The transcriptional promoter of the candidate E6‐E7 transforming gene region of human papillomavirus (HPV)‐16 (P97) was active in transiently transfected cervical carcinoma cells when linked to the HSV‐1 tk or bacterial cat genes. Sequences 5′ to P97 contain a short enhancer element responding to cellular factor(s) in uninfected human foreskin keratinocytes and in cervical carcinoma cells, but not in human or animal fibroblasts. The E2 trans‐activator products of HPV‐16 or of the related bovine papillomavirus (BPV)‐1 further elevated HPV‐16‐driven transcripts in co‐transfections, and required the presence of E2‐binding ACC(N)6GGT cores in cis. A ‘short E2’ C‐terminal repressor gene product (sE2) of HPV‐16 or the BPV‐1 sE2 repressor not only inhibited viral E2 trans‐activation, but also suppressed enhancer response to keratinocytic factors. Suppression by the sE2 products was abolished by deletion of the E2‐binding cores in cis or by a mutation in the sE2 DNA binding domain. The keratinocyte‐dependent enhancer is likely to contribute to the epithelial cell tropism of HPV‐16, and may direct persistent E6‐E7 gene transcription in response to cellular factors in cervical carcinoma cells in which the viral E2 genes are inactive.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) patients develop benign neurofibromas and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST). These incurable peripheral nerve tumors result from loss of NF1 tumor suppressor gene function, causing hyperactive Ras signaling. Activated Ras controls numerous downstream effectors, but specific pathways mediating the effects of hyperactive Ras in NF1 tumors are unknown. We performed crossspecies transcriptome analyses of mouse and human neurofibromas and MPNSTs and identified global negative feedback of genes that regulate Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK signaling in both species. Nonetheless, ERK activation was sustained in mouse and human neurofibromas and MPNST. We used a highly selective pharmacological inhibitor of MEK, PD0325901, to test whether sustained Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK signaling contributes to neurofibroma growth in a neurofibromatosis mouse model (Nf1 fl/fl ;Dhh-Cre) or in NF1 patient MPNST cell xenografts. PD0325901 treatment reduced aberrantly proliferating cells in neurofibroma and MPNST, prolonged survival of mice implanted with human MPNST cells, and shrank neurofibromas in more than 80% of mice tested. Our data demonstrate that deregulated Ras/ERK signaling is critical for the growth of NF1 peripheral nerve tumors and provide a strong rationale for testing MEK inhibitors in NF1 clinical trials.

The actin cytoskeleton is a potentially vulnerable property of cancer cells, yet chemotherapeutic targeting attempts have been hampered by unacceptable toxicity. In this study, we have shown that it is possible to disrupt specific actin filament populations by targeting isoforms of tropomyosin, a core component of actin filaments, that are selectively upregulated in cancers. A novel class of anti-tropomyosin compounds has been developed that preferentially disrupts the actin cytoskeleton of tumor cells, impairing both tumor cell motility and viability. Our lead compound, TR100, is effective in vitro and in vivo in reducing tumor cell growth in neuroblastoma and melanoma models. Importantly, TR100 shows no adverse impact on cardiac structure and function, which is the major side effect of current anti-actin drugs. This proof-of-principle study shows that it is possible to target specific actin filament populations fundamental to tumor cell viability based on their tropomyosin isoform composition. This improvement in specificity provides a pathway to the development of a novel class of anti-actin compounds for the potential treatment of a wide variety of cancers. Cancer Res; 73(16); 5169-82. Ó2013 AACR.

No abstract

High levels of expression of the human DEK gene have been correlated with numerous human malignancies. Intracellular DEK functions have been described in vitro and include DNA supercoiling, DNA replication, RNA splicing, and transcription. We have shown that DEK also suppresses cellular senescence, apoptosis, and differentiation, thus promoting cell growth and survival in monolayer and organotypic epithelial raft models. Such functions are likely to contribute to cancer, but direct evidence to implicate DEK as an oncogene has remained elusive. Here, we show that in line with an early role in tumorigenesis, murine papilloma formation in a classical chemical carcinogenesis model was reduced in DEK knockout mice. Additionally, human papillomavirus E6/E7, hRas, and DEK cooperated in the transformation of keratinocytes in soft agar and xenograft establishment, thus also implicating DEK in tumor promotion at later stages. Finally, adenoviral DEK depletion via short hairpin RNA expression resulted in cell death in human tumor cells in vitro and in vivo, but did not significantly affect differentiated epithelial cells. Taken together, our data uncover oncogenic DEK activities as postulated from its frequent up-regulation in human malignancies, and suggest that the targeted suppression of DEK may become a strategic approach to the treatment of cancer. [Cancer Res 2009;69(5):1792-9]