Dual inhibition of IGF-IR and ALK as an effective strategy to eradicate NPM-ALK T-cell lymphoma.

Background: Nucleophosmin-anaplastic lymphoma kinase-expressing (NPM-ALK) T cell lymphoma is an aggressive neoplasm. NPM-ALK, an oncogenic tyrosine kinase, plays a critical role in this lymphoma. Recently, selective ALK inhibitors have emerged as a first-line therapy for this neoplasm.

Phase I clinical trial of AXL1717 for treatment of relapsed malignant astrocytomas: analysis of dose and response.

Purpose: Early phase I study of safety of AXL1717 in patients with recurrent or progressive malignant astrocytomas and evaluation of preliminary anti-tumor efficacy.

Patients And Methods: Nine patients fulfilling the set criteria were enrolled. Eight had recurrent glioblastoma and one gliosarcoma.

Circulating androgens and SHBG during the normal menstrual cycle in two ethnic populations.

The objective of this study was to study possible ethnic differences in steroid hormones and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) during the menstrual cycle. Serum levels of the ovarian steroids estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P) and of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), SHBG, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and testosterone (T-ria) were all measured by immunoassay during the menstrual cycle in 15 Swedish and 11 West Asian regularly menstruating women. Testosterone (T-ms) was also measured by LC-MS/MS and so were 4-androstene-3,17-dione (A-4) and 17-alpha-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP).

Picropodophyllin inhibits proliferation and survival of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cells.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common lymphoma in adults. Although chemotherapy in combination with anti-CD20 antibodies results in a cure rate of 60-70 %, novel treatment approaches are warranted for the remaining patients. The insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) and its principal ligands IGF-1 and IGF-2 have been suggested to play pivotal roles in different cancers.

Picropodophyllin causes mitotic arrest and catastrophe by depolymerizing microtubules via insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor-independent mechanism.

Picropodophyllin (PPP) is an anticancer drug undergoing clinical development in NSCLC. PPP has been shown to suppress IGF-1R signaling and to induce a G2/M cell cycle phase arrest but the exact mechanisms remain to be elucidated. The present study identified an IGF-1-independent mechanism of PPP leading to pro-metaphase arrest.

The IGF-1 receptor inhibitor picropodophyllin potentiates the anti-myeloma activity of a BH3-mimetic.

The ABT-analogous 737, 263 and 199 are BH3 mimetics showing potent anti-myeloma (MM) activity, but only on defined molecular subgroups of MM patients presenting a Bcl-2high/Mcl-1low profile. IGF-1 is a major survival factor in MM regulating the expression of Bcl-2 proteins and might therefore be a resistance factor to these ABT-analogous. We first show that IGF-1 protected human MM cell lines (HMCLs) against ABT-737.

The HDAC inhibitor LBH589 enhances the antimyeloma effects of the IGF-1RTK inhibitor picropodophyllin.

Purpose: We have previously shown the use of the insulin-like growth factor type 1 receptor tyrosine kinase (IGF-1RTK) inhibitor picropodophyllin (PPP) as an attractive strategy to combat multiple myeloma (MM) in vitro and in vivo. After a combinatorial drug screening, the histone deacetylase inhibitor LBH589 was shown to act in synergy with PPP reducing survival of MM cells. In this study, we tried to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying this combinatorial effect.

Multiple antitumor effects of picropodophyllin in colon carcinoma cell lines: clinical implications.

Although colorectal cancer can be successfully treated by conventional strategies such as chemo/radiotherapy and surgery, a substantial number of cases, in particular those with liver metastases, remain incurable. Therefore, novel treatment approaches are warranted. The IGF-1R and its ligands, mainly IGF-1 and IGF-2, have been suggested to play pivotal roles in proliferation, survival and migration of adenocarcinoma cells of the colon/rectum.

Potent inhibitory effect of the cyclolignan picropodophyllin (PPP) on human adrenocortical carcinoma cells proliferation.

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a very aggressive tumor with a poor prognosis. Available treatments for this type of cancer are far from being satisfactory. The IGF signalling pathway represents an important mechanism for ACT growth and constitutes a relevant therapeutic target.

Molecular characterization of acquired tolerance of tumor cells to picropodophyllin (PPP).

Background: Picropodophyllin (PPP) is a promising novel anti-neoplastic agent that efficiently kills tumor cells in vitro and causes tumor regression and increased survival in vivo. We have previously reported that PPP treatment induced moderate tolerance in two out of 10 cell lines only, and here report the acquired genomic and expression alterations associated with PPP selection over 1.5 years of treatment.

Determination of picropodophyllin and its isomer podophyllotoxin in human serum samples with electrospray ionization of hexylamine adducts by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for determination of the new anticancer agent picropodophyllin (AXL1717) and its isomer podophyllotoxin levels in human serum has been developed. Monitoring of hexylamine adducts rather than proton adducts was used to optimize sensitivity. The chromatography system was an Acquity BEH C18, 2.

Targeting the insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor by picropodophyllin as a treatment option for glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma (GB) is the most common malignant brain tumor in adults. It has limited treatment opportunities and is almost exclusively fatal. Owing to the central role the insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) plays in malignant cells, it has been suggested as a target for anticancer therapy including GB.

Selective insulin-like growth factor-I antagonist inhibits mouse embryo development in a dose-dependent manner.

Objective: To study the role of a synthetic insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF-IR) antagonist, picropodophyllin, for mouse preimplantation embryo development in vivo and in vitro.

Design: In vitro and in vivo study.

Setting: Hospital-based research unit.

Aberrant intracellular IGF-1R beta-subunit makes receptor knockout cells (IGF1R-/-) susceptible to oncogenic transformation.

Insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) is important for transformation of cells with cellular and viral oncogenes. This knowledge is mainly based on experiments on IGF-1R knockout mouse fibroblasts, which mostly are unable to transform after introduction of various oncogenes. Recently, we observed two variants of R- cells, one of which (R-s) surprisingly expresses the beta-subunit of IGF-1R whereas the other one (R-r) does not.

Oral picropodophyllin (PPP) is well tolerated in vivo and inhibits IGF-1R expression and growth of uveal melanoma.

Purpose: The cyclolignan picropodophyllin (PPP) efficiently blocks the activity of insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) and inhibits growth of uveal melanoma cells in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we aimed to investigate the efficiency of orally administered PPP on growth of uveal melanoma xenografts. Further, we focused on the effect of PPP on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in vivo and evaluated its effects in combination with other established anti-tumor agents in vitro.

The insulin-like growth factor-I receptor inhibitor picropodophyllin causes tumor regression and attenuates mechanisms involved in invasion of uveal melanoma cells.

Purpose: Uveal melanoma has a high mortality rate due to a high incidence of metastasis (up to 50%) which preferentially occurs in the liver. Conventional chemotherapy being the only therapeutic option today against metastatic uveal melanoma, has not proved to be effective. Therefore, new molecular targets important for malignant phenotype of uveal melanoma have to be found to design efficient pharmacologic agents.

Inhibition of VEGF secretion and experimental choroidal neovascularization by picropodophyllin (PPP), an inhibitor of the insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor.

Introduction: Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is a debilitating complication of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and a leading cause of vision loss. Along with other angiogenic factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 and its receptor, IGF-1R, have been implicated in CNV.

Purpose: A prior study has shown that the cyclolignan picropodophyllin (PPP) efficiently blocks the insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) activity and causes cell death in uveal melanoma cell lines and in an in vivo model.

Oral picropodophyllin (PPP) is well tolerated in vivo and inhibits IGF-1R expression and growth of uveal melanoma.

Purpose: The cyclolignan picropodophyllin (PPP) efficiently blocks the activity of insulinlike growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) and inhibits the growth of uveal melanoma cells in vitro and in vivo. In this study, the authors investigated the efficiency of orally administered PPP on the growth of uveal melanoma xenografts. In addition, they focused on the effect of PPP on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in vivo and evaluated its effects in combination with other established antitumor agents in vitro.

CYP7B1-mediated metabolism of dehydroepiandrosterone and 5alpha-androstane-3beta,17beta-diol--potential role(s) for estrogen signaling.

CYP7B1, a cytochrome P450 enzyme, metabolizes several steroids involved in hormonal signaling including 5alpha-androstane-3beta,17beta-diol (3beta-Adiol), an estrogen receptor agonist, and dehydroepiandrosterone, a precursor for sex hormones. Previous studies have suggested that CYP7B1-dependent metabolism involving dehydroepiandrosterone or 3beta-Adiol may play an important role for estrogen receptor beta-mediated signaling. However, conflicting data are reported regarding the influence of different CYP7B1-related steroids on estrogen receptor beta activation.

Differential roles of SS18-SSX fusion gene and insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor in synovial sarcoma cell growth.

Recently we demonstrated that the synovial sarcoma specific fusion gene SS18-SSX is crucial for cyclin D1 expression and is linked to cell proliferation. In this report we explore the role of SS18-SSX and IGF-1R for their potential functions in cellular proliferation and survival in cultured synovial sarcoma cells. We found that targeting of SS18-SSX mRNA by antisense oligonucleotide treatment drastically and rapidly decreased cell proliferation but caused only a slight increase of apoptosis.

Insulin-like growth factor type-I receptor-dependent phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 but not Akt (protein kinase B) can be induced by picropodophyllin.

The initial event upon binding of insulin-like growth factor 1 to the insulin-like growth factor type-I receptor (IGF-1R) is auto-phosphorylation of tyrosine residues within the activation loop of the kinase domain followed by phosphorylation of other receptor tyrosine residues and the subsequent activation of the intracellular signaling cascades. We found recently that the cyclolignan picropodophyllin (PPP) inhibits phosphorylation of IGF-1R and phosphatidyl-3 kinase/Akt (protein kinase B) signaling molecules without interfering with the highly homologous insulin receptor. Furthermore, PPP causes regression of tumor grafts and substantially prolongs the survival of animals with systemic tumor disease.