Abstract
A key asset of cytotoxic drugs in cancer therapeutics is their ability to discriminate between proliferating and mitotically inert cells and eliminate preferentially neoplastic ones. We have designed a high throughput-compatible mammalian cell-based assay for the discovery of cytotoxic drugs, which selectively kill proliferation-competent target cells. This cytotoxic drug discovery assay is based on a transgenic CHO-K1-derived cell line engineered for a conditional G1-specific growth arrest following tetracycline-responsive overexpression of the human cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27Kip1. The CHO-derived cell line CHO-p27Kip1 shows wild type proliferation rates and can be expanded in the presence of tetracycline antibiotics when p27Kip1 expression is repressed. Upon withdrawal of regulating antibiotics CHO-p27Kip1 differentiates into a 1:1 mixed population consisting of two different proliferation phenotypes: (i) a G1-arrested cell population induced by heterologous expression of p27Kip1 which mimics mitotically inactive terminally differentiated cells and (ii) a proliferation-competent cell population which eliminated the p27Kip1 expression unit and imitates neoplastic cell characteristics. Addition of chemical or metabolic libraries to CHO-p27Kip1 populations cultivated in tetracycline-free medium followed by scoring for cell viability will reveal cytotoxic drug candidates associated with a high viability ratio of proliferation-competent/arrested populations.
We have validated the cell-based cytotoxic drug discovery assay using the clinically licensed cancer drugs mitomycin C, doxorubicin, etoposide and 5-fluorouracil. Comparative proof-of-concept studies showed that these top-prescribed cancer therapeutics preferentially eliminate proliferating cells while showing less interference with the viability of G1-arrested cell populations. These results demonstrate the CHO-p27Kip1-based cytotoxic drug finder technology is ready-to-apply for high throughput screenings of chemical as well as metabolic libraries to discover novel cancer therapeutics which show reduced cytotoxicity on terminally differentiated cells.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Balmain A, Gray J, Ponder B: The genetics and genomics of cancer. Nature Genet 33: 238–244, 2003
Ohlsson R, Kanduri C, Whitehead J, Pfeifer S, Lobanenkov V, Feinberg AP: Epigenetic variability and the evolution of human cancer. Adv Cancer Res 88: 145–168, 2003
Neiman PE, Gribic JJ, Polony TS, Kimmel R, Bowers SJ, Delrow J, Beemon KL: Functional genomic analysis reveals distinct neoplastic phenotypes associated with c-myb mutation in the bursa of Fabricius. Oncogene 22: 1073–1086, 2003
Vincent-Salomon A, Thiery JP: Host microenvironment in breast cancer development: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition in breast cancer development. Breast Cancer Res 5: 101–106, 2003
Jaenisch R, Bird A: Epigenetic regulation of gene expression: How the genome integrates intrinsic and environmental signals. Nat Genet 33: 245–254, 2003
Garsky VM, Lumma PK, Feng DM, Wai J, Ramjit HG, Sardana MK, Oliff A, Jones RE, DeFeo-Jones D, Freidinger RM: The synthesis of a prodrug of doxorubicin designed to provide reduced systemic toxicity and greater target efficacy. J Med Chem 44: 4216–4224, 2001
Hosie KB, Kerr DJ, Gilbert JA, Downes M, Lakin G, Pemberton G, Timms K, Young A, Stanley A: A pilot study of adjuvant intraperitoneal 5-fluorouracil using 4% icodextrin as a novel carrier solution. Eur J Surg Oncol 29: 254–260, 2003
Canellos GP, Gollub J, Neuberg D, Mauch P, Shulman LN: Primary systemic treatment of advanced Hodgkin’s disease with EVA (etoposide, vinblastine, doxorubicin): 10-year follow-up. Ann Oncol 14: 268–272, 2003
Chin L, Tam A, Pomerantz J, Wong M, Holash J, Bardeesy N, Shen Q, O’Hagan R, Pantginis J, Zhou H, Horner JW, Cordon-Cardo C, Yancopoulos GD, DePinho RA: Essential role for oncogenic Ras in tumor maintenance. Nature 400: 468–472, 1999
Fussenegger M, Schlatter S, Datwyler D, Mazur X, Bailey JE: Controlled proliferation by multigene metabolic engineering enhances the productivity of Chinese hamster ovary cells. Nat Biotecnol 16: 468–472, 1998
Umaña P, Jean-Mairet J, Moudry R, Amstutz H, Bailey JE: Engineered glycoforms of an antineuroblastoma IgG1 with optimized antibody-dependent cytotoxic activity. Nat Biotechnol 17: 176–180, 1999
Aubel D, Morris R, Lennon B, Rimann M, Kaufmann H, Folcher M, Bailey JE, Thompson CJ, Fussenegger M: Design of a novel mammalian screening system for the detection of bioavailable non-cytotoxic streptogramin antibiotics. J Antibiot 54: 44–55, 2001
Fussenegger M: The impact of mammalian gene regulation concepts on functional genomic research, metabolic engineering, and advanced gene therapies. Biotechnol Prog 17: 1–51, 2001
Qian F, Pan W: Construction of a tetR-integrated Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi CVD908 strain that tightly controls expression of the major merozoite surface protein of Plasmodium falciparum for applications in human Vaccine production. Infect Immun 70: 2029–2038, 2002
Ozawa CR, Springer ML, Blau HM: A novel means of drug delivery: Myoblast-mediated gene therapy and regulatable retroviral vectors. Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 40: 295–317, 2000
Hillen W, Klock G, Kaffenberger I, Wray LV, Reznikoff WS: Purification of the TET repressor and TET operator from the transposon Tn10 and characterization of their interaction. J Biol Chem 257: 6605–6613, 1982
Gossen M, Bujard H: Tight control of gene expression in mammalian cells by tetracycline-responsive promoters. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 89: 5547–5551, 1992
Martinez LA, Chen Y, Fischer S, Conti C: Coordinated changes in cell cycle machinery occur during keratinocyte terminal differentiation. Oncogene 18: 397–406, 1999
Chellapan SP, Giordano A, Fischer PB: Role of cyclin-dependent kinases and their inhibitors in cellular differentiation and development. Curr Top Micro Immunol 227: 57–103, 1998
Vozza A, Borriello A, Criniti V, Vozza G, Della-Ragione F: New established melanoma cell lines: Genetic and biochemical characterization of cell division cycle. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 17: 37–41, 2003
Yang C, Sun M, Ilic Z, Friedrich TD, Sell S: Reduced expression of p27kip1 and increased hepatocyte proliferation in p53-deficient mice. Mol Carcinog 36: 15–22, 2003
Cho NH, Kim YT, Kim JW: Alteration of cell cycle in cervical tumor associated with human papillomavirus: Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors. Yonsei Med J 43: 722–728, 2003
Kato JY, Matsuoka M, Polyak K, Massagué J, Sherr CJ: Cyclin AMP-induced G1 phase arrest mediated by an inhibitor (p27Kip1) of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 activation. Cell 79: 487–496, 1994
Polyak K, Lee ML, Erdjument-Bromage H, Koff A, Roberts JM, Tempst P, Massagué J: Cloning of p27Kip1, a cyclin-dependent kinase I inhibitor and a potential mediator of extracellular antimitogenic signals. Cell 78: 59–66, 1994
Ladha MH, Lee KY, Upton TM, Reed MF, Ewen ME: Regulation of exit from quiescence by p27 and cyclin D1-CDK4. Mol Cell Biol 18: 6605–6615, 1998
Lowenheim H, Furness DN, Kil J, Zinn C, Gultig K, Fero ML, Frost D, Gummer AW, Roberts JM, Rubel EW, Hackney CM, Zenner HP: Gene disruption of p27(Kip1) allows cell proliferation in the postnatal and adult organ of corti. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 96: 4084–4088, 1999
Rivard N, Boucher MJ, Asselin C, L’Allemain G: MAP kinase cascade is required for p27 downregulation and S phase entry in fibroblasts and epithelial cells. Am J Physiol 277: 652–664, 1999
Park HK, Lee KW, Choi JS, Joo CK: Mitomycin C-induced cell death in mouse lens epithelial cells. Ophthalmic Res 34: 213–219, 2002
Corbett T, Valeriote F, LoRusso P, Polin L, Panchapor C, Pugh S, White K, Knight J, Demchik L, Jones J, Jones L, Lisow L (eds): In vivo methods for screening and preclinical testing. Drug Development Guide. Humana Press Inc, Totowa, NJ, 1997, pp 75–99
Steff AM, Fortin M, Arguin C, Hugo P: Detection of a decrease in green fluorescent protein fluorescence for the monitoring of cell death: An assay amenable to high-throughput screening technologies. Cytometry 45: 237–243, 2001
Sohn TA, Su GH, Ryu B, Yeo CJ, Kern SE: High-throughput drugscreening of the DPC4 tumor-suppressor pathway in human pancreatic cancer cells. Ann Surg 233: 696–703, 2001
Mosmann T: Rapid colorimetric assay for cellular growth and survival: Application to proliferation and cytotoxicity assays. J Immunol Methods 16: 55–63, 1983
Scudiero DA, Shoemaker RH, Paul KD, Monks A, Tierney S, Nofziger TH, Currens MJ, Seniff D, Boyd MR: Evaluation of a soluble tetrazolium/formazan assay for cell growth and drug sensitivity in culture using human and other tumor cell lines. Cancer Res 48: 4827–4833, 1988
Skehan P, Storeng R, Scudiero D, Monks A, McMahon J, Vistica D, Warren JT, Bokesch H, Kenney S, Boyd MR: New colorimetric cytotoxicity assay for anticancer-drug screening. J Natl Cancer Inst 82: 1107–1112, 1990
Allison DC, Ridolpho P: Use of a trypan blue assay to measure the deoxyribonucleic acid content and radioactive labeling of viable cells. J Histochem Cytochem 28: 700–703, 1980
Reynolds CP, Black AT, Woody JN: Sensitive method for detecting viable cells seeded into bone marrow. Cancer Res 46: 5878–5881, 1986
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gonzalez-Nicolini, V., Fux, C. & Fussenegger, M. A novel mammalian cell-based approach for the discovery of anticancer drugs with reduced cytotoxicity on non-dividing cells. Invest New Drugs 22, 253–262 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:DRUG.0000026251.00854.77
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:DRUG.0000026251.00854.77