Eugene Mechetner

Correlation of dynamic contrast enhancement MRI parameters with microvessel density and VEGF for assessment of angiogenesis in breast cancer

To investigate the association between parameters obtained from dynamic contrast enhanced MRI (DCE‐MRI) of breast cancer using different analysis approaches, as well as their correlation with angiogenesis biomarkers (vascular endothelial growth factor and vessel density).

Analysis of P‐glycoprotein–mediated membrane transport in human peripheral blood lymphocytes using the UIC2 shift assay

During transport‐associated adenosine triphosphate hydrolysis, P‐glycoprotein (Pgp) undergoes conformation transitions detected by UIC2, a functional anti‐Pgp monoclonal antibody. A newly developed UIC2 shift assay is based on increased UIC2 reactivity in the presence of Pgp substrates. All peripheral blood leukocytes express low Pgp levels. The existing antibody‐based detection methods are limited in their sensitivity and require additional techniques to simultaneously analyze Pgp expression and efflux, making it difficult to ascertain the physiologic role of Pgp‐mediated transport.

In vitro drug responses in primary and metastatic colorectal cancers.

Abstract Objective. Treatment of primary and metastatic colorectal carcinoma (CRC) based on 5-fluorouracil and folinic acid (5FU + FA), combined with irinotecan (FOLFIRI) or oxaliplatin (FOLFOX), provides response rates approaching 50% and a 20-month overall survival. Approximately 50% of CRC patients fail to respond to one or more drugs in either regimen, in many cases due to inherent or acquired drug resistance. We therefore characterized in vitro drug response and cross-resistance in primary and metastatic CRC lesions. Materials and methods. The in vitro Extreme Drug Resistance Assay (EDRA) identifies extreme drug resistance (EDR) in solid tumors with over 99% accuracy and appears to mimic the clinical experience. We analyzed EDRA results from 4854 freshly resected CRC biopsies, including 1740 primary and 847 liver metastases. Results. Primary and metastatic CRCs responded similarly to single agents 5FU + FA, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin. Primary and metastatic tumors expressing EDR to 5FU + FA demonstrated up to 58% cross-resistance to a variety of chemotherapy agents, with the lowest percentages for oxaliplatin (11% and 8%, respectively) and irinotecan (16% and 14%). Importantly, approximately 20% of tumors showed EDR to either FULFOX or FOLFIRI. Conclusion. Overall data analyses indicated that EDRA results obtained at initial diagnosis may be useful in guiding therapy selection for metastatic disease. Pre-testing of tumors before treatment may provide essential drug cross-resistance information for better chemotherapy selection. Prospective clinical trials employing the EDRA are needed to substantiate these data.

Development and characterization of mouse hybridomas.

Cell fusion protocols that were developed by Kohler and Milstein in the mid-1970s and aimed at producing and characterization of mouse monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) remain the gold standard of hybridoma development. Despite tremendous progress in using MAbs in multiple research, diagnostic, and therapeutic areas, major experimental flaws in designing and carrying out hybridoma experimentation often result in the production of hybridomas exhibiting poor growth parameters and secreting low-specificity and low-affinity antibodies. This methodology chapter is built around the conventional hybridoma protocol, with a special emphasis on tissue culture and biochemical techniques aimed at producing truly monospecific and highly active mouse MAbs.

Detection of the MDR1 P-glycoprotein expression and function.

Acquired and intrinsic multidrug resistance is the major reason for the failure of anticancer chemotherapy. The most important component of clinical multidrug resistance is mediated by P-glycoprotein (Pgp), an ABC transporter encoded by the MDR1 gene and expressed on the membrane of tumor and normal cells. Sensitive and reproducible detection of Pgp expression and function are critical for the development of new MDR1 drugs and clinical protocols aimed at modulating Pgp-mediated multidrug resistance. The most commonly used methods for detecting Pgp distribution and functional activity have major flaws when used in routine clinical diagnostics. In this chapter, we describe and compare these techniques and introduce a new method for simultaneous detection of Pgp expression and function--the UIC2 Shift assay.

Biomarkers for therapeutic efficacy.

Abstract Depending on the tumour type, a larger or smaller number of cancer patients receive chemotherapy with systemic toxicity as the only effect. In that situation, an alternative, not necessarily medical, treatment would have been a better choice – and toxicity (and financial resources) could have been spared by withholding ineffective drugs. One of the reasons for this apparent paradigm is that the tumour cells of each cancer pa- tient may show different sensitivity/resistance towards different chemotherapeutic drugs, i.e. breast cancer or colorectal cancer is not only breast or colorectal cancer. With our increasing biological insight and understanding, it has become apparent that each patients tumour tissue is unique and as a consequence, each patients tumour cell sensitivity/resistance to- wards chemotherapeutic drugs may be different. As of today there is no method in routine clinical use to predict the sensitivity/resistance to chemotherapy in its broad sense in the individual patient. This chapter will describe several different DNA, RNA, protein and cell based assay methodologies and marker molecules that have been brought forward as potential predictive assays/markers to be used to select the most effective drugs for the individual cancer patient.