No abstract

AAA-ATPase TRIP13 is one of the chromosome instability gene recently established in multiple myeloma (MM), the second most common and incurable hematological malignancy. However, the specific function of TRIP13 in MM is largely unknown. Using sequential gene expression profiling, we demonstrated that high TRIP13 expression levels were positively correlated with progression, disease relapse, and poor prognosis in MM patients. Overexpressing human TRIP13 in myeloma cells prompted cell growth and drug resistance, and overexpressing murine TRIP13, which shares 93% sequence identity with human TRIP13, led to colony formation of NIH/3T3 fibroblasts in vitro and tumor formation in vivo. Meanwhile, the knockdown of TRIP13 inhibited myeloma cell growth, induced cell apoptosis, and reduced tumor burden in xenograft MM mice. Mechanistically, we observed that the overexpression of TRIP13 abrogated the spindle checkpoint and induced proteasome-mediated degradation of MAD2 primarily through the Akt pathway. Thus, our results demonstrate that TRIP13 may serve as a biomarker for MM disease development and prognosis, making it a potential target for future therapies.

No abstract

Multiple myeloma (MM) remains incurable despite much progress that has been made in the treatment of the disease. MM cancer stem cell (MMSC), a rare subpopulation of MM cells with the capacity for self-renewal and drug resistance, is considered to lead to disease relapse. Several markers such as side population (SP) and ALDH1+ have been used to identify MMSCs. However, ideally and more precisely, the identification of the MMSCs should rely on MMSCs phenotype. Unfortunately the MMSC phenotype has not been properly defined yet. Drug resistance is the most important property of MMSCs and contributes to disease relapse, but the mechanisms of drug resistance have not been fully understood. The major signaling pathways involved in the regulation of self-renewal and differentiation of MMSCs include Hedgehog (Hh), Wingless (Wnt), Notch and PI3K/Akt/mTOR. However, the precise role of these signaling pathways needs to be clarified. It has been reported that the microRNA profile of MMSCs is remarkably different than that of non-MMSCs. Therefore, the search for targeting MMSCs has also been focused on microRNAs. Complex and mutual interactions between the MMSC and the surrounding bone marrow (BM) microenvironment sustain self-renewal and survival of MMSC. However, the required molecules for the interaction of the MMSC and the surrounding BM microenvironment need to be further identified. In this review, we summarize the current state of knowledge of MMSCs regarding their phenotype, mechanisms of drug resistance, signaling pathways that regulate MMSCs self-renewal and differentiation, abnormal microRNAs expression, and their interactions with the BM microenvironment.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Pterostilbene, a natural dimethylated analog of resveratrol, has been shown to possess diverse pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer properties. However, to the best of our knowledge, there has been no study of the effects of pterostilbene upon hematological malignancies. Herein, we report the antitumor activity and mechanism of pterostilbene against DLBCL cells both in vitro and in vivo. We found that pterostilbene treatment resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of cell viability. In addition, pterostilbene exhibited a strong cytotoxic effect, as evidenced not only by reductions of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) but also by increases in cellular apoptotic index and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, leading to arrest in the S-phase of the cell cycle. Furthermore, pterostilbene treatment directly up-regulated p-p38MAPK and down-regulated p-ERK1/2. In vivo, intravenous administration of pterostilbene inhibited tumor development in xenograft mouse models. Overall, the results suggested that pterostilbene is a potential anti-cancer pharmaceutical against human DLBCL by a mechanism involving the suppression of ERK1/2 and activation of p38MAPK signaling pathways.

No abstract

Background Treatment failures in cancers, including multiple myeloma (MM), are most likely due to the persistence of a minor population of tumor-initiating cells (TICs), which are noncycling or slowly cycling and very drug resistant. Methods Gene expression profiling and real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction were employed to define genes differentially expressed between the side-population cells, which contain the TICs, and the main population of MM cells derived from 11 MM patient samples. Self-renewal potential was analyzed by clonogenicity and drug resistance of CD24+ MM cells. Flow cytometry (n = 60) and immunofluorescence (n = 66) were applied on MM patient samples to determine CD24 expression. Therapeutic effects of CD24 antibodies were tested in xenograft MM mouse models containing three to six mice per group. Results CD24 was highly expressed in the side-population cells, and CD24+ MM cells exhibited high expression of induced pluripotent or embryonic stem cell genes. CD24+ MM cells showed increased clonogenicity, drug resistance, and tumorigenicity. Only 10 CD24+ MM cells were required to develop plasmacytomas in mice (n = three of five mice after 27 days). The frequency of CD24+ MM cells was highly variable in primary MM samples, but the average of CD24+ MM cells was 8.3% after chemotherapy and in complete-remission MM samples with persistent minimal residual disease compared with 1.0% CD24+ MM cells in newly diagnosed MM samples (n = 26). MM patients with a high initial percentage of CD24+ MM cells had inferior progression-free survival (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 5.66 to 18.34, P < .001) and overall survival (HR = 3.87, 95% CI = 16.61 to 34.39, P = .002). A CD24 antibody inhibited MM cell growth and prevented tumor progression in vivo. Conclusion Our studies demonstrate that CD24+ MM cells maintain the TIC features of self-renewal and drug resistance and provide a target for myeloma therapy.

The production of porcine interferon-α (pIFN-α) by Pichia pastoris was largely enhanced when adopting sorbitol/methanol co-feeding induction strategy at 30 °C in a 10-L fermentor. Analysis of energy regeneration pattern and carbon metabolism revealed that major energy metabolism energizing pIFN-α synthesis shifted from formaldehyde dissimilatory energy metabolism pathway to TCA cycle under the methanol/sorbitol co-feeding induction strategy. The sorbitol/methanol co-feeding induction strategy weakened formaldehyde dissimilatory pathway and repressed the accumulation of toxic metabolite-formaldehyde, reduced theoretical oxygen consumption rate and oxygen supply requirement, and increased energy/methanol utilization efficiency so that more methanol could be effectively used for pIFN-α synthesis. As a result, pIFN-α antiviral activity reached a highest level of 1.8 × 10(7) IU/mL which was about 10- to 200-folds of those obtained under pure methanol induction at 20 and 30 °C, respectively.