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Biomedical subjects

M J Bjorn

Publications and source records attributed to M J Bjorn.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

Clinical experience with rhenium-186-labeled monoclonal antibodies for radioimmunotherapy: results of phase I trials.

Rhenium is a radionuclide with physical and chemical properties suitable for radioimmunotherapy. Two Phase I trials were carried out using 186Re-labeled murine monoclonal antibodies. Patients with refractory metastatic epithelial carcinoma received single doses of either 186Re-labeled intact NR-LU-10, a pancarcinoma antibody, 25-120 mCi/m2 (n = 15) or 186Re-labeled F(ab')2 fragment of NR-CO-02, an anti-CEA variant antibody, 25-200 mCi/m2 (n = 31). Prior to radioimmunotherapy, tumor localization of antibody was confirmed by 99mTc-labeled NR-LU-10 Fab or 99mTc-labeled NR-CO-02 F(ab')2 imaging. Dose-limiting myelosuppression was observed at 120 mCi/m2 following 186Re-NR-LU-10 intact antibody and at 150 mCi/m2 following NR-CO-02 F(ab')2 fragment in heavily pretreated patients. In patients with minimal prior therapy, a maximum tolerated dose for NR-CO-02 F(ab')2 was not reached by 200 mCi/m2. Non-marrow toxicity was minimal. Human anti-mouse antibody developed in all patients receiving intact NR-LU-10, and in 86% patients receiving F(ab')2 NR-CO-02. One patient treated with 186Re NR-CO-02 achieved a partial response. We conclude that 186Re-labeled antibody can be safely administered with significant toxicity limited to marrow.

Adult

Selective elimination of breast cancer cells from human bone marrow using an antibody-Pseudomonas exotoxin A conjugate.

A pancarcinoma monoclonal antibody (NR-LU-10), homogeneously reactive with human breast cancer cells, was conjugated to Pseudomonas exotoxin A. The immunotoxin was evaluated for its potential for purging breast cancer cells from human bone marrow. The immunotoxin NR-LU-10 antibody did not react with normal bone marrow preparations yet readily detected 1% contamination of bone marrow by MCF-7 breast cancer cells added to normal bone marrow without significantly inhibiting the colony-forming ability of bone marrow progenitor cells. NR-LU-10-Pseudomonas exotoxin A has potential for purging bone marrow of breast cancer cells without impairing the growth of bone marrow progenitor cells.

ADP Ribose Transferases

Inhibition of human tumor growth by intraperitoneal immunotoxins in nude mice.

Intracavitary administration of immunotoxins may play a role in the control of malignant effusions. Selection of immunotoxins for this form of therapy is based on their prior evaluation in preclinical studies. Monoclonal antibodies (mAb) 454A12 (antitransferrin receptor), and 260F9 are directed against antigens which are present on tumor cells in pleural and peritoneal effusions of patients with adenocarcinoma of the breast and ovary. In the present study, immunotoxins derived by conjugating these mAb to recombinant ricin A (rRA) were shown to be cytotoxic to human ovarian adenocarcinoma HEY cells in vitro and in vivo. In the in vitro assay 454A12-rRA and 260F9-rRA were 1000-fold and 10-fold, respectively, more cytotoxic than free rRa against HEY cells, and both immunotoxins were potentiated approximately 1000-fold by monensin. For in vivo studies HEY cells were injected i.p. into nude mice at a challenge dose (3 x 10(5) cells) which produced carcinomatosis with ascites, leading to death 30 days following injection. Administration of 454A12-rRA i.p. following the challenge dose resulted in a complete cure, whereas administration of 260 F9-rRA with monensin significantly prolonged survival. The greater cytotoxicity of 454A12-rRA than 260F9-rRA against HEY cells could be accounted for by the greater number of binding sites and higher internalization rate for 454A12-rRA and mAb 454A12 than 260F9-rRA and mAb 260F9, respectively. These results suggest a potential role for 454A12-rRA and 260F9-rRA plus monensin in the intracavitary therapy of malignant effusions associated with carcinoma of breast and ovary. In the case of 260F9-rRA, this represents the first preliminary indication of the suitability of this immunotoxin for intracavitary therapy of malignancies.

Adenocarcinoma

Distribution and physical properties of BCA200, a Mr 200,000 glycoprotein selectively associated with human breast cancer.

Of 122 mouse monoclonal antibodies selective for human breast cancer, 13 immunoprecipitated an acidic glycoprotein from SK-Br-3 and ZR-75-30 human breast cancer cells. The antigen (BCA200) migrates with an apparent molecular weight of 200,000 on reducing and 180,000 on nonreducing sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, suggesting a single polypeptide chain with a folded domain stabilized by a disulfide bond. Cross-blocking and sandwich immunoassays detected at least three distinct antigenic determinants on BCA200. Scatchard experiments measured 1,000,000 to 5,000,000 antigen copies per SK-Br-3 cell. The tissue distribution of BCA200 was studied using two monoclonals to different epitopes. Neither antibody stained any cells in human blood. When frozen sections of 20 normal human tissues were immunoperoxidase stained, the only positive structures were mucinous glands of colon, transitional epithelium of bladder, sweat glands of skin, and acinar epithelium of breast. Antibody 454C11 stained 16 of 21 breast tumor frozen sections and 9 of 12 breast cancer cell lines, while antibody 520C9 stained 5 of 20 breast tumors and 4 of 10 breast cancer lines. Cross-reaction was observed with lung, prostatic, pancreatic, endometrial, and ovarian cancer, but not with lymphoma, melanoma, colon, stomach, bladder, or esophageal cancer. When conjugated to ricin A chain, 10 of 13 antibodies produced immunotoxins selectively cytotoxic to SK-Br-3 breast cancer cells.

Antibodies, Monoclonal

Recombinant ricin A chain conjugated to monoclonal antibodies: improved tumor cell inhibition in the presence of lysosomotropic compounds.

Recombinant ricin A chain was chemically linked to monoclonal antibodies directed toward human breast cancer cells, a human T-cell differentiation antigen, and mouse transferrin receptor. Three types of immunotoxins were prepared; in two of them the antibody was linked to recombinant ricin A chain by a disulfide bond and in the third, a nonreducible thioether bond was used. Immunotoxins containing a nonreducible linkage may have some advantage over conjugates containing a reducible linkage because of improved stability in vivo. Conjugation of recombinant ricin A chain through either the endogenous thiol group or through a derivatized amino group produced immunotoxins with comparable cytotoxicity. The thioether conjugate was 1000-fold less cytotoxic to target tumor cells than the respective disulfide-linked immunotoxin. However, addition of monensin, a monocarboxylic ionophore, greatly enhanced the cytotoxicity of the thioether-linked immunotoxin. Monensin increased the immunotoxin activity better than other lysosomotropic reagents that were tested. The increase in activity of recombinant ricin A chain-containing immunotoxins mediated by monensin argues against a role for contaminating ricin B chain in potentiation.

Antibodies, Monoclonal

Production of exoenzyme S during Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections of burned mice.

Antisera which distinguished between Pseudomonas aeruginosa exoenzyme S and toxin A neutralized the adenosine diphosphate ribosyl transferase activity of the homologous, but not the heterologous, enzyme. Skin extracts and sera from burned mice infected with the exoenzyme S-producing strain P. aeruginosa 388 contained adenosine diphosphate ribosyl transferase activity that was not found in skin extracts or sera from uninfected mice. On the basis of immunological reactivity and enzymatic properties, the adenosine diphosphate ribosyl transferase activity present in skin extracts and sera from P. aeruginosa 388-infected mice was identified as exoenzyme S. Active elongation factor 2 levels in tissues from strain 388-infected mice were normal at 24 h postinfection, indicating that strain 388 does not produce detectable amounts of toxin A in vivo. An unexpected finding in this investigation was the presence of exoenzyme S-inactivating activity in the sera from some nonimmunized animals.

Animals

Influence of iron on yields of extracellular products in Pseudomonas aeruginosa cultures.

The effect of the iron content of the medium on the yields of extracellular products by seven distinct strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was examined. All strains showed at least an 85% decrease in toxin A yields when grown in medium containing 5.0 mug of iron per ml (high iron) as compared to 0.05 mug/ml (low iron), whereas bacterial growth increased approximately twofold. During the course of examining extracellular products produced by P. aeruginosa, we found many strains that produced an extracellular factor which agglutinated erythrocytes. This hemagglutinin was nondialyzable, heat stable, and resistant to Pronase and trypsin. The effect of iron on extracellular yields of hemagglutinin was strain dependent; four of seven strains showed decreases in hemagglutinin yields in high-iron medium. Similarly, the effect of increasing the iron concentration of the growth medium on yields of total extracellular proteases or on elastase was strain dependent. The amount of total extracellular protein was decreased by at least 31% in the high-iron medium for all strains of P. aeruginosa examined. Detailed studies on one strain (WR-9) showed that, in the presence of increasing amounts of iron in the medium, the extracellular yields of toxin A, protease, and hemagglutinin were decreased in a similar manner. In addition, the kinetics of release of these extracellular products were similar at a given iron concentration. Thus it appears that the yields of other extracellular products of P. aeruginosa besides toxin A are influenced by the concentration of iron in the growth medium.

Agglutinins

Pseudomonas aeruginosa exoenzyme S: an adenosine diphosphate ribosyltransferase distinct from toxin A.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa exoenzyme S is an adenosine diphosphate ribosyltransferase distinct from Pseudomonas toxin A. Exoenzyme S catalyzes the transfer of radioactivity from all portions of radiolabeled NAD+ except nicotinamide. Digestion of the radiolabeled product(s) formed in the presence of [adenine-14C]NAD+ and exoenzyme S with snake venom phosphodiesterase yields only AMP, suggesting that ADP-ribose is present as monomers and not as poly(ADP-ribose). Exoenzyme S does not catalyze the transfer of ADP-ribose from NAD+ to elongation factor 2, as do toxin A and diphtheria toxin, but to one or more other proteins present in crude extracts of wheat germ or rabbit reticulocytes and in partially purified preparations of elongation factor I. The ADP-ribosyltransferase activity of exoenzyme S is distinct from toxin A by several tests: it is not neutralized by toxin A antibody, it is destroyed rather than potentiated by pretreatment with urea, and it is more heat stable. These latter observations and the substrate specificity suggest that exoenzyme S is different from any previously described prokaryotic ADP-ribosyltransferase.

Adenosine Diphosphate Sugars

Effect of iron on yields of exotoxin A in cultures of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA-103.

The yields of exotoxin A in Pseudomonas aeruginosa cultures were influenced by the concentration of iron in the culture media. When the iron concentration of the culture media was increased from 0.05 to 1.5 microgram/ml, there was at least a 90% decrease in exotoxin A (measured both by enzymatic activity and by mouse lethality) and a slight increase in the growth of the bacteria. The addition of iron as late as 13 h after initiation of growth repressed further measurable increases of exotoxin A within 3 h. Intracellular toxin levels were also reduced by increasing the iron concentrations of the culture media. The addition of 3.0 microgram of iron per ml did not significantly alter either the enzyme activity of preformed crude or purified exotoxin A or the mouse toxicity of the pure toxin. Thus it appears that either the rate of production or the rate of intracellular degradation of exotoxin A is regulated by the concentration of iron in the culture media.

Bacterial Toxins

Incidence of exotoxin production by Pseudomonas species.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A has been shown to catalyze the transfer of the adenosine 5'-diphosphate (ADP)-ribose moiety of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide onto elongation factor 2, resulting in the inhibition of mammalian protein synthesis. The enzymatic activity (ADP-ribosyl [ADPR]-transferase) is thought to account for the toxicity of exotoxin A. The distribution of the expression of exotoxin A within Pseudomonas species was examined. Laboratory strains as well as clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were tested. The production of exotoxin A was determined by assaying for ADPR-transferase activity in dialyzed frozen (-20 degrees C) and thawed cell-free supernatants from 22-h cultures or in 10-fold-concentrated supernatants. In addition, toxin production was detected immunologically using a modified Elek test. Exotoxin A production was detected in approximately 90% of the 111 isolates of P. aeruginosa. In contrast, none of the other species of Pseudomonas examined produced exotoxin A detectable by either ADPR-transferase activity or immunological reactivity.

Epitopes