Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology - Research Publications
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ItemNo Preview AvailableVascular endothelial growth factor d is dispensable for development of the lymphatic system(AMER SOC MICROBIOLOGY, 2005-03)Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 (Vegfr-3) is a tyrosine kinase that is expressed on the lymphatic endothelium and that signals for the growth of the lymphatic vessels (lymphangiogenesis). Vegf-d, a secreted glycoprotein, is one of two known activating ligands for Vegfr-3, the other being Vegf-c. Vegf-d stimulates lymphangiogenesis in tissues and tumors; however, its role in embryonic development was previously unknown. Here we report the generation and analysis of mutant mice deficient for Vegf-d. Vegf-d-deficient mice were healthy and fertile, had normal body mass, and displayed no pathologic changes consistent with a defect in lymphatic function. The lungs, sites of strong Vegf-d gene expression during embryogenesis in wild-type mice, were normal in Vegf-d-deficient mice with respect to tissue mass and morphology, except that the abundance of the lymphatics adjacent to bronchioles was slightly reduced. Dye uptake experiments indicated that large lymphatics under the skin were present in normal locations and were functional. Smaller dermal lymphatics were similar in number, location, and function to those in wild-type controls. The lack of a profound lymphatic phenotype in Vegf-d-deficient mice suggests that Vegf-d does not play a major role in lymphatic development or that Vegf-c or another, as-yet-unknown activating Vegfr-3 ligand can compensate for Vegf-d during development.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableYBX1 integration of oncogenic PI3K/mTOR signalling regulates the fitness of malignant epithelial cells(NATURE PORTFOLIO, 2023-03-22)In heterogeneous head and neck cancer (HNC), subtype-specific treatment regimens are currently missing. An integrated analysis of patient HNC subtypes using single-cell sequencing and proteome profiles reveals an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) signature within the epithelial cancer-cell population. The EMT signature coincides with PI3K/mTOR inactivation in the mesenchymal subtype. Conversely, the signature is suppressed in epithelial cells of the basal subtype which exhibits hyperactive PI3K/mTOR signalling. We further identify YBX1 phosphorylation, downstream of the PI3K/mTOR pathway, restraining basal-like cancer cell proliferation. In contrast, YBX1 acts as a safeguard against the proliferation-to-invasion switch in mesenchymal-like epithelial cancer cells, and its loss accentuates partial-EMT and in vivo invasion. Interestingly, phospho-YBX1 that is mutually exclusive to partial-EMT, emerges as a prognostic marker for overall patient outcomes. These findings create a unique opportunity to sensitise mesenchymal cancer cells to PI3K/mTOR inhibitors by shifting them towards a basal-like subtype as a promising therapeutic approach against HNC.
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ItemBrain Vascular Microenvironments in Cancer Metastasis(MDPI, 2022-03)Primary tumours, particularly from major solid organs, are able to disseminate into the blood and lymphatic system and spread to distant sites. These secondary metastases to other major organs are the most lethal aspect of cancer, accounting for the majority of cancer deaths. The brain is a frequent site of metastasis, and brain metastases are often fatal due to the critical role of the nervous system and the limited options for treatment, including surgery. This creates a need to further understand the complex cell and molecular biology associated with the establishment of brain metastasis, including the changes to the environment of the brain to enable the arrival and growth of tumour cells. Local changes in the vascular network, immune system and stromal components all have the potential to recruit and foster metastatic tumour cells. This review summarises our current understanding of brain vascular microenvironments, fluid circulation and drainage in the context of brain metastases, as well as commenting on current cutting-edge experimental approaches used to investigate changes in vascular environments and alterations in specialised subsets of blood and lymphatic vessel cells during cancer spread to the brain.
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ItemCHARACTERIZATION OF ICAM-2 AND EVIDENCE FOR A 3RD COUNTER-RECEPTOR FOR LFA-1(ROCKEFELLER UNIV PRESS, 1991-07-01)In an endeavor to further characterize human intercellular adhesion molecule-2 (ICAM-2), two murine monoclonal antibodies (mAb) were generated to ICAM-2 transfected COS cells, and designated CBR-IC2/1 and CBR-IC2/2. Immunoprecipitated, reduced ICAM-2 migrated as a broad band of Mr 60,000 in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Treatment with N-glycanase revealed a peptide backbone of Mr 31,000, consistent with the size predicted from the cDNA. ICAM-2 had a broad distribution on hematopoietic cell lines and little expression on other cell lines, the sole exception being cultured endothelial cells which possess high levels of ICAM-2. Resting lymphocytes and monocytes expressed ICAM-2, while neutrophils did not. Staining of tissue sections with anti-ICAM-2 mAb confirmed their strong reactivity to vascular endothelium, but demonstrated a lack of ICAM-2 expression on other tissues. Small clusters of ICAM-2 positive cells were, however, seen in germinal centers. In contrast to ICAM-1 there was little or no induction of ICAM-2 expression on lymphocytes or cultured endothelium upon stimulation with inflammatory mediators. One of the two mAb, CBR-IC2/2, was found to totally inhibit binding of ICAM-2+ COS cells to purified lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1). Using this mAb, LFA-1-dependent binding to both stimulated and unstimulated endothelium was found to be totally accounted for by ICAM-1 and ICAM-2. Homotypic aggregation of an Epstein-Barr virus-transformed B cell line, JY, was found to be solely ICAM-1 and ICAM-2-dependent, while in the case of the T cell lymphoma cell line, SKW3, anti- ICAM-2 mAb in conjunction with anti-ICAM-1 mAb could not inhibit the LFA-1-dependent aggregation. This suggests an additional LFA-1 ligand exists. Using a cell binding assay to purified LFA-1 in conjunction with anti-ICAM-1 and anti-ICAM-2 mAb, we have demonstrated that this putative third ligand for LFA-1 exists on SKW3 and other cell lines.
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ItemTHE CYTOPLASMIC DOMAIN OF THE INTEGRIN LYMPHOCYTE FUNCTION-ASSOCIATED ANTIGEN-1 BETA-SUBUNIT - SITES REQUIRED FOR BINDING TO INTERCELLULAR-ADHESION MOLECULE-1 AND THE PHORBOL ESTER STIMULATED PHOSPHORYLATION SITE(ROCKEFELLER UNIV PRESS, 1991-11-01)We have defined the regions of the cytoplasmic domain of the leukocyte integrin lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 (LFA-1) that are required for active binding of its extracellular domain to intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1). The NH2-terminal 28 amino acids in the cytoplasmic domain are dispensable, but a segment of 5 amino acids including three contiguous threonines (758-760) and Phe 766 in the COOH-terminal third of the cytoplasmic domain are required for binding to ICAM-1. Mutation and phosphoamino acid analysis show that Ser 756 is the major residue phosphorylated in response to phorbol ester. Furthermore, multiple mutations demonstrate that serine phosphorylation can be dissociated from phorbol ester-stimulated binding of LFA-1 to ICAM-1. The sites we have defined are previously unremarked, are well conserved in the beta 1, beta 3, and beta 7 integrin subunits, and may be of broad importance in regulating adhesiveness of integrins.
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ItemICAM-1 (CD54) - A COUNTER-RECEPTOR FOR MAC-1 (CD11B CD18)(ROCKEFELLER UNIV PRESS, 1990-12)While the leukocyte integrin lymphocyte function-associated antigen (LFA)-1 has been demonstrated to bind intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, results with the related Mac-1 molecule have been controversial. We have used multiple cell binding assays, purified Mac-1 and ICAM-1, and cell lines transfected with Mac-1 and ICAM-1 cDNAs to examine the interaction of ICAM-1 with Mac-1. Stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), which express a high surface density of ICAM-1, bind to immunoaffinity-purified Mac-1 adsorbed to artificial substrates in a manner that is inhibited by mAbs to Mac-1 and ICAM-1. Transfected murine L cells or monkey COS cells expressing human ICAM-1 bind to purified Mac-1 in a specific and dose-dependent manner; the attachment to Mac-1 is more temperature sensitive, lower in avidity, and blocked by a different series of ICAM-1 mAbs when compared to LFA-1. In a reciprocal assay, COS cells cotransfected with the alpha and beta chain cDNAs of Mac-1 or LFA-1 attach to immunoaffinity-purified ICAM-1 substrates; this adhesion is blocked by mAbs to ICAM-1 and Mac-1 or LFA-1. Two color fluorescence cell conjugate experiments show that neutrophils stimulated with fMLP bind to HUVEC stimulated with lipopolysaccharide for 24 h in an ICAM-1-, Mac-1-, and LFA-1-dependent fashion. Because cellular and purified Mac-1 interact with cellular and purified ICAM-1, we conclude that ICAM-1 is a counter receptor for Mac-1 and that this receptor pair is responsible, in part, for the adhesion between stimulated neutrophils and stimulated endothelial cells.
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ItemDISTINCT MUTATIONS IN 2 PATIENTS WITH LEUKOCYTE ADHESION DEFICIENCY AND THEIR FUNCTIONAL CORRELATES(ROCKEFELLER UNIV PRESS, 1990-07-01)Two patients with leukocyte adhesion deficiency (LAD), one with a moderate phenotype (patient 14) and one with a severe phenotype (patient 2) who had been shown to have a normal sized beta subunit protein precursor, were analyzed in an attempt to determine the molecular basis for their disease. RNase mapping located possible mutations to two distinct but adjacent regions of the beta subunit cDNA. Sequencing of patient-derived cDNA clones in this region revealed a C for T difference at amino acid 149 in patient 14 which resulted in the substitution of a leucine for a proline, and an A for G substitution at amino acid 169 in patient 2 which mutated a glycine to an arginine. The mutated amino acids are in a region of the cDNA that is highly conserved between the beta subunits of the integrin family and are identical in all known integrin beta subunits. Co-transfection of the beta subunit cDNA containing the patient 2 mutation with the wild-type alpha subunit of LFA-1 in a mammalian expression system resulted in no expression of LFA-1. In the case of the mutation in patient 14 there was markedly diminished expression of LFA-1 with loss of function and loss of the epitope for a number of anti-beta mAbs. Normal half-life of the mutant beta subunits, and previous demonstration of a lack of alpha/beta complex formation during biosynthesis in patient cells, suggest a defect in association with the alpha subunit. Association with beta is required for expression of the alpha subunit of LFA-1. Loss of functional expression with both of these beta subunit mutations suggests that they lie in a site critical for association with the alpha subunit.
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ItemTHE PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF IMMUNOPEROXIDASE STAINING WITH MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES NCRC-11 AND 3E1.2 IN BREAST-CANCER(STOCKTON PRESS, 1991-07)The variation in survival of women with clinically similar breast cancers may lead to difficulty in clinical management so it is important to recognise factors which indicate the prognosis. Immunoperoxidase staining patterns of primary breast tumours using monoclonal antibody NCRC-11 have been shown to relate to overall survival (Ellis et al., 1985) but the results have not been reproducible in other centres. In this study paraffin sections of 483 primary breast cancers were stained with NCRC-11 and 3E1.2 using an immunoperoxidase system. The tumour staining patterns were compared with overall survival using life tables and tested for relative prognostic significance by Cox's multivariate analysis. NCRC-11 related to survival in all 483 cases (chi 2 5.8, P = 0.02) but both antibodies achieved maximum prognostic significance in lymph node negative patients (chi 2 9.4, P less than 0.002 and chi 2 10.7, P less than 0.001) in whom no other factor was more significant. Immunoperoxidase staining patterns produced by monoclonal antibodies NCRC-11 and 3E1.2 are important prognostic factors in breast cancer.
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ItemPURIFICATION AND BIOCHEMICAL-CHARACTERIZATION OF A NOVEL BREAST-CARCINOMA ASSOCIATED MUCIN-LIKE GLYCOPROTEIN DEFINED BY ANTIBODY 3E1.2(STOCKTON PRESS, 1989-04)A member of the high molecular weight glycoproteins of human milk and breast cancer was isolated from the sera, ascites and breast carcinoma tissue of patients with breast cancer using monoclonal antibody 3E1.2. The 3E1.2 defined antigen, termed mammary serum antigen (MSA) was obtained by immunoaffinity chromatography and a solid phase immuno-precipitation technique (SPIT) from serum of patients with metastatic breast cancer. MSA was found to be a high molecular weight glycoprotein with a Mr greater than 300,000 by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and a native Mr approximately 1 x 10(6) by gel filtration chromatography; in accord with the published Mr of other high molecular weight glycoproteins obtained from human milk and breast cancer. A high degree of glycosylation of MSA molecule was shown by its poor staining with Coomassie blue but good staining in a PAS-silver stain. In addition, MSA contained N-acetyl neuraminic acid and N-acetyl glucosamine as indicated by its binding to wheat-germ agglutinin. The epitope defined by antibody 3E1.2 is sensitive to treatment by sodium periodate and neuraminidase, implying that both carbohydrate and sialic acid are required for binding of antibody 3E1.2. Sandwich immunoassays demonstrated that MSA+ molecules are likely to express repeated 3E1.2 defined epitopes. Furthermore, MSA was susceptible to degradation by pronase, subtilisin and proteinase K and gave a different peptide profile from that of the PAS-O glycoprotein of human milk. MSA+ molecules were found to carry epitopes for a number of other monoclonal antibodies which were reactive with the PAS-O glycoprotein. It is suggested that MSA has the same core protein as is recognised by antibody DF3 which has been used to clone the same cDNA as was cloned with antibodies HMFG-1, HMFG-2 and SM-3. However, the epitope detected by the 3E1.2 antibody is either absent or weakly expressed on human milk, human milk-fat globule membrane (HMFGM) or deglycosylated HMFGM--all of which react strongly with various anti-HMFG antibodies. The antibody 3E1.2 thus recognises a unique epitope of the high molecular weight glycoproteins of human milk and breast cancer, being found in cancer tissue, serum and ascitic fluid of patients with breast cancer but weakly expressed or absent in human milk.
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ItemCOMPARISON OF MAMMARY SERUM ANTIGEN (MSA) AND CA15-3 LEVELS IN THE SERUM OF PATIENTS WITH BREAST-CANCER(SPRINGERNATURE, 1987-12)Serum levels of mammary serum antigen (MSA) and CA15-3 were evaluated in 135 individuals in order to determine their single and combined value in the diagnosis and monitoring of breast cancer. Raised MSA levels (greater than 300 IU) were found in 68% of patients with Stage I and II breast cancer compared to only 3% having raised CA15-3 levels (greater than 40 U ml-1). Of 38 patients with Stage IV breast cancer, 95% had raised levels of MSA and CA15-3 combined with each test individually detecting 82% of those with Stage IV disease. No correlation was found between MSA and CA15-3 levels. Four patients being treated for breast cancer were followed over a 5-17 week period; MSA levels correlated with disease course in 3 and CA-15 in 2. The overall sensitivity, specificity and accuracy in detecting breast cancer were 76%, 91% and 96% for MSA; and 47%, 95% and 97% for CA15-3 respectively. When both tests were used together combined evaluation gave the highest sensitivity (84%) and specificity (100%). MSA seems to be superior to CA15-3 for early breast cancer diagnosis and a combination of the two tests gave the best results for metastatic disease.