1,965 research outputs found

    Cyclophosphamide inhibition of anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody-based therapy of B cell lymphoma is dependent on CD11b+ cells

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    Monoclonal antibody (mAb)–based immunotherapy is now established as an important option for treating some cancers. The antitumor effects may be further enhanced by combining mAb with conventional chemotherapy. Certain novel immunomodulatory mAbs such as anti-CD40 have shown significant activity in preclinical models. We therefore assessed the efficacy of combining anti-CD40 mAb, known to elicit CTL responses against murine lymphoma models with the commonly used cytotoxic drug, cyclophosphamide. Using the syngeneic tumor model, BCL1, we have shown that timing of cyclophosphamide relative to mAb is critical to therapeutic outcome. Pretreatment with cyclophosphamide 7 to 10 days prior to mAb results in markedly reduced survival levels, similar to that achieved with cyclophosphamide alone. Conversely, when anti-CD40 is given before cyclophosphamide, the level of tumor protection was moderately increased. In vivo tracking experiments reveal that pretreatment with cyclophosphamide leads to diminished CTL expansion, as well as an increased number of CD11b+ cells that display an activated phenotype. These latter cells are able to inhibit T-cell proliferation, at least in part via production of nitric oxide, but do not induce T-cell apoptosis. Furthermore, adoptive transfer of the induced CD11b+ cells is sufficient to inhibit anti-CD40 therapy in tumor-bearing recipients. We have shown that the timing of cyclophosphamide relative to mAb administration is critical to the therapeutic outcome, and although the combination can improve survival, cyclophosphamide given prior to immunotherapy may generate a population of myeloid cells that can interfere with CTL responses and compromise the therapeutic outcome

    Nuclear envelope-limited chromatin sheets are part of mitotic death

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    Nuclear envelope-limited chromatin sheets (ELCS) are enigmatic membranous structures of uncertain function. This study describes the induction of ELCS in p53 mutated Burkitt's lymphoma cell lines after treatment with irradiation or the microtubule inhibitor, SK&F 96365. Both treatments evoked similar mitotic death, involving metaphase arrest followed by extensive endopolyploidisation and delayed apoptosis, although the kinetics were different. We found that induction of ELCS and nuclear segmentation correlated with the amount and kinetics of M-phase arrest, mitosis restitution and delayed apoptosis of endopolyploid cells. In metaphases undergoing restitution, ELCS are seen participating in the restoration of the nuclear envelope, mediating the attachment of peripheral chromatin to it. In interphase cells, ELCS join nuclear segments, ectopically linking and fusing with heterochromatin regions. In cells with segmented nuclei, continued DNA replication was observed, along with activation and redistribution of Ku70, suggestive of non-homologous DNA end-joining. Induction of ELCS also parallels the induction of cytoplasmic stacked membrane structures, such as confronting cisternae and annulate lamellae, which participate in the turnover and degeneration of ELCS. The results suggest that arrest at a spindle checkpoint and the uncoupling of mitosis from DNA replication lead to the emergence of ELCS in the resulting endopolyploid cells

    Anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody therapy in combination with irradiation results in a CD8 T-cell-dependent immunity to B-cell lymphoma

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    The mechanisms of interaction between anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy and external beam irradiation were investigated in 2 syngeneic B-cell lymphoma models. We have established doses of anti-CD40 mAb and irradiation which, although ineffective when given singly, were capable of providing long-term protection when used in combination. Furthermore, such treatment was not only critically dependent on the dose of mAb and irradiation but also on tumor load, with greater efficacy only occurring at higher tumor burden. Using blocking antibody, the potency of treatment was shown to be totally dependent on CD8+ T cells, with protective levels of CD8+ cells occurring only in mice receiving the combination of anti-CD40 and irradiation. Interestingly, the ratio of T cells (CD8+) to tumor cells in mice receiving combination treatment was between 10 and 15 times that seen in animals given anti-CD40 or irradiation alone. In vivo tracking experiments revealed a 2-phase decrease in tumor burden, the first resulting directly from the external irradiation and the second, occurring 5 days later, concomitant with the rise in tumor-specific CD8+ cells. We suggest that the external irradiation induced an initial kill of lymphoma cells, probably by apoptosis, which releases tumor antigens and slows the progression of the malignancy to allow generation of a curative cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response promoted by the anti-CD40 mAb. Combining irradiation with immunomodulatory mAb as described here appears to provide a powerful new approach to the management of cancer.<br/

    Upregulation of meiosis-specific genes in lymphoma cell lines following genotoxic insult and induction of mitotic catastrophe

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    BackgroundWe have previously reported that p53 mutated radioresistant lymphoma cell lines undergo mitotic catastrophe after irradiation, resulting in metaphase arrest and the generation of endopolyploid cells. A proportion of these endopolyploid cells then undergo a process of de-polyploidisation, stages of which are partially reminiscent of meiotic prophase. Furthermore, expression of meiosis-specific proteins of the cancer/testis antigens group of genes has previously been reported in tumours. We therefore investigated whether expression of meiosis-specific genes was associated with the polyploidy response in our tumour model.MethodsThree lymphoma cell lines, Namalwa, WI-L2-NS and TK6, of varying p53 status were exposed to a single 10 Gy dose of gamma radiation and their responses assessed over an extended time course. DNA flow cytometry and mitotic counts were used to assess the kinetics and extent of polyploidisation and mitotic progression. Expression of meiotic genes was analysed using RT-PCR and western blotting. In addition, localisation of the meiotic cohesin REC8 and its relation to centromeres was analysed by immunofluorescence.ResultsThe principal meiotic regulator MOS was found to be significantly post-transcriptionally up-regulated after irradiation in p53 mutated but not p53 wild-type lymphoma cells. The maximum expression of MOS coincided with the maximal fraction of metaphase arrested cells and was directly proportional to both the extent of the arrest and the number of endopolyploid cells that subsequently emerged. The meiotic cohesin REC8 was also found to be up-regulated after irradiation, linking sister chromatid centromeres in the metaphase-arrested and subsequent giant cells. Finally, RT-PCR revealed expression of the meiosis-prophase genes, DMC1, STAG3, SYCP3 and SYCP1.ConclusionWe conclude that multiple meiotic genes are aberrantly activated during mitotic catastrophe in p53 mutated lymphoma cells after irradiation. Furthermore, we suggest that the coordinated expression of MOS and REC8 regulate the extent of arrested mitoses and polyploidy

    Selected Contributions of Sister Mary Berenice Beck, O.S.F. to Nursing in the United States, 1923-1956

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    by Sister M. Timothy Costello.Typescript.Thesis (M.S.N.)--Catholic University of America.Bibliography: leaves 44-47.Also available in microfilm

    Endopolyploid cells produced after severe genotoxic damage have the potential to repair DNA double strand breaks

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    p53 mutant tumour cells respond to genotoxic insults by bypassing G1 arrest and halting in G2. Following release from G2 arrest they undergo mitotic catastrophe, whereby mitotic cycling is suppressed, delayed apoptosis begins and endopolyploid cells are produced. The ability of these endopolyploid cells to participate in the restitution process is controversial. To facilitate recovery, these endopolyploid cells must repair the extensive DNA damage induced. DNA damage and its resolution were studied by observing the kinetics of {gamma}-H2AX foci formation and by comet assay analysis. Subsequently, the kinetics and distribution of Rad51 foci were studied as a measure of homologous recombination. Here we present evidence of the resolution of DNA damage in endopolyploid cells through a decrease of tail moment by comet assay and in the number of cells expressing {gamma}-H2AX foci. Rad51 foci expression reached a maximum in endopolyploid cells on days 5-6 after irradiation, when delayed apoptosis was maximal, indicating that cells were being selected for survival at this time. Furthermore, the proportion of Annexin-V-positive polyploid cells decreased as they continued ongoing rounds of DNA replication, suggesting endoreduplication is involved in selecting cells resistant to apoptosis. Our findings suggest that after severe genotoxic insult endopolyploid cells have a transient survival advantage that may contribute to radioresistance of tumours that undergo mitotic catastrophe

    ASO Author Reflections: Re-resection of Positive Bile Duct Margin for Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma

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    Author Reflections: Re-resection of Positive Bile Duct Margin for Hilar Cholangiocarcinom

    A new anti-idiotype antibody capable of binding rituximab on the surface of lymphoma cells

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    The chimeric anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody (mAb), rituximab, is an established part of the management of many non-Hodgkin lymphomas. The in vivo action of rituximab remains elusive, and this partially reflects a lack of highly specific reagents to detect rituximab binding at the cell surface. Here we report a new high-affinity mAb (MB2A4) with fine specificity for the idiotype of rituximab. It is able to detect rituximab in vitro, in the presence of high levels of human immunoglobulin G (IgG), in the serum of patients receiving rituximab therapy, and, surprisingly, when rituximab is bound to CD20 on the cell surface. We propose that the anti–idiotype (Id) binds to rituximab molecules bound univalently at the cell surface, facilitated by the relatively high off-rate of rituximab. This reagent provides new insights into the binding of rituximab at the cell surface and demonstrates a mode of binding that could be exploited for the surface detection of other mAbs with clinical and biologic applications

    t-pollington/developments_tau_statistic: First release

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    Code release archived on Zenodo from the following paper: @ARTICLE{Pollington2021, author={Pollington, T.M. and Tildesley, M.J. and Hollingsworth, T.D. and Chapman, L.A.C.}, volume = {42}, pages = {100438}, year = {2021}, note = {Towards Spatial Data Science}, issn = {2211-6753}, title={{Developments in statistical inference when assessing spatiotemporal disease clustering with the tau statistic}}, journal={Spatial Statistics}, doi={10.1016/j.spasta.2020.100438}, url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211675320300324}, keywords = {Second order dependence, Pointwise confidence interval, Bias corrected accelerated BCa, Percentile confidence interval, Spatial bootstrap, Graphical hypothesis test} }Please contact Timothy M Pollington as corresponding author on [email protected] for any assistance. TMP, LACC & TDH gratefully acknowledge funding of the NTD Modelling Consortium by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) (grant number OPP1184344) and LACC acknowledges funding of the SPEAK India consortium by BMGF (grant number OPP1183986). Views, opinions, assumptions or any other information set out in this article should not be attributed to BMGF or any person connected with them. TMP's PhD is supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council, Medical Research Council and University of Warwick (grant number EP/L015374/1). TMP thanks Big Data Institute for hosting him during this work
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