Identification of human brain tumour initiating cells

The cancer stem cell (CSC) hypothesis suggests that neoplastic clones are maintained exclusively by a rare fraction of cells with stem cell properties. Although the existence of CSCs in human leukaemia is established, little evidence exists for CSCs in solid tumours, except for breast cancer. Recently, we prospectively isolated a CD133+ cell subpopulation from human brain tumours that exhibited stem cell properties in vitro. However, the true measures of CSCs are their capacity for self renewal and exact recapitulation of the original tumour. Here we report the development of a xenograft assay that identified human brain tumour initiating cells that initiate tumours in vivo. Only the CD133+ brain tumour fraction contains cells that are capable of tumour initiation in NOD-SCID (non-obese diabetic, severe combined immunodeficient) mouse brains. Injection of as few as 100 CD133+ cells produced a tumour that could be serially transplanted and was a phenocopy of the patient's original tumour, whereas injection of 10(5) CD133- cells engrafted but did not cause a tumour. Thus, the identification of brain tumour initiating cells provides insights into human brain tumour pathogenesis, giving strong support for the CSC hypothesis as the basis for many solid tumours, and establishes a previously unidentified cellular target for more effective cancer therapies.     

Inducing apoptosis of cancer cell and inhibiting mice’s malignant tumour growth by magnetic fields

It was found that the growth of malignant tumour in mice was inhibited and the ability of immune cell’s dissolving cancer cells was enhanced by ultralow frequency (ULF) pulsed gradient magnetic field. The DNA contents of nuclei decreased which indicated that magnetic field can block DNA replication and mitosis of cancer cells. It was observed that magnetic field inhibited the cancer cell’s metabolism, lowered its malignancy, and restrained its rapid and heteromorphic growth. The morphology properties of Programmed Cell Death (PCD) of the cancer cells of the treated group by magnetic field was observed for the first time. The heterochromatin condensed and coagulated together along the nuclear membrane; the endoplasmic reticulums expanded and fused with the cellular membrane; many apoptotic bodies which were packed by the cellular membrane appeared and were devoured by the lymphocytes and plasma. Foundation item: Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China Biography: ZHANG Hu-sheng(1938-), male, Professor     

Nucleostemin siRNA对结肠癌细胞株HT-29细胞凋亡的影响

利用RNA干扰技术沉默结肠癌细胞株HT-29细胞中Nucleostemin(NS)基因的表达,并分析其对HT-29细胞凋亡的影响,进一步利用半定量RT-PCR和Western blotting技术检测细胞凋亡相关基因caspase-3/9 mRNAs和蛋白的表达.结果表明,NS基因的沉默能明显提高caspase-3/9的活性(P0.05),并诱导细胞发生凋亡,此外,HT-29细胞中NS基因沉默后,caspase-3/9mRNAs和蛋白的表达均明显升高,提示NS基因沉默介导的细胞凋亡与caspase-3/9基因表达的升高密切相关.     

RNA干扰Nucleostemin基因对人结肠癌细胞株HT-29细胞增殖及细胞周期的影响

将Nucleostemin(NS)siRNA利用脂质体2000转染人结肠癌细胞株HT 29,分别利用CCK-8试剂盒和流式细胞术检测NS siRNA对HT 29细胞增殖和细胞周期的影响,进一步利用Real-time PCR和Western blotting技术检测NS基因和细胞周期相关基因p21 mRNA和蛋白的表达.结果表明,NS siRNA的转入能有效下调NS mRNA和蛋白的表达(P0.05),并能明显抑制人结肠癌细胞株HT 29的细胞增殖(P0.05),并诱导细胞周期静止在G_0/G_1期,转染NS siRNA后,p21 mRNA和蛋白的表达均明显升高,提示细胞增殖抑制和细胞周期静止与p21基因表达的升高密切相关.     

cDNA sequence and chromosomal localization of human platelet-derived growth factor A-chain and its expression in tumour cell lines

The amino-acid sequence of the precursor of the human tumour cell line-derived platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) A-chain has been deduced from complementary DNA clones and the gene localized to chromosome 7. The protein shows extensive homology to the PDGF B-chain precursor. Expression of the PDGF A-chain gene is independent of that of the PDGF B-chain in a number of human tumour cell lines, and secretion of a PDGF-like growth factor of relative molecular mass 31,000 correlates with expression of A- but not B-chain messenger RNA.     

Identification of cells initiating human melanomas

Tumour-initiating cells capable of self-renewal and differentiation, which are responsible for tumour growth, have been identified in human haematological malignancies and solid cancers. If such minority populations are associated with tumour progression in human patients, specific targeting of tumour-initiating cells could be a strategy to eradicate cancers currently resistant to systemic therapy. Here we identify a subpopulation enriched for human malignant-melanoma-initiating cells (MMIC) defined by expression of the chemoresistance mediator ABCB5 (refs 7, 8) and show that specific targeting of this tumorigenic minority population inhibits tumour growth. ABCB5+ tumour cells detected in human melanoma patients show a primitive molecular phenotype and correlate with clinical melanoma progression. In serial human-to-mouse xenotransplantation experiments, ABCB5+ melanoma cells possess greater tumorigenic capacity than ABCB5- bulk populations and re-establish clinical tumour heterogeneity. In vivo genetic lineage tracking demonstrates a specific capacity of ABCB5+ subpopulations for self-renewal and differentiation, because ABCB5+ cancer cells generate both ABCB5+ and ABCB5- progeny, whereas ABCB5- tumour populations give rise, at lower rates, exclusively to ABCB5- cells. In an initial proof-of-principle analysis, designed to test the hypothesis that MMIC are also required for growth of established tumours, systemic administration of a monoclonal antibody directed at ABCB5, shown to be capable of inducing antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity in ABCB5+ MMIC, exerted tumour-inhibitory effects. Identification of tumour-initiating cells with enhanced abundance in more advanced disease but susceptibility to specific targeting through a defining chemoresistance determinant has important implications for cancer therapy.     

JR6对人结肠癌细胞HT-29氧化还原系统影响

探讨新型抗肿瘤药物JR6诱导人结肠癌细胞HT-29凋亡机制.使用噻唑兰比色法(MTT)检测JR6对人结肠癌细胞HT-29的生长抑制作用,并测定HT-29细胞中超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GSH-Px)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)的活性和丙二醛(MDA)浓度.JR6对HT-29细胞生长有明显抑制作用,可以降低HT-29细胞中SOD、GSH-Px、CAT活性,升高MDA浓度.JR6对HT-29细胞有明显的细胞毒作用,其IC50为39.8μg/ml,可能通过影响HT-29细胞中SOD、GSH-Px、CAT活性和MDA浓度,达到诱导HT-29细胞凋亡的目的.     

DADS对人小细胞肺癌细胞株NCI—H446增殖的影响

目的探讨二烯丙基二硫（diallyldisulfide,DADS）体外抑制人肺癌细胞株NCI—H446细胞增殖作用。方法采用MTT、细胞计数、细胞活力检测DADS对体外培养的人肺癌H446细胞的抑制增殖作用;倒置显微镜观察DADS对体外培养的人肺癌H446细胞的形态学改变。结果IVIqT结果显示,DADS作用H446细胞后,明显抑制细胞增殖且抑制率呈现浓度时间依赖性关系;细胞计数结果表明,DADS作用H446细胞后其细胞群体倍增时间延长;形态学变化观察,随着DADS浓度递增,细胞逐渐稀疏,数量明显减少。结论DADS对人小细胞肺癌H446细胞株具有抗增殖作用,且与药物浓度及作用时间相关。     

蜂胶黄酮Pinobanksin-3-acetate对结肠癌HCT-116细胞增殖及凋亡的影响

 为探讨蜂胶黄酮(Pinobanksin-3-acetate, PB3A)对结肠癌HCT-116 细胞增殖及细胞凋亡的影响, 采用四甲基偶氮唑盐(MTT)比色法, 检测不同浓度、不同时间PB3A、5-氟尿嘧啶(5-FU)及两种药物联合作用对HCT-116 细胞生长所产生的影响, 倒置显微镜观察细胞的形态学变化特点, Annexin V-FITC/PI 双染色、流式细胞仪检测药物作用24 h 后的细胞凋亡率。结果显示, PB3A 对HCT-116 细胞增殖有明显的抑制作用, 并呈浓度和时间依赖性。其抑制活性与5-FU 几乎没有显著性差异, 联合用药具有协同效应; 在一定剂量范围内, 可见凋亡细胞明显增多。流式细胞仪分析结果表明, 细胞凋亡率明显上升, 呈剂量依赖性。PB3A 对HCT-116 细胞具有明显的增殖抑制和诱导细胞凋亡作用。     

Demonstration of B-cell maturation in X-linked immunodeficient mice by simultaneous three-colour immunofluorescence

CBA/N mice carrying the X-linked immune deficiency gene (xid) have fewer splenic B cells than normal CBA mice and are unresponsive to a certain class of antigens. Studies of B-cell surface-marker expression and immune responsiveness have led to the commonly accepted idea that the B cells in adult xid mice are immature and resemble the B cells of young (1-3 week old) normal mice. That is, like young animals, xid mice lack cells in the most numerous of three IgM/IgD B-cell subpopulations (designated I in Fig. 1a, b) present in adult spleen. We now report, however, that this picture is an oversimplification and that in fact the B cells in adult xid mice differ from those present in either adult or young normal mice. Using quantitative three-colour fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) analyses, we have compared the correlated expression of IgM, IgD and a newly discovered B-lymphocyte antigen (BLA-1) on splenic B cells in normal and xid mice. We show here (1) that most B cells in adult xid mice (as in normals) are BLA-1- whereas all B cells in young animals are BLA-1+; (2) that the major difference in the IgM/IgD B-cell subpopulations found between xid and normal mice is limited to the BLA-1- cells; and (3) that xid mice have increased numbers of BLA-1+ population III B cells.     

Expression of human growth hormone-releasing factor in transgenic mice results in increased somatic growth

The neurohumoral regulation of growth hormone secretion is mediated in part by two hypothalamic peptides that reach the anterior pituitary via the hypothalamo-hypophysial portal blood system. Somatostatin inhibits the release of growth hormone, whereas growth hormone-releasing factor (GRF) positively regulates both growth hormone synthesis and secretion. Two forms of human GRF, 40 and 44 amino acids long, have been characterized from extra-hypothalamic tumours as well as from the hypothalamus. Analysis of human GRF complementary DNA and genomic clones indicates that the GRF peptides are first synthesized as a 107- or 108-amino-acid precursor protein. To examine the physiological consequences of GRF expression, we have established strains of transgenic mice containing a fusion gene including the promoter/regulatory region of the mouse metallothionein-I (MT-I) gene and the coding region of the human GRF gene. We report that expression of the human GRF precursor protein in these animals results in measurable levels of human GRF and increased levels of mouse growth hormone in plasma and accelerated growth rates relative to control littermates. These results demonstrate a direct role for GRF in the positive regulation of somatic growth. Unexpectedly, female transgenic mice carrying the MT-GRF fusion gene are fertile, in contrast to female transgenic mice expressing human or rat growth hormone, which are generally infertile. These transgenic mouse strains should provide useful animal models for the study of several types of human growth disorders.     

Prevention of vaccinia virus infection in immunodeficient mice by vector-directed IL-2 expression

Recombinant vaccinia viruses have been proposed as live vaccines against a variety of infectious diseases, including AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). Objections have been concerned primarily with side effects of the vaccinia virus vector itself. Recently it has been shown that inactivation of the vaccinia virus thymidine kinase gene or deletion of certain other non-essential genes is associated with a marked reduction in pathogenicity. Nevertheless, the ability of vaccinia virus to produce a progressive infection in immunodeficient individuals remains a most serious problem. Indeed, an incident of this type in a vaccinated man seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus was recently reported. We have used immunodeficient athymic nude mice to establish a model of disseminated vaccinia virus infection, and to demonstrate a novel approach to virus attenuation which involves insertion of a gene encoding human interleukin-2 into the genome of vaccinia virus vectors.