Counts In Mice Research Articles

Effect of Tumor Suppressor Gene Kmt2c Heterozygous Deletion on Hematopoietic System in Mice

To explore the effect of heterozygous deletion of histone methyltransferase Kmt2c gene on the hematological system of mice. CRISPR/Cas9 technology was used to construct mice model of Kmt2c heterozygous deletion (Kmt2c+/-) and the changes of whole blood cell count in mice were continuously monitored by blood routine test. The clonal expansion ability of bone marrow cells was explored by colony formation assay in vitro and the proportion of primitive hematopoietic cells, including long-term hematopoietic stem cell (LT-HSC), short-term hematopoietic stem cell (ST-HSC), and multipotent progenitor cell in mutant mice was analyzed by flow cytometry. Kmt2c+/- mice model was successfully constructed, and the mRNA expression level of Kmt2c was 28% of that of C57BL/6J mice. The colony formation ability of bone marrow cells of Kmt2c+/- mice in vitro increased with the passage times, and the colony number in the fourth generation was significantly higher than that of control group (P <0.05). The proportions of LT-HSC and ST-HSC in the primitive hematopoietic cell population of Kmt2c+/- mice was 19.6%±3.3% and 28.9%±4.9%, respectively, which showed an increasing trend compared with 16.9%±2.6% and 18.9%±2.5% in control group, but the difference was not statistically significant (P >0.05). The white blood cell count of Kmt2c+/- mice gradually increased after 12 weeks of monitoring and reached (9.8±1.0)×109/L at the 14th week, which was significantly higher than (7.3±1.4)×109/L of control group (P < 0.05). The bone marrow cells of Kmt2c+/- mice have potential of clonal expansion.

Exploring the effect of hydroxyapatite nanoparticle shape on red blood cells and blood coagulation.

Aim: In this study, we evaluated the effects of two types of hydroxyapatite (HAP) nanoparticles, sharing the same surface chemistry but differing in shape, on the biological characteristics of plasma, platelets and red blood cells.Materials & methods: Initially, two different shapes (rod-shaped and sphere-shaped) of HAPs were characterized. These HAPs were then co-cultured with plasma and red blood cells to examine their impact on coagulation and hemolysis. The impact of HAPs on white blood cells count in mice were evaluated following gavage and tail vein injection.Results: Sphere-shaped HAP is more likely to adsorb onto platelet surfaces, while rod-shaped HAP is more likely to cause hemolysis. Although there are differences in the in vitro experimental results between sphere-shaped HAP and rod-shaped HAP, both types demonstrate good blood compatibility at a 20mM concentration. Furthermore, in vivo experiments showed that sphere-shaped nano-HAP induced a more pronounced increase in white blood cell count, suggesting that it may exhibit greater toxicity.Conclusion: While differences exist in the blood compatibility test results between the two HAPs, these differences are minimal, with both results falling within a safe range. Overall, HAP demonstrates excellent blood compatibility.

Pathological changes in the spleen of mice subjected to different time courses of restraint stress

The objective of this study was to investigate spleen pathology and immune cell subset alterations in mice exposed to acute and chronic restraint stress over various timeframes. A deeper understanding of stress-induced spleen injuries can provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying stress-induced disorders. C57BL/6N mice were restrained for different durations (1, 3, 7, 14 and 21 days) for 6–8 h daily. The control mice were observed at the same time points. Post restraint, behavioural experiments were conducted to assess spleen weight, gross morphology and microscopic histological changes. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect changes in glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression, immune cell subsets and cell proliferation in response to stress. Our analysis revealed significant behavioural abnormalities in the stressed mice. In particular, there was an increase in the nuclear expression of GR beginning on Day 3, and it peaked on Day 14. The spleens of stressed mice displayed a reduction in size, disordered internal tissue structure and reduced cell proliferation. NK cells and M2-type macrophages exhibited immune cell subset alterations under stress, whereas T or B cells remained unaltered. Restraint stress can lead to pathomorphological alterations in spleen morphology, cell proliferation and immune cell counts in mice. These findings suggest that stress-induced pathological changes can disrupt immune regulation during stress.

Fluoride exposure during puberty induces testicular impairment via ER stress-triggered apoptosis in mice

Fluoride, a ubiquitous environmental compound, carries significant health risks at excessive levels. This study investigated the reproductive toxicity of fluoride exposure during puberty in mice, focusing on its impact on testicular development, spermatogenesis, and underlying mechanisms. The results showed that fluoride exposure during puberty impaired testicular structure, induced germ cell apoptosis, and reduced sperm counts in mice. Additionally, the SOD activity and GSH content were significantly decreased, while MDA content was significantly elevated in the NaF group. Immunohistochemistry showed an increase in the number of cells positive for GRP78, a key ER stress marker. Moreover, qRT-PCR and Western blot analyses confirmed the upregulation of both Grp78 mRNA and protein expression, as well as increased mRNA expression of other ER stress-associated genes (Grp94, chop, Atf6, Atf4, and Xbp1) and enhanced protein expression of phosphorylated PERK, IRE1α, eIF2α, JNK, XBP-1, ATF-6α, ATF-4, and CHOP. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that fluoride exposure during puberty impairs testicular structure, induces germ cell apoptosis, and reduces sperm counts in mice. ER stress may participate in testicular cell apoptosis, and contribute to the testicular damage and decreased sperm counts induced by fluoride.

A novel blood-based bioassay to monitor adiponectin signaling

The diverse beneficial effects of adiponectin-receptor signaling, including its impact on the regulation of inflammatory processes in vivo, have resulted in development of adiponectin receptor agonists as a treatment for metabolic disorders. However, there are no established non-invasive bioassays for detection of adiponectin target engagement in humans or animal models. Here, we designed an assay using small amounts of blood to assess adiponectin action. Specifically, we tested effects of the small 10-amino acid peptide adiponectin receptor agonist, ALY688, in a sublethal LPS endotoxemia model in mice. LPS-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in serum were significantly reduced in mice treated with ALY688, assessed via multiplex ELISA in flow cytometry. Furthermore, ALY688 alone significantly induced TGF-β release in serum 1 h after treatment and was elevated for up to 24 h. Additionally, using a flow-cytometry panel for detection of changes in circulating immune cell phenotypes, we observed a significant increase in absolute T cell counts in mice after ALY688 treatment. To assess changes in intracellular signaling effectors downstream of adiponectin, phospho-flow cytometry was conducted. There was a significant increase in phosphorylation of AMPK and p38-MAPK in mice after ALY688 treatment. We then used human donor immune cells (PBMCs) treated with ALY688 ex vivo and observed elevation of AMPK and p38-MAPK phosphorylation from baseline in response to ALY688. Together, these results indicate we can detect adiponectin action on immune cells in vivo by assessing adiponectin signaling pathway for AMPK and p38-MAPK, as well as pro-inflammatory cytokine levels. This new approach provides a blood-based bioassay for screening adiponectin action.

SET domain containing 2 promotes megakaryocyte polyploidization and platelet generation through methylation of α-tubulin

BackgroundMegakaryocytes (MKs) are polyploid cells responsible for producing ∼1011 platelets daily in humans. Unraveling the mechanisms regulating megakaryopoiesis holds the promise for the production of clinical-grade platelets from stem cells, overcoming significant current limitations in platelet transfusion medicine. Previous work identified that loss of the epigenetic regulator SET domain containing 2 (SETD2) was associated with an increased platelet count in mice. However, the role of SETD2 in megakaryopoiesis remains unknown. ObjectivesHere, we examined how SETD2 regulated MK development and platelet production using complementary murine and human systems. MethodsWe manipulated the expression of SETD2 in multiple in vitro and ex vivo models to assess the ploidy of MKs and the function of platelets. ResultsThe genetic ablation of Setd2 increased the number of high-ploidy bone marrow MKs. Peripheral platelet counts in Setd2 knockout mice were significantly increased ∼2-fold, and platelets exhibited normal size, morphology, and function. By knocking down and overexpressing SETD2 in ex vivo human cell systems, we demonstrated that SETD2 negatively regulated MK polyploidization by controlling methylation of α-tubulin, microtubule polymerization, and MK nuclear division. Small-molecule inactivation of SETD2 significantly increased the production of high-ploidy MKs and platelets from human-induced pluripotent stem cells and cord blood CD34+ cells. ConclusionThese findings identify a previously unrecognized role for SETD2 in regulating megakaryopoiesis and highlight the potential of targeting SETD2 to increase platelet production from human cells for transfusion practices.

Lung Epithelium Releases Growth Differentiation Factor 15 in Response to Pathogen-mediated Injury.

GDF15 (growth differentiation factor 15) is a stress cytokine with several proposed roles, including support of stress erythropoiesis. Higher circulating GDF15 levels are prognostic of mortality during acute respiratory distress syndrome, but the cellular sources and downstream effects of GDF15 during pathogen-mediated lung injury are unclear. We quantified GDF15 in lower respiratory tract biospecimens and plasma from patients with acute respiratory failure. Publicly available data from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection were reanalyzed. We used mouse models of hemorrhagic acute lung injury mediated by Pseudomonas aeruginosa exoproducts in wild-type mice and mice genetically deficient for Gdf15 or its putative receptor, Gfral. In critically ill humans, plasma levels of GDF15 correlated with lower respiratory tract levels and were higher in nonsurvivors. SARS-CoV-2 infection induced GDF15 expression in human lung epithelium, and lower respiratory tract GDF15 levels were higher in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) nonsurvivors. In mice, intratracheal P. aeruginosa type II secretion system exoproducts were sufficient to induce airspace and plasma release of GDF15, which was attenuated with epithelial-specific deletion of Gdf15. Mice with global Gdf15 deficiency had decreased airspace hemorrhage, an attenuated cytokine profile, and an altered lung transcriptional profile during injury induced by P. aeruginosa type II secretion system exoproducts, which was not recapitulated in mice deficient for Gfral. Airspace GDF15 reconstitution did not significantly modulate key lung cytokine levels but increased circulating erythrocyte counts. Lung epithelium releases GDF15 during pathogen injury, which is associated with plasma levels in humans and mice and can increase erythrocyte counts in mice, suggesting a novel lung-blood communication pathway.

Enhancement of the Antitumor and Antimetastatic Effect of Topotecan and Normalization of Blood Counts in Mice with Lewis Carcinoma by Tdp1 Inhibitors-New Usnic Acid Derivatives.

Tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1 (Tdp1) is an important DNA repair enzyme and one of the causes of tumor resistance to topoisomerase 1 inhibitors such as topotecan. Inhibitors of this Tdp1 in combination with topotecan may improve the effectiveness of therapy. In this work, we synthesized usnic acid derivatives, which are hybrids of its known derivatives: tumor sensitizers to topotecan. New compounds inhibit Tdp1 in the micromolar and submicromolar concentration range; some of them enhance the effect of topotecan on the metabolic activity of cells of various lines according to the MTT test. One of the new compounds (compound 7) not only sensitizes Krebs-2 and Lewis carcinomas of mice to the action of topotecan, but also normalizes the state of the peripheral blood of mice, which is disturbed in the presence of a tumor. Thus, the synthesized substances may be the prototype of a new class of additional therapy for cancer.

Effectiveness of post particular prolactin administration on follicle development the count in mice (Mouse muscle) female

This study aims to test the effectiveness of postpartum prolactin administration on follicle development in the count in mice (Mouse muscle). This type of research is a true experiment using a completely randomized design (RAL). The sample for this study was mice (Mouse muscle) female strain BALB/C, aged ± 4 months with a body weight between 25-30 gr in a healthy condition and not pregnant. The data obtained was analyzed using the One-way analysis of variance (F test) with a significance level of 0.05, followed by the Least Significant Difference test (BNT. The research results show that the sig. (p) = 0.001&lt; α = 0.05, so it can be concluded that postpartum administration of prolactin has a significant effect on follicular development of the count in mice (Mouse muscle).

A multimodality therapeutic application on Toxoplasma gondii encephalitis utilizing Spiramycin and 'de novo' Ferula asafetida in immunodeficient mice.

This study investigated a 'de Novo' medicinal herb, Ferula asafetida (FA), against toxoplasma encephalitis either alone or combined with spiramycin (SP). Female Swiss-Webster mice (n = 72) were divided into three batches. Batch-I received no DMS to serve as an immunocompetent control, batch-II was immune-suppressed with the DMS (0.25 mg/g/day) for 14 days pre-infection, whilst batch-III was immune-suppressed with the DMS on the same day of infection. All experimental mice were inoculated with Toxoplasma gondii ME49 cysts (n = 75). Each batch was split into four subgroups: Mono-SP, mono-FA, combined drug (SP + FA), or neither. Therapies were administered on day zero of infection in batches (I and II) and 35 days post-infection in batch (III). Treatments lasted for 14 days, and mice were sacrificed 60 days post-infection. Histopathological changes, cysts load, and CD4 and CD8 T-cells were counted in brain tissues. The cyst-load count in mice receiving SP + FA was significantly (p < .0001) the least compared to the mono treatments in all protocols. Interestingly, the combined therapy demolished the T-cell subsets to zero in immunocompetent and immunocompromised infected mice. In conclusion, F. asafetida might be a powerfully natural, safe vehicle of SP in the digestive system and/or across the brain-blood barrier to control toxoplasmosis even through immunodeficient conditions.

Nanoparticulate impurities in the pharmaceutical excipient trehalose induce an early immune response

BackgroundPharmaceutical excipients are an important part of biological products. However, few attempts have been made to distinguish between the risk of inflammation associated with the biological products themselves and that associated with excipients. The analysis of early immune response risk associated with excipients added to biological products is an important step in exploring the complex mechanism of side effects in susceptible patients. Methods and ResultsIn this study, nanoparticle impurities (NPIs) were extracted from trehalose and characterized. A mouse popliteal lymph node cell (PLNA) model, a mouse spleen lymphocyte model, a human peripheral blood mononuclear cell cytokine release model, and a macrophage complement activation model were established to comprehensively evaluate the early immune risk related to impurities in the trehalose excipient. Although popliteal lymph node cell counts in mice did not show significant differences, all other models indicated possible immune risk. In the PLNA model, NPIs caused significant toe thickening in mice, whereby the content of IgE and MCP-1 increased significantly. NPIs significantly increased the proliferation and differentiation of spleen lymphocytes according to the CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry. After treatment with NPIs, the release of IgE and a variety of cytokines (MIP-1α, IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-8, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1α) in human peripheral blood cells was significantly increased according to ELISA, while a concomitant increase of C3a/C5a as well as C4a/Bb proved that NPIs activated the complement system. ConclusionNPIs from trehalose elicited an immune response in vitro, and the immune response to trehalose may be related to NPIs and not the excipient itself. Different batches of trehalose showed different immune response effects. The currents research suggests that when trehalose is applied in high-risk administration routes, NPIs should be assessed and reasonably controlled.

Abstract 6308: Preclinical development of ABBV-319: a CD19-targeting glucocorticoid receptor modulator (GRM) agonist antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) for the treatment of B-cell malignancies

Abstract Introduction: Glucocorticoids are key components of standard-of-care treatment regimens (e.g., R-CHOP, Hyper-CVAD) for several B-cell malignancies. However, prolonged systemic glucocorticoid treatment results in glucocorticoid-associated adverse events and acquired resistance that limit its therapeutic potential. ABBV-319 is a novel CD19-targeting ADC engineered to reduce glucocorticoid-associated toxicity observed with systemic glucocorticoids while possessing three distinct mechanisms of action (MoA) to increase efficacy: 1) antibody-mediated delivery of GRM to activate glucocorticoid receptor (GR) induced cell death in cancer cells, 2) inhibition of CD19 signaling, and 3) enhanced Fc-mediated cancer cell killing via afucosylation of the antibody backbone. Results: We identified a GRM agonist that is 15 and 150 times more potent at driving GR transcriptional activation and cell death compared to clinical glucocorticoids dexamethasone and prednisolone, respectively. The conjugation of GRM agonist as the payload on ABBV-319 enables potent GRM-driven anti-cancer activity against malignant B-cell lines in vitro as well as in cell-line and patient derived xenograft (CDX and PDX) models in vivo. Remarkably, a single-dose of ABBV-319 induced sustained tumor regression and enhanced anti-tumor activity compared to repeat dosing of systemic glucocorticoids (e.g., prednisolone) at its maximum tolerated dose in mice. The CD19 monoclonal antibody (mAb) also reduced proliferation of a subset of B-cell malignant cell lines through inhibition of the PI3K/AKT pathway. Moreover, afucosylation of the CD19 mAb in ABBV-319 enhanced Fc-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), and this activity was maintained after conjugation with GRM payloads. ABBV-319 bound similarly to both V158 (high-affinity) and F158 (low-affinity) FcγRIIIa allotypes and mediated potent ADCC in co-culture assays with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Notably, ABBV-319 displayed superior efficacy compared to afucosylated CD19 mAb in human CD34+ hematopoietic stem cell-engrafted NSG-Tg(Hu-IL15) mice, demonstrating that the three MoA (GR-driven cell death, CD19 signaling inhibition, and ADCC) collectively contribute to anti-tumor activity in vivo. ABBV-319 also displayed on-target depletion of normal human B-cells but did not affect peripheral NK cell counts in mice. Furthermore, CITE-seq profiling revealed that ABBV-319 treatment of human PBMCs activated GRM-induced signature genes restricted to B-cells, demonstrating the specificity of CD19-mediated delivery of GRM. Conclusion: ABBV-319 has potent anti-tumor activity from three distinct MoA and exhibits safety improvements compared to systemic glucocorticoids, supporting its recent progression into Phase I clinical trial. Citation Format: Chewei Anderson Chang, Ethan Emberley, Aloma L. D'Souza, Weilong Zhao, Cormac Cosgrove, Axel Hernandez Jr, Anatol Oleksijew, Paul Ellis, Luis Rodriguez, Gail Bukofzer, David Peetz, Wissam Assaily, Raghuveer Singh Mali, Wei Liu, Danqing Xu, Gregory K. Potts, Shaun McLoughlin, Kimberley McCarthy, Zhaomei Zhang, Jos Campbell, Isabella Sturdevant, Gloria Zhang, Tyler Curran, Jon D. Williams, Erwin Boghaert, Milan Bruncko, Christopher C. Marvin, Adrian Hobson, Michael Mcpherson, Tamar Uziel, Marybeth Pysz, Xi Zhao, Alex Bankovich, Kevin J. Freise, Susan Morgan-Lappe, James W. Purcell. Preclinical development of ABBV-319: a CD19-targeting glucocorticoid receptor modulator (GRM) agonist antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) for the treatment of B-cell malignancies. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 6308.

Cadmium exposure during puberty damages testicular development and spermatogenesis via ferroptosis caused by intracellular iron overload and oxidative stress in mice

Cadmium (Cd) is a widespread environmental pollutant and a reproductive toxicant. It has been proved that Cd can reduce male fertility, however, the molecular mechanisms remain unveiled. This study aims to explore the effects and mechanisms of pubertal Cd exposure on testicular development and spermatogenesis. The results showed that Cd exposure during puberty could cause pathological damage to testes and reduce sperm counts in mice in adulthood. Moreover, Cd exposure during puberty reduced GSH content, induced iron overload and ROS production in testes, suggesting that Cd exposure during puberty may induce testicular ferroptosis. The results in vitro experiments further strengthened that Cd caused iron overload and oxidative stress, and decreased MMP in GC-1 spg cells. In addition, Cd disturbed intracellular iron homeostasis and peroxidation signal pathway based on transcriptomics analysis. Interestingly, these changes induced by Cd could be partially suppressed by pretreated with ferroptotic inhibitors, Ferrostatin-1 and Deferoxamine mesylate. In conclusion, the study demonstrated that Cd exposure during puberty maybe disrupted intracellular iron metabolism and peroxidation signal pathway, triggered ferroptosis in spermatogonia, and ultimately damaged testicular development and spermatogenesis in mice in adulthood.

Towards a biomarker for acute arterial thrombosis using complete blood count and white blood cell differential parameters in mice

There is no blood biomarker diagnostic of arterial thrombosis. We investigated if arterial thrombosis per se was associated with alterations in complete blood count (CBC) and white blood cell (WBC) differential count in mice. Twelve-week-old C57Bl/6 mice were used for FeCl3-mediated carotid thrombosis (n = 72), sham-operation (n = 79), or non-operation (n = 26). Monocyte count (/µL) at 30-min after thrombosis (median 160 [interquartile range 140–280]) was ~ 1.3-fold higher than at 30-min after sham-operation (120 [77.5–170]), and twofold higher than in non-operated mice (80 [47.5–92.5]). At day-1 and -4 post-thrombosis, compared with 30-min, monocyte count decreased by about 6% and 28% to 150 [100–200] and 115 [100–127.5], which however were about 2.1-fold and 1.9-fold higher than in sham-operated mice (70 [50–100] and 60 [30–75], respectively). Lymphocyte counts (/µL) at 1- and 4-days after thrombosis (mean ± SD; 3513 ± 912 and 2590 ± 860) were ~ 38% and ~ 54% lower than those in the sham-operated mice (5630 ± 1602 and 5596 ± 1437, respectively), and ~ 39% and ~ 55% lower than those in non-operated mice (5791 ± 1344). Post-thrombosis monocyte-lymphocyte-ratio (MLR) was substantially higher at all three time-points (0.050 ± 0.02, 0.046 ± 0.025, and 0.050 ± 0.02) vs. sham (0.003 ± 0.021, 0.013 ± 0.004, and 0.010 ± 0.004). MLR was 0.013 ± 0.005 in non-operated mice. This is the first report on acute arterial thrombosis-related alterations in CBC and WBC differential parameters.

Generation of a thermostable, oral Zika vaccine that protects against virus challenge in non-human primates

Here we report the development of a thermally stable, orally administered, candidate Zika vaccine using human serotype 5 adenovirus (AdHu5). We engineered AdHu5 to express the genes for the envelope and NS1 proteins of Zika virus. AdHu5 was formulated using a proprietary platform, OraPro, comprising a mix of sugars and modified amino acids that can overcome elevated temperatures (37 C), and an enteric coated capsule that protects the integrity of the AdHu5 from the acid in the stomach. This enables the delivery AdHu5 to the immune system of the small intestine. We show that oral delivery of AdHu5 elicited antigen-specific serum IgG immune responses in a mouse model and in a non-human primate model. Importantly, these immune responses were able reduce viral counts in mice and to prevent detectable viraemia in the non-human primates on challenge with live Zika virus. This candidate vaccine has significant advantages over many current vaccines that are maintained in a cold or ultra-cold chain and require parenteral administration.

PK/PD analysis of trazodone and gabapentin in neuropathic pain rodent models: Translational PK-PD modeling from nonclinical to clinical development.

A pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) model was developed to describe the time course of writhings after intraperitoneal injection of acetic acid in mice. The model was applied to investigate the antinociceptive effect of trazodone and gabapentin alone and in combination. Writhings time course was described by a transit compartment model with the delay due to the transit of the acetic acid being represented by a chain of intermediate compartments. In the drug-treated animals, the number of writhings decreases according to a k2 factor linking drug concentration and antinociceptive effect. Compounds' potency parameters were 10.9 and 0.0459 L/μmoles/min for trazodone and gabapentin, respectively, indicating a much higher in vivo potency of trazodone in the PD writhing test. The PK/PD parameters were used to simulate the expected writhing counts in mice at combined doses without efficacy alone, assuming pharmacological additivity. Simulation results indicated that, at low dose combinations, experimental data were mostly below the simulated writhings median, suggesting possible synergic effect. Such hypothesis was tested by adding the γ parameter in the PK/PD model to represent the deviation from the assumption of no-interaction, leading to a reduction of the objective function compared to the additive model. On this basis, several simulations were performed to identify possible starting dose combinations of trazodone and gabapentin in humans, by selecting doses yielding systemic exposures close to those being synergic in the mouse. Simulations indicated that doses of 50-100 mg trazodone could enhance gabapentin antinociceptive effect in humans, supporting the development of a low dose combination for optimal analgesia treatment.

Screening through Lead Optimization of High Affinity, Allosteric Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2 (CDK2) Inhibitors as Male Contraceptives That Reduce Sperm Counts in Mice.

Although cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) is a validated target for both cancer and contraception, developing a CDK2 inhibitor with exquisite selectivity has been challenging due to the structural similarity of the ATP-binding site, where most kinase inhibitors bind. We previously discovered an allosteric pocket in CDK2 with the potential to bind a selective compound and then discovered and structurally confirmed an anthranilic acid scaffold that binds this pocket with high affinity. These allosteric inhibitors are selective for CDK2 over structurally similar CDK1 and show contraceptive potential. Herein, we describe the screening and optimization that led to compounds like EF-4-177 with nanomolar affinity for CDK2. EF-4-177 is metabolically stable, orally bioavailable, and significantly disrupts spermatogenesis, demonstrating this series' therapeutic potential. This work details the discovery of the highest affinity allosteric CDK inhibitors reported and shows promise for this series to yield an efficacious and selective allosteric CDK2 inhibitor.

LP2, a stable lanthipeptide derived from cAng-(1-7), exerts myeloprotective action in mice.

Linear unstable angiotensins stimulate hematopoiesis. Here we address: (1) Is cyclic angiotensin-(1-7) myeloprotective in mice? (2) Is cyclic angiotensin-(1-7) stable in rat? (3) Does LP2, a cyclic angiotensin-(1-7) with an N-terminal d-lysine, exert myeloprotective action in tumor-bearing mice? Cyclic angiotensin-(1-7)'s capacity to restore levels of blood platelets and white blood cells was studied in gemcitabine-treated mice. The stability of cyclic angiotensin-(1-7) in rat was measured in blood samples taken after injection or infusion. The capacity of LP2 to restore total bone marrow cell levels in mice after treatment with 5-fluoruracil was measured. In addition, the capacity of LP2 to counter anemia in tumor-bearing mice treated with erlotinib was measured. Cyclic angiotensin-(1-7) dose-dependently restored blood platelet levels in gemcitabine-treated mice, whereas its capacity to restore levels of white blood cells was less. In vivo aminoterminal breakdown of cyclic angiotensin-(1-7) yielded cyclic angiotensin-(2-7) and cyclic angiotensin-(3-7). LP2 significantly (p < .0001 at 100 μg/kg/day) restored bone marrow cell counts in mice after treatment with 5-fluoruracil. LP2 also significantly (p < .05) countered anemia in tumor-bearing mice treated with erlotinib. LP2 exerts myeloprotective action with perspectives for continuation of its clinical development.

Introduction of Mutant APOBEC3G Into CD4+ T-Cells to Resist HIV-1

Introduction: Human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) is a potentially lethal retrovirus with high genetic diversity and replication ability. HIV-1 mainly targets human CD4+ T-cells, causing a rapid decline in CD4+ T-cell count after infection. Apolipoprotein B mRNA Editing Enzyme Catalytic Subunit 3G (APOBEC3G or A3G) is a human anti-viral enzyme that blocks early stages of HIV-1 replication by deaminating the cytosine residues to uracil in the viral minus-strand DNA during reverse transcription. Nevertheless, HIV-1 overcomes A3G anti-viral activity by employing Vif accessory protein to degrade A3G. Due to a proline/aspartate point mutation in residue 129 (P129D), an artificial A3G mutant, also known as A3G-P129D, was found to be resistant against diverse Vif variants, including HIV-1 Vif, thereby shedding light on a potential A3G-mediated gene therapy for HIV-1. Methods: We propose that, using CRISPR-Cas9 tools, the P129D mutation will be introduced into A3G expressed by human hematopoietic stem cells. Engineered stem cells will be transplanted into Non-Obese Diabetic Severe Combined Immunodeficient Gamma (NSG) mice, which will later be infected with HIV-1. Following infection, flow cytometry will be used to compare the CD4+ T-cell count in mice that express A3G-P129D versus control mice transplanted with unmodified human CD4+ T-cells. Results: We expect a notably higher CD4+ T-cell count in mice carrying the P129D mutation than in the control group, which would be attributed to the efficient inhibition of HIV-1 replication by the mutant A3G. Discussion: Transforming human A3G to A3G-P129D will prevent Vif-mediated degradation of A3G, allowing A3G to efficiently target HIV-1. Thus, this treatment would ultimately block HIV-1 replication and prevent CD4+ T-cell depletion. Conclusion: Overall, our novel gene therapy approach could open the door to a potential one-time treatment for HIV-1 infected patients.

BCL-XL Blockage with A1155463 Significantly Increases Efficacy of Venetoclax in Mantle Cell Lymphoma in Vitro and In Vivo

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a rare chronically relapsing subtype of aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma characterized by the canonical chromosomal translocation t (11;14) and other molecular cytogenetic aberrations including overexpression of BCL2 protein. Venetoclax (VEN), a BCL2 inhibitor, has demonstrated activity in MCL both as a monotherapy and in combination with other targeted agents. Treatment with single agent venetoclax is, however, hampered by frequent development of drug resistance caused in large part by adaptive upregulation of other anti-apoptotic BCL2 family members. Immunodeficient NOD-SCID-gamma mice were xenografted subcutaneously with MCL cell lines and PDX cells established from patients with relapsed and refractory MCL. The therapy was given for two weeks. VEN was administered by oral gavage (100 mg/kg/d), A1155463 was administered intraperitoneally (10 mg/kg/d). Western blotting was implemented to evaluate expression levels of BCL2 proteins, immunoprecipitation was used to analyze the levels of BIM bound to BCL2 and BCL-XL before and after exposure to VEN. CRISPR-Cas9 was employed to derive clones with BCL-XL knock-out. Blood cell counts in mice on A1155463 +/- VEN therapy were analyzed using the Mindray BC-5300 Auto Hematology Analyzer. In this study, we analyzed molecular mechanisms of in vivo acquired resistance to VEN using a panel of several murine cell line-based xenografts (CDX) and patient-derived xenografts (PDX) of MCL. First, the mice xenotransplanted with VEN-sensitive MCL cells were subject to monotherapy with VEN until development of resistant tumors (VEN-R). Western blot analysis of VEN-R tumors revealed upregulation of BCL-XL in majority of VEN-R tumors compared to controls. Other changes included upregulation of MCL1 and downregulation of BIM proteins in several models. Immunoprecipitation experiments confirmed that BCL-XL indeed serves as a buffer for BIM released from BCL2 after exposure to VEN thereby blocking VEN-triggered apoptosis. Importantly, we demonstrated that the upregulation of BCL-XL caused not only VEN resistance, but also led to BCL-XL-specific pro-apoptotic priming of VEN-R lymphoma cells. In vitro, the combination of VEN and A1155463, a specific BCL-XL inhibitor, induced cytotoxic synergy on a panel of MCL cell lines and primary cells. CRISPR-Cas9-mediated BCL-XL knock-out resulted in marked sensitization to VEN-induced apoptosis in MCL cell lines. In vivo, pharmacological blockage of BCL-XL strongly increased sensitivity to VEN. Despite that A1155463 exerted limited anti-lymphoma activity as monotherapy on tested CDX and PDX models, its combination with VEN was synthetically lethal and exerted significantly enhanced anti-lymphoma activity. The efficacy of the VEN and A1155463 combination was highly effective even in mice bearing VEN-R tumors (tumors with acquired VEN resistance, Figure 1). It has been published that mechanisms responsible for BCL-XL upregulation include activation of NFkappaB signaling via CD40 and hypoxia. Upregulation of BCL-XL induced by these factors in turn caused VEN resistance in vivo. Indeed, we confirmed that upregulation of BCL-XL was observed already after engraftment of VEN-sensitive MCL cells in immunodeficient mice. MCL cells isolated ex vivo from the established CDX tumors were significantly more sensitive to BCL-XL inhibition compared to the corresponding in vitro growing cell lines. Our results thus confirmed increased BCL-XL dependence of MCL cells in vivo compared to in vitro. We suggest that these microenvironmental factors were also critical for the selection of VEN-resistant clones during the therapy with VEN. Historically, experimental therapy of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia with navitoclax, a combined inhibitor of BCL2 and BCL-XL, was rater disappointing. The plausible reasons included both low efficacy of navitoclax due to insufficient BCL2 inhibition, and a dose-limiting thrombocytopenia. We demonstrated that the thrombocytopenia associated with continued therapy with A1155463 could be managed by 4 days on / 3 days off treatment strategy, which cannot be applied in case of fixed dual BCL2/BCL-XL inhibitors like navitoclax, or AZD4320. In summary, the combined inhibition of BCL2 and BCL-XL with VEN and A1155463 is a highly effective experimental treatment strategy for R/R MCL with a potential translation to the clinical grounds. Figure 1View largeDownload PPTFigure 1View largeDownload PPT Close modal