In vitro and in vivo stimulation of the murine immune system by AGM-1470, a potent angiogenesis inhibitor.

AGM-1470, a potent angiogenesis inhibitor, is already engaged in phase I clinical trials because of its effectiveness to restrain tumor growth and its lack of major side effects. Recently, we showed that AGM-1470 stimulates in vitro human B lymphocyte proliferation through T lymphocytes. These data prompted us to explore the in vivo effects of AGM-1470 on the immune system in a mouse model.

A possible role for the alpha 1-->3 galactosyl epitope and the natural anti-gal antibody in oncogenesis.

Glycoconjugates and their antibodies are vital components of host-tumor interaction. This review concentrates on the oncological implications of research concerning the alpha gal triad; the alpha 1-->3 galactosyl epitope (alpha Gal), the enzyme responsible for its construction, alpha 1,3 galactosyl transferase (alpha 1-3GT), and its associated antibody: anti-gal. Alpha gal epitopes, previously assumed to be absent from human tissue, have been demonstrated on several human cancer cell lines, senescent red blood cells, and Graves' disease thyrocytes.

The potent angioinhibin AGM-1470 stimulates normal but not human tumoral lymphocytes.

Background: AGM-1470 is a newly synthesized molecule developed as an analog of the potent anti-angiogenic fumagillin. Its efficacy in restraining tumor growth in vivo and the absence of major side effects have already led to phase I clinical trials in patients with solid cancers. However, neither the exact mechanisms of action of AGM-1470 nor its effects on the host of normal cells have been extensively studied.

Highly-expressed p100/p52 (NFKB2) sequesters other NF-kappa B-related proteins in the cytoplasm of human breast cancer cells.

Several observations have suggested that NF-kappa B transcription factors could be involved in carcinogenesis. To investigate the possibility that members of the NF-kappa B family participate in the molecular control of the transformed phenotype, we examined the expression of these proteins in human breast cancer cell lines as well as in primary tumors. Western Immunoblots demonstrated high expression of the p52 precursor p100 (NFKB2) in several breast cancer cell lines while human mammary epithelial cells express this protein only faintly.

Retinoic acid induces three newly cloned HOXA1 transcripts in MCF7 breast cancer cells.

Coordinated expression of genes involved in development, differentiation and malignant transformation is regulated by transcription factors including homeodomain-containing proteins. However, most of their cDNA sequences are still unknown. We report here the molecular characterization of three newly cloned HOXA1 transcripts from human breast cancer cells.

Expression of the monomeric 67-kd laminin-binding protein in human lymphomas as defined by MLuC5 monoclonal antibody and paraffin section immunohistochemistry.

Interactions between cancer cells and laminin, a major component of basement membranes, are mediated through a large variety of cell surface proteins designated as laminin receptors. Among the above proteins, a 67-kd monomeric high affinity laminin receptor (67 LR) has long been suspected to be involved in tumor progression. In this study we wished to establish whether the 67 LR molecule is detectable on tumor cells of Hodgkin's disease (HD) and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs), to define its pattern of expression, and to assess the potential utility of 67 LR in differentiating these pathological entities.

Snoring in twins.

Snoring is a prerequisite for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and is known to run in families. Recent studies have provided sufficient evidence for a familial predisposition to OSA. In our study, 492 monozygotic and 284 dizygotic twins were contacted by telephone and asked to attend an interview which included questions of life habits, medical history, sleep habits and disorders, with particular emphasis on snoring.

Galectin-1 modulates human melanoma cell adhesion to laminin.

Galectins constitute a gene family of beta-galactoside-specific lectins that show high homology in their carbohydrate-binding site. They have been postulated to be involved in many biological events, but their specific functions are not yet well defined. Galectin-1 is a laminin binding protein that recognizes poly-N-acetyllactosamine chains on this major basement membrane glycoprotein.

Tamoxifen and its active metabolite inhibit growth of estrogen receptor-negative MDA-MB-435 cells.

Tamoxifen (TAM), the non-steroidal anti-estrogen most widely administered to breast cancer patients, acts, at least in part, by competing with estrogen receptors (ER). However, the existence of an alternative mechanism of action for this drug is supported by the clinical observations that: (a) 30% of patients with ER-negative cancer cells respond to TAM, and (b) 30% of patients with ER-positive cancer cells are not sensitive to this anti-estrogen. In this study, we observed that growth of the human ER-negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-435 was inhibited by TAM and 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4OH-TAM) in a concentration-dependent fashion.

Galectin-3, a laminin binding protein, fails to modulate adhesion of human melanoma cells to laminin.

Galectin-3 is a laminin binding protein which expression is altered in a variety of human carcinomas including colon, breast and endometrium. In these tumors, we consistently observed a down regulation of galectin-3 expression related to increased aggressiveness. Galectin-3 belongs to a family of galactose-binding lectins and binds laminin through its numerous poly-N-acetyllactosamine chains.

Increased expression of osteonectin and osteopontin, two bone matrix proteins, in human breast cancer.

Microcalcifications are a common phenomenon associated with breast cancer and are often the only mammographic sign of a malignant breast disease. Although microcalcifications are not restricted to breast cancer and can be also associated with benign lesions, it is noteworthy that they are composed exclusively of hydroxyapatite in breast carcinoma. Hydroxyapatite is the bone-associated phosphocalcic crystal the deposition of which in bone tissue requires the coordinated expression of several molecules such as osteonectin (OSN) and osteopontin (OPN), synthesized by cells of the osteoblastic lineage.

[Epithelial cancers of the ovary. Recent trends].

Ovarian carcinomas constitute the major cause of the mortality and morbidity in gynaecology. Most ovary carcinomas are epithelial tumours. Our understanding of ovarian cancerogenesis has been hampered by the lack of a well defined precursor lesion, the lack of knowledge about tumour progression, and by the relative inaccessibility of the ovaries in the abdominal cavity.

Tamoxifen restores the E-cadherin function in human breast cancer MCF-7/6 cells and suppresses their invasive phenotype.

Tamoxifen is an antiestrogen used in adjuvant therapy of breast carcinoma and could potentially prevent the development of mammary cancer. While it is widely clinically used, its exact mechanisms of action are not yet fully elucidated. MCF-7/6 cells are estrogen receptor-positive invasive human breast cancer cells with a functionally inactive cell surface E-cadherin.

Depressed immune surveillance against cancer: role of deficient T cell: extracellular matrix interactions.

Although T cells infiltrate malignant tumors, the local immune response is usually inefficient and tumors escape destruction. While extracellular matrix proteins strongly costimulate T cell responses in normal individuals, our studies indicate that peripheral blood T cells from cancer patients and tumor infiltrating cells respond poorly or are resistant to stimulative signals mediated by collagen I and IV and fibronectin. Moreover, the adhesive properties of cancer T cells are markedly depressed.

Cell localization and redistribution of the 67 kD laminin receptor and alpha 6 beta 1 integrin subunits in response to laminin stimulation: an immunogold electron microscopy study.

The 67 kDa laminin receptor (67LR), one of several cell surface laminin-binding proteins, is involved in the interactions between cancer cells and laminin during tumor invasion and metastasis. A 37 kDa polypeptide (37LRP), previously identified as the 67LR precursor, is abundantly present in the cytoplasm and has been implicated in polysome formation. To better understand the cellular localization of the 67LR and its precursor, transmission electron microscopic studies of human melanoma A2058 cells were carried out using immunogold labeling and a variety of antibodies: (a) affinity purified antibodies directed against 37LRP cDNA-derived synthetic peptides; (b) anti-67LR monoclonal antibodies raised against intact human small cell lung carcinoma cells; and (c) monoclonal antibodies against the subunits of the integrin laminin receptor, alpha 6 beta 1.

Snoring and nocturnal oxygen desaturations in an Italian middle-aged male population. Epidemiologic study with an ambulatory device.

Recent studies have suggested that portable monitoring may be a valid means of finding respiratory disturbances in epidemiologic research on a large scale. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate by means of an appropriately validated portable instrument (MESAM 4) the nocturnal oxygen desaturations in a representative sample of adult male population in North Italy. We randomly chose 750 subjects: 399 subjects (53.

Expression of bone sialoprotein, a bone matrix protein, in human breast cancer.

Microcalcifications are often associated with human mammary lesions, particularly with breast carcinomas. To date, the molecular mechanism that leads to the deposition of hydroxyapatite in the mammary tissue has not been elucidated. Bone sialoprotein (BSP) is a glycoprotein the expression of which coincides with the appearance of the first hydroxyapatite crystals during bone development.

Inverse expression of two laminin binding proteins, 67LR and galectin-3, correlates with the invasive phenotype of trophoblastic tissue.

Tumor invasion of host tissues and trophoblastic penetration of the endometrium share common biological features. Both processes involve the invasion of basement membranes, an event that is initiated by adhesion of cancer or trophoblast cells to basement membrane components and particularly to laminin. Adhesion to this latter glycoprotein is mediated through a variety of cell surface receptors.

AGM-1470, a potent angiogenesis inhibitor, prevents the entry of normal but not transformed endothelial cells into the G1 phase of the cell cycle.

AGM-1470 is a potent angiogenesis inhibitor that is very effective in inhibiting endothelial cell proliferation in both in vitro and in vivo models and that prevents tumor growth in vivo. Although this molecule appears to be a most promising anticancer drug, its mechanism of action has not yet been elucidated. In this study, we examined the effects of AGM-1470 on the cell cycle of normal and transformed endothelial cells.

The NF-kappa B transcription factor and cancer: high expression of NF-kappa B- and I kappa B-related proteins in tumor cell lines.

NF-kappa B is a pleiotropic transcription factor which controls the expression of many genes and viruses. To date, there is good evidence, but no definitive proof, for its role in tumor formation and development of metastasis. To investigate the possibility that members of the NF-kappa B family could participate in the molecular control of the transformed and invasive phenotype, we examined the expression of these proteins in a variety of human tumor cell lines.

Homeobox genes: potential candidates for the transcriptional control of the transformed and invasive phenotype.

The transformation of a cell and the acquisition of the invasive and metastatic phenotype result from the activation of a group of complex cellular processes rather than from the effect of a single gene product. It is likely that the coordination of the multiple genes involved in malignancy is under the control of a few genes that act as master genes or orchestrator genes. The latter probably code for transcription factors that control the genetic program for tumor invasion and metastasis.

[Tamoxifen in the treatment of breast cancer].

Tamoxifen is the most often prescribed non steroidal antioestrogenic agent in the world for breast cancer. Worldwide collaboration. has centralized the results, of different trials throughout the world on oral adjuvant therapy in the early stages of breast cancer.