Breast Cancer Cell Colonization of the Human Bone Marrow Adipose Tissue Niche.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Bone is a preferred site of breast cancer metastasis, suggesting the presence of tissue-specific features that attract and promote the outgrowth of breast cancer cells. We sought to identify parameters of human bone tissue associated with breast cancer cell osteotropism and colonization in the metastatic niche. METHODS: Migration and colonization patterns of MDA-MB-231-fLuc-EGFP (luciferase-enhanced green fluorescence protein) and MCF-7-fLuc-EGFP breast cancer cells were studied in co-culture with cancellous bone tissue fragments isolated from 14 hip arthroplasties. Breast cancer cell migration into tissues and toward tissue-conditioned medium was measured in Transwell migration chambers using bioluminescence imaging and analyzed as a function of secreted factors measured by multiplex immunoassay. Patterns of breast cancer cell colonization were evaluated with fluorescence microscopy and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Enhanced MDA-MB-231-fLuc-EGFP breast cancer cell migration to bone-conditioned versus control medium was observed in 12/14 specimens (P = .0014) and correlated significantly with increasing levels of the adipokines/cytokines leptin (P = .006) and IL-1ß (P = .001) in univariate and multivariate regression analyses. Fluorescence microscopy and immunohistochemistry of fragments underscored the extreme adiposity of adult human bone tissues and revealed extensive breast cancer cell colonization within the marrow adipose tissue compartment. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that breast cancer cells migrate to human bone tissue-conditioned medium in association with increasing levels of leptin and IL-1ß, and colonize the bone marrow adipose tissue compartment of cultured fragments. Bone marrow adipose tissue and its molecular signals may be important but understudied components of the breast cancer metastatic niche.

Aminocyclodextrins to facilitate the deprotonation of 4-tert-butyl-alpha-nitrotoluene.

6A-Amino-6A-deoxy-beta-cyclodextrin enhances the rate of the deprotonation of 4-tert-butyl-alpha-nitrotoluene. The rate constants for reaction of the cyclodextrin-bound species, kinc = 4 x 10(-3), 9 x 10(-3) and 19 x 10(-3) s(-1), at pH 6.0, 6.5 and 7.0, respectively, in 0.1 mol dm(-3) aqueous phosphate buffer containing 1% methanol at 298 K. These rate constants correspond to a rate acceleration (kinc/kun) of ca. 10 times at each pH. Under the same conditions, 6A-dimethylamino-6A-deoxy-beta-cyclodextrin and 6A-(2-aminoethylamino)-6A-deoxy-beta-cyclodextrin are more effective; at pH 6.0, 6.5 and 7.0, for the former, kinc = 3 x 10(-2), 7 x 10(-2) and 12 x 10(-2) s(-1), whilst for the latter, kinc = 4 x 10(-2), 5 x 10(-2) and 9 x 10(-2) s(-1), respectively. Each cyclodextrin also decreases the pKa of the nitrotoluene, from 6.8 in free solution, to 6.2 when bound. The accelerated deprotonation by 6A-amino-6A-deoxy-beta-cyclodextrin is reflected in the enhanced rates of hydrogen-deuterium exchange of the nitrotoluene in deuterium oxide, and in the conjugate addition of the nitrotoluene to methyl vinyl ketone in aqueous solution.

Flexible ligands and structural diversity: isomerism in Cd(NO3)2 coordination polymers.

The ligands 1,4-bis(2-pyridylmethylsulfanylmethyl)benzene (L1) and 2,5-bis(2-pyridylmethylsulfanylmethyl)pyrazine (L2) were treated with Cd(NO3)2.4H2O in metal-to-ligand ratios of 1:1 and 2:1, respectively; L2 was also treated with CdCl2.2.5H2O in a 2:1 ratio. All products were found to be coordination polymers. The crystal structures of {[Cd(L1)(NO3)2].CH2Cl2}infinity (1a), {[Cd(L1)(NO3)2].4/3CH3CN}infinity (1b), {[Cd2(L2)(NO3)4].2CH3CN}infinity (2.2CH3CN), and {[Cd2(L2)Cl4].2CH2Cl2}infinity (3.2CH2Cl2) were determined. Compounds 1a and 1b were found to be conformational supramolecular isomers. The structure of 1b displayed topological isomerism with two isomeric polymer chains, 1b(1) and 1b(2), in the one crystal forming a single supramolecular array. The structure of 2.2CH(3)CN showed Cd2(L2) units linked together by nitrates bridging between the Cd(II) centers in a mode previously not seen in Cd(II) compounds. The overall structure of 3.2CH2Cl2 was found to be similar to that of 2.2CH3CN despite the presence of different anions and solvent molecules. Powder X-ray diffraction was used to investigate the nature of bulk preparations of compounds 1-3.

Generic/matrix evaluation of SV40 clearance by anion exchange chromatography in flow-through mode.

The potential of viral contamination is a regulatory concern for continuous cell line-derived pharmaceutical proteins. Complementary and redundant safety steps, including an evaluation of the viral clearance capacity of unit operations in the purification process, are performed prior to registration and marketing of biotechnology pharmaceuticals. Because process refinement is frequently beneficial, CBER/FDA has published guidance facilitating process improvement by delineating specific instances where the bracketing and generic approaches are appropriate for virus removal validation. In this study, a generic/matrix study was performed using Q-Sepharose Fast Flow (QSFF) chromatography to determine if bracketing and generic validation can be applied to anion exchange chromatography. Key operational parameters were varied to upper and lower extreme values and the impact on viral clearance was assessed using simian virus 40 (SV40) as the model virus. Operational ranges for key chromatography parameters were identified where an SV40 log(10) reduction value (LRV) of >or=4.7 log(10) is consistently achieved. On the basis of the apparent robustness of SV40 removal by Q-anion exchange chromatography, we propose that the concept of "bracketed generic" validation can be applied to this and potentially other chromatography unit operations.

Bracketed generic inactivation of rodent retroviruses by low pH treatment for monoclonal antibodies and recombinant proteins.

Viral safety is a predominant concern for monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and other recombinant proteins (RPs) with pharmaceutical applications. Certain commercial purification modules, such as nanofiltration and low-pH inactivation, have been observed to reliably clear greater than 4 log(10) of large enveloped viruses, including endogenous retrovirus. The concept of "bracketed generic clearance" has been proposed for these steps if it could be prospectively demonstrated that viral log(10) reduction value (LRV) is not impacted by operating parameters that can vary, within a reasonable range, between commercial processes. In the case of low-pH inactivation, a common step in mAb purification processes employed after protein A affinity chromatography, these parameters would include pH, time and temperature of incubation, the content of salts, protein concentration, aggregates, impurities, model protein pI, and buffer composition. In this report, we define bracketed generic clearance conditions, using a prospectively defined bracket/matrix approach, where low-pH inactivation consistently achieves >or=4.6 log(10) clearance of xenotropic murine leukemia virus (X-MLV), a model for rodent endogenous retrovirus. The mechanism of retrovirus inactivation by low-pH treatment was also investigated.