Liat Benayoun

Host Response to Short-term, Single-Agent Chemotherapy Induces Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 Expression and Accelerates Metastasis in Mice

Mounting evidence suggests that bone marrow-derived cells (BMDC) contribute to tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis. In acute reactions to cancer therapy, several types of BMDCs are rapidly mobilized to home tumors. Although this host reaction to therapy can promote tumor regrowth, its contribution to metastasis has not been explored. To focus only on the effects of chemotherapy on the host, we studied non-tumor-bearing mice. Plasma from animals treated with the chemotherapy paclitaxel induced angiogenesis, migration, and invasion of tumor cells along with host cell colonization. Lesser effects were seen with the chemotherapy gemcitabine. Conditioned medium from BMDCs and plasma from chemotherapy-treated mice each promoted metastatic properties in tumor cells by inducing matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9) and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. In mice in which Lewis lung carcinoma cells were injected intravenously, treatment with paclitaxel, but not gemcitabine or vehicle, accelerated metastases in a manner that could be blocked by an MMP9 inhibitor. Moreover, chimeric mice reconstituted with BMDC where MMP9 activity was attenuated did not support accelerated metastasis by carcinoma cells that were pretreated with chemotherapy before their introduction to host animals. Taken together, our findings illustrate how some chemotherapies can exert prometastatic effects that may confound treatment outcomes.

Antiangiogenic Antitumor Activity of HPMA Copolymer–Paclitaxel–Alendronate Conjugate on Breast Cancer Bone Metastasis Mouse Model

Polymer therapeutics have shown promise as tumor-targeted drug delivery systems in mice. The multivalency of polymers allows the attachment of different functional agents to a polymeric backbone, including chemotherapeutic and antiangiogenic drugs, as well as targeting moieties, such as the bone-targeting agent alendronate (ALN). We previously reported the conjugation of ALN and the chemotherapeutic drug paclitaxel (PTX) with N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymer. The in vitro physicochemical properties, cancer cytotoxicity and antiangiogenic activity of HPMA copolymer-PTX-ALN conjugate were extensively characterized. The reported results warranted in vivo evaluations of the conjugate. In this manuscript, we evaluated the in vivo anticancer and antiangiogenic activity of HPMA copolymer-PTX-ALN conjugate. The conjugate exhibited an antiangiogenic effect by decreasing microvessel density (MVD), and inducing apoptotic circulating endothelial cells (CEC) following treatment of the mice. Using intravital imaging system and mCherry-labeled breast cancer cell lines, we were able to monitor noninvasively the progression of orthotopic metastatic tumors injected into the tibia of the mice. HPMA copolymer-PTX-ALN conjugate showed the greatest antitumor efficacy on mCherry-labeled 4T1 mammary adenocarcinoma inoculated into the tibia, as compared with PTX alone or in combination with ALN. Treatment with the bone-targeted polymeric conjugate demonstrated improved efficacy, was better tolerated, and was more easily administered intravenously than the clinically used PTX formulated in Cremophor/ethanol.

Enhanced anti-tumor activity and safety profile of targeted nano-scaled HPMA copolymer-alendronate-TNP-470 conjugate in the treatment of bone malignances

Bone neoplasms, such as osteosarcoma, exhibit a propensity for systemic metastases resulting in adverse clinical outcome. Traditional treatment consisting of aggressive chemotherapy combined with surgical resection, has been the mainstay of these malignances. Therefore, bone-targeted non-toxic therapies are required. We previously conjugated the aminobisphosphonate alendronate (ALN), and the potent anti-angiogenic agent TNP-470 with N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymer. HPMA copolymer-ALN-TNP-470 conjugate exhibited improved anti-angiogenic and anti-tumor activity compared with the combination of free ALN and TNP-470 when evaluated in a xenogeneic model of human osteosarcoma. The immune system has major effect on toxicology studies and on tumor progression. Therefore, in this manuscript we examined the safety and efficacy profiles of the conjugate using murine osteosarcoma syngeneic model. Toxicity and efficacy evaluation revealed superior anti-tumor activity and decreased organ-related toxicities of the conjugate compared with the combination of free ALN plus TNP-470. Finally, comparative anti-angiogenic activity and specificity studies, using surrogate biomarkers of circulating endothelial cells (CEC), highlighted the advantage of the conjugate over the free agents. The therapeutic platform described here may have clinical translational relevance for the treatment of bone-related angiogenesis-dependent malignances.

G-CSF supplementation with chemotherapy can promote revascularization and subsequent tumor regrowth: prevention by a CXCR4 antagonist

Recombinant granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is used to accelerate recovery from chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression. G-CSF has been recently shown to stimulate angiogenesis mediated by several types of bone marrow-derived cell populations. To investigate whether G-CSF may alter tumor response to therapy, we studied Lewis lung and EMT/6 breast carcinomas in mice treated with paclitaxel (PTX) chemotherapy in combination with G-CSF. We compared the results obtained to mice treated with PTX and AMD3100, a small-molecule drug antagonist of CXCR4 which, like G-CSF, can be used to mobilize hematopoietic cells. We show that PTX combined with G-CSF treatment facilitates revascularization, leading to an improvement in blood perfusion in LLC tumors, and a decrease in hypoxia in EMT/6 tumors, thus enhancing tumor growth in comparison to PTX or PTX and AMD3100 therapies. We found that hemangiocytes but not Gr-1(+) CD11b(+) cells colonize EMT/6 tumors after treatment with PTX and G-CSF, but not PTX and AMD3100, and therefore may contribute to angiogenesis. However, increases in hemangiocyte colonization were not observed in LLC PTX and G-CSF-treated tumors, suggesting distinct mechanisms of tumor revascularization after G-CSF. Overall, our observations suggest that despite its known considerable clinical benefits, G-CSF might contribute to tumor revascularization by various mechanisms, and diminish the antitumor activity of chemotherapy, an effect that can be prevented by AMD3100.

Genetic heterogeneity in two consanguineous families segregating early onset retinal degeneration: The pitfalls of homozygosity mapping

Retinitis pigmentosa is the most common form of hereditary retinal degeneration, with a worldwide prevalence of 1 in 4,000. At least 28 genes and loci have been implicated in nonsyndromic autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa. Here we report two extended and highly consanguineous families segregating early onset retinitis pigmentosa. Despite the consanguinity in both families, we found allelic heterogeneity in one of them, in which affected individuals were compound heterozygotes for two different mutations of the CRB1 gene. In the second family we found evidence for locus heterogeneity. A novel homozygous mutation of RDH12 was found in only 14 of 17 affected individuals in this family. Our data indicate that in the other affected individuals the disease is caused by a different gene/s. These findings demonstrate that while homozygosity mapping is an efficient tool for identification of the underlying mutated genes in inbred families, both locus and allelic heterogeneity may occur even within the same consanguineous family. These observations should be taken into account, especially when studying common and heterogeneous recessive genetic conditions.

Tumor‐Initiating Cells of Various Tumor Types Exhibit Differential Angiogenic Properties and React Differently to Antiangiogenic Drugs

Tumor‐initiating cells (TICs) are a subtype of tumor cells believed to be critical for initiating tumorigenesis. We sought to determine the angiogenic properties of TICs in different tumor types including U‐87MG (glioblastoma), HT29 (colon), MCF7 (breast), A549 (non‐small‐cell lung), and PANC1 (pancreatic) cancers. Long‐term cultures grown either as monolayers (“TIC‐low”) or as nonadherent tumor spheres (“TIC‐high”) were generated. The TIC‐high fractions exhibited increased expression of stem cell surface markers, high aldehyde dehydrogenase activity, high expression of p21, and resistance to standard chemotherapy in comparison to TIC‐low fractions. Furthermore, TICs from U‐87MG and HT29 but not from MCF7, A549, and PANC1 tumor types possess increased angiogenic activity. Consequently, the efficacy of vascular endothelial growth factor‐A (VEGF‐A) neutralizing antibody is limited only to those tumors that are dependent on VEGF‐A activity. In addition, such therapy had little or reversed antiangiogenic effects on tumors that do not necessarily rely on VEGF‐dependent angiogenesis. Differential angiogenic activity and antiangiogenic therapy sensitivity were also observed in TICs of the same tumor type, suggesting redundant angiogenic pathways. Collectively, our results suggest that the efficacy of antiangiogenic drugs is dependent on the angiogenic properties of TICs and, therefore, can serve as a possible biomarker to predict antiangiogenic treatment efficacy. Stem Cells2012;30:1831–1841

Porfimer-sodium (Photofrin-II) in combination with ionizing radiation inhibits tumor-initiating cell proliferation and improves glioblastoma treatment efficacy

Tumor relapse and tumor cell repopulation has been explained partially by the drug-free break period between successive conventional treatments. Strategies to overcome tumor relapse have been proposed, such as the use of chemotherapeutic drugs or radiation in small, frequent fractionated doses without an extended break period between treatment intervals. Yet, tumors usually acquire resistance and eventually escape the therapy. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the resistance of tumors to therapy, one of which involves the cancer stem cell or tumor-initiating cell (TIC) concept. TICs are believed to resist many conventional therapies, in part due to their slow proliferation and self-renewal capacities. Therefore, emerging efforts to eradicate TICs are being undertaken. Here we show that treatment with Photofrin II, among the most frequently used photosensitizers, sensitized a TIC-enriched U-87MG human glioblastoma cell to radiation, and improve treatment outcome when used in combination with radiotherapy. A U-87MG tumor cell population enriched with radiation-resistant TICs becomes radio-sensitive, and an inhibition of cell proliferation and an increase in apoptosis are found in the presence of Photofrin II. Furthermore, U-87MG tumors implanted in mice treated with Photofrin II and radiation exhibit a significant reduction in angiogenesis and vasculogenesis, and an increased percentage of apoptotic TICs when compared with tumors grown in mice treated with radiation alone. Collectively, our results offer a new possible explanation for the therapeutic effects of radiosensitizing agents, and suggest that combinatorial treatment modalities can effectively prolong treatment outcome of glioblastoma tumors by inhibiting tumor growth mediated by TICs.

Evaluation of Circulating Endothelial Precursor Cells in Cancer Patients

Results obtained from preclinical studies have shown that endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) play a crucial role in tumor growth and metastasis. In the clinic, EPCs are present in the peripheral blood of cancer patients in higher numbers than in healthy subjects. These cells are mobilized from the bone marrow compartment to the periphery in response to certain cytokines and growth factors. Growing body of evidence suggests that following acute cytotoxic drug therapy levels of circulating EPCs (CEPs) can change significantly in both mouse and human. These changes may predict the efficacy of some anticancer drug treatments. Therefore, the validation and standardization of a procedure to detect CEPs and monitor their kinetic is an important step towards the use of such cells as a possible biomarker to predict clinical outcome. In this chapter, we describe a flow cytometry technique to detect CEPs obtained from human blood specimens stored in both fresh and frozen conditions.