Derek Thirstrup

Protein signature of lung cancer tissues.

Lung cancer remains the most common cause of cancer-related mortality. We applied a highly multiplexed proteomic technology (SOMAscan) to compare protein expression signatures of non small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissues with healthy adjacent and distant tissues from surgical resections. In this first report of SOMAscan applied to tissues, we highlight 36 proteins that exhibit the largest expression differences between matched tumor and non-tumor tissues. The concentrations of twenty proteins increased and sixteen decreased in tumor tissue, thirteen of which are novel for NSCLC. NSCLC tissue biomarkers identified here overlap with a core set identified in a large serum-based NSCLC study with SOMAscan. We show that large-scale comparative analysis of protein expression can be used to develop novel histochemical probes. As expected, relative differences in protein expression are greater in tissues than in serum. The combined results from tissue and serum present the most extensive view to date of the complex changes in NSCLC protein expression and provide important implications for diagnosis and treatment.

Rapid Histochemistry Using Slow Off-rate Modified Aptamers With Anionic Competition

Immunohistochemistry is used in both research and clinical settings to identify proteins in tissue samples. Despite the power and versatility of immunohistochemistry, limitations are imposed by the slow diffusion of antibodies through tissue and the need for secondary staining or signal amplification. Aptamers can circumvent these limitations, but their application has been hindered by nonspecific binding to cellular components, particularly in the nucleus. Here we describe unique slow off-rate modified aptamers that facilitate rapid and selective binding to target proteins in tissue. Specifically, we have developed a fluorescent aptamer that binds to the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) in breast carcinomas quickly and specifically, and we have shown that the slow off-rate of the aptamer from the HER2 protein contributes to its selectivity. These findings open the door to aptamer histochemistry applications in both research and clinical settings, including intraoperative diagnostics in which speed and accuracy are paramount.

Piezoelectric printing and probing of Lectin NanoProbeArrays for glycosylation analysis

Glycans have great potential as disease biomarkers and therapeutic targets. However, the major challenge for glycan biomarker identification from clinical samples is the low abundance of key glycosylated proteins. To demonstrate the potential for glycan analysis with nanoliter amounts of glycoprotein, we have developed a new technology (Lectin NanoProbeArray) based on piezoelectric liquid dispensing for non-contact printing and probing of a lectin array. Instead of flooding the glycoprotein probe on the lectin array surface, as in conventional microarray screening, a piezoelectric printer is used to dispense nanoliters of fluorescently labeled glycoprotein probe over the lectin spots on the array. As a proof-of-concept, the ability of Lectin NanoProbeArrays to precisely identify and reliably distinguish between the closely related glycoforms of fetuin is illustrated here. Sensitivity levels comparable to lectin arrays that use evanescent-field scanners was achieved along with several orders of magnitude reduction in the amount of probe required for glycosylation analysis.

Independent, parallel pathways to CXCL10 induction in HCV-infected hepatocytes

BACKGROUND & AIMS The pro-inflammatory chemokine CXCL10 is induced by HCV infection in vitro and in vivo, and is associated with outcome of IFN (interferon)-based therapy. We studied how hepatocyte sensing of early HCV infection via TLR3 (Toll-like receptor 3) and RIG-I (retinoic acid inducible gene I) led to expression of CXCL10. METHODS CXCL10, type I IFN, and type III IFN mRNAs and proteins were measured in PHH (primary human hepatocytes) and hepatocyte lines harboring functional or non-functional TLR3 and RIG-I pathways following HCV infection or exposure to receptor-specific stimuli. RESULTS HuH7 human hepatoma cells expressing both TLR3 and RIG-I produced maximal CXCL10 during early HCV infection. Neutralization of type I and type III IFNs had no impact on virus-induced CXCL10 expression in TLR3+/RIG-I+ HuH7 cells, but reduced CXCL10 expression in PHH. PHH cultures were positive for monocyte, macrophage, and dendritic cell mRNAs. Immunodepletion of non-parenchymal cells (NPCs) eliminated marker expression in PHH cultures, which then showed no IFN requirement for CXCL10 induction during HCV infection. Immunofluorescence studies also revealed a positive correlation between intracellular HCV Core and CXCL10 protein expression (r(2) = 0.88, p ≤ 0.001). CONCLUSIONS While CXCL10 induction in hepatocytes during the initial phase of HCV infection is independent of hepatocyte-derived type I and type III IFNs, NPC-derived IFNs contribute to CXCL10 induction during HCV infection in PHH cultures.

A Platform for Rapid, Quantitative Assessment of Multiple Drug Combinations Simultaneously in Solid Tumors In Vivo

While advances in high-throughput screening have resulted in increased ability to identify synergistic anti-cancer drug combinations, validation of drug synergy in the in vivo setting and prioritization of combinations for clinical development remain low-throughput and resource intensive. Furthermore, there is currently no viable method for prospectively assessing drug synergy directly in human patients in order to potentially tailor therapies. To address these issues we have employed the previously described CIVO platform and developed a quantitative approach for investigating multiple combination hypotheses simultaneously in single living tumors. This platform provides a rapid, quantitative and cost effective approach to compare and prioritize drug combinations based on evidence of synergistic tumor cell killing in the live tumor context. Using a gemcitabine resistant model of pancreatic cancer, we efficiently investigated nine rationally selected Abraxane-based combinations employing only 19 xenografted mice. Among the drugs tested, the BCL2/BCLxL inhibitor ABT-263 was identified as the one agent that synergized with Abraxane® to enhance acute induction of localized apoptosis in this model of human pancreatic cancer. Importantly, results obtained with CIVO accurately predicted the outcome of systemic dosing studies in the same model where superior tumor regression induced by the Abraxane/ABT-263 combination was observed compared to that induced by either single agent. This supports expanded use of CIVO as an in vivo platform for expedited in vivo drug combination validation and sets the stage for performing toxicity-sparing drug combination studies directly in cancer patients with solid malignancies.

Minimally invasive in tumor multidrug comparative analysis with contrast‐enhanced MRI in mice

To facilitate decision making in the oncology clinic, technologies have recently been developed to independently inject and assess multiple anticancer agents directly in a patients tumor. To increase the flexibility of this approach beyond histological readouts of response, contrast‐enhanced MRI was evaluated for the detection of cell death in living tumors after injection.

Abstract 2835: Voruciclib, a clinical stage oral CDK inhibitor, sensitizes triple negative breast cancer xenografts to proteasome inhibition

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly heterogeneous disease, notoriously challenging to treat with standard chemotherapy options, and therefore is an area of intense focus for discovery of novel effective combination therapies. Here we used a previously described technology platform called CIVO, which enables assessment of multiple drugs and drug combinations simultaneously in living tumors, to identify drug combinations that result in synergistic anti-tumor activity in the HCC1187 model of TNBC. Our study focused on agents that combine with Voruciclib, a novel clinical stage oral CDK inhibitor with potent activity ( Citation Format: Joyoti Dey, Joseph Casalini, Sally Ditzler, Matt Biery, Angela Merrell, Derek Thirstrup, Marc Grenley, Richard Klinghoffer. Voruciclib, a clinical stage oral CDK inhibitor, sensitizes triple negative breast cancer xenografts to proteasome inhibition. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2835.