Jens Atzpodien

Cell-mediated toxicity of interleukin-2-activated lymphocytes against autologous and allogeneic human myeloma cells

We studied the sensitivity of human myeloma (plasma cell leukemia) toward autologous and allogeneic lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells. Fresh plasma cell leukemia (PCL)-derived peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and PBMC from 3 normal donors were cultured in the presence of recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL2; 1,000 U/ml) for subsequent use as cytotoxic effectors against fresh and continuously cultured myeloma cells. Target cell lysis was measured in a 4-hour 51Cr radioisotope release assay. At an effector to target (E:T) ratio of 50:1, rIL2-induced PCL-PBMC lysed 48 +/- 19% (mean +/- 1 SD) of autologous myeloma targets, as compared to 89 +/- 5, 95 +/- 15, and 100 +/- 9% lysis of standard LAK-sensitive Daudi cells and allogeneic myeloma cell lines SKO-007, and RPMI-8226, respectively. Normal PBMC-derived rIL2-induced (LAK) cells exhibited a slightly lower cytotoxic reactivity against allogeneic targets (61 +/- 9, 60 +/- 6, and 81 +/- 8% cytolysis of SKO-007, RPMI-8226, and Daudi cells, respectively, at a 50:1 E:T ratio). Cytotoxicity against myeloma (PCL) of autologous PCL-derived killer cells could be significantly (at least 2-fold) enhanced when rIL-2-induced effector cells were preincubated for 18 h in the presence of recombinant Interferon-alpha rIFN-alpha; 1,000 U/ml). In summary, our results indicate the potential antitumor efficacy of rIL2- and rIL2 + rIFN-alpha-activated killer cells in human myeloma (PCL).

Ewing’s Sarcoma: ex vivo Sensitivity towards Natural and Lymphokine-Activated Killing

We studied the ex vivo cell-mediated cytotoxicity of natural killer (NK) and lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells against continuously cultured Ewings sarcoma cells from 3 different patients. Target cell lysis was measured in a 4-hour 51Cr radioisotope release assay. At an effector to target (E:T) ratio of 50:1, the mean (+/- 1 SD) cytolysis by fresh purified large granular lymphocytes (NK cells) was 20 +/- 8, 25 +/- 2, and 21 +/- 3% in Ewings sarcoma cell lines 6647, 5838, and A4573, respectively. Under identical conditions, NK cells lysed 56 +/- 7% of K562 (a standard NK target), and 3 +/- 3% of Daudi (a standard NK-resistant LAK target). When compared to fresh unseparated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), purified NK cells did not exhibit an enhanced cytotoxic reactivity against either Ewings sarcoma target. In contrast, LAK cells (i.e., PBMC that were preincubated for 4 days in the presence of rIL-2) were highly cytotoxic against all three Ewings sarcoma targets. LAK activity was dependent on the concentration of rIL-2 used in PBMC cultures. Optimum cell-mediated toxicity against the standard LAK target Daudi (99 +/- 10% cytolysis at 50:1 E:T ratio) was achieved at rIL-2 concentrations of 1,000 u/ml. LAK cells grown under these conditions were also effective against Ewings sarcoma cells. At an E:T ratio of 50:1, 86 +/- 16, 85 +/- 16, and 67 +/- 13% inhibition was observed in 6647, 5838, and A4573 cells, respectively, as compared to 17 +/- 10, 19 +/- 15, and 29 +/- 11% cytolysis by fresh uninduced PBMC. In summary, our results suggest that rIL-2-induced LAK-type immune effector cells may be of some therapeutic value in the treatment of poor prognosis Ewings sarcoma.

In Vitro Chemosensitivity of Two Ewing's Sarcoma Cell Lines: Implication for Autologous Bone Marrow Transplantation

Intensive chemotherapy requiring rescue with autologous bone marrow may be an encouraging mode of treatment for poor prognosis Ewings sarcoma (ES). In vitro chemosensitivity test may be useful for establishing an effective purging condition. We studied the in vitro effects of a variety of chemotherapeutic agents on two established ES cell lines (ES-5838 and ES-A4573) and marrow colony-forming unit-granulocyte macrophage (CFU-GM). 4-Hydroperoxycyclophosphamide (4-HC), at 100 microM produced complete inhibition (greater than 5 log) of clonogenic growth of both ES cell lines and spared 6.9% of normal CFU-GM growth. Etoposide (VP-16), at 100 microM produced 3-3.5 log inhibition of ES cell lines and complete inhibition of CFU-GM growth. Adriamycin (ADR) and vincristine (VCR) were more cytotoxic to ES-5838 cells than ES-A4573 cells. ADR at 1 microM produced 99.7% inhibition of ES-5838 cells, 92.2% of ES-A4573 cells, and 86% inhibition of CFU-GM. VCR at 1 microM produced 98.6% inhibition of ES-5838 cells, only 43.7% of ES-A4573 cells, and 75% inhibition of CFU-GM growth. Addition of verapamil did not enhance VCR cytotoxicity of ES cell lines. These studies indicate that 4-HC may be a useful agent for purging metastatic ES cells from the bone marrow for autologous marrow transplantation.

Comparative Regimens for the ex vivo Chemopurification of B Cell Lymphoma-Contaminated Marrow

The success of autologous bone marrow transplantation for B cell lymphoma may depend on the efficacy of in vitro purification of patients tumor cell-contaminated marrow. In this study, we tested the toxicity of seven different chemotherapeutic agents against two B cell lymphoma lines (LY-16 and SK-DHL-2) as compared to normal human bone marrow granulocyte-macrophage progenitor cells (CFU-GM). 4-Hydroperoxycyclophosphamide (4-HC), VP-16-213 (VP-16), nitrogen mustard, and vincristine showed a highly selective toxicity against cultured lymphoma cells; i.e., at doses sufficient to induce a 4-log clonogenic tumor cell reduction (4-HC 21 micrograms/ml, VP-16 50 micrograms/ml, nitrogen mustard and vincristine 5 micrograms/ml), 10.0 +/- 6.7, 3.0 +/- 3.2, 23.2 +/- 22.7 and 24.0 +/- 17.0% (mean +/- 1 SD), respectively, of normal bone marrow CFU-GM were preserved. The differential sensitivity of tumor cells and normal hematopoietic precursors was less prominent after exposure of cells to cis-diamminechloroplatinum II (cis-platinum); thus, at a drug dose of 100 micrograms/ml, all detectable lymphoma cells could be eradicated (i.e., greater than or equal to 4 log reduction) while a CFU-GM recovery of only 0.2 +/- 0.2% was observed. In contrast, adriamycin and bleomycin, at the highest tumoricidal concentrations tested (5 and 100 micrograms/ml, respectively) did not exhibit a selective toxicity toward lymphoma cell lines. In summary, our results suggest that nitrogen mustard and vincristine, as well as 4-HC and VP-16, may be useful agents for the ex vivo treatment of bone marrow grafts form B cell lymphoma patients.

Ex vivo Treatment of Myeloma Cells by 4-Hydroperoxycyclophosphamide and VP-16–213

To assess the usefulness of 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide (4-HC) and VP-16-213 (VP-16) as a purging agent for myeloma cells in bone marrow (BM) ex vivo, myeloma cell lines (SK-RCS-1, RPMI-8226), lymphoma cell line (SK-DHL-2) and normal BM cells were treated at different concentrations of 4-HC or VP-16. Clonogenic tumor cells from all three cell lines could be reduced by more than 4 logs, when treated alone or as a mixture with irradiated normal BM cells at a 4-HC concentration of 60 microM. Under similar conditions, approximately 1% of the normal BM myeloid progenitor granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming cells survived. These observations support the use of 4-HC for purging myeloma cells for autologous BM transplantation.

Ex vivo treatment of myeloma cells by 4‐HC, VP‐16, LAK cells and antibodies

To assess the usefulness of 4‐hydroperoxycyclophosphamide (4‐HC) and Etoposide (VP‐16) as a purging agent for myeloma cells in bone marrow ex‐vivo, myeloma cell lines (SK‐RCS‐1, RPMI‐8226), lymphoma cell line (SK‐DHL‐2) and normal bone marrow (BM) cells were treated at different concentrations of 4‐HC, VP‐16. In separate experiments, LAK cells or antibodies were also used to treat the above cell lines. Clonogenic tumor cells from all three cell lines could be reduced by more than 4 logs, when treated alone or as a mixture with irradiated normal bone marrow cells at a 4‐HC concentration of 60 μmol/l. Under similar conditions, approximately 1% of normal BM myeloid progenitor granulocyte‐macrophage colony forming cells (CFU‐GM) survived. The results with LAK cells and antibodies were also encouraging. These observations support the use of various purging methods for myeloma cells for autologous bone marrow transplantation.

Newer Options for Treating Drug-Resistant (MDR+) Cancer Cells using Photoradiation Therapy

Emergence of drug resistance with conventional cytotoxic therapy is a major challenge towards the curability of many cancers, especially in patients undergoing autologous BMT with ex-vivo purged hematopoietic support. We have explored the potential role of photoradiation therapy in purging hematopoietic stem cells of various hematological malignancies. Benzoporphyrin derivative, monoacid ring A (BPD-MA), dihematoporphyrin ether (DHE), and MC-540 were evaluated for the ex-vivo purging of residual tumor cells from autologous bone marrow (BM) grafts. BPD-MA and DHE photosensitizing activity was tested against two human large cell lymphoma cell lines and colony forming-unit leukemia (CFU-L) derived from patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). In mixing experiments four log elimination of tumor cell lines was observed after 1 hr of incubation with BPD-MA or DHE followed by white light exposure. By comparison, using the same concentration of BPD-MA or DHE, the mean recovery of normal BM progenitors was 4-5.2% for granulocyte-macrophage colony forming unit (CFU-GM) and 5-9.8% for burst forming unit erythroid (BFU-E). The T lymphoblastic leukemia cell line CEM and its vinblastine (VBL)-resistant subline CEM/VBL100, along with the acute promyelocyte leukemia cell line HL-60 and its vincristine (VCR)-resistant subline HL-60/VCR, were also tested. Our results demonstrated the preferential cytotoxicity of BPD-MA and DHE toward neoplastic cell lines and CFU-L from AML patients. In addition, DHE was slightly more effective in purging tumor cells expressing the p-170 glycoprotein.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Anti-Tumor Efficacy of Interleukin-2-Activated Killer Cells in Human Neuroblastoma ex vivo

We studied the ex vivo sensitivity of continuously cultured neuroblastoma cells from 3 different patients towards interleukin-2-induced cell-mediated cytotoxicity. A mean (+/- SD) target cell lysis (4 h 51Cr release) of 49 +/- 11, 46 +/- 8, and 32 +/- 11% in SMS-SAN, LA-N-1, and SK-N-BE2 cell lines, respectively, was achieved when neuroblastoma cells were co-cultured at an effector-to-target (E:T) ratio of 50:1 with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) that had been preincubated for 4 days in the presence of recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2; 100 U/ml). Under identical conditions, 93 +/- 9% of Daudi cells (a standard target for rIL-2-activated killer cells) were lysed. Preincubation of rIL-2-induced PBMC cultures in the presence of irradiated neuroblastoma targets (LA-N-1, SK-N-BE2) resulted in a significant cytolytic augmentation. At E:T ratios of 50:1 and 10:1, day-4 rIL-2/LA-N-1-stimulated PBMC produced 69 +/- 7 and 41 +/- 11% lysis of LA-N-1 cells, as compared to 46 +/- 8 and 22 +/- (mean +/- SD) 7% lysis by untargeted PBMC that were preincubated with rIL-2 (100 U/ml) in the absence of LA-N-1 target cells (p less than 0.05). Co-incubation of rIL-2-induced PBMC preparations with irradiated LA-N-1 and SK-N-BE2 cells, respectively, did not significantly enhance the cytolytic activity against other neuroblastoma targets and the standard Daudi cell line (p greater than or equal to 0.3).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Human Bone Marrow CFU-GM and BFU-E Localized by Light Scatter Cell Sorting

Flow cytometric separation was performed on the normal human bone marrow (BM) by using the low-angle (0 degrees) or high-angle (90 degrees) light scatter. Four distinct subpopulations of cells can be enriched from normal human BM and these fractions were subsequently evaluated for their morphological properties as well as their clonogenic capacity in various progenitor cell assays. Our results indicate that human erythroid and granulocyte-macrophage progenitor cells can be separated from BM low-density cells by cell sorting, and these cells show similar 0 degrees and 90 degrees light scatter properties to those observed with murine bone marrow studies. Flow cytometric analysis also suggests that the majority of sorted BFU-E and CFU-GM resides in the blast cell subset of human BM mononuclear cells.