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Biotech / Medical : Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (MLNM) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Icebrg who wrote (2066)	4/4/2004 1:33:38 PM
From: scaram(o)uche	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 3044

>> The main purpose of the drug seems to be to support Titan's funding requirements. << No kidding. It all but disappeared during the schizo days. Thanks. Rick

To: Icebrg who wrote (2066)	4/9/2004 9:21:47 AM
From: Icebrg	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 3044

The bortezomib/proteasome inhibitor PS-341 and triterpenoid CDDO-Im induce synergistic anti-multiple myeloma (MM) activity and overcome bortezomib resistance. Blood. 2004 Apr 15;103(8):3158-66. Chauhan D, Li G, Podar K, Hideshima T, Shringarpure R, Catley L, Mitsiades C, Munshi N, Tai YT, Suh N, Gribble GW, Honda T, Schlossman R, Richardson P, Sporn MB, Anderson KC. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 44 Binney St, Boston, MA 02215. kenneth_anderson@dfci.harvard.edu The synthetic triterpenoid 2-cyano-3, 12-dioxooleana-1, 9-dien-28-oic acid (CDDO) induces apoptosis in leukemic cells. Here we show that CDDO and its new derivative CDDO-imidazolide (CDDO-Im) trigger apoptosis in multiple myeloma (MM) cells resistant to conventional therapies including melphalan (LR-5), doxorubicin (Dox-40), and dexamethasone (MM.1R, U266, RPMI 8226) without affecting the viability of normal cells. CDDO-IM also triggers apoptosis in bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) and decreases interleukin-6 (IL-6) secretion induced by MM cell adhesion to BMSCs. Moreover, CDDO-Im-induced apoptosis in MM cells is not blocked by IL-6 or insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Importantly, CDDO-Im and bortezomib/proteasome inhibitor PS-341 trigger synergistic apoptosis in MM cells associated with loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, superoxide generation, release of mitochondrial proteinscytochrome c/second mitochondria-derived activator of caspases (cyctochrome c/Smac), and activation of caspase-8, -9, and -3. Conversely, the pancaspase inhibitor Z-VAD-fmk abrogates the CDDO-Im + bortezomib-induced apoptosis. Low doses of CDDO-Im and bortezomib overcome the cytoprotective effects of antiapoptotic proteins Bcl2 and heat shock protein-27 (Hsp27) as well as nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB)-mediated growth/survival and drug resistance. Finally, combining CDDO-Im and bortezomib induces apoptosis even in bortezomib-resistant MM patient cells. Together, these findings provide the framework for clinical evaluation of CDDO-Im, either alone or in combination with bortezomib, to overcome drug resistance and improve patient outcome in MM. (Blood. 2004;103: 3158-3166)