Anti-tumor activity of a combination of plasminogen activator and captopril in a human melanoma xenograft model.

Angiostatin, a proteolytic fragment of plasminogen consisting of the first 3 or 4 kringle domains, reduces tumor growth by specifically inhibiting tumor angiogenesis. Angiostatin is generated in vitro in a 2-step process. First, plasminogen is converted to plasmin by plasminogen activators. Next, plasmin excises the angiostatin fragment from plasminogen, a process requiring molecules that are able to donate a free sulfhydryl group. In this study, we investigated whether stimulation of in vivo angiostatin generation by administration of plasminogen activator and a free sulfhydryl group donor (FSD) has anti-tumor activity. First, we determined the optimal conditions for in vitro angiostatin generation by incubating murine plasma with different concentrations of plasminogen activator and/or the FSD captopril. Angiostatin generation was monitored by western blot analysis. Our results were extrapolated to the in vivo situation by administering the optimal dose of tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA, i.v. injection 3 times/week) and captopril (in drinking water) to mice and analyzing the presence of angiostatin in the circulation. Angiostatin was readily detectable in mice receiving both tPA and captopril, but not in mice receiving either one of the agents. Finally, the anti-tumor activity of the tPA/captopril treatment was tested in a human melanoma xenograft model. Administration of tPA alone had only a marginal effect on tumor growth. Captopril alone reduced tumor growth by about 60%, whereas treatment with both captopril and tPA resulted in 83% inhibition of tumor growth.

The human SPANX multigene family: genomic organization, alignment and expression in male germ cells and tumor cell lines.

Multigenicity is one of the features of cancer/testis-associated genes. In the present study we analyzed the number and expression of genes of the SPANX(CTp11) family of cancer/testis-associated genes. Genomic database analysis, next to the four previously described SPANX genes, revealed the presence of a novel gene: SPANXE. Moreover, we detected an allelic variant of SPANXB resulting in one amino acid substitution in the encoded protein: SPANXB'. Most SPANX genes are present on contig NT_011574 located at Xq26.3-Xq27.1. Based on expressed sequence tag databases and RT-PCR analysis three additional novel SPANX sequences were identified, though not represented so far in the human genome sequence. Sequence alignments justify a subdivision of this gene family based on the absence (SPANXA-likes) or presence (SPANXB) of an 18 base pair sequence stretch in the open reading frame. The alignments also reveal an unusually high level (99%) of intron homology. Furthermore, the nucleotide variations in the open reading frame almost all lead to amino acid substitutions. Southern blot and database analyses indicate that SPANX sequences are exclusively present in primates. With RT-PCR analysis on human sperm cell precursors and tumor cell lines most family members could be detected. SPANXB was only found in sperm cell precursors and could not be detected in the tumor cell lines tested. Overall SPANXA was the most frequently expressed SPANX variant in melanoma and glioblastoma cell lines.

Cigarette smoking and genetic alterations in sporadic colon carcinomas.

Cigarette smoking has been inconsistently associated with colon cancer risk. To evaluate the hypothesis that smoking is primarily linked to a specific colon tumor subgroup(s), we assessed associations between smoking and the occurrence of mutations in the APC, K-ras and p53 genes, p53 overexpression, and microsatellite instability (MSI) in a Dutch population-based case-control study on sporadic colon carcinomas. The study population consisted of 176 cases and 249 controls. Smoking status (never, ever), number of cigarettes smoked per day (never, <15, > or =15), total years of smoking (never, < or =30, >30), and years since first started smoking (never, < or =35, >35) were all evaluated. Cigarette smoking status was significantly differently related to p53 overexpression-positive (p53(pos)) tumors compared with p53 overexpression-negative (p53(neg)) tumors (p53(pos) versus p53(neg), OR 0.4, 95% CI 0.2-0.9), as well as to tumors with transversion mutations in APC, K-ras or p53 (transv(+)) compared with tumors without transversion mutations in one of these genes (transv(-)) (transv(+) versus transv(-), OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.0-5.9). Positive associations were observed with p53(neg) tumors and transv(+) tumors when compared with the population-based controls (ever versus transv(-), OR 1.5, 95% CI 0.9-2.8 and OR 2.2, 95% CI 0.9-5.6, respectively), inverse associations with p53(pos) tumors and transv(-) tumors (ever versus never, OR 0.5, 95% CI 0.3-1.0 and OR 0.8, 95% CI 0.5-1.3, respectively). Similar patterns of association were observed for the other smoking variables evaluated. In addition, although statistically non-significant, smoking was more notably positively associated with tumors that exhibit K-ras mutations, especially K-ras transversion mutations, than with tumors without K-ras mutations. An inverse relationship between smoking and the occurrence of APC mutations was suggested, whereas no clear associations were observed with MSI. Our data suggest that smoking-related colon cancers develop through a p53(neg) pathway and that smoking particularly results in colon carcinomas with transversion mutations.

The XAGE family of cancer/testis-associated genes: alignment and expression profile in normal tissues, melanoma lesions and Ewing's sarcoma.

The existence of XAGE genes was first reported after database homology searches for PAGE-like sequences identified 3 XAGE EST clusters. One of these clusters, XAGE-1, has in later studies been identified as a cancer/testis-associated gene. Here, we report the expression profiles of all 3 reported XAGE genes, as well as several splice variants of XAGE-1, in normal human tissues, Ewing's sarcoma and melanocytic tumors. We also provide the genetic structure of the corresponding genes. Moreover, by searching the databases for XAGE homologues, we identified 3 additional GAGE-like genes. RT-PCR studies showed frequent expression in melanoma metastases and Ewing's sarcoma for 2 XAGE-1-derived transcripts. XAGE-2 was expressed at lower frequency in these tissues, while XAGE-3 was seen only in normal placenta. Due to a frameshift, the largest XAGE-1 putative protein is far less homologous to GAGE-like proteins than the other XAGEs. Interestingly, all GAGE-like genes contain a large secondary open reading frame, coding for putative proteins homologues to the XAGE-1 primary protein. The XAGE family of cancer/testis-associated genes is located on chromosome Xp11.21-Xp11.22. The data outline a superfamily of GAGE-like cancer/testis antigens, consisting of at least 19 genes.

Characterization of XAGE-1b, a short major transcript of cancer/testis-associated gene XAGE-1, induced in melanoma metastasis.

Suppression subtractive hybridization, comparing mRNA expression profiles of common nevocellular nevi and melanoma metastases, was used to identify potential markers of melanoma progression. From the metastases we isolated XAGE-1b, a 470 bp transcript of the XAGE-1 gene. In general, expression of XAGE-1b was much more prominent than expression of the longer XAGE-1 transcript, isolated from Ewing's sarcoma. The XAGE-1b open-reading frame codes for a putative protein of 81 amino acids, harboring a functional bipartite nuclear localization signal and a C-terminal acidic transcription-activation-like domain. On the nucleotide level, XAGE-1b has a 50% homology with members of the GAGE family. However, homology between the corresponding proteins is weak. Expression of XAGE-1b in normal tissues was mainly restricted to testis, while placenta and brain were sporadically positive. In human tumor cell lines as well as in human tumor lesions, expression was most frequently found in melanocytic tumors and Ewing's sarcoma. In the different stages of melanocytic tumor progression, expression was exclusively seen in melanoma metastases (38%; n = 61), while all tested common and atypical nevi (n = 10) as well as primary melanomas (n = 8) were negative. Upregulation of expression after treatment with demethylating agent 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine was detected in 1 of 4 human melanoma cell lines tested. The XAGE-1 gene consists of 4 exons and is located on chromosome Xp11.21-Xp11.22. After transfection into COS cells, the corresponding protein can direct the coupled fluorescent protein to the nucleus, showing a distinct speckled staining aspect. Our data imply the nuclear cancer/testis-associated XAGE-1b to be a marker for late melanocytic tumor progression.