Therapeutic targeting of cellular senescence in diabetic macular edema: preclinical and phase 1 trial results.

Compromised vascular endothelial barrier function is a salient feature of diabetic complications such as sight-threatening diabetic macular edema (DME). Current standards of care for DME manage aspects of the disease, but require frequent intravitreal administration and are poorly effective in large subsets of patients. Here we provide evidence that an elevated burden of senescent cells in the retina triggers cardinal features of DME pathology and conduct an initial test of senolytic therapy in patients with DME.

PCA062, a P-cadherin Targeting Antibody-Drug Conjugate, Displays Potent Antitumor Activity Against P-cadherin-expressing Malignancies.

The cell surface glycoprotein P-cadherin is highly expressed in a number of malignancies, including those arising in the epithelium of the bladder, breast, esophagus, lung, and upper aerodigestive system. PCA062 is a P-cadherin specific antibody-drug conjugate that utilizes the clinically validated SMCC-DM1 linker payload to mediate potent cytotoxicity in cell lines expressing high levels of P-cadherin , while displaying no specific activity in P-cadherin-negative cell lines. High cell surface P-cadherin is necessary, but not sufficient, to mediate PCA062 cytotoxicity.

Molecular pathways: blockade of the PRLR signaling pathway as a novel antihormonal approach for the treatment of breast and prostate cancer.

The prolactin (PRL)-prolactin receptor (PRLR) signaling complex has been implicated in the pathology of breast and prostate carcinoma. A multitude of pro-oncogenic intracellular signaling pathways are activated by PRL in breast and prostate epithelial cells, leading to enhanced cellular proliferation, survival, and tumorigenesis in numerous model systems. Emerging evidence suggests that targeting the PRL-PRLR axis in human cancer may represent an unexploited avenue for therapeutic intervention and, given the extensive cross-talk between PRLR and other signal transduction pathways, a potential means through which other anticancer agents could be rendered more efficacious in the clinic.

Neutralization of prolactin receptor function by monoclonal antibody LFA102, a novel potential therapeutic for the treatment of breast cancer.

Numerous lines of evidence suggest that the polypeptide hormone prolactin (PRL) may contribute to breast and prostate tumorigenesis through its interactions with the prolactin receptor (PRLR). Here, we describe the biologic properties of LFA102, a humanized neutralizing monoclonal antibody directed against the extracellular domain of PRLR. This antibody was found to effectively antagonize PRL-induced signaling in breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo and to block PRL-induced proliferation in numerous cell line models, including examples of autocrine/paracrine PRL activity.

Multiple roles of CLAN (caspase-associated recruitment domain, leucine-rich repeat, and NAIP CIIA HET-E, and TP1-containing protein) in the mammalian innate immune response.

NAIP CIIA HET-E and TP1 (NACHT) family proteins are involved in sensing intracellular pathogens or pathogen-derived molecules, triggering host defense responses resulting in caspase-mediated processing of proinflammatory cytokines and NF-kappaB activation. Caspase-associated recruitment domain, leucine-rich repeat, and NACHT-containing protein (CLAN), also known as ICE protease-activating factor, belongs to a branch of the NACHT family that contains proteins carrying caspase-associated recruitment domains (CARDs) and leucine-rich repeats (LRRs). By using gene transfer and RNA-interference approaches, we demonstrate in this study that CLAN modulates endogenous caspase-1 activation and subsequent IL-1beta secretion from human macrophages after exposure to LPS, peptidoglycan, and pathogenic bacteria.

CARD proteins as therapeutic targets in cancer.

Proteins containing a caspase-associated recruitment domain (CARD) have been established as key regulators of cell death and, more recently, cytokine production. During the last several years, the number of proteins identified within this family has grown immensely and many aspects of their function point to their potential utility as novel drug targets in the treatment of cancer. Several CARD family proteins are critical components of the conserved cell death machinery which, when dysregulated, promotes oncogenesis and contributes prominently to tumor resistance to chemotherapy.

Heterotypic interactions among NACHT domains: implications for regulation of innate immune responses.

Proteins of the NACHT [NAIP (neuronal apoptosis inhibitory protein), CIITA (MHC class II transcription activator), HET-E (incompatibility locus protein from Podospora anserina) and TP1 (telomerase-associated protein)] family may serve as critical pathogen-sensing and signal-transducing molecules within the innate immune system. In the present paper, we show that CLAN [CARD (caspase-recruitment domain), LRR (leucine-rich repeat) and NACHT domain-containing protein], a NACHT-containing protein originally demonstrated to bind and activate pro-caspase 1, is also capable of influencing the functions of other members of the NACHT family. Through heterotypic NACHT-domain interactions, CLAN was found to associate with Nod1, Nod2 and NAC [nucleotide-binding domain and CARD-containing protein; NALP1 (NACHT, LRR and PYRIN protein 1)] when co-expressed in HEK-293T (human embryonic kidney) cells.

Comparative analysis of apoptosis and inflammation genes of mice and humans.

Apoptosis (programmed cell death) plays important roles in many facets of normal mammalian physiology. Host-pathogen interactions have provided evolutionary pressure for apoptosis as a defense mechanism against viruses and microbes, sometimes linking apoptosis mechanisms with inflammatory responses through NFkappaB induction. Proteins involved in apoptosis and NFkappaB induction commonly contain evolutionarily conserved domains that can serve as signatures for identification by bioinformatics methods.

Integrins as novel drug targets for overcoming innate drug resistance.

Acquired drug resistance continues to be one of the major obstacles hindering the successful treatment of many forms of cancer. Compounds utilized as antagonists of these cytoprotective mechanisms have, for the most part, proven to be ineffective at overcoming clinical resistance to cytotoxic drugs. Recently, the tumor cell microenvironment has been found to have a significant bearing on the survival of tumor cells following exposure to a wide variety of anti-neoplastic agents, prior to the acquisition of known drug resistance mechanisms.