Targeting gene therapy to cancer: a review

In recent years the idea of using gene therapy as a modality in the treatment of diseases other than genetically inherited, monogenic disorders has taken root. This is particularly obvious in the field of oncology where currently more than 100 clinical trials have been approved worldwide. This report will summarize some of the exciting progress that has recently been made with respect to both targeting the delivery of potentially therapeutic genes to tumor sites and regulating their expression within the tumor microenvironment. In order to specifically target malignant cells while at the same time sparing normal tissue, cancer gene therapy will need to combine highly selective gene delivery with highly specific gene expression, specific gene product activity, and, possibly, specific drug activation. Although the efficient delivery of DNA to tumor sites remains a formidable task, progress has been made in recent years using both viral (retrovirus, adenovirus, adeno-associated virus) and nonviral (liposomes, gene gun, injection) methods. In this report emphasis will be placed on targeted rather than high-efficiency delivery, although those would need to be combined in the future for effective therapy. To date delivery has been targeted to tumor-specific and tissue-specific antigens, such as epithelial growth factor receptor, c-kit receptor, and folate receptor, and these will be described in some detail. To increase specificity and safety of gene therapy further, the expression of the therapeutic gene needs to be tightly controlled within the target tissue. Targeted gene expression has been analyzed using tissue-specific promoters (breast-, prostate-, and melanoma-specific promoters) and disease-specific promoters (carcinoembryonic antigen, HER-2/neu, Myc-Max response elements, DF3/MUC). Alternatively, expression could be regulated externally with the use of radiation-induced promoters or tetracycline-responsive elements. Another novel possibility that will be discussed is the regulation of therapeutic gene products by tumor-specific gene splicing. Gene expression could also be targeted at conditions specific to the tumor microenvironment, such as glucose deprivation and hypoxia. We have concentrated on hypoxia-targeted gene expression and this report will discuss our progress in detail. Chronic hypoxia occurs in tissue that is more than 100-200 microns away from a functional blood supply. In solid tumors hypoxia is widespread both because cancer cells are more prolific than the invading endothelial cells that make up the blood vessels and because the newly formed blood supply is disorganized. Measurements of oxygen partial pressure in patients' tumors showed a high percentage of severe hypoxia readings (less than 2.5 mmHg), readings not seen in normal tissue. This is a major problem in the treatment of cancer, because hypoxic cells are resistant to radiotherapy and often to chemotherapy. However, severe hypoxia is also a physiological condition specific to tumors, which makes it a potentially exploitable target. We have utilized hypoxia response elements (HRE) derived from the oxygen-regulated phosphoglycerate kinase gene to control gene expression in human tumor cells in vitro and in experimental tumors. The list of genes that have been considered for use in the treatment of cancer is extensive. It includes cytokines and costimulatory cell surface molecules intended to induce an effective systemic immune response against tumor antigens that would not otherwise develop. Other inventive strategies include the use of internally expressed antibodies to target oncogenic proteins (intrabodies) and the use of antisense technology (antisense oligonucleotides, antigenes, and ribozymes). This report will concentrate more on novel genes encoding prodrug activating enzymes, so-called suicide genes (Herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase, Escherichia coli nitroreductase, E. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)     

Platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor thymidine phosphorylase in tumour growth and response to therapy

Angiogenesis plays an important role in the growth and metastasis of solid tumours. Platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (PD-ECGF) is known to be chemotactic for endothelial cells in vitro and angiogenic in vivo. It is also known as gliostatin, a factor promoting neuronal survival, and thymidine phosphorylase (dThdPase), which catalyses the reversible phosphorylation of thymidine to thymine and 2-deoxyribose-1-phosphate. This enzymatic activity is critical for angiogenic activity. PD-ECGF protein is highly expressed in tumours compared with most normal tissues and has been correlated with tumour growth, invasion and metastasis in clinical studies. In addition, dThdPase activity (by inference PD-ECGF) has been found to be a major determinant of the toxicity of 5-fluorouracil and its prodrugs, which are extensively studied clinically as anti-cancer agents. This review attempts to summarize recent gains in understanding the nature, location and action of PD-ECGF and its specific relevance to tumour biology.     

Update of harmonic standard IEEE-519: IEEE recommended practicesand requirements for harmonic control in electric power systems

In the early 1970s, the Static Power Converter Committee of the Industry Applications Society started work on a standard that would give guidelines to users and engineer-architects for the application of static power converter drives in electric power systems that contain capacitors. The result was IEEE 519-1981, IEEE Guide for Harmonic Control and Reactive Compensation Static Power Converters. Since all standards are reviewed every five years, a review of IEEE 519-1981 has been in progress, with the revision to be submitted to the IEEE Standards Board in 1988. The changes that are included in the revised standard and examples of the application of IEEE-519 are discussed. The section outline Introduction and Scope of the standard and harmonic filter samples are presented     

Yeast flocculation: Flocculation onset and receptor availability

Flocculent strains of brewing yeast grow and ferment as single cells and flocculate in the stationary phase of growth. The switch from single-celled yeast growth to multi-celled aggregation, flocculation onset, is of critical importance to the brewing industry. Yeast flocculation involves adhesion of surface-lectins on flocculent cells to carbohydrate receptors on neighbouring cell-walls. The presence of carbohydrate receptors, outer-chain mannan side-branches, was monitored throughout growth of flocculent and non-flocculent strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, with particular attention to the growth phases where flocculation is normally developed. Receptors were probed by coflocculation with flocculent strains and by aggregation with concanavalin A, a lectin shown to use the same receptors as flocculation. While considerable variation was found in coflocculation and concanavalin A aggregation between strains, little or no change in receptor availability was found throughout the growth of all yeast strains. Yeast cells could easily be coflocculated at any growth stage. It was concluded that receptor availability is not involved in the process of flocculation onset.     

Yeast flocculation: kinetics and collision theory

Flocculent yeast cells have an absolute requirement for mechanical energy input in order for flocculation to occur. Flocculation is arrested by cessation of energy input. The initial rate of flocculation increases as the square of the cell concentration. There is a minimum shaking speed to initiate flocculation and thereafter the initial rate of flocculation increases exponentially with the shaking speed. The minimum shaking speed for flocculation to occur increases with pH value. Activation energy for flocculation, derived from Arrhenius-like plots, varies with pH value. We propose that activation energy is required to overcome mutual repulsion between charged yeast cells and allow flocculent bonds to be formed.     

Yeast flocculation: quantification

Yeast flocculation is an orthokinetic process dependent upon mechanical agitation for all quantitative measurements. From several methods which were assessed, orbital shaking was selected as being the most practical as well as producing the most meaningful results. Quantitative measurements of flocculation were made in terms of minimum agitation threshold, initial rate, extent of flocculation at equilibrium and flocculated particle size at equilibrium. All these parameters were strain dependent. Critical cell density functions were formed if agitation was limiting regardless of how the agitation was imposed, and are unlikely to be related to bond strength.     

Rectifier Harmonics in Power Systems

The effect of rectifier harmonic currents on power systems is described. Rectifiers and inverters require nonsinusoidal waves of current. These current waves are made up of a number of sine waves which are harmonics of the fundamental wave. These harmonic currents can excite resonant circuits causing them to ``ring' and produce large oscillating currents. Criteria as to possible problem areas are discussed and illustrated with case studies. Examples of application of filters to ``trap' these harmonic currents are included.