Yasuhiko Kitadai

Simultaneous Inhibition of EGFR, VEGFR, and Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptor Signaling Combined with Gemcitabine Produces Therapy of Human Pancreatic Carcinoma and Prolongs Survival in an Orthotopic Nude Mouse Model

Although gemcitabine has been approved as the first-line chemotherapeutic reagent for pancreatic cancer, its response rate is low and average survival duration is still only marginal. Because epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR), and platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) modulate tumor progression, we hypothesized that inhibition of phosphorylation of all three on tumor cells, tumor-associated endothelial cells, and stroma cells would improve the treatment efficacy of gemcitabine in an orthotopic pancreatic tumor model in nude mice and prolong survival. We implanted L3.6pl, a human pancreatic cancer cell, in the pancreas of nude mice. We found that tumor-associated endothelial cells in this model highly expressed phosphorylated EGFR, VEGFR, and PDGFR. Oral administration of AEE788, a dual tyrosine kinase inhibitor against EGFR and VEGFR, decreased phosphorylation of EGFR and VEGFR. PDGFR phosphorylation was inhibited by STI571. Although i.p. injection of gemcitabine did not inhibit tumor growth, its combination with AEE788 and STI571 produced >80% inhibition of tumor growth and prolonged survival in parallel with increases in number of tumor cells and tumor-associated endothelial cell apoptosis, decreased microvascular density, decreased proliferation rate, and prolonged survival. STI571 treatment also decreased pericyte coverage on tumor-associated endothelial cells. Thus, inhibiting phosphorylation of EGFR, VEGFR, and PDGFR in combination with gemcitabine enhanced the efficacy of gemcitabine, resulting in inhibition of experimental human pancreatic cancer growth and significant prolongation of survival.

Expression of activated platelet‐derived growth factor receptor in stromal cells of human colon carcinomas is associated with metastatic potential

Platelet‐derived growth factor receptor (PDGF‐R) expression has been reported in a variety of cancers, including colorectal, breast, lung, ovarian and pancreatic cancers, but the role of PDGF‐R expression in the development and progression of colon carcinoma has not yet been elucidated. The purpose of this study was to examine the expression of PDGF and PDGF‐R in human colon carcinomas. The expression of PDGF, PDGF‐R and phosphorylated PDGF‐R (p‐PDGF‐R) was examined by immunofluorescence in 12 surgical specimens of colon carcinoma and in human colon carcinoma cells growing in the subcutis (ectopic site) and the cecal wall (orthotopic site) of nude mice. In most surgical specimens, tumor cells expressed PDGF‐A and ‐B subunits, without corresponding levels of PDGF‐Rα and PDGF‐Rβ. PDGF‐Rβ was predominantly expressed by tumor‐associated stromal cells and pericytes of tumor vasculature. The expression of PDGF‐Rβ in the stroma was associated with advanced stage disease. Under culture conditions, human colon carcinoma cell lines expressed PDGF‐A and ‐B, but not PDGF‐R. In orthotopic tumors, the KM12 cells (Dukes stage B) expressed PDGF‐A and ‐B, but PDGF‐Rβ was expressed only by stromal cells and pericytes in the tumor vasculature. This expression of PDGF‐Rβ by stromal cells and pericytes was higher in tumors growing at the orthotopic site than in those at the ectopic site. The expression of PDGF‐Rβ in the stroma was higher in highly metastatic KM12SM tumors than in low metastatic KM12C tumors. In conclusion, the expression of PDGF‐Rβ in stromal cells is influenced by the organ‐specific microenvironment and is associated with metastatic potential.

Zonal Heterogeneity for Gene Expression in Human Pancreatic Carcinoma

Using Affymetrix HG-U133 Plus 2.0 array and laser capture microdissection techniques, we determined whether different zones of the same pancreatic tumor exhibited differential expression of genes. Human L3.6pl pancreatic cancer cells were implanted into the pancreas of nude mice. Three weeks later when tumors were 7 to 9 mm in diameter, gene expression patterns in tumor cells within the central and peripheral zones were compared, and 1,222 genes showed statistically significant differences. Bioinformatic functional analysis revealed that 346 up-regulated genes in the peripheral zone were related to cytoskeleton organization and biogenesis, cell cycle, cell adhesion, cell motility, DNA replication, localization, integrin-mediated signaling pathway, development, morphogenesis, and IkappaB kinase/nuclear factor-kappaB cascade; 876 up-regulated genes in the central zone were related to regulation of cell proliferation, regulation of transcription, transmembrane receptor protein tyrosine kinase signaling pathways, response to stress, small GTPase-mediated signal transduction, hexose metabolism, cell death, response to external stimulus, carbohydrate metabolism, and response to wounding. The reliability of the microarray results were confirmed by in situ hybridization analysis of the expression of two genes. Collectively, the data showed zonal heterogeneity for gene expression profiles in tumors and suggest that characterization of zonal gene expression profiles is essential if microarray analyses of genetic profiles are to produce reproducible data, predict disease prognosis, and allow design of specific therapeutics.

Expression of metastasis-related genes in surgical specimens of human gastric cancer can predict disease recurrence

It was determined whether the expression level of several genes that regulate different steps of metastasis in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded archival specimens of human gastric cancers correlated with disease recurrence and metastasis. The steady-state mRNA expression level for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), E-cadherin, type IV collagenase and multidrug resistance (MDR-1) were examined by a colorimetric in situ hybridisation (ISH) technique, concentrating on reactivity at the periphery of the lesions. All patients were operated on for cure. 15 cases were disease-free and 10 had disease recurrence by 4.5 years after resection of the primary tumours. The expression of EGF-R and bFGF type IV collagenase was higher and expression of E-cadherin was lower in the disease-recurrence cases than in the disease-free cases. The ratio between the expression level of collagenase type IV and E-cadherin at the periphery of the surgical specimens differed significantly between the disease-free cases and the recurrent-metastatic cases. These data show that multiparametric ISH analysis for several metastasis-related genes may allow prediction of disease recurrence of gastric cancer.

Targeting the EGFR, VEGFR, and PDGFR on colon cancer cells and stromal cells is required for therapy

Immunohistochemical analysis of human colon cancers growing in the cecal walls of nude mice revealed that epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) were expressed by different tumor cells and tumor-associated endothelial cells, whereas platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR)β was expressed by tumor-associated endothelial cells and pericytes. We hypothesized that treatment of nude mice with AEE788 (an inhibitor of EGFR and VEGFR phosphorylation) and STI571 (an inhibitor of PDGFRβ phosphorylation) combined with irinotecan would overcome the intratumoral heterogeneity of these growth factors and efficiently inhibit colon cancer growth and metastasis. We implanted HT29 and KM12SM cells into the cecal walls of nude mice. Two weeks later, the mice were treated with oral vehicle solution; oral AEE788, oral STI571, or intraperitoneal injection of irinotecan as single agents; or the various combinations of these agents. We then assessed the mice for tumor growth and metastasis. Immunohistochemical analyses revealed that oral AEE788 suppressed proliferation and increased apoptosis of tumor cells and tumor-associated endothelial cells. Oral STI571 increased apoptosis of tumor-associated endothelial cells and pericytes. The combination of AEE788, STI571, and irinotecan produced the greatest inhibition of primary tumor growth and metastasis. Collectively, these data demonstrate that only targeting multiple tyrosine kinase receptors on colon cancer cells and tumor-associated stromal cells can overcome the effects of biologic heterogeneity for resistance to treatment and has the potential to improve therapeutic outcome for patients with this disease.

Intratumoral Heterogeneity for Expression of Tyrosine Kinase Growth Factor Receptors in Human Colon Cancer Surgical Specimens and Orthotopic Tumors

The design of targeted therapy, particularly patient-specific targeted therapy, requires knowledge of the presence and intratumoral distribution of tyrosine kinase receptors. To determine whether the expression of such receptors is constant or varies between and within individual colon cancer neoplasms, we examined the pattern of expression of the ligands, epidermal growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor, and platelet-derived growth factor-B as well as their respective receptors in human colon cancer surgical specimens and orthotopic human colon cancers growing in the cecal wall of nude mice. The expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor and the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor on tumor cells and stromal cells, including tumor-associated endothelial cells, was heterogeneous in surgical specimens and orthotopic tumors. In some tumors, the receptor was expressed on both tumor cells and stromal cells, and in other tumors the receptor was expressed only on tumor cells or only on stromal cells. In contrast, the platelet-derived growth factor receptor was expressed only on stromal cells in both surgical specimens and orthotopic tumors. Examination of receptor expression in both individual surgical specimens and orthotopic tumors revealed that the platelet-derived growth factor receptor was expressed only on stromal cells and that the patterns of epidermal growth factor receptor and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 expression differed between tumor cells. This heterogeneity in receptor expression among different tumor cells suggests that targeting a single tyrosine kinase may not yield eradication of the disease.

Plasticity in Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator Receptor (uPAR) Display in Colon Cancer Yields Metastable Subpopulations Oscillating in Cell Surface uPAR Density—Implications in Tumor Progression

It is becoming increasingly clear that tumor growth and progression is not entirely due to genetic aberrations but also reflective of tumor cell plasticity. It follows therefore that proteins contributing to tumor progression oscillate in their expression a contention yet to be shown. Because the urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) promotes tumor growth and invasion, we determined whether its expression is itself plastic. In fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), three independent colon cancer clonal populations revealed the expected Gaussian distribution for cell surface uPAR display. However, subcloning of cells collected from the trailing edge of the FACS yielded subpopulations, displaying low cell surface uPAR number. Importantly, these subclones spontaneously reverted to cells enriched in uPAR display, indicating a metastable phenotype. uPAR display plasticity was associated with divergent in vivo behavior with weak tumor growth and progression segregating with receptor deficiency. Mechanistically, reduced uPAR display reflected not repressed gene expression but a switch in uPAR protein trafficking from membrane insertion to shedding. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that uPAR cell surface density is oscillatory and we propose that such an event might well contribute to tumor progression.