Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0598934 (tumor growth)
 58,965 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Many human tumors over-express erbB-2 and EGF receptors. The membrane localization of these receptor tyrosine kinases make them appropriate targets for directed tumor therapy. We have used recombinant DNA technology to produce single-chain antibody exotoxin A (scFv-ETA) fusion proteins which specifically bind the erbB-2 and EGF receptors. The scFv portion is composed of the heavy- and light-chain variable domains of monoclonal antibodies which recognize the extracellular portion of each receptor. We have previously described the anti-tumor activity of the bacterially produced scFv(FRP5)-ETA directed to the erbB-2 receptor. In this paper we describe the characteristics of scFv(225)-ETA, a protein which binds the EGF receptor. The bacterially produced recombinant protein binds to the receptor with high affinity and inhibits the in vitro growth of the EGF receptor over-expressing tumor cell lines A431 and MDA-MB468. Combination treatment with scFv-(FRP5)-ETA and scFv(225)-ETA led to an additive inhibitory effect on the in vitro growth of A431 cells. SKBR3 cells expressing low levels of EGF receptor but high levels of p185erbB-2 were not affected by scFv(225)-ETA treatment but were sensitive to scFv(FRP5)-ETA. Stimulation of SKBR3 cells and HCII RI#11 mouse mammary epithelial cells expressing the human erbB-2 with EGF led to an increase in scFv(FRP5)-ETA activity, showing that the EGF-induced activation of erbB-2 can potentiate the action of the erbB-2-directed toxin. Treatment of athymic nude mice with scFv(FRP5)-ETA and the combination of both scFv-ETA proteins led to the transient arrest of growth of established A431 tumors. scFv(225)-ETA treatment alone was the most effective, leading to tumor shrinkage during the course of treatment, whereas treatment with the parental monoclonal antibody 225 led to retarded tumor growth.
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PMID:EGF receptor and p185erbB-2-specific single-chain antibody toxins differ in their cell-killing activity on tumor cells expressing both receptor proteins. 781 46

Over-expression of the erbB2-receptor tyrosine kinase is frequently observed in many human tumors of epithelial origin. Due to its causal involvement in malignant transformation and its presence on the tumor cell surface erbB2 is an attractive target for directed tumor therapy. We earlier described the potent anti-tumoral activity of the recombinant single-chain antibody toxin scFv(FRP5)-ETA in vitro and in nude mouse tumor models in vivo. This molecule consists of the variable domains of the heavy and light chains of an erbB2-specific antibody genetically fused to a truncated Pseudomonas exotoxin A. Here we have investigated the in vivo effects of this immunotoxin on erbB2 expressing NV2Cd schwannoma cells growing as s.c. tumors in syngeneic BDIX rats. Established tumors were treated either locally by intra-tumoral injection of scFv(FRP5)-ETA or systemically by injection into the tail vein. Both routes of application resulted in pronounced inhibition of tumor growth with local treatment being more effective. Treatment with 25 micrograms/day of scFv(FRP5)-ETA for 10 days suppressed tumor growth almost completely. Antibodies directed mainly against the toxin domain of the fusion protein developed in all animals treated.
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PMID:Targeted therapy of schwannoma cells in immunocompetent rats with an erbB2-specific antibody-toxin. 933 18

The kinase insert domain-containing receptor (KDR) is the human vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor responsible for the mitogenic and angiogenic effects of VEGF. There is much experimental evidence to suggest that the VEGF/KDR pathway plays an important role in tumor angiogenesis, a process essential for tumor growth and metastasis. Here we produced a chimeric anti-KDR antibody (IgG1), c-p1C11, from a single chain (scFv) antibody isolated from a phage display library. C-p1C11 binds specifically to the extracellular domain of soluble as well as cell-surface expressed KDR. It effectively blocks VEGF-KDR interaction and inhibits VEGF-stimulated activation of KDR and MAP kinases p44/p42 of human endothelial cells. Furthermore, c-p1C11 efficiently neutralizes VEGF-induced mitogenesis of human endothelial cells. Our results suggest that antibodies against KDR have potential clinical applications in the treatment of cancer and other diseases where pathological angiogenesis is involved.
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PMID:Inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor induced mitogenesis of human endothelial cells by a chimeric anti-kinase insert domain-containing receptor antibody. 1035 50

Intracellular expression of recombinant antibodies allows one to interfere with the functions of oncogenic molecules expressed in various cell compartments and has therefore a vast clinical potential in cancer therapy. We inhibited the functions of oncogenic Ras mutant forms by intracellular expression of a neutralizing single-chain antibody (scFv). In vitro studies indicated that the scFv is expressed in the cytosol of Xenopus laevis oocytes and of tumor cells, blocks ras-mediated activation processes, and induces tumor cell death. In vivo studies performed using scFv cDNA inserted into an adenoviral vector showed that the scFv dramatically affects tumor growth. Second, intracellular expression of scFvs directed against p53 indicated that these antibody fragments can be successfully targeted to cell nucleus, bind p53, and partially restore the transcriptional activity of p53 mutants in human tumor cells. Thus, intracellular scFvs directed against oncogenic molecules may represent a new class of antitumor agents.
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PMID:Ras and p53 intracellular targeting with recombinant single-chain Fv (scFv) fragments: a novel approach for cancer therapy? 1057 61

Antigen-specific recognition and subsequent destruction of tumor cells is the goal of vaccine-based immunotherapy of cancer. Often, however, tumor antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) are either not available or in a state of anergy. In addition, MHCI expression on tumor cells is often downregulated. Either or both of these situations can allow tumor growth to proceed unchecked by CTL control. We have shown previously that tumor antigen-specific monoclonal antibodies can be expressed in vaccinia virus and that activated macrophages infected with this virus acquire the ability to kill tumor cells expressing that antigen. Here we show that a membrane-anchored form of the scFv portion of the MUC1 tumor antigen-specific monoclonal antibody, SM3, can be expressed on activated macrophages with the highly attenuated poxvirus, modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA), as a gene transfer vector. Cells infected with the MVA-scFv construct were shown to express the membrane-bound scFv by Western blot and FACS analysis. That cells expressing the membrane-anchored scFv specifically bind antigen was shown by FACS and by BIAcore analysis. GM-CSF-activated macrophages were infected with the construct and shown to recognize specifically MUC1-expressing tumor cells as measured by IL-12 release. Furthermore, activated macrophages expressing the membrane-bound scFv specifically lyse target cells expressing the MUC1 antigen but not cells that do not express MUC1.
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PMID:Targeted macrophage cytotoxicity using a nonreplicative live vector expressing a tumor-specific single-chain variable region fragment. 1091 Jan 39

Insulin-like growth factors (IGF) I and II are potent mitogens for a variety of cancer cells. The proliferative and anti-apoptotic actions of IGF are mediated by the IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR), to which both IGF-I and IGF-II bind with high affinity. To investigate the mitogenic and anti-apoptotic activities of IGF-IR and to achieve better inhibition of IGF-IR function, single-chain antibodies against human IGF-IR (alphaIGF-IR scFvs) were constructed and expressed. IgG cDNA encoding variable regions of light and heavy chains (VL and VH) from mouse IgG were cloned from a hybridoma producing the 1H7 alphaIGF-IR monoclonal antibody [Li et al., Biochem Biophys Res Commun 196: 92-98 (1993)]. The splice-overlap extension polymerase chain reaction was used to assemble a gene encoding the alphaIGF-IR scFv, including the N-terminal signal peptide, VL, linker peptide, VH, and C-terminal DYKD tag. Two types of soluble alphaIGF-IR scFvs, a prototype alphaIGF-IR scFv and its alternative type alphaIGF-IR scFv-Fc, were constructed and expressed in murine myeloma cells. alphaIGF-IR scFv-Fc, containing the human IgG1 Fc domain, was stably expressed in NS0 myeloma cells, using a glutamine synthase selection system, and purified from the conditioned medium of stable clones by protein-A--agarose chromatography. Levels of alphaIGF-IR scFv-Fc expression ranged from 40 mg/l to 100 mg/l conditioned medium. Sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis under reducing and nonreducing conditions indicated that alphaIGF-IR scFv-Fc is a dimeric antibody. alphaIGF-IR scFv-Fc retained general characteristics of the parental 1H7 monoclonal antibody except that its binding affinity for IGF-IR was estimated to be approximately 10(8) M(-1), which was one-order of magnitude lower than that of 1H7 monoclonal antibody. Injection of alphaIGF-IR scFv-Fc (500 microg/mouse, twice a week) significantly suppressed MCF-7 tumor growth in athymic mice. These results suggest that the alphaIGF-IR scFv-Fc is a first-generation recombinant alphaIGF-IR for the potential development of future alphaIGF-IR therapeutics.
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PMID:Single-chain antibodies against human insulin-like growth factor I receptor: expression, purification, and effect on tumor growth. 1094 7

Monoclonal antibody (Ab) directed against the vascular endothelial growth factor, one of the major inducers of angiogenesis, can inhibit tumor growth in mice. Treatment of cancer patients with monoclonal Ab requires large-scale production of the clean Ab and frequent application of the Ab. This might be improved by using single-chain Ab fragments (scFvs), which can be produced in large quantities in bacteria and are attractive for gene therapeutic approaches. Here we describe anti-vascular endothelial growth factor scFvs derived from a human phage-display library able to block the vascularization of the chorioallantoic membrane of chick embryos and reduce the growth of s.c. tumors in nude mice. This work opens the way to develop gene therapy-based strategies using a scFv to treat angiogenesis-dependent diseases.
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PMID:Inhibition of tumor angiogenesis by a single-chain antibody directed against vascular endothelial growth factor. 1096 66

The application of immunotherapy to the treatment of micrometastases of melanoma has attracted growing interest in recent years. This trend reflects, at least in part, the disappointing results of conventional chemotherapy, the identification of melanoma-associated antigens suitable to be used as targets for immunotherapy, and the significant progress in our understanding of molecular processes involved in the development of an immune response. Because of the general belief that T cell immunity plays a major part in the control of tumor growth, we have recently applied a novel strategy to target cytolytic T cells to melanoma cells. The strategy bypasses the requirement of presentation of melanoma-associated-antigen-derived peptides by the major histocompatibility complex to the T cell receptor complex by permanent grafting of T cells with a recombinant, chimeric T cell receptor. The extracellular moiety of the grafted receptor contains the antigen-binding domain, consisting of a single-chain antibody fragment (scFv) derived from a monoclonal antibody specific for the high-molecular-weight melanoma-associated antigen (HMW-MAA). The intracellular receptor moiety contains the cellular activation domain, consisting of the gamma-signaling chain derived from the Fc epsilon RI receptor. Cytotoxic T cells grafted with the chimeric anti-HMW-MAA scFv-gamma signaling receptor specifically lyse HMW-MAA-positive melanoma cells in a human leukocyte antigen class I-independent fashion. The chimeric T cell receptor strategy is designed to eliminate disseminated tumor cells by the power of cytolytic T cells that physiologically penetrate tissues and that are specifically activated by the grafted receptor after binding to antigen-positive melanoma cells.
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PMID:A novel strategy in the elimination of disseminated melanoma cells: chimeric receptors endow T cells with tumor specificity. 1109 52

The efficacy of vaccines consisting of (1) Ig idiopeptides of a murine B-lymphoblastoma, 2C3, and (2) a corresponding scFV-expressing DNA construct was determined on the basis of their ability to induce anti-tumor immune response and protection against tumor growth. Peptide-KLH complexes and a plasmid expressing single-chain variable fragment (scFv) corresponding to 2C3 Ig VH and VL chains were used separately as vaccines. Immunized BALB/c mice were bled and then challenged with live 2C3 tumor. Survival of various challenged groups was also determined. The results indicate that CDR3-H (VH3) peptides, and the plasmid DNA when given with GM-CSF, only moderately retarded tumor growth, whereas killed 2C3 tumor vaccine induced lasting protection, as shown earlier. Both peptides and scFv-plasmid induced circulating anti-Id antibodies, but no specific cytotoxic T-cell (CTL) activity was detected. However, in spite of their inability to induce CTL activity, both idiopeptides and the scFv-expressing plasmid DNA displayed epitopes recognized by an Id-specific long-term splenic CTL line (A102) obtained from mice vaccinated with killed 2C3 tumor.
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PMID:Anti-lymphoma immunity: relative efficacy of peptide and recombinant DNA vaccine. 1171 53

The idiotypic determinants associated with the variable regions of antibody molecules are known to function as tumor-associated antigens (TAAs). However, there is no clear-cut evidence documenting their efficacy in inducing TAA-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs). In most previous studies, idiopeptides were implicated in elicitation of TAA-specific CD4+ T-cells. Using a murine B-cell lymphoma, 2C3, we earlier demonstrated induction of splenic CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocytes directed to idiotypic Ig of the tumor. In the present study, we provide more direct evidence of the existence of Id-specific CTLs in the spleens of 2C3 bearing BALB/c mice using an scFv-transfectoma, P815A4, as a target. While both P815A4 and 2C3 cells were equally susceptible to cytolysis by the effector cells, lysis was evident only during early tumor progression. Moribund animals at the late stage of tumor growth failed to demonstrate any significant cytotoxic immune response against either tumor. Antibodies to MHC class I alleles Kd, Dd, Ld, beta2m and CD8 molecules all inhibited cytotoxicity. The CTL population from early tumor-bearers recognized 2C3 tumor in the context of all major H-2d alleles; however, in case of P815A4 cells, it was restricted to Kd and Dd alleles only. Based on these antibody inhibition studies, it appears that the idiopeptides generated in both tumors are in some way different, yet they were recognized equally by CTLs not only from the tumor-bearers but also by CTLs from 2C3-hyperimmune mice. It appears that scFv-containing transfectomas expressing antibody variable region epitopes would be useful for both elucidating CTL-defined idiopeptides and monitoring TAA-specific CTL response in tumor-bearing animals.
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PMID:A stable single-chain variable fragment expressing transfectoma demonstrates induction of idiotype-specific cytotoxic T-cells during early growth stages of a murine B-lymphoma. 1172 38


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