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Palamà IE, Coluccia AML, Gigli G. Uptake of imatinib-loaded polyelectrolyte complexes by BCR-ABL(+) cells: a long-acting drug-delivery strategy for targeting oncoprotein activity. Nanomedicine (Lond) 2013; 9:2087-98. [PMID: 24364873 DOI: 10.2217/nnm.13.147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
RATIONALE & AIM Imatinib mesylate (IM), a selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor of the oncoprotein BCR-ABL, is the 'gold standard' for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) but the drug does not eliminate CML stem cells, leading to disease relapse on drug discontinuation. At present, much effort is focused on delivery carriers that can increase the intracellular retention and antileukemic impact of IM. We previously validated IM-loaded polyelectrolyte microcapsules as effective purging agents to eradicate BCR-ABL(+) cells from CML patient autografts. The aim is to develop controlled release carriers that can increase the intracellular retention and functionality of IM in leukemia cells. MATERIALS & METHODS Herein, novel polyelectrolyte complexes were used as model carriers for IM in a CML cell line (KU812) and CD34(+) cells freshly isolated from patients. RESULTS & DISCUSSION Polyelectrolyte complexes promoted a long-acting BCR-ABL kinase inactivation that was necessary to promote apoptosis at approximately twofold lower intracellular IM dose compared with the microscale formulation polyelectrolyte microcapsules. CONCLUSION IM-loaded polyelectrolyte complexes can be used as more efficient delivery devices for overcoming drug resistance of BCR-ABL(+) leukemic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria E Palamà
- National Nanotechnology Laboratory, Institute of Nanoscience National Research Council, Via Arnesano, 73100 Lecce, Italy
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Viola I, Palamà IE, Coluccia AML, Biasiucci M, Dozza B, Lucarelli E, Di Maria F, Barbarella G, Gigli G. Physiological formation of fluorescent and conductive protein microfibers in live fibroblasts upon spontaneous uptake of biocompatible fluorophores. Integr Biol (Camb) 2013; 5:1057-66. [DOI: 10.1039/c3ib40064f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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Palamà IE, D'Amone S, Coluccia AML, Gigli G. Micropatterned polyelectrolyte nanofilms promote alignment and myogenic differentiation of C2C12 cells in standard growth media. Biotechnol Bioeng 2012; 110:586-96. [PMID: 22886558 DOI: 10.1002/bit.24626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2012] [Revised: 07/20/2012] [Accepted: 07/23/2012] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Alignment of skeletal myoblasts is considered a critical step during myotube formation. The C2C12 cell line is frequently used as a model of skeletal muscle differentiation that can be induced by lowering the serum concentration in standard culture flasks. In order to mimic the striated architectures of skeletal muscles in vitro, micro-patterning techniques and surface engineering have been proven as useful approaches for promoting elongation and alignment of C2C12 myoblasts, thereby enhancing the outgrowth of multi-nucleated myotubes upon switching from growth media (GM) to differentiative media (DM). Herein, a layer-by-layer (LbL) polyelectrolyte multilayer deposition was combined with a micro-molding in capillaries (MIMIC) method to simultaneously provide biochemical and geometrical instructive cues that induced the formation of tightly apposed and parallel arrays of differentiating myotubes from C2C12 cells maintained in GM media for 15 days. This study focuses on two different types of patterned/self-assembled nanofilms based on alternated layers of poly (allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH)/poly(sodium 4-styrene-sulfonate) (PSS) as biocompatible but not biodegradable polymeric structures, or poly-L-arginine sulfate salt (pARG)/dextran sulfate sodium salt (DXS) as both biocompatible and biodegradable surfaces. The influence of these microstructures as well as of the nanofilm composition on C2C12 skeletal muscle cells' differentiation and viability was evaluated and quantified, pointing to give a reference for skeletal muscle regenerative potential in culture conditions that do not promote it. At this regard, our results validate PEM microstructured devices, to a greater extent for (PAH/PSS)₅-coated microgrooves, as biocompatible and innovative tools for tissue engineering applications and molecular dissection of events controlling C2C12 skeletal muscle regeneration without switching to their optimal differentiative culture media in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria E Palamà
- NNL, CNR-Institute of Nanoscience, Via Arnesano, Lecce 73100, Italy.
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Palamà IE, Coluccia AML, Gigli G, Riehle M. Modulation of alignment and differentiation of skeletal myoblasts by biomimetic materials. Integr Biol (Camb) 2012; 4:1299-309. [DOI: 10.1039/c2ib20133j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Palamà IE, D'Amone S, Coluccia AML, Biasiucci M, Gigli G. Cell self-patterning on uniform PDMS-surfaces with controlled mechanical cues. Integr Biol (Camb) 2011; 4:228-36. [PMID: 22146870 DOI: 10.1039/c2ib00116k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The exploitation of cell-instructive scaffolds with uniform physical/chemical surfaces and controlled stiffness will be greatly useful in tissue engineering applications to resemble the extracellular matrix (ECM) or topographical appearance of native tissues. We herein describe a versatile and straightforward method to assemble a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-composite structure in which a uniformly laminin-coated membrane is placed on top of a micropatterned substrate that applies a stiffness gradient. This 'double-sheet' structure provides soft or stiff microdomains that guide the self-patterning of different cell types [e.g. chronic myeloid leukemia (KU812), cervix carcinoma (HeLa), NIH 3T3 and BJ], thereby stimulating their cytoskeletal remodeling. More interestingly, we used these uniform PDMS surfaces with patterned rigidity for obtaining co-cultures of tumor blood cells (KU812) and adherent fibroblasts (NIH 3T3) with spatially-controlled distribution. Thus, beyond single-cell stiffening and mechanosensing, these surfaces should also be used as simple and feasible co-culture systems for mimicking and dissecting the bidirectional interactions between blood cells and specific stromal elements of their in vivo microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria E Palamà
- NNL, Institute of Nanoscience CNR, Via Arnesano, 73100 Lecce, Italy.
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De Luisi A, Ferrucci A, Coluccia AML, Ria R, Moschetta M, de Luca E, Pieroni L, Maffia M, Urbani A, Di Pietro G, Guarini A, Ranieri G, Ditonno P, Berardi S, Caivano A, Basile A, Cascavilla N, Capalbo S, Quarta G, Dammacco F, Ribatti D, Vacca A. Lenalidomide restrains motility and overangiogenic potential of bone marrow endothelial cells in patients with active multiple myeloma. Clin Cancer Res 2011; 17:1935-46. [PMID: 21307145 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-10-2381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To determine the in vivo and in vitro antiangiogenic power of lenalidomide, a "lead compound" of IMiD immunomodulatory drugs in bone marrow (BM) endothelial cells (EC) of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) in active phase (MMEC). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN The antiangiogenic effect in vivo was studied using the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. Functional studies in vitro (angiogenesis, "wound" healing and chemotaxis, cell viability, adhesion, and apoptosis) were conducted in both primary MMECs and ECs of patients with monoclonal gammopathies (MGUS) of undetermined significance (MGEC) or healthy human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Real-time reverse transcriptase PCR, Western blotting, and differential proteomic analysis were used to correlate morphologic and biological EC features with the lenalidomide effects at the gene and protein levels. RESULTS Lenalidomide exerted a relevant antiangiogenic effect in vivo at 1.75 μmol/L, a dose reached in interstitial fluids of patients treated with 25 mg/d. In vitro, lenalidomide inhibited angiogenesis and migration of MMECs, but not of MGECs or control HUVECs, and had no effect on MMEC viability, apoptosis, or fibronectin- and vitronectin-mediated adhesion. Lenalidomide-treated MMECs showed changes in VEGF/VEGFR2 signaling pathway and several proteins controlling EC motility, cytoskeleton remodeling, and energy metabolism pathways. CONCLUSIONS This study provides information on the molecular mechanisms associated with the antimigratory and antiangiogenic effects of lenalidomide in primary MMECs, thus giving new avenues for effective endothelium-targeted therapies in MM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annunziata De Luisi
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Oncology, University of Bari Medical School, Bari, Italy
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Mangieri D, Nico B, Coluccia AML, Vacca A, Ponzoni M, Ribatti D. An alternative in vivo system for testing angiogenic potential of human neuroblastoma cells. Cancer Lett 2009; 277:199-204. [PMID: 19150583 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2008.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2008] [Revised: 12/04/2008] [Accepted: 12/04/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
In this study we purposed an alternative method to study the angiogenic and invasive potential of neuroblastoma cell suspensions implanted on the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) surface. Neuroblastoma cells were seeded in Matrigel and thereafter the suspension was pipetted onto the CAM surface at day 8 of incubation inside a silicon ring previously loaded onto the CAM surface. Four days after implantation, the silicon ring was removed and the angiogenic and invasive response were studied morphologically at macroscopic and microscopic levels and by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) by using human and chicken primers for several angiogenic cytokines, namely vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2), angiopoietin-1 (ANG-1), hypoxia inducible factor-2alpha (HIF-2alpha), and for an endogenous angiostatic molecule, namely endostatin. Results showed that: (1) Neuroblastoma cells induced an angiogenic response in the CAM assay comparable to that induced by FGF-2; (2) neuroblastoma cells are packed inside Matrigel or are recognizable in the CAM mesenchyme; (3) Angiogenic activity of neuroblastoma cells is associated to an high expression of the transcripts of human VEGF-A, FGF-2, ANG-1 and HIF-2alpha and to a low expression in the transcript of a human endostatin while in the control specimens there is no expression of both angiogenic and angiostatic molecules; and (4) the expression of the transcripts of the same chicken angiogenesis stimulators and inhibitor is unmodified in treated and control specimens. Overall, these data indicate that neuroblastoma cells growth on the chick CAM express characteristics of the human disease. This experimental model could be employed for further research on human tumor progression and anti-angiogenic molecules screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domenica Mangieri
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histology, University of Bari Medical School, Piazza G. Cesare 11, Policlinico, Bari, Italy
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Tartari CJ, Gunby RH, Coluccia AML, Sottocornola R, Cimbro B, Scapozza L, Donella-Deana A, Pinna LA, Gambacorti-Passerini C. Characterization of some molecular mechanisms governing autoactivation of the catalytic domain of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase. J Biol Chem 2007; 283:3743-50. [PMID: 18070884 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m706067200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
NPM/ALK is an oncogenic fusion protein expressed in approximately 50% of anaplastic large cell lymphoma cases. It derives from the t(2;5)(p23;q35) chromosomal translocation that fuses the catalytic domain of the tyrosine kinase, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), with the dimerization domain of the ubiquitously expressed nucleophosmin (NPM) protein. Dimerization of the ALK kinase domain leads to its autophosphorylation and constitutive activation. Activated NPM/ALK stimulates downstream survival and proliferation signaling pathways leading to malignant transformation. Herein, we investigated the molecular mechanisms of autoactivation of the catalytic domain of ALK. Because kinases are typically regulated by autophosphorylation of their activation loops, we systematically mutated (Tyr --> Phe) three potential autophosphorylation sites contained in the "YXXXYY" motif of the ALK activation loop, and determined the effect of these mutations on the catalytic activity and biological function of NPM/ALK. We observed that mutation of both the second and third tyrosine residues (YFF mutant) did not affect the kinase activity or transforming ability of NPM/ALK. In contrast, mutation of the first and second (FFY), first and third (FYF), or all three (FFF) tyrosine residues impaired both kinase activity and transforming ability of NPM/ALK. Furthermore, a DFF mutant, in which the aspartic residue introduces a negative charge similar to a phosphorylated tyrosine, possessed catalytic activity similar to the YFF mutant. Together, our findings indicate that phosphorylation of the first tyrosine of the YXXXYY motif is necessary for the autoactivation of the ALK kinase domain and the transforming activity of NPM/ALK.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen J Tartari
- Department of Clinical and Prevention Medicine, University of Milano-Bicocca, via Cadore 48, Monza 20052, Italy.
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Scavelli C, Nico B, Cirulli T, Ria R, Di Pietro G, Mangieri D, Bacigalupo A, Mangialardi G, Coluccia AML, Caravita T, Molica S, Ribatti D, Dammacco F, Vacca A. Vasculogenic mimicry by bone marrow macrophages in patients with multiple myeloma. Oncogene 2007; 27:663-74. [PMID: 17667938 DOI: 10.1038/sj.onc.1210691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Bone marrow macrophages of patients with active and nonactive multiple myeloma (MM), monoclonal gammopathies of undetermined significance (MGUS) and benign anemia (controls) were stimulated for 7 days with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and analysed for the expression of endothelial cell (EC) markers by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR, real-time RT-PCR, western blot and immunofluorescence. Their vasculogenic ability was investigated in vitro in a Matrigel assay and in vivo on bone marrow biopsies through dual immunofluorescence and confocal laser microscopy. Active MM macrophages exposed to VEGF and bFGF acquired EC markers and formed capillary-like structures mimicking paired bone marrow ECs (multiple myeloma patient-derived endothelial cells, MMECs), with major responsiveness compared to macrophages from nonactive MM, MGUS or controls. Bone marrow biopsies of active MM harbored 'mosaic' vessels, being formed by MMECs, EC-like macrophages and macrophages themselves. These figures were rare in nonactive MM and absent in MGUS or controls. Our data indicate that macrophages contribute to build neovessels in active MM through vasculogenic mimicry, and this ability proceeds parallel to progression of the plasma cell tumors. Macrophages may be a target for the MM antivascular treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Scavelli
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Oncology, University of Bari Medical School, Bari, Italy
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Coluccia AML, Gunby RH, Tartari CJ, Scapozza L, Gambacorti-Passerini C, Passoni L. Anaplastic lymphoma kinase and its signalling molecules as novel targets in lymphoma therapy. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2007; 9:515-32. [PMID: 15948671 DOI: 10.1517/14728222.9.3.515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
A crucial issue in the development of molecularly-targeted anticancer therapies is the identification of appropriate molecules whose targeting would result in tumour regression with a minimal level of systemic toxicity. Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) is a transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase, normally expressed at low levels in the nervous system. As a consequence of chromosomal translocations involving the alk gene (2p23), ALK is also aberrantly expressed and constitutively activated in approximately 60% of CD30+ anaplastic large cell lymphomas (ALCLs). Due to the selective overexpression of ALK in tumour cells, its direct involvement in the process of malignant transformation and its frequent expression in ALCL patients, the authors recognise ALK as a suitable candidate for the development of molecularly targeted strategies for the therapeutic treatment of ALK-positive lymphomas. Strategies targeting ALK directly or indirectly via the inhibition of the protein networks responsible for ALK oncogenic signalling are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M L Coluccia
- Oncogenic Fusion Genes and Proteins Unit, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
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Donella-Deana A, Marin O, Cesaro L, Gunby RH, Ferrarese A, Coluccia AML, Tartari CJ, Mologni L, Scapozza L, Gambacorti-Passerini C, Pinna LA. Unique Substrate Specificity of Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK): Development of Phosphoacceptor Peptides for the Assay of ALK Activity. Biochemistry 2005; 44:8533-42. [PMID: 15938644 DOI: 10.1021/bi0472954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), whose constitutively active fusion proteins are responsible for 5-10% of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, shares with the other members of the insulin receptor kinase (IRK) subfamily an activation loop (A-loop) with the triple tyrosine motif Y-x-x-x-Y-Y. However, the amino acid sequence of the ALK A-loop differs significantly from the sequences of both the IRK A-loop and the consensus A-loop for this kinase subfamily. A major difference is the presence of a unique "RAS" triplet between the first and second tyrosines of the ALK A-loop, which in IRK is replaced by "ETD". Here we show that a peptide reproducing the A-loop of ALK is readily phosphorylated by ALK, while a homologous IRK A-loop peptide is not unless its "ETD" triplet is substituted by "RAS". Phosphorylation occurs almost exclusively at the first tyrosine of the Y-x-x-x-Y-Y motif, as judged by Edman analysis of the phosphoradiolabeled product. Consequently, a peptide in which the first tyrosine had been replaced by phenylalanine (FYY) was almost unaffected by ALK. In contrast, a peptide in which the second and third tyrosines had been replaced by phenylalanine (YFF) was phosphorylated more rapidly than the parent peptide (YYY). A number of substitutions in the YFF peptide outlined the importance of Ile and Arg at positions n - 1 and n + 6 in addition to the central triplet, to ensure efficient phosphorylation by ALK. Such a peculiar substrate specificity allows the specific monitoring of ALK activity in crude extracts of NPM-ALK positive cells, using the YFF peptide, which is only marginally phosphorylated by a number of other tyrosine kinases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Donella-Deana
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Padova, Viale G. Colombo 3, 35121 Padova, Italy
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Passoni L, Scardino A, Bertazzoli C, Gallo B, Coluccia AML, Lemonnier FA, Kosmatopoulos K, Gambacorti-Passerini C. ALK as a novel lymphoma-associated tumor antigen: identification of 2 HLA-A2.1-restricted CD8+ T-cell epitopes. Blood 2002; 99:2100-6. [PMID: 11877285 DOI: 10.1182/blood.v99.6.2100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Oncogenic anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) fusion proteins (NPM/ALK and associated variants) are expressed in about 60% of anaplastic large cell lymphomas (ALCLs) but are absent in normal tissues. In this study, we investigated whether ALK, which is expressed at high levels in lymphoma cells, could be a target for antigen-specific cell-mediated immunotherapy. A panel of ALK-derived peptides was tested for their binding affinity to HLA-A*0201 molecules. Binding peptides were assessed for their capacity to elicit a specific immune response mediated by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) both in vivo, in HLA-A*0201 transgenic mice, and in vitro in the peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) from healthy donors. Two HLA-A*0201-restricted CTL epitopes, p280-89 (SLAMLDLLHV) and p375-86 (GVLLWEIFSL), both located in the ALK kinase domain were identified. The p280-89- and p375-86-induced peptide-specific CTL lines were able to specifically release interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) on stimulation with ALK peptide-pulsed autologous Epstein-Barr virus-transformed B cells (LCLs) or T2 cells. Anti-ALK CTLs lysed HLA-matched ALCL and neuroblastoma cell lines endogenously expressing ALK proteins. CTL activity was inhibited by anti-HLA-A2 monoclonal antibody CR11.351, consistent with a class I-restricted mechanism of cytotoxicity. These results show the existence of functional anti-ALK CTL precursors within the peripheral T-cell repertoire of healthy donors, clearly indicating ALK as a tumor antigen and ALK-derived peptides, p280-89 and p375-86, as suitable epitopes for the development of vaccination strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Passoni
- Oncogenic Fusion Genes and Proteins Unit, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, Via Venezian 1, 20133 Milan, Italy.
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