hybrids, N-myc expression turned out to be switched off, although amplified N-myc copies were still present. This suggests that N-myc overexpression in neuroblastomas results, at least in part, from the inactivation of a suppressor gene that is present in normal cells. In rat neuroblastomas, it has been found that N-myc can switch off class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) expression. Therefore, we analyzed in our hybrid cells whether suppression of N-myc results in reexpression of human class I MHC genes. Because this was found to be the case, the picture emerges of a hierarchic pathway that connects a putative tumor-suppressor gene with the expression of N-myc and consequently of class I MHC, thus affecting the potential immunogenic properties of neuroblastomas.
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PMID:N-myc expression switched off and class I human leukocyte antigen expression switched on after somatic cell fusion of neuroblastoma cells. 220 14

Interferon-gamma-induced tryptophan metabolism of human macrophages was compared to ten human neoplastic cell lines of various tissue origin and to normal dermal human fibroblasts. Tryptophan and metabolites were determined in supernatants of cultures, after incubation for 48 h, by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet and fluorescence detection. With the exception of two cell lines (Hep G 2, hepatoma and CaCo 2, colon adenocarcinoma) in all of the ten other cells and cell lines tryptophan degradation was induced by interferon-gamma. Five of these ten formed only kynurenine (SK-N-SH, neuroblastoma; T 24, J 82, bladder carcinoma; A 431, epidermoid carcinoma; normal dermal fibroblasts), three formed kynurenine and anthranilic acid (U 138 MG, glioblastoma; SK-HEP-1, hepatoma; A 549, lung carcinoma). Only one line, A 498 (kidney carcinoma) showed the same pattern of metabolites as macrophages (kynurenine, anthranilic acid and 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid). Interferon-gamma regulated only the activity of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase. All other enzyme activities detected were independent of interferon-gamma, as shown by the capacity of the cells to metabolize L-kynurenine or N-formyl-L-kynurenine. Increasing the extracellular L-tryptophan concentration resulted in a marked induction of tryptophan degradation by macrophages. Contrarily, a significant decrease of the tryptophan degrading activity was observed when the extracellular L-tryptophan concentration was increased 2-fold with SK-N-SH, T 24 and J 82, 4-fold with A 431 and A 549 and 10-fold with U 138 MG and SK-HEP-1. The activity was unaffected by extracellular L-tryptophan with dermal fibroblasts and A 498. Though interferon-gamma was the most potent inducer of tryptophan metabolism, interferon-alpha and/or -beta showed small but distinct action on some of the cells. In all cells which reacted to interferon-gamma by enhanced expression of class I and/or class II major histocompatibility complex antigens tryptophan degradation was also inducible. These results demonstrate that induction of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase is a common feature of interferon-gamma action, that the extent of this induction is influenced by extracellular L-tryptophan concentrations and that indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase is the only enzyme in the formation of 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid from tryptophan which is regulated by interferon-gamma.
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PMID:Characteristics of interferon induced tryptophan metabolism in human cells in vitro. 250 Sep 76

The influence of interferon-gamma on the susceptibility of neuroblastoma cells in cell-mediated killing was investigated. Neuroblastoma cells were only weakly susceptible targets for peripheral mononuclear cells. However, enrichment of natural killer (NK) cells or activation of NK cells with interleukin-2 resulted in a considerable increase of neuroblastoma cell lysis. Pretreatment of neuroblastoma targets with interferon-gamma additionally increased the susceptibility to enriched NK cells as well as to interleukin-2-activated NK cells. The conjugate formation between enriched NK cells and the neuroblastoma targets was not affected by the pretreatment of the targets with interferon-gamma. Concomitantly, treatment of the neuroblastoma targets with interferon-gamma resulted in a strong induction of otherwise poorly expressed major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigen expression. These results suggest that the increased expression of MHC class I antigens on target cells is not always correlated with decreased sensitivity for NK cells but can also be followed by an increased susceptibility for NK cells.
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PMID:Interferon-gamma upregulates the susceptibility of human neuroblastoma cells to interleukin-2-activated natural killer cells. 250 5

To investigate the effect of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) on the immunotherapy, we used the autocrinically stimulated system in which a mouse IFN-gamma cDNA was transferred by infection with a chimeric retrovirus containing the IFN-gamma gene. First, we established a tumor specific CTL clone (E-4) against 203-glioma cells (a 20-methylcholanthrene induced mouse ependymoblastoma line of C57BL/6 mouse origin), and then transferred murine IFN-gamma cDNA into E-4 by using retroviral vector (pSVX(Mu gamma delta A]. Out of five gene-transferred subclones, E gamma-4, E gamma-5, E gamma-6, E gamma-7 and E gamma-9, two subclones (E gamma-6 and E gamma-9) constitutively produced 8- to 10-fold amounts of IFN-gamma as compared with the parental E-4. Moreover, these two subclones exhibited two to three times higher killing activity against 203-glioma than the parental cells. The enhancement of the killing activities was abrogated by an adequate addition of anti-IFN-gamma antibody. No alteration was seen after the gene transfer in cell surface phenotypes, Thy-1+, Lyt-1-, Lyt-2+3+ and asialo-GM1-. Fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) analysis showed that the surface expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) Class I antigen, H-2Kb, of parental E-4 was augmented remarkably, and it was not altered by the IFN-gamma gene transfer, but the Class II antigen, I-Ab, was slightly enhanced on the two IFN-gamma-producing sublines. Since it is considered that in the vicinity of the constitutively IFN-gamma-producing CTL cells, tumor cells are exposed to a high concentration of IFN-gamma and may be stimulated to induce or enhance the expression of surface antigens including MHC antigens as well as tumor associated antigens in relation to immune recognition. The 203-glioma cells pretreated with IFN-gamma were more efficiently killed by both the parental E-4 and the gene-transferred sublines. It was thus suggested that the specific tumor killing activity of the gene-transferred CTLs was augmented by the constitutive production of IFN-gamma derived from the exogenous gene. As the next step, a mouse IFN-gamma cDNA was transferred into a neuroblastoma line C1300 of A/JAx mouse origin. Two infected subclones C gamma 3 and C gamma 22, were obtained as a low and a high producers, respectively. Both IFN-gamma gene transferred cells remained unchanged as regards in vitro cell growth, morphological appearance and differentiation antigen expression such as neurofilaments after the IFN-gamma gene transfer. On the other hand, expression of MHC Class I antigens of both subcloned lines was extremely augmented at the surface expression level as well as at the transcription level, re
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PMID:[A novel experimental approach to immunotherapy against malignant brain tumor with the mouse IFN-gamma gene transfer]. 250 89

The measurement of the production of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) induced in mice by rabies antigens currently uses spleen cells from immunized A/J mice as effector cells and infected neuroblastoma syngeneic cells as target cells. For several reasons, including difficulties in obtaining A/J mice, as well as genetic analysis of immune responses, it would be advantageous to use strains of mice other than the A/J mice. However, cell lines other than the neuroblastoma Neuro-2a line are difficult to infect by the rabies virus. Therefore, using the same target cells expressing the major histocompatibility complex H-2kd, we have developed an experimental system based on the induction of CTL in F1 BALB/c X C3H/HeJ hybrid H-2kd mice. Splenocytes from F1 hybrid mice primed with inactivated purified rabies virus (IPRV) exhibited cytotoxic activity specific for syngeneic infected target cells (Neuro-2a). High amounts of IPRV were required for the induction of CTL following in vivo priming. The antigen dose required for CTL induction was reduced by in vitro restimulation. In addition to specific CTL, a high level of natural killer cell activity was induced in F1 hybrid mice by priming with IPRV. Among rabies antigen preparations tested (IPRV, purified glycoprotein and ribonucleoprotein), only IPRV induced strong CTL stimulation.
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PMID:Evaluation of the induction of specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes following immunization of F1 hybrid mice with rabies antigens. 254 36

We have evaluated the relationship between the neuronal myc gene (NMYC) and class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) expression in human neuroblastoma (NB) tumor cell lines. Class I MHC surface Ag expression in NB cell lines varied from nearly undetectable to levels nearly as high as in a lymphoblastoid cell line. Class I MHC mRNA levels in NMYC-amplified NB cell lines were lower than levels observed in single copy NMYC NB cell lines. However, considerable variation in class I MHC surface Ag and mRNA expression was evident in NMYC-amplified cell lines. To determine directly whether NMYC might modulate class I MHC expression in NB, we transfected a plasmid containing a recombinant NMYC gene into two tumor cell lines derived from a NB and a related neuroepithelioma tumor. Constitutive overexpression of the recombinant NMYC gene produced no consistent change in class I MHC surface Ag or mRNA levels. To determine whether class I MHC expression might be developmentally regulated in adrenal medullary cells, the precursor cells of adrenal NB tumors, beta 2-microglobulin expression was measured in fetal and adult adrenal glands. beta 2-Microglobulin expression was not evident in the neuroblasts of a 24-wk-old fetal adrenal gland, whereas beta 2-microglobulin expression was present in the adult adrenal medulla. These data suggest that variation in class I MHC expression among NB cells may reflect the developmental stage at which neuroblasts were arrested during tumorigenesis.
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PMID:Expression of class I histocompatibility antigens in neuroectodermal tumors is independent of the expression of a transfected neuroblastoma myc gene. 268 78

Selected neuroendocrine tumors, such as small cell lung cancer (SCLC), and neuroblastoma express markedly diminished class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens (HLA framework and beta 2-microglobulin, beta 2m). Another neuroendocrine tumor, mid-gut carcinoid, also expresses reduced beta 2m antigen as demonstrated herein. Antigen expression is greatly enhanced on SCLC cell lines by in vitro exposure to interferon (IFN). To determine whether IFN mediates similar effects in vivo, we examined by immunoperoxidase staining beta 2m expression in paraffin-embedded tumor tissue sections obtained from 4 SCLC and 7 mid-gut carcinoid patients before and after receiving partially purified human leukocyte IFN-alpha therapy. Before IFN treatment, 3/4 SCLC tumors and 5/7 mid-gut carcinoids did not express beta 2m. By contrast, all tumors showed considerable expression of beta 2m after IFN therapy. Induction of class I antigens on tumor cells deficient in such expression may be one mechanism by which IFN exerts antitumor effects. We believe this is the first report of in vivo induction of class I MHC antigens in epithelial tumor cells in humans.
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PMID:Interferon-mediated in vivo induction of beta 2-microglobulin on small-cell lung cancers and mid-gut carcinoids. 301 23

Gamma-interferon (IFN-gamma) increases class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) expression in human neuroblastoma cell lines. These cells are of interest because of the initial paucity of MHC expression, a paucity that is also seen in neural tumors and normal brain. The aim of this study was to define further the class I molecules, and to begin to analyze the genetic basis of the regulation. Northern blot analysis with cDNA probes for HLA and beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-m) RNAs shows that both are present in reduced quantities (relative to a B-cell control) in control neuroblastoma cells. The levels of both RNAs are increased following IFN-gamma. This behavior parallels that of the corresponding polypeptides. Further monoclonal antibody analysis of the class I proteins from IFN-treated cells shows that both HLA-A and HLA-B are present. For two cell lines, expression of appropriate polymorphic specificities is also shown to be increased. We conclude that IFN-gamma can cause increased expression of appropriate HLA-A,B,C specificities on cells of neuronal origin. This raises the question of whether these molecules can serve predicted immunological functions.
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PMID:Interferon-mediated induction of class I MHC products in human neuronal cell lines: analysis of HLA and beta 2-m RNA, and HLA-A and HLA-B proteins and polymorphic specificities. 309 12

Cell lines established from small cell lung cancer (SCLC), a neuroendocrine tumor, have low or absent expression of class I major histocompatibility complex antigens. To determine whether this phenomenon occurs also in vivo, 244 routine paraffin-embedded tumors including 32 SCLC and 79 non-SCLC (NSCLC) lung cancers were studied for expression of beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2m) by an avidin-biotin coupled immunoperoxidase technique. The majority of SCLC tumors lacked beta 2m expression, while some had weak, focal expression. In contrast, most NSCLC expressed beta 2m, often strongly. The difference between SCLC and NSCLC was highly significant statistically, suggesting that beta 2m can be used as a clinical immunodiagnostic marker for distinguishing NSCLC from SCLC. In addition, certain other neuroendocrine tumors (neuroblastoma, bronchial and midgut carcinoid tumors) lacked beta 2m expression, whereas some (pheochromocytoma, medullary thyroid carcinoma, and peripheral neuroectodermal tumors) usually stained positively. Such non-neuroendocrine tumors as colon, breast, and prostate carcinomas showed moderate to high expression of beta 2m. Selective absence of beta 2m expression by certain neuroendocrine tumors appears to be a phenomenon of biological and diagnostic importance.
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PMID:Paucity of beta 2-microglobulin expression on small cell lung cancer, bronchial carcinoids and certain other neuroendocrine tumors. 352 83

Superantigens such as the staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) are among the most potent T cell activators known. They bind to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules and interact with T cells depending on their T cell receptor (TCR) V beta expression. Superantigens also induce a variety of cytokines and trigger a direct cytotoxic effect against MHC-class-II-positive target cells. In order to extend superantigen-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (SDCC) to MHC-class-II-negative neuroblastoma cells, SEA was linked to the anti-ganglioside GD2 human/mouse chimeric monoclonal antibody (mAb) ch14.18. Ganglioside GD2 is expressed on most tumours of neuroectodermal origin but is expressed to a lesser extent on normal tissues. The linkage of ch14.18 to SEA was achieved either with a protein-A-SEA fusion protein or by chemical coupling. Both constructs induced T-cell-mediated cytotoxicity towards GD2-positive neuroblastoma cells in an effector-to-target(E:T)-ratio- and dose-dependent manner in vitro. To reduce the MHC class II affinity of SEA, a point mutation was introduced in the SEA gene (SEAm9) that resulted in 1000-fold less T cell killing of MHC-class-II-expressing cells as compared to native SEA. However, a protein-A-SEAm9 fusion protein mediated cytotoxicity similar to that of protein-A-SEA on ch14.18-coated, MHC-class-II-negative neuroblastoma cells. Taken together, these findings suggest that superantigen-dependent and monoclonal-antibody-targeted lysis may be a potent novel approach for neuroblastoma therapy.
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PMID:Superantigen-staphylococcal-enterotoxin-A-dependent and antibody-targeted lysis of GD2-positive neuroblastoma cells. 765 71


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