Published papers

Objective: Despite the development of newly developed drugs, most multiple myeloma (MM) patients with high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities such as t(4;14) or del17p relapse at anin early stage of their clinical course. We previously reported that a natural product,komaroviquinone (KQN), isolated from the perennial semi-shrub Dracocephalum komarovi, i.e., komaroviquinone (KQN) and its derivative GTN024 induced the apoptosis of MM cells by producing reactive oxygen species (ROS), but both exhibited significant hematological toxicity. Aim of this study is to clarify anti-tumor activity, safety and pharmacokinetics of GTN057, an optimization compound of KQN in vivo. Methods: ICR/SCID xenograft model of KMS11, a t(4;14) translocation-positive MM cell line, was used for in vivo study. Mice pharmacokinetics of GTN057 and the degradation products were analyzed by LC-MS/MS. Results: Herein, our in vitro experiments revealed that GTN057 is much less toxic to normal hematopoietic cells, induced the apoptosis of both MM cell lines andpatient samples, including those with high-risk cytogenetic changes. A xenograft model of a high-risk MM cell line demonstrated that GTN057 significantly delayed the tumor growth with no apparent hematological or systemic toxicities in vivo. The pathological examination of GTN057-treated tumors in vivoshowed revealed apoptosis of MM cells and anti-angiogenesis. In addition to the production of ROS, GTN057 inhibited the downstream signaling of c-MET, a receptor tyrosine kinase a receptor forand hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) receptor. Thus, GTN057 is less toxic and is able tomay be a candidate drug for treating MM patients, via multifunctional mechanisms. We have also extensively studied the pharmacologyical analysis of GTN057. The metabolites of GTN057, (e.g.,such as GTN054), may also have anti-tumorantitumor activity. Conclusion: Natural products or and their derivatives can could be good sources of antineoplastic drugs even for high-risk cancer.

© 2019 To date, the prognosis of multiple myeloma (MM) in patients harboring cytogenetic abnormalities (CA) involving t (4; 14) and deletion of chromosome 17 remains poor despite recent advances in drug development that include the use of immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs) such as lenalidomide for MM. To address this issue, we have developed a novel phenylphthalimide derivative, TC11, that is structurally related to IMiDs. It remains unclear how TC11 induces apoptosis of MM cells with high-risk CA. Here, we show that TC11 does not induce degradation of CRBN's substrates, IKZF1/3 and CK1α, and induces apoptosis of CRBN-silenced MM; this effect was independent of the cereblon (CRBN) pathway, which is involved in the mechanism of action of IMiDs used for the treatment of MM. We also revealed that TC11, in contrast to existing IMiDs, induced degradation of MCL1 and activation of caspase-9. Furthermore, inhibition of CDK1 by CGP74514A prevented TC11-induced MCL1 degradation, caspase-9 activation, and the subsequent apoptotic cell death. We showed that ectopic MCL1 expression rescued apoptosis of MM. These observations suggest that TC11 induces apoptotic death caused by degradation of MCL1 during prolonged mitotic arrest. Therefore, our findings suggest that TC11 is a potential drug candidate for high-risk MM.

© 2020, The Author(s). Antibody drugs play an important role in biopharmaceuticals, because of the specificity for target biomolecules and reduction of side effects. Thus, separation and analysis techniques for these antibody drugs have increased in importance. In the present study, we develop functional chromatography matrices for antibody drug separation and analysis. Three types of polymers, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm)-co-2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (AMPS)-co-N-phenyl acrylamide (PhAAm)), P(NIPAAm-co-AMPS-co-n-butyl methacrylate (BMA)), and P(NIPAAm-co-AMPS-co-tert-butylacrylamide (tBAAm)), were modified on silica beads through atom transfer radical polymerisation. Rituximab elution profiles were observed using the prepared beads-packed column. Rituximab adsorption at high temperature and elution at low temperature from the column were observed, as a result of the temperature-modulated electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. Using the column, rituximab purification from contaminants was performed simply by changing the temperature. Additionally, three types of antibody drugs were separated using the column through temperature-modulated hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. These results demonstrate that the temperature-responsive column can be applied for the separation and analysis of biopharmaceuticals through a simple control of the column temperature.

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Despite the availability of therapeutic treatments, multiple myeloma is an incurable haematological disorder. In this study, we aimed to clarify the role of CXorf48 as a therapeutic target in multiple myeloma. Based on a previously identified HLA-A*24:02-restiricted epitope from this novel cancer/testis antigen, we characterized the activities of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) specific to this antigen against myeloma cells and evaluated the effects of demethylating agents in increasing antigen expression and enhancing the cytotoxic activity of CTLs. CXorf48 expression was examined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using nine myeloma cell lines. Cell lines with low CXorf48 expression were treated by demethylating agents (DMAs), 5-azacytidine (5-aza), and 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (DAC) to evaluate gene expression using quantitative RT-PCR. Furthermore, CXorf48-specific CTLs were induced from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of HLA-A*24:02-positive healthy donors to evaluate antigen recognition using ELISpot and51 Cr cytotoxicity assays. CXorf48 was widely expressed in myeloma cells, and gene expression was significantly increased by DMAs. Furthermore, CXorf48-specific CTLs recognized DMA-treated myeloma cells. These findings suggest that CXorf48 is a useful target for immunotherapy, such as vaccination, in combination with demethylating agents for the treatment of patients with myeloma.

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) have beneficial effects in cell transplantation therapy; these cells are collected from adipose tissue using low-invasive methods. However, to prepare ADSCs for cell therapy, a cell separation method that neither involves modification of the cell surface nor causes loss of cell activity is needed. Here, we aimed to develop ADSC separation columns using thermoresponsive cationic block copolymer brush-grafted beads as packing materials. The block copolymer brush was formed by a bottom cationic segment, poly(N,N-dimethylaminopropylacrylamide) (PDMAPAAm), and an upper thermoresponsive segment, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm), and was grafted in two atom transfer radical polymerization reactions. The copolymer brush-grafted silica beads were packed into a column. An ADSC suspension was introduced into the columns at 37 °C and adsorbed on the copolymer brush-modified beads through electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions with the PDMAPAAm and PNIPAAm segments, respectively. The adsorbed ADSCs eluted from the column by lowering the temperature to 4 °C. In contrast, most Jurkat and vascular endothelial cells eluted at 37 °C, because of the relatively weaker electrostatic interactions with the block copolymer brush compared to ADSCs. Using the prepared column, a mixture of ADSCs and Jurkat cells was separated by changing the column temperature. The recovered ADSCs exhibited cell activity. The developed cell separation column may be useful for isolating ADSCs without cell surface modification, while maintaining cell activity.

© 2018 Elsevier Inc. New drugs have significantly improved the survival of patients with multiple myeloma (MM), but the prognosis of MM patients with high-risk cytogenetic changes such as t(4; 14), t(14; 16) or del17p remains very poor. A natural product, komaroviquinone (KQN), was originally isolated from the perennial semi-shrub Dracocephalum komarovi and has anti-protozoal activity against Trypanosoma cruzi, the organism causing Chagas’ disease. Here we demonstrate that a novel KQN-derivative, GTN024, has an anti-MM effect both in vitro and in vivo. GTN024 induced the apoptosis of MM cell lines including those with high-risk cytogenetic changes. GTN024 produced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and increased phosphorylated eIF2α. The ROS production and subsequent endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress are thought to play a key role in GTN024-induced apoptosis, as the apoptosis was completely abrogated by anti-oxidant treatment. In a mouse xenograft model, an intraperitoneal injection of 20 mg/kg of GTN024 significantly delayed tumor growth. Hematological toxicity and systemic toxicity as indicated by weight loss were not observed. These results suggest that the novel KQN-derivative GTN024 could become a candidate drug for treating high-risk MM.