Combination chemotherapy with gemcitabine and biotherapy with opioid growth factor (OGF) enhances the growth inhibition of pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Gemcitabine is the standard of care for advanced pancreatic neoplasia, and exerts its effect through inhibition of DNA synthesis. However, gemcitabine has limited survival benefits. Opioid growth factor (OGF) is an autocrine-produced peptide that interacts with the nuclear receptor, OGFr, to inhibit cell proliferation but is not cytotoxic or apoptotic.

Opioid growth factor enhances tumor growth inhibition and increases the survival of paclitaxel-treated mice with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Paclitaxel is used as a single agent, and in combination with other drugs, as a standard of care in the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). However, the use of paclitaxel for therapy of SCCHN may be accompanied by serious side effects. Paclitaxel is a known cytotoxic inhibitor of cell proliferation that acts by stabilizing microtubules and inducing apoptosis.

Enhanced growth inhibition of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck by combination therapy of paclitaxel and opioid growth factor.

This study evaluated the effects of a combination of opioid growth factor (OGF) and paclitaxel on squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) using a tissue culture model of human SCCHN. The combination of OGF and paclitaxel was markedly inhibitory to SCCHN proliferation, reducing growth from control levels by 48 to 69% within 48 h. OGF in combination with carboplatin also depressed cell growth.

Immunoelectron microscopic localization of the opioid growth factor receptor (OGFr) and OGF in the cornea.

This study was conducted to determine the cellular and subcellular location(s) of the opioid growth factor receptor (OGFr), and the opioid growth factor (OGF), [Met(5)]-enkephalin, in the corneal epithelium. Laser scanning confocal microscopy analysis revealed that both OGFr and OGF were colocalized in the paranuclear cytoplasm and cell nuclei in basal, as well as suprabasal, cells of adult rat corneal epithelium. Using a postembedding immunogold procedure for immunoelectron microscopy that included embedding in Unicryl, both single- and double-face labeling studies were performed.