Induction of neoplasms by viruses in marmoset monkeys

Mouse models of glioblastoma: lessons learned and questions to be answered

Glioblastoma is the most common primary brain tumour in adults. While many patients achieve disease remission following treatment with surgical resection, radiation therapy and chemotherapy, this remission is brief and invariably followed by tumour recurrence and progression. Recent work using mouse models of the disease, coupled with data generated by The Cancer Genome Atlas, have given us new insights into the mechanisms that underlie gliomagenesis and result in glioblastoma heterogeneity. These findings suggest that the treatment of glioblastoma will require a more nuanced understanding of their biology and the employment of targeted therapeutic approaches. In this review, we will summarize the current state of mouse modeling in glioma, with a focus on how these models may inform our understanding of this disease and its treatment.

Instability of v-src sequences in nonhuman primate tumors cultured in vitro

We have analyzed the DNA of marmoset tumors induced and marmoset cells transformed by Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) and derivative viruses of various types. Southern blot hybridization was used to determine the presence of v-src gene sequences. We failed to detect v-src DNA in high-passage cells derived from marmoset tumors induced in vivo or from marmoset cell lines transformed in vitro. The inability to detect src sequences was not related to selection of revertants in culture, since all cell lines retained transformed morphology and cells transformed in vitro retained the ability to induce sarcomas after transplantation into adult allogeneic marmosets. By contrast, we detected integrated proviruses in cells analyzed 32 to 60 days after in vitro transformation. The proviral sequences appeared to be identical to the transforming virus but were apparently unstable and continued to transpose.

Antibodies against platelet-derived growth factor inhibit acute transformation by simian sarcoma virus

A clue to the molecular mechanism of neoplastic transformation was provided by the finding of a near identity in amino-acid sequence between the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) B-chain and a region in the transforming protein, p28sis, of simian sarcoma virus (SSV), an agent that causes sarcomas and gliomas in experimental animals. This finding infers a direct link between the molecular biology of normal mitogenesis and oncogenesis since it suggests that the transforming activity of SSV is caused by a growth factor. Although PDGF agonist activity has been isolated from conditioned medium of SSV-transformed cells, it is not clear whether infection of responsive cells by SSV leads solely to autocrine stimulation of growth by a secreted PDGF-like factor or whether other, possibly intracellular, activities of p28sis or its processed products contribute to the transformation. To distinguish between these possibilities, we have studied the effect of anti-PDGF antibodies on acute SSV-transformation, and report here that these antibodies inhibit both proliferation and SSV-induced morphological changes in human diploid fibroblasts.

Platelet-derived growth factor agonist activity of a secreted form of the v-sis oncogene product

We have compared the functional properties of a growth factor partially purified from medium conditioned by simian sarcoma virus-transformed cells with those of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). The factor mimicked the effects induced by PDGF: it bound to and activated human fibroblast PDGF receptors and stimulated DNA synthesis. These activities were specifically inhibited by PDGF antibodies and thus elicited by a factor(s) immunologically related to PDGF. The factor behaved as a secretory protein, since about 95% of the receptor-binding activity was found in the medium after a 48-hr serum-free incubation. Structural characterization of the PDGF-like activity revealed a Mr 24,000 intracellular protein and two polypeptides of Mr 13,000 and 11,500 released into the medium. The Mr 13,000 component bound to human fibroblasts; this binding was competitively inhibited by PDGF. The data support the possibility that oncogene products may elicit transforming activity by interacting with the normal cellular mitogenic pathway.

Lymphokines produced by herpesvirus-transformed marmoset monkey lymphoid cell lines. I. Characterization of a constitutively produced interferon

Conditioned media from cultures of marmoset monkey T-lymphoid cell lines transformed by Herpesvirus saimiri or Herpesvirus ateles were found to contain interferon (IFN) activity. Titers between individual cell lines varied by a factor of 100; large amounts (up to 10(5) units/ml, assayed on human cells) were produced in one of the cell lines. IFN production was enhanced by the diterpene tumor promoters, TPA and mezerein, but not by classical T-cell mitogens. The IFN resembles human IFN-gamma by the following criteria: lability at pH 2, stability against 2-mercaptoethanol, cross-species activity, shape of dose-response curves, and molecular weight determined by size-exclusion chromatography (50,000-55,000). Its activity was not inhibited, however, by antiserum against human IFN-gamma or antisera against human IFN-alpha or IFN-beta.

Binding of human lymphocyte-specific monoclonal antibodies to common marmoset lymphoid cells

Commercially available monoclonal antibodies which bind to human lymphocyte subsets were screened for their ability to bind to lymphoid cells from the common marmoset Callithrix jacchus. Anti-Leu-5 and T11 were the only pan T-cell antibodies which reacted strongly. None of the antibodies which bind human lymphocytes of the helper/inducer subpopulation reacted with C. jacchus cells and only one antibody, T8, specific for the cytotoxic/suppressor subset, bound to the marmoset cells. The two antibodies tested which bind human B cells, B1 and anti-HLA-DR, were also reactive with marmoset cells. The cellular specificity of the T11, T8, and B1 antibodies was determined by dual binding studies on the fluorescence-activated cell sorter. The B1 antibody bound only Ig+ cells and all Ig+ cells were B1+. The T11 and T8 antibodies bound only to Ig- marmoset lymphoid cells and, as in the human, all T8+ marmoset cells were also T11+. Thus, using these monoclonal antibodies in the common marmoset one can identify three populations of lymphoid cells: (1) T11+, T8+ cells; (2) T11+, T8- cells; (3) B1+ cells.

Investigations into the induction of chronic experimental arthritis in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus)

In an attempt to produce a superior model of rheumatoid arthritis, experiments have been performed to investigate the ease of induction of experimental arthritis in marmosets by immunological means. Marmosets were sensitised with the following combinations of antigen and adjuvant: ovalbumin in Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA), ovalbumin in FCA + Bordetella pertussis, methylated-BSA in FCA + B. pertussis or human fibrin in FCA + B. pertussis, and subsequently injected with the corresponding antigen in saline into one knee joint. Animals receiving ovalbumin, with or without B. pertussis, produced only a weak transient monoarticular synovitis. Animals receiving Met-BSA + B. pertussis produced a chronic synovitis but only mild erosive changes were apparent even 21 weeks after intraarticular injection. Animals receiving human fibrin produced a transient monoarticular synovitis of moderate intensity. These results indicate that the marmoset offers no obvious advantages over the rabbit for the induction of experimental rheumatoid arthritis.

Type-C oncovirus isolate from human leukemic bone marrow: further in vitro and in vivo characterization

Rabbit corneal cells transformed by a putative human type-C helper virus pseudotype of the mouse sarcoma virus produce large amounts of transforming and non-transforming viruses. The virions are antigenically related to the woolly monkey (simian) sarcoma-leukemia type-C oncovirus. Typical sarcoma virus lesions developed in newborn rats injected with virus-producing rabbit cells. Cells producing only the putative type-C helper viruses as a result of exposure to a high dilution of transforming virus stock induce lymphosarcomas after inoculation into newborn rats.

Characteristics of three strains of feline fibrosarcoma virus grown in cat and marmoset monkey cells

Two strains of feline fibrosarcoma virus (ST-FeSV and GA-FeSV) were found to induce tumors in cats and marmosets, and to transform feline and marmoset cells in vitro after primary inoculation. A third strain (SM-FeSV) failed to induce tumors or transform marmoset cells after primary inoculation; however, when SM-FeSV-injected marmoset cultures were passed 26 times in vitro, the cell cultures released infectious virus which transformed marmoset fibroblasts but still failed to induce tumors in marmosets. ST-FeSV induced mainly round-cell type transformation (r foci), GA-FeSV induced predominantly mixed round-fusiform cell type transformation (fr foci), and SM-FeSV induced r and fr type foci with a higher proportion of fusiform cells in the fr foci than seen with GA-FeSV. Transforming virus was obtained from r or mixed r/fr foci of ST-FeSV but not from fr foci; heat treatment changed the virus from producing almost exclusively r type foci to inducing an increased number of fr foci. Passage of FeSV in cat cells yielded viruses with a higher ratio of infectivity for feline vs marmoset cells, while passage of FeSV in marmoset cells yielded virus with a relatively higher infectivity ratio for marmoset cells; the three strains differed in the degree of change in the infectivity ratio. Despite the alteration of host range of SM-FeSV propagated in marmoset fibroblasts, the virus retained feline P-30 antigen by CF and FA assays. Neutralization tests did not indicate but also did not exclude an alteration of the surface antigens of ST-FeSV or SM-FeSV propagated in marmoset fibroblasts. The alteration of the relative infectivity of FeSV during passage in marmoset cells may be due to: (1) the selection of a variant present in the original heterogenous uncloned population; (2) mutation; or (3) recombination with some marmoset genetic material, possibly an as yet unidentified endogenous marmoset virus.

Pilot experiments with EB virus in owl monkeys (Aotus trivirgatus). III. Serological and biochemical findings in an animal with reticuloproliferative disease

Nucleic acid hybridization with EB virus complementary RNA has demonstrated unequivocally that EB virus DNA is present in the cells of a continuous lymphoblastoid line established in culture from a pathological lymph node of an owl monkey with reticuloproliferative disease after inoculation with EB virus. There were 48 to 49 EB virus genome equivalents per cell. In addition, serological studies showed that the diseased owl monkey developed specific antibodies to EB virus capsid antigens. The antibodies were first detected by indirect immunofluorescence in serum sampled 13 weeks after inoculation, and were not found in sera from other animals without the disease. None of the monkeys developed heterophile antibodies. The significance of the biochemical and serological findings is discussed in relation to the nature of the reticuloproliferative disease and the possibility of tumour-induction by EB virus.