Inhibition of spontaneous breast cancer metastasis by anti-Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen monoclonal antibody JAA-F11

Recent advances in cancer cell bionic nanoparticles for tumour therapy

Nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems have found extensive use in delivering oncology therapeutics; however, some delivery vehicles still exhibit rapid immune clearance, lack of biocompatibility and insufficient targeting. In recent years, bionanoparticles constructed from tumour cell membranes have gained momentum as tumour-targeting therapeutic agents. Cancer cell membrane-coated nanoparticles (CCMCNPs) typically consist of a drug-loaded nanoparticle core coated with cancer cell membrane. CCMCNPs retain homologous tumour cell surface antigens, receptors and proteins, and it has been shown that the modified nanoparticles exhibit better homologous targeting, immune escape and biocompatibility. CCMCNPs are now widely used in a variety of cancer treatments, including photothermal, photodynamic and sonodynamic therapies, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, chemodynamical therapy or other combination therapies. This article presents different therapeutic approaches using multimodal antitumour therapy-combination of two or more therapies that treat tumours synergistically-based on tumour cell membrane systems. The advantages of CCMCNPs in different cancer treatments in recent years are summarised, thus, providing new strategies for cancer treatment research.

Combination cancer imaging and phototherapy mediated by membrane-wrapped nanoparticles

Cancer is a devastating health problem with inadequate treatment options. Many conventional treatments for solid-tumor cancers lack tumor specificity, which results in low efficacy and off-target damage to healthy tissues. Nanoparticle (NP)-mediated photothermal therapy (PTT) is a promising minimally invasive treatment for solid-tumor cancers that has entered clinical trials. Traditionally, NPs used for PTT are coated with passivating agents and/or targeting ligands, but alternative coatings are being explored to enhance tumor specific delivery. In particular, cell-derived membranes have emerged as promising coatings that improve the biointerfacing of photoactive NPs, which reduces their immune recognition, prolongs their systemic circulation and increases their tumor accumulation, allowing for more effective PTT. To maximize treatment success, membrane-wrapped nanoparticles (MWNPs) that enable dual tumor imaging and PTT are being explored. These multifunctional theranostic NPs can be used to enhance tumor detection and/or ensure a sufficient quantity of NPs that have arrived in the tumor prior to laser irradiation. This review summarizes the current state-of-the-art in engineering MWNPs for combination cancer imaging and PTT and discusses considerations for the path toward clinical translation.

Biomimetic cell-derived nanocarriers in cancer research

Nanoparticles have now long demonstrated capabilities that make them attractive to use in biology and medicine. Some of them, such as lipid nanoparticles (SARS-CoV-2 vaccines) or metallic nanoparticles (contrast agents) are already approved for their use in the clinic. However, considering the constantly growing body of different formulations and the huge research around nanomaterials the number of candidates reaching clinical trials or being commercialized is minimal. The reasons behind being related to the "synthetic" and "foreign" character of their surface. Typically, nanomaterials aiming to develop a function or deliver a cargo locally, fail by showing strong off-target accumulation and generation of adverse responses, which is connected to their strong recognition by immune phagocytes primarily. Therefore, rendering in negligible numbers of nanoparticles developing their intended function. While a wide range of coatings has been applied to avoid certain interactions with the surrounding milieu, the issues remained. Taking advantage of the natural cell membranes, in an approach that resembles a cell transfer, the use of cell-derived surfaces has risen as an alternative to artificial coatings or encapsulation methods. Biomimetic technologies are based on the use of isolated natural components to provide autologous properties to the nanoparticle or cargo being encapsulated, thus, improving their therapeutic behavior. The main goal is to replicate the (bio)-physical properties and functionalities of the source cell and tissue, not only providing a stealthy character to the core but also taking advantage of homotypic properties, that could prove relevant for targeted strategies. Such biomimetic formulations have the potential to overcome the main issues of approaches to provide specific features and identities synthetically. In this review, we provide insight into the challenges of nano-biointerfaces for drug delivery; and the main applications of biomimetic materials derived from specific cell types, focusing on the unique strengths of the fabrication of novel nanotherapeutics in cancer therapy.

Therapeutic efficacy of the humanized JAA-F11 anti-Thomsen-Friedenreich antibody constructs H2aL2a and H3L3 in human breast and lung cancer xenograft models

The Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen (TF-Ag-α) is found on ~85% of human carcinomas but is cryptic on normal tissue. The humanized highly specific hJAA-F11-H2aL2a and -H3L3 antibodies target TF-Ag-α without binding to TF-Ag-beta (found on surface glycolipids of some normal cells). The relative affinity of H3L3 is 17 times that of H2aL2a, which would seem to favor superior efficacy, however, increased affinity can result in less tumor penetration. To assess the potential therapeutic efficacy of these antibodies, four human cancer- mouse xenograft models were treated with H2aL2a and H3L3. The tumor xenograft models used were human non-small cell lung cancer, H520, and small cell lung cancer, HTB171 in nude mice and human triple negative breast cancer, MDA-MB-231 and HCC1806 in SCID mice. H2aL2a significantly decreased tumor growth in both breast and both lung cancer models. H2aL2a showed statistically equal or better efficacy than H3L3 and has superior production capabilities. These results suggest that H2aL2a may be superior as a naked antibody, as an antibody drug conjugate or as a radiolabeled antibody, however the higher affinity of H3L3 may lead to better efficacy in bi-specific therapies in which the binding is decreased due to the presence of only one TF-Ag-α binding site.

Isolipoic acid-linked gold nanoparticles bearing the thomsen friedenreich tumor-associated carbohydrate antigen: Stability and in vitro studies

We have previously prepared gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) bearing the Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen disaccharide (TF_ag), a pan-carcinoma, Tumor-Associated Carbohydrate Antigen (TACA), as tools for various assays and biological applications. Conjugation to AuNPs typically involves the use of thiols due to the affinity of sulfur for the gold surface of the nanoparticle. While a use of a single thiol-containing ligand bound to the gold surface is standard practice, several studies have shown that ligands bearing multiple thiols can enhance the strength of the conjugation in a nearly linear fashion. (R)-(+)-α-Lipoic acid (LA), a naturally occurring disulfide-containing organic acid that is used as a cofactor in many enzymatic reactions, has been used as a linker to conjugate various molecules to AuNPs through its branched di-thiol system to enhance nanoparticle stability. We sought to use a similar system to increase nanoparticle stability that was devoid of the chiral center in (R)-(+)-α-lipoic acid. Isolipoic acid, an isomer of LA, where the exocyclic pentanoic acid chain is shifted by one carbon on the dithiolane ring to produce an achiral acid, was thought to act similarly as LA without the risk of any contaminating (L)-(−) isomer. We synthesized AuNPs with ligands of both serine and threonine glycoamino acids bearing the TF_ag linked to isolipoic acid and examined their stability under various conditions. In addition, these particles were shown to bind to Galectin-3 and inhibit the interaction of Galectin-3 with a protein displaying copies of the TF_ag. These agents should prove useful in the design of potential antimetastatic therapeutics that would benefit from achiral linkers that are geometrically linear and achiral.

Intermedin (adrenomedullin 2) promotes breast cancer metastasis via Src/c-Myc-mediated ribosome production and protein translation

PURPOSE

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and is the leading cause of cancer-associated mortality in women worldwide. Intermedin (IMD, also known as Adrenomedullin 2, ADM2) is an endogenous peptide that belongs to the calcitonin gene-related peptide family and has been reported to play important roles in several types of cancers, including breast cancer. In this study, we sought to investigate how IMD affects the behavior of breast cancer cells, the underlying mechanism of these effects, and whether blockade of IMD has a therapeutic effect against breast cancer.

METHODS

Transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq), cell biological experiments, Western blotting, immunoprecipitation, and animal tumor models were used.

RESULTS

IMD expression was significantly increased in breast cancer samples, and the IMD level was positively correlated with lymph node metastasis and Ki67 expression. Cell biological experiments showed that IMD promoted the anchorage-independent growth, migration, and invasive ability of breast cancer cells. Inhibiting IMD activity with an anti-IMD monoclonal antibody blocked these tumor-promoting effects. In addition, blockade of IMD reduced in situ tumor growth and significantly decreased lung metastasis of 4T1 breast cancer in vivo. IMD induced Src kinase phosphorylation, which triggered the transcription of c-Myc, a major oncoprotein controlling the expression of genes that encode ribosomal components. Our data suggest that IMD is involved in breast cancer cell invasion and metastasis, potentially through increasing ribosome biogenesis and protein translation via the Src/c-Myc signaling pathway.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that IMD may be a novel target for the treatment of breast cancer.

Targeting Tumor Glycans for Cancer Therapy: Successes, Limitations, and Perspectives

Simple Summary

Aberrant glycosylation is a common feature of many cancers, and it plays crucial roles in tumor development and biology. Cancer progression can be regulated by several physiopathological processes controlled by glycosylation, such as cell–cell adhesion, cell–matrix interaction, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, tumor proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. Different mechanisms of aberrant glycosylation lead to the formation of tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens (TACAs), which are suitable for selective cancer targeting, as well as novel antitumor immunotherapy approaches. This review summarizes the strategies developed in cancer immunotherapy targeting TACAs, analyzing molecular and cellular mechanisms and state-of-the-art methods in clinical oncology.

Abstract

Aberrant glycosylation is a hallmark of cancer and can lead to changes that influence tumor behavior. Glycans can serve as a source of novel clinical biomarker developments, providing a set of specific targets for therapeutic intervention. Different mechanisms of aberrant glycosylation lead to the formation of tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens (TACAs) suitable for selective cancer-targeting therapy. The best characterized TACAs are truncated O-glycans (Tn, TF, and sialyl-Tn antigens), gangliosides (GD2, GD3, GM2, GM3, fucosyl-GM1), globo-serie glycans (Globo-H, SSEA-3, SSEA-4), Lewis antigens, and polysialic acid. In this review, we analyze strategies for cancer immunotherapy targeting TACAs, including different antibody developments, the production of vaccines, and the generation of CAR-T cells. Some approaches have been approved for clinical use, such as anti-GD2 antibodies. Moreover, in terms of the antitumor mechanisms against different TACAs, we show results of selected clinical trials, considering the horizons that have opened up as a result of recent developments in technologies used for cancer control.

Cell membrane cloaked nanomedicines for bio-imaging and immunotherapy of cancer: Improved pharmacokinetics, cell internalization and anticancer efficacy

Despite enormous advancements in the field of oncology, the innocuous and effectual treatment of various types of malignancies remained a colossal challenge. The conventional modalities such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery have been remained the most viable options for cancer treatment, but lacking of target-specificity, optimum safety and efficacy, and pharmacokinetic disparities are their impliable shortcomings. Though, in recent decades, numerous encroachments in the field of onco-targeted drug delivery have been adapted but several limitations (i.e., short plasma half-life, early clearance by reticuloendothelial system, immunogenicity, inadequate internalization and localization into the onco-tissues, chemoresistance, and deficient therapeutic efficacy) associated with these onco-targeted delivery systems limits their clinical viability. To abolish the aforementioned inadequacies, a promising approach has been emerged in which stealthing of synthetic nanocarriers has been attained by cloaking them into the natural cell membranes. These biomimetic nanomedicines not only retain characteristics features of the synthetic nanocarriers but also inherit the cell-membrane intrinsic functionalities. In this review, we have summarized preparation methods, mechanism of cloaking, and pharmaceutical and therapeutic superiority of cell-membrane camouflaged nanomedicines in improving the bio-imaging and immunotherapy against various types of malignancies. These pliable adaptations have revolutionized the current drug delivery strategies by optimizing the plasma circulation time, improving the permeation into the cancerous microenvironment, escaping the immune evasion and rapid clearance from the systemic circulation, minimizing the immunogenicity, and enabling the cell-cell communication via cell membrane markers of biomimetic nanomedicines. Moreover, the preeminence of cell-membrane cloaked nanomedicines in improving the bio-imaging and theranostic applications, alone or in combination with phototherapy or radiotherapy, have also been pondered.

Targeting cancer metastasis with antibody therapeutics

Cancer metastasis, the spread of disease from a primary to a distal site through the circulatory or lymphatic systems, accounts for over 90% of all cancer related deaths. Despite significant progress in the field of cancer therapy in recent years, mortality rates remain dramatically higher for patients with metastatic disease versus those with local or regional disease. Although there is clearly an urgent need to develop drugs that inhibit cancer spread, the overwhelming majority of anticancer therapies that have been developed to date are designed to inhibit tumor growth but fail to address the key stages of the metastatic process: invasion, intravasation, circulation, extravasation, and colonization. There is growing interest in engineering targeted therapeutics, such as antibody drugs, that inhibit various steps in the metastatic cascade. We present an overview of antibody therapeutic approaches, both in the pipeline and in the clinic, that disrupt the essential mechanisms that underlie cancer metastasis. These therapies include classes of antibodies that indirectly target metastasis, including anti-integrin, anticadherin, and immune checkpoint blocking antibodies, as well as monoclonal and bispecific antibodies that are specifically designed to interrupt disease dissemination. Although few antimetastatic antibodies have achieved clinical success to date, there are many promising candidates in various stages of development, and novel targets and approaches are constantly emerging. Collectively, these efforts will enrich our understanding of the molecular drivers of metastasis, and the new strategies that arise promise to have a profound impact on the future of cancer therapeutic development. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic Disease.

Sunitinib facilitates metastatic breast cancer spreading by inducing endothelial cell senescence

Background

Sunitinib, a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) inhibitor that targets multiple receptors such as vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFRs), was approved for cancer treatment in 2006. However, it was unsuccessful in treating certain cancers, particularly metastatic breast cancer (MBC), and the mechanism underlying this “sunitinib resistance” remains unclear. Herein, we investigated whether the sunitinib-associated inferior survival benefit in MBC was due to sunitinib-induced endothelial cell (EC) injury or EC senescence.

Methods

4T1 murine breast cancer cells were used as the main breast tumor model for it produces a highly metastatic solid tumor that can spontaneously metastasize to the lung, which closely mimics highly metastatic human breast cancer. Senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-Gal, immunohistochemistry [IHC]-staining), P16, P53, and P57 (immunoblotting) were used as markers of cell senescence. A protein array containing 25 senescence-associated chemokines and the transwell chemotaxis assay were used to examine whether sunitinib increases inflammatory chemokine secretion which attracts tumor cells via chemokinesis. Flow cytometry and IHC were used to detect whether the sunitinib-induced senescent ECs recruit cancer-associated inflammatory myeloid cells. Finally, the spontaneous metastatic model was used to monitor whether sunitinib causes the formation of “pre-metastatic niche” which promotes MBC to metastasize to the lungs.

Results

We demonstrated that sunitinib induced a senescence-like endothelial cell (EC) phenotype. Inflammatory chemokine secretion and VCAM1 expression were significantly increased in senescent ECs, resulting in tumor cell (TC) chemotaxis and TC/EC interactions. Meanwhile, EC senescence caused loosening of EC junctions, facilitating TC transmigration through the endothelial barrier. Sunitinib-induced senescent ECs also recruited cancer-associated myeloid cells to form a “pre-metastatic niche”-like microenvironment. Alterations at the molecular level and in the tissue environment ultimately led to an increase in distant metastasis.

Conclusion

Although sunitinib was designed to target the EC directly, the increase in tumor metastasis may ironically be due to sunitinib “correctly” playing its role. Our findings suggest that we should carefully weigh the pros and cons before using sunitinib and other antiangiogenic drugs that directly target the ECs.

The Potential Action of Thomsen-Friedenreich Monoclonal Antibody (A78-G/A7) in Thyroid Cancer

Background

Thomsen–Friedenreich antibody (TF-Ab) is a specific antibody against the Thomsen–Friedenreich antigen (TF-Ag). At present, studies on a number of other tumors have shown that TF-Ab can effectively inhibit metastasis and induce apoptosis in tumor cells. However, the role of TF-Ab in thyroid cancer (TC) remains unclear.

Materials and Methods

Normal subjects and patients with primary papillary TC with or without lymph node metastasis were tested for TF-Ab expression by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). Immunofluorescence was used to assess the expression of TF-Ag in thyroid papillary carcinoma with or without lymph node metastasis and undifferentiated cancer tissues. To evaluate the role of TF-Ab in TC, the effects of TF monoclonal antibody (mAb A78-G/A7) on cell biological function were investigated by MTT assays, flow cytometry, adhesion assays and transwell experiments.

Results

Compared with normal individuals, TF-Ab levels in patients with TC were decreased, but no changes were observed with respect to lymph node metastasis. The expression of TF-Ag in TC tissues was relatively higher than that detected in adjacent tissues, but it was not affected by the presence or absence of lymph node metastasis. Upon treatment mAb A78-G/A7 treating, TC cell cycles were affected, meanwhile the abilities to adhere, invade and migrate were also significantly reduced.

Conclusion

The results of the present study showed that mAb A78-G/A7 could affect the invasion and migration of all assayed TC cell lines. The effects of mAb A78-G/A7 on the cell cycle, adhesion, invasion and migration of TC cells were more significant than those observed for proliferation and apoptosis.

Aberrant glycosylation patterns on cancer cells: Therapeutic opportunities for glycodendrimers/metallodendrimers oncology

Despite exciting discoveries and progresses in drug design against cancer, its cure is still rather elusive and remains one of the humanities major challenges in health care. The safety profiles of common small molecule anti-cancer therapeutics are less than at acceptable levels and limiting deleterious side-effects have to be urgently addressed. This is mainly caused by their incapacity to differentiate healthy cells from cancer cells; hence, the use of high dosage becomes necessary. One possible solution to improve the therapeutic windows of anti-cancer agents undoubtedly resides in modern nanotechnology. This review presents a discussion concerning multivalent carbohydrate-protein interactions as this topic pertains to the fundamental aspects that lead glycoscientists to tackle glyconanoparticles. The second section describes the detailed properties of cancer cells and how their aberrant glycan surfaces differ from those of healthy cells. The third section briefly describes the immune systems, both innate and adaptative, because the numerous displays of cell surface protein receptors necessitate to be addressed from the multivalent angles, a strength full characteristic of nanoparticles. The next chapter presents recent advances in glyconanotechnologies, including glycodendrimers in particular, as they apply to glycobiology and carbohydrate-based cancer vaccines. This was followed by an overview of metallodendrimers and how this rapidly evolving field may contribute to our arsenal of therapeutic tools to fight cancer. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic Disease.

In Vitro and In Vivo Efficacy of AZD3965 and Alpha-Cyano-4-Hydroxycinnamic Acid in the Murine 4T1 Breast Tumor Model

Monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1) represents a potential therapeutic target in cancer. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of AZD3965 (a specific inhibitor of MCT1) and α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (CHC, a nonspecific inhibitor of MCTs) in the murine 4T1 tumor model of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Expression of MCT1 and MCT4 in 4T1 and mouse mammary epithelial cells were determined by Western blot. Inhibition of MCT1-mediated L-lactate uptake and cellular proliferation by AZD3965 and CHC was determined. Mice bearing 4T1 breast tumors were treated with AZD3965 100 mg/kg i.p. twice-daily or CHC 200 mg/kg i.p. once-daily. Tumor growth, metastasis, intra-tumor lactate concentration, immune function, tumor MCT expression, and concentration-effect relationships were determined. AZD3965 and CHC inhibited cell growth and L-lactate uptake in 4T1 cells. AZD3965 treatment resulted in trough plasma and tumor concentrations of 29.1 ± 13.9 and 1670 ± 946 nM, respectively. AZD3965 decreased the tumor proliferation biomarker Ki67 expression, increased intra-tumor lactate concentration, and decreased tumor volume, although tumor weight was not different from untreated controls. CHC had no effect on tumor volume and weight, or intra-tumor lactate concentration. AZD3965 treatment reduced the blood leukocyte count and spleen weight and increased lung metastasis, while CHC did not. These findings indicate AZD3965 is a potent MCT1 inhibitor that accumulates to high concentrations in 4T1 xenograft tumors, where it increases tumor lactate concentrations and produces beneficial effects on markers of TNBC; however, overall effects on tumor growth were minimal and lung metastases increased.

Profiling of Naturally Occurring Antibodies to the Thomsen-Friedenreich Antigen in Health and Cancer: The Diversity and Clinical Potential

The Thomsen-Friedenreich (TF) antigen is expressed in a majority of human tumors due to aberrant glycosylation in cancer cells. There is strong evidence that humoral immune response to TF represents an effective mechanism for the elimination of cancer cells that express TF-positive glycoconjugates. The presence of naturally occurring antibodies to tumor-associated TF and cancer-specific changes in their levels, isotype distribution and interrelation, avidity, and glycosylation profile make these Abs a convenient and ubiquitous marker for cancer diagnostics and prognostics. In this review, we attempt to summarize the latest data on the potential of TF-specific Abs for cancer diagnostics and prognostics.

Evaluation of the anti-Thomsen-Friedenreich antibodies Nemod-TF1 and Nemod-TF2 as prognostic markers in breast cancer

PURPOSE

The TF (Thomsen-Friedenreich, CD176, Galβ1-3GalNAc) carbohydrate moiety is known as a specific oncofetal carbohydrate epitope present in fetal and neoplastic tissue as well as in stem cells. TF was demonstrated to mediate tumor-promoting features and to be highly immunogenic. The current study aimed to evaluate whether presence of the TF antigen is associated with clinico-pathological parameters and prognosis of early breast cancer (BC).

METHODS

Primary BC tissue (n = 226) was stained for TF using two monoclonal anti-TF antibodies (Nemod-TF1, Nemod-TF2). Staining results were correlated to clinical data including survival.

RESULTS

Nemod-TF1 staining was positively correlated to lymph node metastasis (p = 0.03) and the presence of tumor-associated MUC1 (TA-MUC1; p = 0.003). Further, the presence of the Nemod-TF1 epitope predicted worse prognosis in TA-MUC1 positive (overall survival: p = 0.026) as well as in triple negative (overall survival: p = 0.002; distant metastasis-free survival: p = 0.012) BC.

CONCLUSIONS

The data presented here further support a role of TF in BC tumor biology. Whether anti-TF directed treatment approaches may gain clinical relevance in those cases determined as triple negative or TA-MUC1 positive remains to be determined.

A conserved major facilitator superfamily member orchestrates a subset of O-glycosylation to aid macrophage tissue invasion

Aberrant display of the truncated core1 O-glycan T-antigen is a common feature of human cancer cells that correlates with metastasis. Here we show that T-antigen in Drosophila melanogaster macrophages is involved in their developmentally programmed tissue invasion. Higher macrophage T-antigen levels require an atypical major facilitator superfamily (MFS) member that we named Minerva which enables macrophage dissemination and invasion. We characterize for the first time the T and Tn glycoform O-glycoproteome of the Drosophila melanogaster embryo, and determine that Minerva increases the presence of T-antigen on proteins in pathways previously linked to cancer, most strongly on the sulfhydryl oxidase Qsox1 which we show is required for macrophage tissue entry. Minerva's vertebrate ortholog, MFSD1, rescues the minerva mutant's migration and T-antigen glycosylation defects. We thus identify a key conserved regulator that orchestrates O-glycosylation on a protein subset to activate a program governing migration steps important for both development and cancer metastasis.

In Vitro and In Vivo Efficacy of the Monocarboxylate Transporter 1 Inhibitor AR-C155858 in the Murine 4T1 Breast Cancer Tumor Model

Monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1), also known as a L-lactate transporter, is a potential therapeutic target in cancer. The objectives of this study were to evaluate efficacy and assess concentration-effect relationships of AR-C155858 (a selective and potent MCT1 inhibitor) in murine 4T1 breast cancer cells and in the 4T1 tumor xenograft model. Western blotting of 4T1 cells demonstrated triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) characteristics and overexpression of MCT1 and CD147 (a MCT1 accessory protein), but absence of MCT4 expression. AR-C155858 inhibited the cellular L-lactate uptake and cellular proliferation at low nanomolar potencies (IC₅₀ values of 25.0 ± 4.2 and 20.2 ± 0.2 nM, respectively). In the xenograft 4T1 mouse model of immunocompetent animals, AR-C155858 (10 mg/kg i.p. once daily) had no effect on tumor volume and weight. Treatment with AR-C155858 resulted in slightly increased tumor lactate concentrations; however, the changes were not statistically significant. AR-C155858 was well tolerated, as demonstrated by the unchanged body weight and blood lactate concentrations. Average blood and tumor AR-C155858 concentrations (110 ± 22 and 574 ± 245 nM, respectively), 24 h after the last dose, were well above the IC₅₀ values. These data indicate that AR-C155858 penetrated 4T1 xenograft tumors and was present at high concentrations but was ineffective in decreasing tumor growth. Evaluations of AR-C155858 in other preclinical models of breast cancer are needed to further assess its efficacy.

Temporal and molecular dynamics of human metastatic breast carcinoma cell adhesive interactions with human bone marrow endothelium analyzed by single-cell force spectroscopy

Bone is a common site of metastasis for breast cancer and the mechanisms of metastasis are not fully elucidated. The purpose of our study was to characterize temporal and molecular dynamics of adhesive interactions between human breast cancer cells (HBCC) and human bone marrow endothelium (HBME) with piconewton resolution using atomic force microscopy (AFM). In adhesion experiments, a single breast cancer cell, MDA-MB-231 (MB231) or MDA-MB-435 (MB435) was attached to the AFM cantilever and brought into contact with a confluent HBME monolayer for different time periods (0.5 to 300 sec). The forces required to rupture individual molecular interactions and completely separate interacting cells were analyzed as measures of cell-cell adhesion. Adhesive interactions between HBME and either MB231 or MB435 cells increased progressively as cell-cell contact time was prolonged from 0.5 to 300 sec due to the time-dependent increase in the number and frequency of individual adhesive events, as well as to the involvement of stronger ligand-receptor interactions over time. Studies of the individual molecule involvement revealed that Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen (TF-Ag), galectin-3, integrin-β1, and integrin-α3 are all contributing to HBCC/HBME adhesion to various degrees in a temporally defined fashion. In conclusion, cell-cell contact time enhances adhesion of HBCC to HBME and the adhesion is mediated, in part, by TF-Ag, galectin-3, integrin-α3, and integrin-β1.

Preclinical Analysis of JAA-F11, a Specific Anti-Thomsen-Friedenreich Antibody via Immunohistochemistry and In Vivo Imaging

The tumor specificity of JAA-F11, a novel monoclonal antibody specific for the Thomsen-Friedenreich cancer antigen (TF-Ag-alpha linked), has been comprehensively studied by in vitro immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of human tumor and normal tissue microarrays and in vivo biodistribution and imaging by micro-positron emission tomography imaging in breast and lung tumor models in mice. The IHC analysis detailed herein is the comprehensive biological analysis of the tumor specificity of JAA-F11 antibody performed as JAA-F11 is progressing towards preclinical safety testing and clinical trials. Wide tumor reactivity of JAA-F11, relative to the matched mouse IgG3 (control), was observed in 85% of 1269 cases of breast, lung, prostate, colon, bladder, and ovarian cancer. Staining on tissues from breast cancer cases was similar regardless of hormonal or Her2 status, and this is particularly important in finding a target on the currently untargetable triple-negative breast cancer subtype. Humanization of JAA-F11 was recently carried out as explained in a companion paper "Humanization of JAA-F11, a Highly Specific Anti-Thomsen-Friedenreich Pancarcinoma Antibody and In Vitro Efficacy Analysis" (Neoplasia 19: 716-733, 2017), and it was confirmed that humanization did not affect chemical specificity. IHC studies with humanized JAA-F11 showed similar binding to human breast tumor tissues. In vivo imaging and biodistribution studies in a mouse syngeneic breast cancer model and in a mouse-human xenograft lung cancer model with humanized 124I- JAA-F11 construct confirmed in vitro tumor reactivity and specificity. In conclusion, the tumor reactivity of JAA-F11 supports the continued development of JAA-F11 as a targeted cancer therapeutic for multiple cancers, including those with unmet need.

Oxidative damage and response to Bacillus Calmette-Guérin in bladder cancer cells expressing sialyltransferase ST3GAL1

Background

Treatment with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is the gold standard adjuvant immunotherapy of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), although it fails in one third of the patients. NMIBC expresses two tumor-associated O-linked carbohydrates: the disaccharide (Galβ1,3GalNAc) Thomsen-Friedenreich (T) antigen, and its sialylated counterpart (Siaα2,3Galβ1,3GalNAc) sialyl-T (sT), synthesized by sialyltransferase ST3GAL1, whose roles in BCG response are unknown.

Methods

The human bladder cancer (BC) cell line HT1376 strongly expressing the T antigen, was retrovirally transduced with the ST3GAL1 cDNA or with an empty vector, yielding the cell lines HT1376_sT and HT1376_T, that express, respectively, either the sT or the T antigens. Cells were in vitro challenged with BCG. Whole gene expression was studied by microarray technology, cytokine secretion was measured by multiplex immune-beads assay. Human macrophages derived from blood monocytes were challenged with the secretome of BCG-challenged BC cells.

Results

The secretome from BCG-challenged HT1376_sT cells induced a stronger macrophage secretion of IL-6, IL-1β, TNFα and IL-10 than that of HT1376_T cells. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that ST3GAL1 overexpression and T/sT replacement modulated hundreds of genes. Several genes preserving genomic stability were down-regulated in HT1376_sT cells which, as a consequence, displayed increased sensitivity to oxidative damage. After BCG challenge, the transcriptome of HT1376_sT cells showed higher susceptibility to BCG modulation than that of HT1376_T cells.

Conclusions

High ST3GAL1 expression and T/sT replacement in BCG challenged-BC cancer cells induce a stronger macrophage response and alter the gene expression towards genomic instability, indicating a potential impact on BC biology and patient’s response to BCG.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-018-4107-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Cell surface Thomsen-Friedenreich proteome profiling of metastatic prostate cancer cells reveals potential link with cancer stem cell-like phenotype

The tumor-associated Thomsen-Friedenreich glycoantigen (TF-Ag) plays an important role in hematogenous metastasis of multiple cancers. The LTQ Orbitrap LC-MS/MS mass spectrometry analysis of cell surface TF-Ag proteome of metastatic prostate cancer cells reveals that several cell surface glycoproteins expressing this carbohydrate antigen in prostate cancer (CD44, α2 integrin, β1 integrin, CD49f, CD133, CD59, EphA2, CD138, transferrin receptor, profilin) are either known as stem cell markers or control important cancer stem-like cell functions. This outcome points to a potential link between TF-Ag expression and prostate cancer stem-like phenotype. Indeed, selecting prostate cancer cells for TF-Ag expression resulted in the enrichment of cells with stem-like properties such as enhanced clonogenic survival and growth, prostasphere formation under non-differentiating and differentiating conditions, and elevated expression of stem cell markers such as CD44 and CD133. Further, the analysis of the recent literature demonstrates that TF-Ag is a common denominator for multiple prostate cancer stem-like cell populations identified to date and otherwise characterized by distinct molecular signatures. The current paradigm suggests that dissemination of tumor cells with stem-like properties to bone marrow that occurred before surgery and/or radiation therapy is largely responsible for disease recurrence years after radical treatment causing a massive clinical problem in prostate cancer. Thus, developing means for destroying disseminated prostate cancer stem-like cells is an important goal of modern cancer research. The results presented in this study suggest that multiple subpopulation of putative prostate cancer stem-like cells characterized by distinct molecular signatures can be attacked using a single target commonly expressed on these cells, the TF-Ag.

Humanization of JAA-F11, a Highly Specific Anti-Thomsen-Friedenreich Pancarcinoma Antibody and InVitro Efficacy Analysis

JAA-F11 is a highly specific mouse monoclonal to the Thomsen-Friedenreich Antigen (TF-Ag) which is an alpha-O-linked disaccharide antigen on the surface of ~80% of human carcinomas, including breast, lung, colon, bladder, ovarian, and prostate cancers, and is cryptic on normal cells. JAA-F11 has potential, when humanized, for cancer immunotherapy for multiple cancer types. Humanization of JAA-F11, was performed utilizing complementarity determining regions grafting on a homology framework. The objective herein is to test the specificity, affinity and biology efficacy of the humanized JAA-F11 (hJAA-F11). Using a 609 target glycan array, 2 hJAA-F11 constructs were shown to have excellent chemical specificity, binding only to TF-Ag alpha-linked structures and not to TF-Ag beta-linked structures. The relative affinity of these hJAA-F11 constructs for TF-Ag was improved over the mouse antibody, while T20 scoring predicted low clinical immunogenicity. The hJAA-F11 constructs produced antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity in breast and lung tumor lines shown to express TF-Ag by flow cytometry. Internalization of hJAA-F11 into cancer cells was also shown using a surface binding ELISA and confirmed by immunofluorescence microscopy. Both the naked hJAA-F11 and a maytansine-conjugated antibody (hJAA-F11-DM1) suppressed in vivo tumor progression in a human breast cancer xenograft model in SCID mice. Together, our results support the conclusion that the humanized antibody to the TF-Ag has potential as an adjunct therapy, either directly or as part of an antibody drug conjugate, to treat breast cancer, including triple negative breast cancer which currently has no targeted therapy, as well as lung cancer.

The "inherent vice" in the anti-angiogenic theory may cause the highly metastatic cancer to spread more aggressively

Although anti-angiogenic (AA) therapy is widely used in clinical practice, it is often challenged by insufficient efficacy and intrinsic resistance. Some studies have reported that AA therapy can even increase tumor metastasis. However, whether this is due to a specific AA drug causing a specific tumor to metastasize or because the anti-angiogenic theory has some “inherent vice” that may inevitably lead to tumor dissemination remains a mystery. Herein, we designed a model that completely blocks tumor blood supply using a physical barrier to examine tumor behavior in such circumstances. Surprisingly, we found that cutting off the blood supply could neither eliminate the primary tumor cells nor prevent local invasion or formation of distant metastases. By using a mathematical method to simulate tumor behavior, we found that blocking tumor blood supply may lead to an inevitable consequence: the cells that can tolerate blood deficiency are “naturally selected” and survive, whereas a portion of cells are promoted to escape from the “starvation” area by the consistent environmental stress until they are spread throughout the body. This may be an intrinsic disadvantage of the AA strategy, which will inevitably cause the tumor, particularly highly metastatic tumors, to spread more aggressively.

Micro and Nano Material Carriers for Immunomodulation

Modulation of the immune system through the use of micro and nano carriers offers opportunities in transplant tolerance, autoimmunity, infectious disease, and cancer. In particular, polymeric, lipid, and inorganic materials have been used as carriers of proteins, nucleic acids, and small drug molecules to direct the immune system toward either suppressive or stimulatory states. Current technologies have focused on the use of particulates or scaffolds, the modulation of materials properties, and the delivery of biologics or small drug molecules to achieve a desired response. Discussed are relevant immunology concepts, the types of biomaterial carriers used for immunomodulation highlighting their benefits and drawbacks, the material properties influencing immune responses, and recent examples in the field of transplant tolerance.

Inoculated Cell Density as a Determinant Factor of the Growth Dynamics and Metastatic Efficiency of a Breast Cancer Murine Model

4T1 metastatic breast cancer model have been widely used to study stage IV human breast cancer. However, the frequent inoculation of a large number of cells, gives rise to fast growing tumors, as well as to a surprisingly low metastatic take rate. The present work aimed at establishing the conditions enabling high metastatic take rate of the triple-negative murine 4T1 syngeneic breast cancer model. An 87% 4T1 tumor incidence was observed when as few as 500 cancer cells were implanted. 4T1 cancer cells colonized primarily the lungs with 100% efficiency, and distant lesions were also commonly identified in the mesentery and pancreas. The drastic reduction of the number of inoculated cells resulted in increased tumor doubling times and decreased specific growth rates, following a Gompertzian tumor expansion. The established conditions for the 4T1 mouse model were further validated in a therapeutic study with peguilated liposomal doxorubicin, in clinical used in the setting of metastatic breast cancer. Inoculated cell density was proven to be a key methodological aspect towards the reproducible development of macrometastases in the 4T1 mouse model and a more reliable pre-clinical assessment of antimetastatic therapies.

Cancer-Cell-Biomimetic Nanoparticles for Targeted Therapy of Homotypic Tumors

A unique biomimetic drug-delivery system composed of 4T1-breast-cancer-cell membranes and paclitaxel-loaded polymeric nanoparticles (PPNs) (cell-membrane-coated PPNs), demonstrates superior interactions to its source tumor cells and elongated blood circulation, and displays highly cell-specific targeting of the homotypic primary tumor and metastases, with successful inhibition of the growth and lung metastasis of the breast cancer cells.

Interaction of the Oncofetal Thomsen-Friedenreich Antigen with Galectins in Cancer Progression and Metastasis

Aberrant glycosylation of cell membrane proteins is a universal feature of cancer cells. One of the most common glycosylation changes in epithelial cancer is the increased occurrence of the oncofetal Thomsen–Friedenreich disaccharide Galβ1–3GalNAc (T or TF antigen), which appears in about 90% of cancers but is rarely seen in normal epithelium. Over the past few years, increasing evidence has revealed that the increased appearance of TF antigen on cancer cell surface plays an active role in promoting cancer progression and metastasis by interaction with the β-galactoside-binding proteins, galectins, which themselves are also frequently overexpressed in cancer and pre-cancerous conditions. This review summarizes the current understanding of the molecular mechanism of the increased TF occurrence in cancer, the structural nature, and biological impact of TF interaction with galectins, in particular galectin-1 and -3, on cancer progression and metastasis.

Increased Avidity of the Sambucus nigra Lectin-Reactive Antibodies to the Thomsen-Friedenreich Antigen as a Potential Biomarker for Gastric Cancer

AIM

To determine whether the naturally occurring Thomsen-Friedenreich (TF) antigen-specific antibodies differ in avidity between cancer patients and controls to find a novel biomarker for stomach cancer.

METHODS

Serum samples were taken from patients with cancer and controls. The level of TF-specific antibodies and their sialylation were determined using ELISA with synthetic TF-polyacrylamide conjugate as antigen and sialic acid-specific Sambucus nigra agglutinin (SNA). The avidity was determined using ammonium thiocyanate as a chaotrope.

RESULTS

A significantly higher SNA lectin binding to anti-TF antibodies was found in cancer patients irrespective of disease stage. The avidity of only IgM TF-specific antibodies was significantly higher in cancer patients compared to controls. The SNA-positive anti-TF antibodies of cancer patients showed a significantly higher avidity, P < 0.001. The sensitivity and specificity of this increase for gastric cancer were 73.53% and 73.08%, respectively, with a 73.2% diagnostic accuracy. The higher avidity of SNA-reactive anti-TF antibodies was associated with a benefit in survival of stage 3 cancer patients.

CONCLUSION

The SNA-reactive TF-specific antibodies display a significantly higher avidity in gastric cancer patients compared to controls, which can be used as a potential serologic biomarker for gastric cancer. It appears that IgM is the main target responsible for the above changes.

Tagging staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) with TGFaL3 for breast cancer therapy

Recent research has attempted to direct superantigens towards tumors by means of tumor-targeted superantigen (TTS) strategy. In this study, we explored the antitumor property of TTS by fusing the third loop of transforming growth factor α (TGFαL3) to staphylococcal enterotoxin type B (SEB) and investigated the possibility of the therapeutic application of TGFαL3-SEB as a novel antitumor candidate in mice bearing breast cancer. Treatment was performed through intratumoral and intravenous injection of TGFαL3-SEB. Tumor size/volume, long-term survival, and cytokine secretion were assessed. In addition, the toxicity of each treatment on liver and kidneys was examined. Our results indicated that the relative tumor volume significantly increased in the mice receiving intratumoral TGFaL3-SEB (p < 0.05). Surprisingly, 5 out of the 14 mice were cleared from the tumor thoroughly in 10-25 days after intratumoral administration of TGFaL3-SEB. Quantification of cytokines clearly showed that the mice receiving intratumoral SEB significantly secreted higher interferon γ (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) compared with the other groups (p < 0.05). The antitumor effect was followed by inhibition of cell proliferation (Ki-67) and micro vascularization (CD31). The highest and lowest levels of tumor necrosis were observed in the intratumoral administration of TGFαL3-SEB (85 %) and PBS (14 %), respectively. Intratumoral injection of TGFαL3-SEB increased the lifespan of the mice so 37.5 % of them could survive for more than 6 months (p < 0.05). Overall, our findings indicated that intratumoral administration of TGFαL3-SEB effectively inhibited the growth of breast tumors through induction of necrosis and suppressing proliferation and angiogenesis without systemic toxicity.

Expression of MUC1 and CD176 (Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen) in papillary thyroid carcinomas

The incidence of thyroid cancer has appeared as an increasing trend globally, especially in Asian countries. In this study, the expression of mucin-1 (MUC1) and Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen, Galβ1-3GalNAcα1-R (CD176) was investigated by immunohistochemistry in papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs), which accounts for approximately 80 % of all thyroid cancer. We found that 78 % of PTC overexpressed MUC1. Importantly, we observed firstly that CD176 was expressed in 63 % of PTC, but was faintly or not expressed in normal thyroid tissues and benign thyroid disease tissues, indicating that CD176 is also a tumour-associated antigen for PTCs. Moreover, expression of CD176 was strongly correlated with MUC1 by immunohistochemical staining in PTCs. Furthermore, we used the immunochemical method to confirm that MUC1 is a common and main carrier of CD176 in PTCs. Our data demonstrated that MUC1 and CD176 might be promising biomarkers for thyroid cancer.

Endothelial integrin α3β1 stabilizes carbohydrate-mediated tumor/endothelial cell adhesion and induces macromolecular signaling complex formation at the endothelial cell membrane

Blood borne metastatic tumor cell adhesion to endothelial cells constitutes a critical rate-limiting step in hematogenous cancer metastasis. Interactions between cancer associated carbohydrate Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen (TF-Ag) and endothelium-expressed galectin-3 (Gal-3) have been identified as the leading molecular mechanism initiating tumor/endothelial cell adhesion in several types of cancer. However, it is unknown how these rather weak and transient carbohydrate/lectin mediated interactions are stabilized. Here, using Western blot and LC tandem mass spectrometry analyses of pull-downs utilizing TF-Ag loaded gold nanoparticles, we identified Gal-3, endothelial integrin α3β1, Src kinase, as well as 5 additional molecules mapping onto focal adhesion pathway as parts of the macromolecular complexes formed at the endothelial cell membranes downstream of TF-Ag/Gal-3 interactions. In a modified parallel flow chamber assay, inhibiting α3β1 integrin greatly reduced the strength of tumor/endothelial cell interactions without affecting the initial cancer cell adhesion. Further, the macromolecular complex induced by TF-Ag/Gal-3/α3β1 interactions activates Src kinase, p38, and ERK1/2, pathways in endothelial cells in a time- and α3β1-dependent manner. We conclude that, following the initial metastatic cell attachment to endothelial cells mediated by TF-Ag/Gal-3 interactions, endothelial integrin α3β1 stabilizes tumor/endothelial cell adhesion and induces the formation of macromolecular signaling complex activating several major signaling pathways in endothelial cells.

Direct targeted glycation of the free sulfhydryl group of cysteine residue (Cys-34) of BSA. Mapping of the glycation sites of the anti-tumor Thomsen-Friedenreich neoglycoconjugate vaccine prepared by Michael addition reaction

We present in this manuscript the characterization of the exact glycation sites of the Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen-BSA vaccine (TF antigen:BSA) prepared using a Michael addition reaction between the saccharide antigen as an electrophilic acceptor and the nucleophilic thiol and L-Lysine ε-amino groups of BSA using different ligation conditions. Matrix laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry of the neoglycoconjugates prepared with TF antigen:protein ratios of 2:1 and 8:1, allowed to observe, respectively, the protonated molecules for each neoglycoconjugates: [M + H](+) at m/z 67,599 and 70,905. The measurements of these molecular weights allowed us to confirm exactly the carbohydrate:protein ratios of these two synthetic vaccines. These were found to be closely formed by a TF antigen:BSA ratios of 2:1 and 8:1, respectively. Trypsin digestion and liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry allowed us to identify the series of released glycopeptide and peptide fragments. De novo sequencing affected by low-energy collision dissociation tandem mass spectrometry was then employed to unravel the precise glycation sites of these neoglycoconjugate vaccines. Finally, we identified, respectively, three diagnostic and characteristic glycated peptides for the synthetic glycoconjugate possessing a TF antigen:BSA ratio 2:1, whereas we have identified for the synthetic glycoconjugate having a TF:BSA ratio 8:1 a series of 14 glycated peptides. The net increase in the occupancy sites of these neoglycoconjugates was caused by the large number of glycoforms produced during the chemical ligation of the synthetic carbohydrate antigen onto the protein carrier.

Role of the interaction between galectin-3 and cell adhesion molecules in cancer metastasis

Galectin-3, a unique chimera-type member of the β-galactoside-binding soluble lectin family, is present in both normal and cancer cells and plays a crucial role in the regulation of cell adhesion. It is involved both in accelerating detachment of cells from primary tumor sites and promoting cancer cell adhesion and survival to anoikis in the blood stream. Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) are membrane receptors that mediate cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, and are essential for transducing intracellular signals responsible for adhesion, migration, invasion, angiogenesis, and organ-specific metastasis. This review will discuss the recent advances in our understanding the biological functions, mechanism and therapeutic implication of the interaction between galectin-3 and CAMs in cancer metastasis.

Purification and refolding of anti-T-antigen single chain antibodies (scFvs) expressed in Escherichia coli as inclusion bodies

T-antigen (Galβ1-3GalNAcα-1-Ser/Thr) is an oncofetal antigen that is commonly expressed as a carbohydrate determinant in many adenocarcinomas. Since it is associated with tumor progression and metastasis, production of recombinant antibodies specific for T-antigen could lead to the development of cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. Previously, we isolated and characterized 11 anti-T-antigen phage clones from a phage library displaying human single-chain antibodies (scFvs) and purified one scFv protein, 1G11. More recently, we purified and characterized 1E8 scFv protein using a Drosophila S2 expression system. In the current study, four anti-T-antigen scFv genes belonging to Groups 1-4 were purified from inclusion bodies expressed in Escherichia coli cells. Inclusion bodies isolated from E. coli cells were denatured in 3.5 M Gdn-HCl. Solubilized His-tagged scFv proteins were purified using Ni(2+)-Sepharose column chromatography in the presence of 3.5 M Gdn-HCl. Purified scFv proteins were refolded according to a previously published method of step-wise dialysis. Two anti-T-antigen scFv proteins, 1E6 and 1E8 that belong to Groups 1 and 2, respectively, were produced in sufficient amounts, thus allowing further characterization of their binding activity with T-antigen. Specificity and affinity constants determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR), respectively, provided evidence that both 1E8 and 1E6 scFv proteins are T-antigen specific and suggested that 1E8 scFv protein has a higher affinity for T-antigen than 1E6 scFv protein.

Synthesis of the tumor associative α-aminooxy disaccharide of the TF antigen and its conjugation to a polysaccharide immune stimulant

The α-aminooxy derivative of the Thomsen-Friedenriech tumor associated carbohydrate antigen has been synthesized in 11 steps utilizing a D-GalN3 acceptor carrying a pre-installed α-N-hydroxysuccinimidyl moiety. The natural α linkage was prepared in high selectivity employing a suitably protected D-GalN3-thioglycoside donor with N-hydroxysuccinimide. With access to α-TF-ONH2, the preparation of the TF-PS A1 vaccine candidate ensued smoothly through oxime bond formation.

Increased sialylation of anti-Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen (CD176) antibodies in patients with gastric cancer: a diagnostic and prognostic potential

AIM

To study whether alterations in the sialylation of antibodies (Ab) specific to the Thomsen-Friedenreich (TF) glycotope have a diagnostic and prognostic potential in gastric cancer.

METHODS

Serum samples were taken from patients with gastric carcinoma (n = 142) and controls (n = 61). The level of TF-specific antibodies and their sialylation was detected using ELISA with synthetic TF-polyacrylamide conjugate as antigen and sialic acid-specific Sambucus nigra agglutinin (SNA).

RESULTS

The level of TF-specific IgM was significantly decreased in cancer compared with controls (P ≤ 0.001). Cancer patients showed a higher level of SNA binding to anti-TF IgM and IgA (P ≤ 0.001) irrespective of disease stage, tumor morphology, and gender. Changes in the SNA/Ab index demonstrated moderate sensitivity (66-71%) and specificity (60-73%) for stomach cancer. The best diagnostic accuracy (100%) was achieved in 29% patients with high SNA binding and low anti-TF IgM level. This subset of patients demonstrated the poorest survival.

CONCLUSION

Our findings are the first evidence that the increased sialylation of TF-specific Abs combined with a low level of anti-TF IgM is strongly linked to gastric cancer and patients survival, which can be used as a novel biomarker for cancer detection and prognosis.

Glycans and galectins in prostate cancer biology, angiogenesis and metastasis

Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer and the sixth leading cause of cancer death among men worldwide. While localized prostate cancer can be cured, advanced and metastatic prostate cancer remains a significant therapeutic challenge. Malignant transformation is associated with important modifications of the cellular glycosylation profile, and it is postulated that these changes have a considerable relevance for tumor biology. Metastasis is a multiphasic process that encompasses angiogenesis, the spread of tumor cells and their growth at distant sites from the primary tumor location. Recognition of glycoconjugates by galectins, among other lectins, plays a fundamental role in the metastatic spread, tumor immune escape and the neovascularization process. Particularly in prostate cancer, both carbohydrates and galectins have been implicated in many cellular processes such as proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion. However, a limited number of studies assessed their potential implications in the induction of metastasis in prostate cancer patients or in animal models. Moreover, the role of galectin-glycan interactions in vivo still remains poorly understood; concerted effort should thus be made in order to shed some light on this question. This review summarizes current evidence on both the expression and role of glycans and galectins in prostate cancer, particularly turning our attention to the angiogenic and metastatic processes.

Development and characterization of a preclinical model of breast cancer lung micrometastatic to macrometastatic progression

Most cancer patients die with metastatic disease, thus, good models that recapitulate the natural process of metastasis including a dormancy period with micrometastatic cells would be beneficial in developing treatment strategies. Herein we report a model of natural metastasis that balances time to complete experiments with a reasonable dormancy period, which can be used to better study metastatic progression. The basis for the model is a 4T1 triple negative syngeneic breast cancer model without resection of the primary tumor. A cell titration from 500 to 15,000 GFP tagged 4T1 cells implanted into fat pad number four of immune proficient eight week female BALB/cJ mice optimized speed of the model while possessing metastatic processes including dormancy and beginning of reactivation. The frequency of primary tumors was less than 50% in animals implanted with 500–1500 cells. Although implantation with over 10,000 cells resulted in 100% primary tumor development, the tumors and macrometastases formed were highly aggressive, lacked dormancy, and offered no opportunity for treatment. Implantation of 7,500 cells resulted in >90% tumor take by 10 days; in 30–60 micrometastases in the lung (with many animals also having 2–30 brain micrometastases) two weeks post-implantation, with the first small macrometastases present at five weeks; many animals displaying macrometastases at five weeks and animals becoming moribund by six weeks post-implantation. Using the optimum of 7,500 cells the efficacy of a chemotherapeutic agent for breast cancer, doxorubicin, given at its maximal tolerated dose (MTD; 1 mg/kg weekly) was tested for an effect on metastasis. Doxorubicin treatment significantly reduced primary tumor growth and lung micrometastases but the number of macrometastases at experiment end was not significantly affected. This model should prove useful for development of drugs to target metastasis and to study the biology of metastasis.

Preclinical studies with JAA-F11 anti-Thomsen-Friedenreich monoclonal antibody for human breast cancer

ABSTRACT: 

Aim: The Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen (TF-Ag) is a disaccharide hidden on normal cells, but selectively exposed on the surface of breast, colon, prostate and bladder cancer cells. JAA-F11, a highly specific monoclonal antibody to TF-Ag, reduces metastasis and prolongs survival in a mouse model. In addition,124I-JAA-F11 localizes 4T1 tumors in mice. These studies continue translation of JAA-F11 to human breast cancer. Materials & methods & results: Of the 41 human breast cancer cell lines tested, 78% were positive for reactivity with JAA-F11 by whole-cell enzyme immunoassay and positivity occurred unrelated to estrogen, progesterone or HER2 receptor status. JAA-F11 inhibited the growth rate of the human cancer cell lines tested. At 1 h, approximately 80% of JAA-F11 internalized in the three cell lines tested. 124I-JAA-F11 specifically imaged human triple-negative tumors in mice by microPET. Conclusion: The results highlight the potential that humanized JAA-F11 may have for immunotherapy and drug conjugate therapy in breast cancer patients.

Rocking adhesion assay system to study adhesion and transendothelial migration of cancer cells

Adhesion of metastatic cancer cells to the vascular endothelium of the target organs and their subsequent transendothelial migration is one of the critical, yet poorly understood, steps of the metastatic cascade. Conventionally, the mechanisms of this complex process have been studied using static adhesion systems or flow assay systems. Static assay systems are easy to set up and perform but do not mimic the physiological conditions of blood flow. Flow assays closely mimic physiological conditions of flow but are time consuming and require specialist equipment. In this chapter we describe the rocking adhesion system which incorporates the key advantages of both the static and flow assay systems and not only is easy to set up and perform but also mimics conditions of blood flow.

Targeting tumor-stromal interactions in bone metastasis

Bone metastasis is a frequent occurrence in late stage solid tumors, including breast cancers, prostate or lung. However, the causes for this proclivity have only recently been elucidated. Significant progress has been made in the past decade toward understanding the molecular underpinnings of bone metastasis, and much of this research reveals a crucial role of the host stroma in each step of the metastatic cascade. Tumor-stromal interactions are crucial in engineering a pre-metastatic niche, accommodating metastatic seeding, and establishing the vicious cycle of bone metastasis. Current treatments in bone metastasis focus on latter steps of the metastatic cascade, with most treatments targeting the process of bone remodeling; however, emerging research identifies many other candidates as promising targets. Host stromal cells including platelets and endothelial cells are important in the early steps of metastatic homing, attachment and extravasation while a variety of immune cells, parenchymal cells and mesenchymal cells of the bone marrow are important in the establishment of overt, immune-suppressed metastatic lesions. Many participants during these steps have been identified and functionally validated. Significant contributors include integrins, (αvβ3, α2β1, α4β1), TGFβ family members, bone resident proteins (BSP, OPG, SPARC, OPN), RANKL, and PTHrP. In this review, we will discuss the contribution of host stromal cells to pre-metastatic niche conditioning, seeding, dormancy, bone-remodeling, immune regulation, and chemotherapeutic shielding in bone metastasis. Research exploring these interactions between bone metastases and stromal cells has yielded many therapeutic targets, and we will discuss both the current and future therapeutic avenues in treating bone metastasis.

Galectins as new prognostic markers and potential therapeutic targets for advanced prostate cancers

A better understanding of multimolecular interactions involved in tumor dissemination is required to identify new effective therapies for advanced prostate cancer (PCa). Several groups investigated protein-glycan interactions as critical factors for crosstalk between prostate tumors and their microenvironment. This review both discusses whether the “galectin-signature” might serve as a reliable biomarker for the identification of patients with high risk of metastasis and assesses the galectin-glycan lattices as potential novel targets for anticancer therapies. The ultimate goal of this review is to convey how basic findings related to galectins could be in turn translated into clinical settings for patients with advanced PCa.

Presentation, presentation, presentation! Molecular-level insight into linker effects on glycan array screening data

Changes in cell-surface glycan patterns are markers of the presence of many different disease and cancer types, offering a relatively untapped niche for glycan-targeting reagents and therapeutics in diagnosis and treatment. Of paramount importance for the success of any glycan-targeting reagent is the ability to specifically recognize the target among the plethora of different glycans that exist in the human body. The preeminent technique for defining specificity is glycan array screening, in which a glycan-binding protein (GBP) can be simultaneously screened against multiple glycans. Glycan array screening has provided unparalleled insight into GBP specificity, but data interpretation suffers from difficulties in identifying false-negative binding arising from altered glycan presentation, associated with the linker used to conjugate the glycan to the surface. In this work, we model the structure and dynamics of the linkers employed in the glycan arrays developed by the Consortium for Functional Glycomics. The modeling takes into account the physical presence and surface polarity of the array, and provides a structure-based rationalization of false-negative results arising from the so-called “linker effect.” The results also serve as a guide for interpreting glycan array screening data in a biological context; in particular, we show that attempts to employ natural amino acids as linkers may be prone to unexpected artifacts compromising glycan recognition.

Aberrant glycosylation of the anti-Thomsen-Friedenreich glycotope immunoglobulin G in gastric cancer patients

AIM: To study whether alterations in the glycosylation of immunoglobulin G (IgG) specific to the Thomsen-Friedenreich glycotope (TF) have diagnostic and prognostic potential in gastric cancer.

METHODS: Serum samples were obtained from patients with histologically verified gastric carcinoma (n = 89), healthy blood donors (n = 40), and patients with benign stomach diseases (n = 22). The lectin-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-based glycoprofiling of TF-specific IgG (anti-TF IgG) was performed using synthetic TF-polyacrylamide conjugate as antigen, total IgG purified by affinity chromatography on protein G sepharose, and lectins of various sugar specificities: mannose-specific concanavalin A (ConA), fucose-specific Aleuria aurantia lectin (AAL) and sialic acid-specific Sambucus nigra agglutinin (SNA). The sensitivity and specificity of the differences between cancer patients and controls were evaluated by receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Overall survival was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method. Time-dependent ROC curve statistics were applied to determine cut-off values for survival analysis. All calculations and comparisons were performed using the GraphPad Prism 5 and SPSS 15.0 software.

RESULTS: The level of TF-specific IgG was significantly increased in cancer patients compared with non-cancer controls (P < 0.001). This increase was pronounced mostly in stage 1 of the disease. Cancer patients showed a higher level of ConA binding to anti-TF-IgG (P < 0.05) and a very low level of SNA lectin binding (P = 0.0001). No appreciable stage-dependency of the binding of any lectin to anti-TF IgG was found. A strong positive correlation between the binding of AAL and SNA was found in all groups studied (r = 0.71-0.72; P < 0.0001). The changes in ConA reactivity were not related to those of the fucose- or sialic acid-specific lectin. Changes in the SNA binding index and the ConA/SNA binding ratio demonstrated good sensitivity and specificity for stomach cancer: sensitivity 78.79% (95%CI: 61.09-91.02) and 72.73% (95%CI: 57.21-85.04); specificity 79.17 (95%CI: 65.01-89.53) and 88.64% (95%CI: 71.8-96.6), for the SNA binding index and the ConA/SNA binding ratio, respectively. The other combinations of lectins did not improve the accuracy of the assay. The low level of ConA-positive anti-TF IgG was associated with a survival benefit in cancer patients (HR = 1.56; 95%CI: 0.78-3.09; P = 0.19), especially in stages 3-4 of the disease (HR = 2.17; 95%CI: 0.98-4.79; P = 0.048). A significantly better survival rate was found in all cancer patients with a low reactivity of anti-TF IgG to the fucose-specific AAL lectin (HR = 2.39; 95%CI: 1.0-5.7; P = 0.038).

CONCLUSION: The changes in the TF-specific IgG glycosylation pattern can be used as a biomarker for stomach cancer detection, and to predict patient survival.

Detection of breast cancer cells in blood samples by immunostaining of the Thomsen–Friedenreich antigen

Aim: Disseminated tumor cells are found in the bone marrow of patients with epithelial carcinoma and are correlated with a poor prognosis of the disease. Their detection is a technical challenge. This report describes a model system for the detection of cancer cells by co-immunostaining of Thomsen–Friedenreich and Her-2 antigens. Methods & results: Small numbers of cancer cells from different cancer cell lines were mixed with blood samples of healthy donors. Cytospins were prepared and double immunostaining against Thomsen–Friedenreich antigen and Her-2 was carried out by fluorochrome-coupled antibodies. Quantification of Thomsen–Friedenreich and/or Her-2-positive cells was performed with an epifluorescence microscope. On average, 83% of cancer cells were recovered by this method. Conclusion: Immunostaining is a useful method for the detection of cancer cells in blood samples. Results of this model system will be transferred to bone marrow patient samples to prove the benefits for detection of disseminated tumor cells.

Computational screening of the human TF-glycome provides a structural definition for the specificity of anti-tumor antibody JAA-F11

Recombinant antibodies are of profound clinical significance; yet, anti-carbohydrate antibodies are prone to undesirable cross-reactivity with structurally related-glycans. Here we introduce a new technology called Computational Carbohydrate Grafting (CCG), which enables a virtual library of glycans to be assessed for protein binding specificity, and employ it to define the scope and structural origin of the binding specificity of antibody JAA-F11 for glycans containing the Thomsen-Friedenreich (TF) human tumor antigen. A virtual library of the entire human glycome (GLibrary-3D) was constructed, from which 1,182 TF-containing human glycans were identified and assessed for their ability to fit into the antibody combining site. The glycans were categorized into putative binders, or non-binders, on the basis of steric clashes with the antibody surface. The analysis employed a structure of the immune complex, generated by docking the TF-disaccharide (Galβ1-3GalNAcα) into a crystal structure of the JAA-F11 antigen binding fragment, which was shown to be consistent with saturation transfer difference (STD) NMR data. The specificities predicted by CCG were fully consistent with data from experimental glycan array screening, and confirmed that the antibody is selective for the TF-antigen and certain extended core-2 type mucins. Additionally, the CCG analysis identified a limited number of related putative binding motifs, and provided a structural basis for interpreting the specificity. CCG can be utilized to facilitate clinical applications through the determination of the three-dimensional interaction of glycans with proteins, thus augmenting drug and vaccine development techniques that seek to optimize the specificity and affinity of neutralizing proteins, which target glycans associated with diseases including cancer and HIV.

Glycodendrimers: versatile tools for nanotechnology

Combining nanotechnology with glycobiology has triggered an exponential growth of research activities in the design of novel functional bionanomaterials (glyconanotechnology). More specifically, recent synthetic advances towards the tailored and versatile design of glycosylated nanoparticles namely glyconanoparticles, considered as synthetic mimetics of natural glycoconjugates, paved the way toward diverse biomedical applications. The accessibility of a wide variety of these structured nanosystems, in terms of shapes, sizes, and organized around stable nanoparticles have readily contributed to their development and applications in nanomedicine. In this context, glycosylated gold-nanoparticles (GNPs), glycosylated quantum dots (QDs), fullerenes, single-wall natotubes (SWNTs), and self-assembled glycononanoparticles using amphiphilic glycopolymers or glycodendrimers have received considerable attention to afford powerful imaging, therapeutic, and biodiagnostic devices. This review will provide an overview of the most recent syntheses and applications of glycodendrimers in glycoscience that have permitted to deepen our understanding of multivalent carbohydrate-protein interactions. Together with synthetic breast cancer vaccines, inhibitors of bacterial adhesions to host tissues including sensitive detection devices, these novel bionanomaterials are finding extensive relevance.