As chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) progresses from the chronic phase to blast crisis, the levels of BCR-ABL increase. In addition, blast-transformed leukemic cells display enhanced resistance to ...imatinib in the absence of BCR-ABL-resistance mutations. In this study, we show that when BCR-ABL-transformed cell lines were selected for imatinib resistance in vitro, the cells that grew out displayed a higher BCR-ABL expression comparable to the increase seen in accelerated forms of the disease. This enhanced expression of BCR-ABL was associated with an increased rate of glycolysis but with a decreased rate of proliferation. The higher level of BCR-ABL expression in the selected cells correlated with a nonhypoxic induction of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) that was required for cells to tolerate enhanced BCR-ABL signaling. HIF-1α induction resulted in an enhanced rate of glycolysis but with reduced glucose flux through both the tricarboxylic acid cycle and the oxidative arm of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP). The reduction in oxidative PPPmediated ribose synthesis was compensated by the HIF-1α-dependent activation of the nonoxidative PPP enzyme, transketolase, in imatinib-resistant CML cells. In both primary cultures of cells from patients exhibiting blast transformation and in vivo xenograft tumors, use of oxythiamine, which can inhibit both the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and transketolase, resulted in enhanced imatinib sensitivity of tumor cells. Together, these results suggest that oxythiamine can enhance imatinib efficacy in patients who present an accelerated form of the disease. Oncogene (2010) 29, 2962-2972; doi: 10.1038/onc.2010.67; published online 15 March 2010 Keywords: imatinib (Gleevec, STI571); resistance; HIF-1α; pentose phosphate pathway; glucose metabolism; cell survival
Around 40-50% of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) who achieve a stable complete molecular response (CMR; undetectable breakpoint cluster region-Abelson leukemia gene human homolog 1 ...(BCR-ABL1) mRNA) on imatinib can stop therapy and remain in CMR, at least for several years. This raises the possibility that imatinib therapy may not need to be continued indefinitely in some CML patients. Two possible explanations for this observation are (1) CML has been eradicated or (2) residual leukemic cells fail to proliferate despite the absence of ongoing kinase inhibition. We used a highly sensitive patient-specific nested quantitative PCR to look for evidence of genomic BCR-ABL1 DNA in patients who sustained CMR after stopping imatinib therapy. Seven of eight patients who sustained CMR off therapy had BCR-ABL1 DNA detected at least once after stopping imatinib, but none has relapsed (follow-up 12-41 months). BCR-ABL1 DNA levels increased in all of the 10 patients who lost CMR soon after imatinib cessation, whereas serial testing of patients in sustained CMR showed a stable level of BCR-ABL1 DNA. This more sensitive assay for BCR-ABL1 provides evidence that even patients who maintain a CMR after stopping imatinib may harbor residual leukemia. A search for intrinsic or extrinsic (for example, immunological) causes for this drug-free leukemic suppression is now indicated.
Titanium films were deposited on AISI 316L stainless steel substrates by D.C. unbalanced magnetron sputtering, the substrate temperature and deposition time were changed. In this study, the ...structural characterization was conducted by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Furthermore, mechanical properties were obtained by nanoindentation. Adhesion and wear behavior were evaluated through progressive load scratch test (PLST) and pin-on-disk test, respectively. Titanium films thicknesses within a range of 2.5–4.2μm were obtained, different XRD Ti peaks such as (002), (102) and (103) were identified. Values estimated for hardness were between 7.2 and 8.4GPa, and for Young's modulus they were 126–162GPa. Tensile cracks, compressive and gross spallation failure mechanisms were found with scratch tests. Preferred oriented sample only showed cracks, with a critical load of 2.6N, and exhibited a better wear ratio (~1.5×10−4), which is about two times better than substrate steel. This study provides evidence of how a preferred oriented Ti (002) film exhibits better hardness, adhesion and wear properties.
•Heating the substrate caused a strong preferred (002) orientation in one sample.•Preferred oriented sample presented the best scratch resistance.•Wear behavior information of titanium films with different deposition parameters.•Lower wear ratio obtained with preferred (002) orientation.
Among computational models, voxel phantoms based on computer tomographic (CT), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) or colour photographic images of patients, volunteers or cadavers have become popular ...in recent years. Although being true to nature representations of scanned individuals, voxel phantoms have limitations, especially when walled organs have to be segmented or when volumes of organs or body tissues, like adipose, have to be changed. Additionally, the scanning of patients or volunteers is usually made in supine position, which causes a shift of internal organs towards the ribcage, a compression of the lungs and a reduction of the sagittal diameter especially in the abdominal region compared to the regular anatomy of a person in the upright position, which in turn can influence organ and tissue absorbed or equivalent dose estimates. This study applies tools developed recently in the areas of computer graphics and animated films to the creation and modelling of 3D human organs, tissues, skeletons and bodies based on polygon mesh surfaces. Female and male adult human phantoms, called FASH (Female Adult meSH) and MASH (Male Adult meSH), have been designed using software, such as MakeHuman, Blender, Binvox and ImageJ, based on anatomical atlases, observing at the same time organ masses recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection for the male and female reference adult in report no 89. 113 organs, bones and tissues have been modelled in the FASH and the MASH phantoms representing locations for adults in standing posture. Most organ and tissue masses of the voxelized versions agree with corresponding data from ICRP89 within a margin of 2.6%. Comparison with the mesh-based male RPI_AM and female RPI_AF phantoms shows differences with respect to the material used, to the software and concepts applied, and to the anatomies created.
An alternative highly regioselective synthetic method for the preparation of 3,5-disubstituted 4-formyl-N-arylpyrazoles in a one-pot procedure is reported. The methodology developed was based on the ...regiochemical control of the cyclocondensation reaction of β-enamino diketones with arylhydrazines. Structural modifications in the β-enamino diketone system allied to the Lewis acid carbonyl activator BF3 were strategically employed for this control. Also a one-pot method for the preparation of 3,5-disubstituted 4-hydroxymethyl-N-arylpyrazole derivatives from the β-enamino diketone and arylhydrazine substrates is described.
Imatinib is an effective therapy for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), a myeloproliferative disorder characterized by the expression of the recombinant oncoprotein Bcr-Abl. In this investigation, we ...studied an imatinib-resistant cell line (K562-r) generated from the K562 cell line in which none of the previously described mechanisms of resistance had been detected. A threefold increase in the expression of the heat-shock protein 70 (Hsp70) was detected in these cells. This increase was not associated to heat-shock transcription factor-1 (HSF-1) overexpression or activation. RNA silencing of Hsp70 decreased dramatically its expression (90%), and was accompanied by a 34% reduction in cell viability. Overexpression of Hsp70 in the imatinib-sensitive K562 line induced resistance to imatinib as detected by a large reduction in cell death in the presence of 1 muM of imatinib. Hsp70 level was also increased in blast cells of CML patients resistant to imatinib, whereas the level remained low in responding patients. Taken together, the results demonstrate that overexpression of Hsp70 can lead to both in vitro and in vivo resistance to imatinib in CML cells. Moreover, the overexpression of Hsp70 detected in imatinib-resistant CML patients supports this mechanism and identifies potentially a marker and a therapeutic target of CML evolution.
The expansion of a leukemia clone bearing a Bcr-Abl kinase domain mutation is associated with acquired resistance to imatinib and may also predict disease progression in patients with ...Philadelphia-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Here we report results of pyrosequencing to quantitate the non-mutated and mutant alleles in 12 CML patients monitored over periods ranging from 11 to 58 months, and describe three contrasting kinetic patterns: Group 1 - in four patients total BCR-ABL transcript numbers remained high with the mutant allele predominating; Group 2 - in four patients the total number of BCR-ABL transcripts fell to low levels but the mutant allele predominated; and Group 3 - in four other patients the total level of transcripts remained high (n = 2) or fell (n = 2) but the mutant clone persisted at relatively low level. In Group 2 the mutant leukemia clone was presumably still relatively sensitive to imatinib but in Group 1 the leukemia could be classified as resistant. In Group 3 patients the imatinib sensitivity of the leukemia was variable. We conclude that a mutant clone does not necessarily have a proliferative advantage and its presence does not always account for resistance to imatinib. Other mechanisms underlie resistance in at least some patients.
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