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Biomedical subjects

D M Wolf

Publications and source records attributed to D M Wolf.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Clinical efficacy, safety and pharmacokinetic properties of the factor VIII concentrate Haemoctin SDH in previously treated patients with severe haemophilia A.

Clinical efficacy, safety and pharmacokinetic properties of the high-purity double-virus inactivated plasma-derived factor VIII concentrate Haemoctin SDH (pdFVIII) were evaluated in three prospective open-label uncontrolled studies in previously treated patients (PTPs) with severe haemophilia A. The pharmacokinetic properties assessed at baseline and after 3 months of treatment are in accurate accordance with published data and remain unchanged over time (study A, n = 12). Mean terminal elimination half-life was 11.8 and 11.9 h, mean incremental recovery (IU dL(-1)/IU kg(-1)) was 2.3 and 2.0, respectively. Long-term efficacy and safety, in particular the potential immunogenicity, were investigated in a total of 53 PTPs (studies A and B) treated prophylactically and on-demand, as required. PdFVIII has shown to be effective in preventing and controlling bleeding episodes; 23.5% of patients were free of bleeding events. A total of 177 haemorrhages occurred with 74.0% resolving after a single infusion, 87.6% within two infusions. 98.3% of responses reported on haemorrhages were rated as 'excellent' or 'good'. Moreover, 'excellent' haemostatic efficacy has been demonstrated in 10 surgical procedures including general and severe orthopaedic interventions (study C). No complication occurred in any surgery. Few adverse events were reported, one patient developed a high-titre FVIII inhibitor without clinical relevance. In all three studies, over 6 million units were administered in nearly 4300 infusions, approximately 94% units or infusions were given for prophylaxis and only 6% for treatment on-demand. In conclusion, pdFVIII has shown to be effective, safe and well tolerated in long-term prophylaxis and treatment on-demand as well as after minor and major surgical procedures.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Automatic discovery of sub-molecular sequence domains in multi-aligned sequences: a dynamic programming algorithm for multiple alignment segmentation.

Automatic identification of sub-structures in multi-aligned sequences is of great importance for effective and objective structural/functional domain annotation, phylogenetic treeing and other molecular analyses. We present a segmentation algorithm that optimally partitions a given multi-alignment into a set of potentially biologically significant blocks, or segments. This algorithm applies dynamic programming and progressive optimization to the statistical profile of a multi-alignment in order to optimally demarcate relatively homogenous sub-regions. Using this algorithm, a large multi-alignment of eukaryotic 16S rRNA was analyzed. Three types of sequence patterns were identified automatically and efficiently: shared conserved domain; shared variable motif; and rare signature sequence. Results were consistent with the patterns identified through independent phylogenetic and structural approaches. This algorithm facilitates the automation of sequence-based molecular structural and evolutionary analyses through statistical modeling and high performance computation.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2001

Molecular tools to reestablish progestin control of endometrial cancer cell proliferation.

OBJECTIVE: Endometrial cancers often arise in a setting of estrogen stimulation unopposed by the differentiating effects of progesterone. Our laboratory and others have previously shown that progesterone receptor down-regulation or perturbation of progesterone receptor isoform A or B expression is associated with the development of poorly differentiated endometrial cancers that are not growth inhibited by progestins. The purpose of these studies was to reestablish high progesterone receptor isoform A and B gene expressions in such endometrial cancer cells and to examine the effects of progestin treatment on cell growth and metastatic potential after this transformation. STUDY DESIGN: To induce high levels of expression of the progesterone receptor isoforms in KLE and Hec50 endometrial cancer cells, adenoviral vectors encoding the genes for progesterone receptor isoforms A and B were created. The characteristic ability of cancer cells to grow independently of anchorage to the surrounding solid matrix was measured by counting colony formation on soft agar for 8 to 14 days. Cell proliferation in response to a time course of progestin treatment was tested with flow cytometry. RESULTS: After treatment with a control vector without a progesterone receptor--encoding insert, no effect of progestin treatment on cell proliferation was found; after treatment with vectors encoding progesterone receptor isoform A or B, however, progestin treatment resulted in significant inhibition of cell growth. The anchorage-independent cell growth on soft agar assay showed that by 8 to 14 days the number of cell colonies was reduced by 50% relative to control preparations in the presence of progesterone receptor isoform A plus progestin (P <.0001, both Hec50 and KLE cell lines) and by 90% in the presence of progesterone receptor isoform B plus progestin (P <.0001, both Hec50 and KLE cell lines). Progestin treatment also resulted in a time-dependent reduction in cell proliferation as measured by flow cytometry. Although transfection with both progesterone receptor isoforms A and B reduced cell proliferation according to our assays, progesterone receptor isoform B caused a much more dramatic decrease in cell growth (P =.001, Hec50 cells; P <.0001, KLE cells). CONCLUSION: In poorly differentiated endometrial cancer cells that are resistant to progestin therapy, adenovirus-induced expressions of progesterone receptors A and B reestablish progestin control of endometrial cancer cell proliferation.

Blotting, Western↗
PubMed1999

Inhibition of human carcinoma cell growth and DNA synthesis by silibinin, an active constituent of milk thistle: comparison with silymarin.

Several studies from our laboratory have shown the cancer chemopreventive and anti-carcinogenic effects of silymarin, a flavonoid antioxidant isolated from milk thistle, in long-term tumorigenesis models and in human prostate, breast and cervical carcinoma cells. Since silymarin is composed mainly of silibinin with small amounts of other stereoisomers of silibinin, in the present communication, studies were performed to assess whether the cancer preventive and anti-carcinogenic effects of silymarin are due to its major component silibinin. Treatment of different prostate, breast, and cervical human carcinoma cells with silibinin resulted in a highly significant inhibition of both cell growth and DNA synthesis in a time-dependent manner with large loss of cell viability only in case of cervical carcinoma cells. When compared with silymarin, these effects of silibinin were consistent and comparable in terms of cell growth and DNA synthesis inhibition, and loss of cell viability. Based on the comparable results of silibinin and silymarin, we suggest that the cancer chemopreventive and anti-carcinogenic effects of silymarin reported earlier are due to the main constituent silibinin.

Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic↗
PubMed1999

Analysis of ribosomal RNA sequences by combinatorial clustering.

We present an analysis of multi-aligned eukaryotic and procaryotic small subunit rRNA sequences using a novel segmentation and clustering procedure capable of extracting subsets of sequences that share common sequence features. This procedure consists of: i) segmentation of aligned sequences using a dynamic programming procedure, and subsequent identification of likely conserved segments; ii) for each putative conserved segment, extraction of a locall homogeneous cluster using a novel polynomial procedure; and iii) intersection of clusters associated with each conserved segment. Aside from their utilit in processing large gap-filled multi-alignments, these algorithms can be applied to a broad spectrum of rRNA analysis functions such as subalignment, phylogenetic subtree extraction and construction, and organism tree-placement, and can serve as a framework to organize sequence data in an efficient and easily searchable manner. The sequence classification we obtained using the method presented here shows a remarkable consistency with the independently constructed eukaryotic phylogenetic tree.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1998

On the relationship between genomic regulatory element organization and gene regulatory dynamics.

In this project we study the relationship between genomic regulatory element organization and gene regulatory dynamics. This paper illustrates an approach to investigating this relationship based on the application of classical nonlinear system analysis techniques to a transcription level, statistical thermodynamical model like that used in Shea & Ackers (1985). Preliminary ideas presented at the ICMCM conference (Wolf & Eeckman, 1998) are developed in this manuscript. We show that, for prokaryotic gene circuits dominated by local promoter control, dynamical system behavior descriptors like the number and stability of equilibrium point steady states and their bifurcation potential can be largely determined from genomic organization (e.g. the number, type, and placement of regulatory protein binding sites). Concepts are illustrated on hypothetical gene regulation systems with one or two genes and varying numbers of regulatory protein binding sites (operators). Gene regulatory systems with a single gene and an arbitrary number of operator sites are shown to be globally stable, with the potential for having multiple equilibrium points and capable of bifurcating. A monomer-controlled gene regulation system with n operator sites is proven to have a maximum of 1+n/2 stable equilibria for even n, and (n+1)/2 for odd n, while a multimer-controlled, n operator site system is shown to have a maximum of 2+n/2 stable equilibria for even n, and (n+3)/2 for odd n. These results are applied to the design of a two-state switch using a gene regulation system with two operator sites. The question "what is the simplest possible gene regulation system capable of acting like a switch?" is answered. The paper ends with an analysis of a two-gene regulation system, the results of which point to the existence of a "soft-switching" mechanism that may account for the "on-off" hypothesized behavior of some gene networks.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

CD19 selection improves the sensitivity of B cell lymphoma detection.

Reinfusion of residual tumor cells into B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (B-NHL) patients during autologous transplantation may be an important cause of disease relapse. Determining the extent to which B-NHL cells are present in autologous progenitor cell products and if the presence of residual B-NHL cells is predictive of relapse will require extremely sensitive methods of detecting rare B-NHL cells. We attempted to improve the sensitivity of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based detection of rare B-NHL cells by preselecting CD19+ cells using an immunomagnetic column. To measure detection sensitivity, we prepared samples containing different levels of B-NHL cell contamination by mixing B-NHL cell lines containing the chromosomal translocation t(14;18) bcl-2/JH) with control leukapheresis samples. DNA extracted from each CD19-selected sample and from each matched nonselected sample was added to a PCR to amplify the bcl-2/JH breakdown junction. CD19 preselection improved the sensitivity of detection of t(14;18)-positive B-NHL cells 115-fold, so that B-NHL cells at a concentration of 1 tumor cell per 1 x 10(6) hematopoietic cells were detected in every specimen evaluated. t(14;18)-positive cells were not detected in any of 13 control leukapheresis specimens. We conclude that a combination of CD19 preselection and PCR amplification may improve the sensitivity of detection of rare lymphoma cells by two orders of magnitude without a significant decrease in specificity.

Antigens, CD19↗
PubMed1997

An estrogen receptor mutant with strong hormone-independent activity from a metastatic breast cancer.

Thirty tumors from metastatic breast cancer patients were screened for mutations in the estrogen receptor (ER) gene using single-strand conformation polymorphism and sequence analysis. Three missense mutations, Ser47Thr, Lys531Glu, and Tyr537Asn, were identified in these lesions. To investigate these mutated ERs or altered transcriptional activation function, expression vectors containing wild-type (wt) and mutant ERs were constructed and cotransfected with different estrogen response element reporter gene constructs into HeLa cells and MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells. The first two ER mutants were similar to wt ER. However, the Tyr537Asn ER mutant possessed a potent, estradiol-independent transcriptional activity, as compared to wt ER. Moreover, the constitutive activity of the Tyr537Asn ER mutant was virtually unaffected by estradiol, tamoxifen, or the pure antiestrogen ICI 164,384. Tyr537 is located at the beginning of exon 8 in the COOH-terminal portion of the hormone-binding domain of the ER, to which dimerization and transcription activation functions have also been ascribed. It has been identified as a phosphorylation site implicated in hormone binding, dimerization, and hormone-dependent transcriptional activity. Our results suggest that the Tyr537Asn substitution induces conformational changes in the ER that might mimic hormone binding, not affecting the ability of the receptor to dimerize, but conferring a constitutive transactivation function to the receptor. If present in other metastatic breast tumors, this naturally occurring ER mutant may contribute to breast cancer progression and/or hormone resistance.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed1997

Lac repressor inducible gene expression in human breast cancer cells in vitro and in a xenograft tumor.

We have studied the lac repressor (lacR) system in two breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, in vitro and in vivo. Breast cancer cell lines were stably transfected with lacR and tested for inducibility by transient transfection with a lac operator/luciferase reporter plasmid. The level of expression of lacR did not appear to correlate with the basal or maximal activation of induction by isopropyl beta-D-thiogalactoside (IPTG). Stable transfection with the same reporter gene resulted in up to 40-fold (MDA-MB-231) and 50-fold (MCF7) induction. In the absence of IPTG, a low level of basal reporter gene expression was seen in all clones. Detailed analysis showed that induction was rapid (maximal at 24 h), reversible (a return to basal expression by 24 h) and dose-dependent. To test if this system was also inducible in vivo, cells were grown as a xenograft tumor in nude mice. Mice were given IPTG (0.53 mmol) by intraperitoneal injection, and the tumors were biopsied at several time points following administration. IPTG caused a 10-fold increase in luciferase activity after 8 h, which persisted for 24 h. Thus, this system allows tightly controlled inducible in vivo and in vitro gene expression with low basal expression, and it may provide an important tool for the study of lethal genes in human breast cancer cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

A novel 80 kDa human estrogen receptor containing a duplication of exons 6 and 7.

Alterations in the amino acid sequence of the estrogen receptor (ER) have been shown to have dramatic effects on its function. Recently, mutant ERs have been isolated from both clinical samples and established breast cancer cell lines, primarily through the use of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). All previously reported mutations have given rise to either alterations or truncations of the ER protein. We determined the structure of a novel 80 kDa ER which is expressed in an estrogen independent subclone of the MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7:2A). This 80 kDa ER was initially detected by Western blot analysis using a variety of ER specific antibodies. PCR mapping and partial PCR mediated subcloning of the ER cDNA were used to demonstrate that this protein was an ER containing an in-frame duplication of exons 6 and 7. This type of duplication has not been previously described for any members of the steroid receptor superfamily. Karyotype analysis coupled with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) demonstrated that MCF-7:2A cells contained 4-5 copies of the ER gene in contrast to 2 copies in MCF-7:WS8 cells. The ER gene was localized by FISH analyses in both the MCF-7:WS8 and MCF-7:2A cells on chromosome 6, which is the source of the ER in normal human cells. The relative expression level of 2:1 is consistent with DNA gene dosage analysis. Genomic PCR was then used to demonstrate that the 80 kDa ER mRNA was not derived from the trans-splicing of two ER mRNAs but was the result of a genomic rearrangement in which exons 6 and 7 were duplicated in an in-frame fashion. This variant ER may prove to be useful in elucidating the mechanism of estrogen action in breast cancer cells.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1996

An analysis of tamoxifen-stimulated human carcinomas for mutations in the AF-2 region of the estrogen receptor.

The estrogen receptor (ER) contains two transcriptional activation domains: AF-1 and AF-2. AF-2 is dependent on a highly species-conserved region of the ER. It has been shown that site-directed point mutations of conserved hydrophobic amino acids within this region reduce estrogen-dependent transcriptional activation. In addition, when these mutated ERs are transfected into HeLa cells, both tamoxifen and ICI 164,384 become strong agonists. The implication is that mutations in this region could account for the tamoxifen-stimulated tumors seen clinically. We performed single stranded conformational polymorphism (SSCP) analysis spanning the entire ER along with DNA sequencing of the AF-2 region of the ER isolated from two different tamoxifen-stimulated breast cancers, MCF-7/TAM and MCF-7/MT2, and a tamoxifen-stimulated endometrial cancer, EnCa 101. In addition, a tamoxifen-stimulated endometrial carcinoma cell line, the Ishikawa cell line, was also studied. There were no mutations found by SSCP analysis and sequencing of all four AF-2 regions also revealed no mutations. Mutations within the AF-2 region of the human ER do not appear to account for the growth of human breast and endometrial carcinomas that are used as reproducible laboratory models of tamoxifen-stimulated growth observed clinically.

Carcinoma↗
PubMed1995

Molecular aspects of estrogen receptor variants in breast cancer.

Measurements of the estrogen receptor (ER) and the estrogen-induced progesterone receptor (PgR) are used by most clinicians as indicators of both overall prognosis and likelihood of response to endocrine therapy. Patients with ER+/PgR+ tumors have the highest likelihood of response; conversely, patients with ER-/PgR-tumors have the lowest likelihood of response. Unfortunately, most patients treated successfully with endocrine therapy eventually develop endocrine-resistant disease recurrence. In an effort to study potential mechanisms of endocrine resistance, we have studied discordant ER-/PgR+ tumors, in which the normally estrogen-regulated PgR gene is induced in the apparent absence of ER. Our laboratory has previously cloned, from ER-/PgR+ tumors, a variant ER mRNA precisely missing the sequence corresponding to ER exon 5, and has demonstrated that the truncated protein product translated from this variant RNA is capable of constitutively inducing the expression of an estrogen-responsive reporter gene in a yeast expression vector system (Fuqua et al. Cancer Res 51:105-109, 1991). In the present report we describe further experiments to characterize the activity and biological consequences of expression of this variant ER in human breast cancer cells. We have stably transfected MCF-7 human breast cancer cells with a mammalian expression vector for the exon 5 deletion variant ER. These transfected cells produce a truncated ER protein of the expected 40 kDa size. Cells expressing the exon 5 ER deletion variant constitutively express PgR, and manifest increased anchorage-independent colony formation in the absence of estrogen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed1995

Mechanisms of action of antiestrogens.

Investigators from laboratories worldwide have spent nearly 40 years studying the mechanisms by which the diverse class of compounds known as antiestrogens exert their effects. In this review we present an overview of the work to date that has led to a greater understanding of both the classical and the sometimes unexpected actions which an antiestrogenic compound can have on the growth of a cell. In addition, we review work which has begun to explain the means by which some cells can ultimately become resistant to the action of antiestrogens. We conclude with a discussion of the current directions being followed by researchers in this area, as well as with several comments regarding what physiological activities might be desired in an 'ideal' antiestrogenic compound.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

A naturally occurring estrogen receptor mutation results in increased estrogenicity of a tamoxifen analog.

We previously identified a codon 351 (Asp-->Tyr) mutant estrogen receptor (ER) in a tamoxifen-stimulated human breast tumor line. To examine its biological activity, we have constructed cell lines from the ER-negative human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 that stably express either the wild type (S30) or mutant ER (BC-2). ER expression was confirmed by Western blot, ligand-binding studies, and ER-enzyme immunoassay. The growth characteristics of the S30 and BC-2 cell lines were compared when treated with estradiol, fixed-ring 4-hydroxytamoxifen [(fr) 4-OH TAM], or ICI 182,780. (fr) 4-OH TAM is a stable, high affinity tamoxifen analog. Many investigators have recognized that growth of ER-negative cell lines stably transfected with ER is inhibited by estradiol. Similarly, both S30 and BC-2 cell lines are inhibited by estradiol in a concentration-dependent manner. (fr) 4-OH TAM has no effect on S30 proliferation but inhibits the growth of BC-2 cells. The pure antiestrogen ICI 182,780 can block the growth-inhibitory effect of estradiol in both cell lines and the growth-inhibitory effect of (fr) 4-OH TAM in the BC-2 cells. In transient transfection analyses using a luciferase reporter plasmid containing two copies of the Xenopus vitellogenin A2 estrogen response element, estradiol stimulated luciferase transcription through both the wild type and mutant estrogen receptors, while (fr) 4-OH TAM stimulated transcription to a greater extent through the mutant receptor. These results demonstrate that the estrogenicity of (fr) 4-OH TAM is increased by binding to the codon 351 mutant ER, and that ER activation and growth inhibition are associated.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Characterization of tamoxifen stimulated MCF-7 tumor variants grown in athymic mice.

The non-steroidal antiestrogen tamoxifen (TAM) is successfully used to treat all stages of breast cancer in both pre- and postmenopausal women. Unfortunately, most women treated with TAM eventually develop resistant tumor recurrences which require intervention with a second-line endocrine therapy, or cytotoxic chemotherapy if the recurrence is completely endocrine insensitive. There is evidence that some recurrences may in fact be TAM stimulated. MCF-7 human breast cancer cells grown as solid tumors in athymic mice chronically treated with TAM reproducibly develop a TAM stimulated phenotype (Osborne et al., Eur J Cancer Clin Oncol 23:1189-1196, 1987; Gottardis and Jordan, Cancer Res 48: 5183-5187, 1988; Osborne et al., J Natl Cancer Inst 83:1477-1482, 1991; Wolf et al., J Natl Cancer Inst 85:806-812, 1993). Tumors of this type may provide a useful model for a subset of therapeutic failures in the clinic. Therefore, we have extensively studied this model in an attempt to define the mechanism or mechanisms leading to TAM stimulated growth. In this paper we describe the characteristics of 4 TAM stimulated MCF-7 tumor variants. All of these tumors are growth stimulated by TAM, but vary in their response to estradiol (E2) treatment, and grow poorly in placebo treated hosts. All tumor variants express estrogen receptor (ER) RNA and protein, which at the RNA level appear to be down regulated by TAM, and to a greater extent by E2. All tumors also express epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) RNA, which is down regulated by TAM, and further down regulated by E2. However, among the tumor variants analyzed, ER and EGFR levels appear to be inversely related. Further, despite the expression of ER by all 4 TAM stimulated tumor variants, E2 induction of progesterone receptor expression is very weak or entirely absent.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

The estrogen receptor from a tamoxifen stimulated MCF-7 tumor variant contains a point mutation in the ligand binding domain.

The nonsteroidal antiestrogen tamoxifen (TAM) is the most commonly used endocrine treatment for all stages of breast cancer in both pre- and postmenopausal women. However, the development of resistance to the drug is common, as most patients treated with TAM eventually experience a recurrence of tumor growth. One of the potential mechanisms of treatment failure is the acquisition by the tumor of the ability to respond to TAM as a stimulatory rather than inhibitory ligand. We (Gottardis and Jordan, Cancer Res 48:5183-5187, 1988; Wolf et al., J Natl Cancer Inst 85:806-812, 1993) and others (Osborne et al., Eur J Cancer Clin Oncol 23: 1189-1196, 1987; Osborne et al., J Natl Cancer Inst 83: 1477-1482, 1991) have extensively described the reproducible development of TAM stimulated growth in a laboratory model system using MCF-7 human breast cancer cells grown as solid tumors in athymic mice. In this paper we report on the isolation of an estrogen receptor (ER) from a TAM stimulated tumor (MCF-7/MT2) which contains a point mutation that causes a tyrosine for aspartate substitution at amino acid 351 in the ligand binding domain. The mutant appears to the major form of ER expressed by this tumor. We also report that only wild type ER was detected in three other TAM stimulated MCF-7 tumor variants, suggesting that multiple mechanisms are possible for the development of TAM stimulated growth. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Investigation of the mechanism of tamoxifen-stimulated breast tumor growth with nonisomerizable analogues of tamoxifen and metabolites.

BACKGROUND: The nonsteroidal anti-estrogen tamoxifen (TAM) is the front-line endocrine treatment for breast cancer, but disease recurrence is common. Treatment failure may occur because tumors become insensitive to TAM. Alternatively, resistance may occur because tumors become stimulated rather than inhibited by TAM. TAM-stimulated growth of MCF-7 human breast tumors has been observed in athymic mice after prolonged treatment with TAM. PURPOSE: Our purpose was to examine the mechanism of treatment failure by determining whether TAM-stimulated tumors acquire the ability to excrete TAM and its anti-estrogenic metabolites or to convert them to estrogenic compounds with weakened antiestrogenic activity. METHODS: We used high-pressure liquid chromatography to quantitate TAM and its metabolites in serum and tumors from ovariectomized athymic mice and in MCF-7 cells grown in vitro. We treated tumor-bearing mice with subcutaneous sustained-release preparations of estradiol, TAM, or a nonisomerizable (fixed-ring) analogue and then assessed the activity of these compounds on TAM-inhibited parental MCF-7 tumors and on TAM-stimulated MCF-7 TAM tumors. RESULTS: We found negligible differences in intratumoral TAM levels between TAM-inhibited parental MCF-7 tumors and TAM-stimulated MCF-7 TAM variants. We did not detect metabolite E (Met E), an estrogenic TAM metabolite, in serum or tumors. Using MCF-7 cells in vitro, we determined that the (Z) isomer of Met E, the form directly produced by TAM metabolism, must be present in the cell at a concentration of over 1000 ng/g to overcome growth inhibition by physiological levels of TAM and antiestrogenic metabolites, but the (E) isomer of Met E was effective at 10 ng/g. We reasoned that conversion of Met E from the (Z) (a weak estrogen) to (E) isomer (a potent estrogen) would be required if formation of Met E were responsible for TAM-stimulated growth. However, fixed-ring TAM, which can only form (Z) Met E, was shown to be as capable as TAM of initiating and maintaining anti-estrogen-stimulated growth of MCF-7 tumors in athymic mice. CONCLUSION: Metabolism and isomerization of TAM to estrogenic compounds is not the mechanism of TAM-stimulated growth in our model. IMPLICATION: Other potential mechanisms for TAM-stimulated growth, such as estrogen receptor mutation, must be investigated so that effective strategies can be devised to control breast cancer once therapy fails.

Animals↗