Les glioblastomes sont des tumeurs gliales de hautgrade qui restent incurables de nos jours. Le traitement recommandé (résection chirurgicale suivie d’un traitement de radiothérapie externe associé à la chimiothérapie) conduit à une augmentation de la médiane de survie des patients de quelques mois. De nouvelles stratégies notamment dans le champ des nanomédecines véhiculant un radioélément (émetteur ou ) ont été évaluées en clinique. La première partie,après avoir dressé l’état des lieux des technologies utilisées dans ce domaine, rend compte des critères importants à prendre en compte que sont le choix du radioélément, les modalités d’administration et les vecteurs utilisés. Elle se conclut par une présentation des études précliniques en cours dont l’utilisation de nanovecteurs encapsulant un radioisotope : lesLNC188Re-SSS. La deuxième partie illustre l’application thérapeutique sur un modèle murin de xénogreffe et montre une éradication de la tumeur initiale suite à un protocole personnalisé d’injection fractionnée par convection-enhanced delivery. Elle décrit également la distribution des LNC ainsi que les effets directs des radiations sur les cellules tumorales (cellules géantes atypiques, supposées polyploïdes), accompagnés par un infiltrat inflammatoire (immunité innée). Une évaluation complémentaire sur modèle murin GL261 a été réalisée et constitue la troisième partie de cette thèse. Le transfert de ces résultats à l’application clinique pourrait être facilité par le recours à un modèle canin de gliome spontané homologue à celui de l’homme, dont ce travail prépare l’utilisation, dans le but de valider les procédures d’injection intracérébrales automatisées. / High grade glial brain tumors are defined as glioblastomas. Nowadays, they are incurable. The current therapeutic purposal (surgical resection, external radiotherapy and chemotherapy) doesn’t extend the patients median survival time up to a few months. Newstrategies as nanomedicines loaded with a radionuclide( or  emitter) have been evaluated in clinical trials. As tate of the art of this domain’s technologies is described in a first part which analyses the important criteria to take account in vectorized radiotherapy like the radionuclides, the route of administration and the vectors used. Then, it is concluded with a presentation of preclinical on going studies as the use of nanovectors loaded with a radioisotope : the LNC188Re-SSS. The second part illustrates the therapeutical strategy application on a xenograft mice model. The data showan eradication of the tumor mass of treated mice withthe personalized convection-enhanced delivery offractionated radiotherapy. Furthermore, it describes the LNC distribution and the direct radiation effects on tumor cells (atypical giant cells, polyploïdy) supported by an inflammatory infiltration (innate immune effectors). An evaluation on the GL261 mice model has been realized and concerns the third part of this thesis. In perspectives, the transfer of these data to clinical trials could be facilitated thanks to the dog spontaneous glioma model. This tumor share characteristics with the human neoplasma. Finally, this work will aim to validate the automated intracranial injection procedures.

Introdução: O Câncer de próstata metastático (mCaP) é uma doença incurável com progressão para o mCaP resistente à castração (mCPRC) após terapia de deprivação androgênica. Os microRNAs (miR) -23b e -27b tem ação antioncogênica e são suprimidos neste contexto. O gene da ciclina G1 (CCNG1) codifica uma quinase dependente de ciclina com potencial de inibição do crescimento e é um dos alvos dos miR-23b/-27b. Objetivos: Estimular os miR-23b/-27b isoladamente e em conjunto para avaliar e comparar o crescimento tumoral e a expressão do gene alvo CCNG1 em relação ao grupo controle em xenenxertos de PC-3M-luc-C6 em camundongos atímicos castrados. Métodos: Xenoenxertos subcutâneos da linhagem celular PC-3M-luc-C6 foram implantados em camundongos machos BALB/c nude. Os animais foram castrados 10 dias após o implante e utilizamos injeções intratumorais para induzir o aumento da expressão dos miR-23b/-27b separadamente e em conjunto através de Pre-miR® específicos. Realizamos avaliações semanais da bioluminescência (BLI) para avaliar o crescimento tumoral após a castração. Utilizamos a reação em cadeia de polimerase reversa em tempo real (qRT-PCR) para analisar a expressão da CCNG1 e os animais foram sacrificados 21 dias após a castração. Dividimos um total de 21 xenoenxertos nos seguintes grupos de tratamento: 4 no grupo controle, 5 no grupo Pró miR-23b, 6 no grupo Pró miR-27 e 6 no grupo Pró miR-23b associado ao Pró miR-27b. Resultados: Confirmamos o sucesso da transfecção dos miRs por qRT-PCR, e apresentamos o achado de superexpressão relativa da CCNG1 em relação ao grupo controle em: 9% (p=0,76), 46% (p=0,05) e 203% (p=0,01) nos grupos Pró miR-23b, Pró miR-27b e Pró miR-23b associado ao Pró miR-27b respectivamente. Comparamos o crescimento proporcional de cada tumor através da BLI, por meio da leitura no momento da castração ao final do experimento. Obtivemos um crescimento de 13,5; 8,69; 5,96 e 9,98 vezes nos grupos: controle, Pró miR-23b, Pró miR-27b e Pró miR-23b associado ao Pró miR-27b respectivamente. Conclusão: Demonstramos um modelo in vivo de CPRC que apresentou supreexpressão da CCNG1 após o tratamento intratumoral que aumentou a expressão dos miRs -23b e -27b. Este conjunto de miRs tem ação antioncogênica descrita no contexto do mCPRC e a sua estimulação neste contexto aumentou a expressão da CCNG1. Nosso estudo sugere que a CCNG1 deve apresentar uma ação pró-apoptótica quando superexpresso pelos miRs-23b/-27 no CPRC / Introduction: Metastatic prostate cancer (mPCa) is an incurable disease that invariably progresses to castration-resistant mPCa (mCRPC) after androgen deprivation therapy. The microRNAs miR-23b/-27b have been reported as tumor suppressors and are underexpressed in this context. The cyclin G1 gene (CCNG1) encodes a cyclin-dependent kinase with potential growth inhibitory activity that is a potential target of miR-23b/-27b. Objectives: We aim to explore a bioluminescent xenograft model of CRPC in castrated mice the effect positive modulation of the miR-23b/-27b on CCNG1 expression and mCRPC growth. Material and Methods: We injected subcutaneous xenografts of PC-3M-luc-C6 PCa cell line in BALB/c nude male mice. We neutered the animals after 10 days and used intratumoral injections up-regulating miR-23b/-27b separately and simultaneously through specific Pre-miRTM. We used weekly bioluminescence imaging (BLI) to assess tumor growth after castration and real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to analyze the expression of CCNG1. We sacrificed the animals 21 days after castration. We randomized 21 xenografts in experimental groups as follows: n=4 in the negative control group; n=5 in Pro miR-23b group; n=6 in Pro miR-27b group and an n=6 tumors in the Pro miR-23b plus Pro miR-27b. Results: We confirmed successful transfection of both miRNAs with overexpression of CCNG1 of 9% (p=0.76), 46% (p=0.05) and 203% (p=0.01) in the Pro miR-23b, Pro miR-27b and Pro miR-23b plus -27b groups respectively. We compared the fold-change in BLI growth by the end of experiment finding an increase of 13.5-fold, 8.69-fold, 5.96-fold and 9.98-fold in groups Pro miR-negative control, Pro miR-23b, Pro miR-27b and Pro miR-23b plus Pro miR-27b groups respectively. Conclusions: We showed an in vivo model with overexpression of CCNG1 upon artificial upregulation of miR-23b and -27b in CRPC. This cluster of antineoplastic miRNA increased the expression of this cyclin, often described as oncogenic. Our study suggests that CCNG1 has a pro-apoptotic role when up-regulated by miR-23b/-27b in CPRC

Broad distribution and activity limit the utility of anti-cancer compounds by causing unacceptable systemic toxicity and narrow therapeutic indices. To improve tumour accumulation, drug-loaded macromolecular assemblies have been designed to replace conventional surfactant-based formulations. Their nanoscale size enhances tumour accumulation via hyperpermeable vasculature and reduced lymphatic drainage. Incorporating targeting ligands introduces cell specificity through receptor-specific binding and uptake, enabling drugs to reach intracellular targets. In this work, the targeting properties of polymer nanoparticle micelles of poly(2-methyl-2-carboxytrimethylene carbonate-co-D,L-lactide)-graft-poly(ethylene glycol)-furan (poly(TMCC-co-LA)-g-PEG) were verified using in vitro and in vivo models of breast cancer. To select a relevant mouse model, the vascular and lymphovascular properties of two tumour xenograft models were compared. Greater accumulation of a model nanocarrier was observed in orthotopic mammary fat pad (MFP) tumours than size matched ectopic subcutaneous tumours, suggesting that the organ environment influenced the underlying pathophysiology. Immunostaining revealed greater vascular thickness, density and size, and thinner basement membranes in MFP tumours, likely contributing to greater blood perfusion and vascular permeability. Based on these observations, MFP tumour-bearing mice were used to characterize the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of a taxol drug, docetaxel, encapsulated in poly(TMCC-co-LA)-g-PEG nanoparticles. The nanoparticle formulation demonstrated longer docetaxel circulation in plasma compared to the conventional surfactant-based formulation. As a result, greater docetaxel retention was uniquely measured in tumour tissue, extending exposure of tumour cells to the active compound and suggesting potential for increased anti-cancer efficacy. Furthermore, active targeting of antibody-modified nanoparticles to live cells was shown to be selective and receptor-specific. Binding isotherms were used to quantify the impact of antibody density on binding strength. The equilibrium binding constant increased linearly with the average number of antibodies per particle, which is consistent with a single antibody-antigen interaction per particle. This mechanistic understanding enables binding behaviour to be adjusted in a predictive manner and guides rational nanoparticle design. These studies validate poly(TMCC-co-LA)-g-PEG nanoparticles as a platform for targeted delivery to cancer on both a tissue and cellular level, forming a compelling justification for further pre-clinical evaluation of this system for safety and efficacy in vivo.

Le PCK3145 est un peptide de 15 acides aminés inhibant la sécrétion de MMP-9 et démontrant une activité anti-tumorale contre le cancer de la prostate. Comme les cancers hématologiques sécrètent MMP-9, nous avons donc évalué l’effet du PCK3145 sur ces cancers. Nous avons démontré que les lignées humaines de lymphome non- Hodgkinien (LNH) SR et de myélome multiple RPMI-8226 ainsi que la lignée murine de mastocytome P815 ont une prolifération réduite suite à une exposition au PCK3145. Ce peptide diminue également la clonogénicité de ces cellules. In vivo, le PCK3145 diminue significativement la croissance des tumeurs sous-cutanées P815 comparativement au PBS (p<0.001) et aux peptides contrôles (« scrambled peptide » (p<0.05) et PCK5266 (p<0.01)). De plus, le traitement au PCK3145 diminue le nombre de métastases au niveau du foie par rapports aux contrôles (p<0.05). Les niveaux de MMP-9 dans le sang des souris traitées au PCK3145 sont similaires à ceux dans le sang des souris sans tumeur. Par contre, chez les souris recevant le PBS ou le « scrambled peptide », les niveaux de MMP-9 étaient significativement plus élevés que dans les souris sans tumeur et les souris traitées au PCK3145 (p<0.05). De surcroît, dans un modèle de xénogreffe, le PCK3145 diminue significativement la croissance des lymphomes SR par rapport au PBS (p<0.01) et au « scrambled peptide » (p<0.001). Ces résultats indiquent que le PCK3145 possède une activité anti-tumorale et pourrait représenter un agent intéressant pour le traitement de plusieurs cancers hématologiques. / PCK3145 has been shown to exert anti-tumor activity against prostate cancer cells. In a Phase I clinical study, this peptide demonstrated low toxicity. To determine whether PCK3145 could exert cytotoxic activity against other marrow infiltrating cancers, we tested its activity against hematologic cancers. Interestingly, PCK3145 inhibited the proliferation of human NHL (SR) and myeloma (RPMI-8226) cell lines and murine mastocytoma (P815) cell line in vitro. Moreover, PCK3145 reduced the clonogenicity of these cell lines. To explore its activity in vivo, DBA/2 mice were injected with P815 cells. PCK3145 treatment significantly decreased P815 tumors growth in comparison to PBS (p<0.001), scrambled peptide (p<0.05) and PCK5266 (amino acids 52-66 of PSP-94) (p<0.01). Intraperitoneal PCK3145 treatment led to a decreased number of liver metastasis compared to PBS (p<0.05) and scrambled peptide (p<0.05). MMP-9 levels, measured by ELISA, in the peripheral blood of treated P815 bearing mice were similar to those obtained with healthy animals (12.83 1.890 (mean SD) ng/ml and 6.48 0.4070 ng/ml, respectively), while MMP-9 levels were elevated in mice treated with PBS and scrambled peptide (35.12 8.559 ng/ml and 22.60 3.944 ng/ml, respectively; p<0.05). In NOD/SCID mice PCK3145 treatment resulted in significant inhibition of human NHL SR growth compared to treatment with PBS (p<0.001) and scrambled peptide (p<0.01). Consequently, treatment with PCK3145 can reduce tumor cell proliferation of murine and human hematologic cancers. In addition, PCK3145 has the potential to inhibit tumor cells dissemination by lowering MMP-9 secretion. Thus, PCK3145 represents a unique peptide demonstrating sequence-specific anti-tumor activity hematologic malignancies.

Broad distribution and activity limit the utility of anti-cancer compounds by causing unacceptable systemic toxicity and narrow therapeutic indices. To improve tumour accumulation, drug-loaded macromolecular assemblies have been designed to replace conventional surfactant-based formulations. Their nanoscale size enhances tumour accumulation via hyperpermeable vasculature and reduced lymphatic drainage. Incorporating targeting ligands introduces cell specificity through receptor-specific binding and uptake, enabling drugs to reach intracellular targets. In this work, the targeting properties of polymer nanoparticle micelles of poly(2-methyl-2-carboxytrimethylene carbonate-co-D,L-lactide)-graft-poly(ethylene glycol)-furan (poly(TMCC-co-LA)-g-PEG) were verified using in vitro and in vivo models of breast cancer. To select a relevant mouse model, the vascular and lymphovascular properties of two tumour xenograft models were compared. Greater accumulation of a model nanocarrier was observed in orthotopic mammary fat pad (MFP) tumours than size matched ectopic subcutaneous tumours, suggesting that the organ environment influenced the underlying pathophysiology. Immunostaining revealed greater vascular thickness, density and size, and thinner basement membranes in MFP tumours, likely contributing to greater blood perfusion and vascular permeability. Based on these observations, MFP tumour-bearing mice were used to characterize the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of a taxol drug, docetaxel, encapsulated in poly(TMCC-co-LA)-g-PEG nanoparticles. The nanoparticle formulation demonstrated longer docetaxel circulation in plasma compared to the conventional surfactant-based formulation. As a result, greater docetaxel retention was uniquely measured in tumour tissue, extending exposure of tumour cells to the active compound and suggesting potential for increased anti-cancer efficacy. Furthermore, active targeting of antibody-modified nanoparticles to live cells was shown to be selective and receptor-specific. Binding isotherms were used to quantify the impact of antibody density on binding strength. The equilibrium binding constant increased linearly with the average number of antibodies per particle, which is consistent with a single antibody-antigen interaction per particle. This mechanistic understanding enables binding behaviour to be adjusted in a predictive manner and guides rational nanoparticle design. These studies validate poly(TMCC-co-LA)-g-PEG nanoparticles as a platform for targeted delivery to cancer on both a tissue and cellular level, forming a compelling justification for further pre-clinical evaluation of this system for safety and efficacy in vivo.

No description available.

La leucémie myélomonocytaire chronique (LMMC) est une hémopathie myéloïde rare du sujet âgé. Les caractéristiques cliniques, génétiques et moléculaires de la maladie sont bien connues. L’expression très hétérogène de la maladie ne peut être expliquée par la seule hétérogénéité génétique du clone leucémique. Les altérations épigénétiques jouent manifestement un rôle important. Le rôle de facteurs extrinsèques issus du microenvironnement est plus obscur. La niche hématopoïétique est le siège d’interactions entre cellules. Deux schémas non-exclusifs d’altération primaire ou secondaire de la niche sont proposés. Le premier implique que l’émergence d’un clone hématopoïétique modifie son environnement. Le second postule que le premier évènement dans l’émergence d’une hémopathie clonale est une altération de l’environnement. Mon travail de thèse a étudié les altérations du microenvironnement médullaire chez les patients et leur impact sur la physiopathologie de la maladie selon 2 axes: 1) la mise au point d’un modèle murin de reconstitution de la niche hématopoïetique humaine et 2) la caractérisation des cellules souches mésenchymateuses des patients. Dans une première partie, j’ai transposé un modèle rapporté en 2016 à l’étude de la LMMC. Ce modèle de greffe de cellules médullaires humaines chez la souris immunodéprimée s’est avéré difficilement reproductible. Dans la seconde partie, j’ai analysé les cellules souches mésenchymateuses de patients atteints de LMMC. J’ai identifié la production excessive d’IGFBP2 (Insuline-like Growth Factor Binding Protein 2), conséquence probable d’une dérégulation épigénétique. Le séquençage des CSM à l’échelle unicellulaire a révélé une restriction de l’hétérogénéité de ces cellules dont une fraction seulement produit IGFBP2. Finalement, j’ai montré qu’IGFBP2 favorise la différenciation des progéni-teurs myéloïdes vers la lignée monocytaire. IGFBP2 pourrait donc contribuer à amplifier la monocytose caractéristique de cette maladie.En conclusion, la LMMC s’accompagne de modifications des cellules de la niche hématopoÏétique dont certaines produisent des quantités excessive d’IGFBP2. La recherche de l’origine de ce dérèglement et de son importance dans la progression de la maladie permettra d’évaluer l’intérêt potentiel d’une neutralisation de cette cytokine à des fins thérapeutiques. / Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML, is a rare myeloid hemopathy of the elderly. Clinical, genetic and molecular characteristics of the disease are well-known. The highly heterogeneous expression of the disease can’t be solely explained by genetic heterogeneity of the leukemic clone. Epigenetic alterations obviously play an important role. However, the role of extrinsic factors from the medullar microenvironment in CMML physiopathology is still poorly understood. The hematopoietic niche hosts a lot of bi-directionnal interactions between cells. Two non-exclusive schemes of primary and secondary alterations of the niche can be proposed. First postulate implies that the emergence of a hematopoietic clone alters its environment. The second one supposes that the first event causing the emergence of a clonal hemopathy is an alteration of the environment. My PhD work consisted of studying medullar alterations in patients and their impact on CMML physiopathology upon 2 axes: 1) to set up a murine model of human hematopoietic niche reconstitution 2) to caracterise mesenchymal stem cells from CMML patient ex vivo. During the first part of my PhD, I adapted a model published in 2016 to CMML. This model of human MSC graft in immunodeficient mice proved to be hardly reproducible. During the second part, I analysed of CMML patients MSC. I identified an excessive production of IGFBP2 (Insuline-like Growth Factor Binding Protein 2) probably secondary to an epigenetic disregulation. Single cell RNA sequencing revealed a restriction of MSC heterogeneity of which only a fraction produces IGFBP2. Finally, I showed that IGFBP2 favors myeloid progenitors differenciation towards monocytic lineage. IGFBP2 could therefore contribute to the amplification of CMML characteristic monocytosis.To conclude, CMML goes along with modifications of hematopoietic niche cells, some of which produce excessive amounts of IGFBP2. Investigation on the origin of this alteration and its significance in disease progression should allow to evaluate the potential interest of its neutralization for therapeutic strategies.

Le cancer de la prostate est le cancer le plus diagnostiqué et représente la troisième cause de mort par cancer chez les hommes au Canada. Environ un quart des patients auront une récidive biochimique suite aux traitements de première ligne (chirurgie ou radiation). Le traitement systématique subséquent est la thérapie de déprivation à l’androgène qui permettra, dans un premier temps, un ralentissement de la croissance de la tumeur dite hormonosensible. Puis, dans un second temps, cette thérapie mènera à une progression vers un stade résistant à la castration avec ou sans métastases. De plus, environ 10% des patients recevront un diagnostic de cancer de la prostate métastatique. Cette forme du cancer de la prostate est une des formes les plus agressives et, à ce jour, il n’existe aucun traitement curatif. C’est pourquoi il est important de mieux déterminer les facteurs impliqués dans la progression du cancer de la prostate. De nombreuses études menées par le laboratoire ont permis d’identifier la kinase IKKe comme un facteur impliqué dans la progression du cancer de la prostate. Ainsi, il a été montré que les lignées résistantes à la castration expriment constitutivement IKKe sécrètent IL-6 et IL-8, cytokines impliquées dans la transactivation du récepteur à l’androgène, un des mécanismes de progression de ce cancer. Pour permettre cette sécrétion, IKKe phosphoryle C/EBP-b, facteur de transcription, ce qui conduit à l’activation de la transcription des gènes IL-6 et IL-8. Par ailleurs, C/EBP-b joue un rôle dans le contrôle de la sénescence induite par la thérapie de déprivation à l’androgène. Nous émettons donc l’hypothèse que IKKe interfère avec les mécanismes de sénescence induit par la thérapie de déprivation à l’androgène et que cibler IKKe permettrait de contrôler la croissance du cancer de la prostate résistant à la castration. Le premier objectif fut d’évaluer l’impact de l’inhibition de IKKe sur le destin cellulaire lors de la progression du cancer de la prostate. La déplétion de IKKe induit un phénotype de sénescence dans la lignée PC-3. L’utilisation d’inhibiteurs de IKKe, le BX795 et l’Amlexanox, induit un phénotype de sénescence dans les cellules résistantes à la castration, où IKKe a une expression constitutive, accompagnée d’une forte induction de dommages à l’ADN et d’une instabilité génomique, de façon dose-dépendent. Dans les iii cellules hormonosensibles, les inhibiteurs n’ont que très peu d’effet puisque l’expression de IKKe n’est pas constitutive. De plus, les inhibiteurs de IKKe ralentit la croissance tumorale des xénogreffes PC-3 et DU145, alors qu’ils n’ont aucun effet sur la croissance tumorale de la xénogreffe hormonosensible 22Rv1. Le deuxième objectif avait pour but de caractériser le rôle de IKKe dans l’échappement de la sénescence induite par la thérapie de déprivation à l’androgène. Nos travaux de recherche montrent que la déplétion ou l’utilisation de l’Amlexanox induit une diminution du recrutement de C/EBP-b au niveau du promoteur du gène de Rad51, protéine indispensable pour l’efficacité des mécanismes de réparation des dommages à l’ADN. De plus, bloquer la voie de réparation médiée par Rad51 par l’intermédiaire de l’Amlexanox améliore la sensibilité à l’Olaparib des cellules résistantes à la castration in vitro. De même, dans un modèle de xénogreffes résistantes à la castration, la combinaison Amlexanox – Olaparib montre un meilleur effet sur le ralentissement de la croissance tumorale. En conclusion, ce projet de doctorat aura permis de préciser les mécanismes impliquant IKKe dans la progression du cancer de la prostate. Les résultats apportent un nouvel éclairage sur le rôle de IKKe dans la régulation des dommages à l’ADN, particulièrement sur la transcription du gène Rad51 via C/EBP-b. De plus, les expériences in vivo montrent le potentiel thérapeutique de l’Amlexanox, notamment en le combinant avec l’Olaparib, afin de contrôler la croissance des tumeurs résistantes à la castration. / Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and is the third leading cause of cancer death in men in Canada. About a quarter of patients will have a biochemical recurrence following first-line treatments (surgery or radiation). The subsequent systematic treatment is androgen deprivation therapy which will initially slow the growth of hormone- sensitive tumors. Almost inevitably this therapy will lead to progression towards castrate resistance with or without metastases. In addition, approximately 10% of patients will be initially diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. This form of prostate cancer is one of the most aggressive forms and, to date, there is no curative treatment. This underscores the important of better understanding the factors involved in the progression of prostate cancer. Numerous studies conducted by our laboratory have identified IKKe kinase as a factor involved in the progression of prostate cancer. It has been shown that castrate resistant cell lines that constitutively express IKKe secrete IL-6 and IL-8, cytokines involved in the transactivation of the androgen receptor, one of the mechanisms leading to cancer progression. IKKe contributes to this through the phosphorylation of C/EBP-b, a transcription factor, which leads to the activation of the transcription of the IL-6 and IL-8 genes. Furthermore, C/EBP-b plays a role in the control of senescence induced by androgen deprivation therapy. We therefore hypothesized that IKKe interferes with the mechanisms of senescence induced by androgen deprivation therapy and that targeting IKKe would control the growth of castration-resistant prostate cancer. The first objective was to assess the impact of IKKe inhibition on cell fate during prostate cancer progression. Depletion of IKKe induces a senescence phenotype in the PC- 3 cell line. The use of the IKKe inhibitors, BX795 and Amlexanox, induces a senescence phenotype in castrate resistant cell lines, where IKKe is constitutively expressed, accompanied by a strong induction of DNA damage and genomic instability in a dose- dependent manner. Since IKKe expression is not constitutive in hormone-sensitive cell lines, IKKe inhibitors have very little effect in these. In addition, IKKe inhibitors slow the growth of the PC-3 and DU145 xenografts, while they have no effect on the growth of hormone-sensitive 22Rv1 xenografts. v The second objective was to study the role of IKKe in the senescence escape induced by androgen deprivation therapy. Our research shows that the IKKe depletion or the use of Amlexanox induces a decrease in the C/EBP-b recruitment on the promoter of the Rad51 gene, a protein essential for the efficiency of the mechanisms of DNA damage repair. In addition, blocking the Rad51-mediated repair pathway through Amlexanox enhances susceptibility to Olaparib in castrate resistant cell lines in vitro. Likewise, in a castrate resistant xenograft model, the combination Amlexanox - Olaparib has a stronger effect on tumor growth as compared to a control or each treatment individually. In conclusion, this doctoral research has made it possible to identify a new mechanism implicating IKKe in the progression of prostate cancer. The results show the role of IKKe in the regulation of DNA damage, particularly on the transcription of the Rad51 gene via C/EBP-b. In addition, in vivo experiments show the therapeutic potential of Amlexanox, particularly in combination with Olaparib, to control the growth of castrate resistant tumors.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most devastating primary brain tumour characterised by infiltrative growth and resistance to therapies. According to recent research, the sigma-1 receptor (sig1R), an endoplasmic reticulum chaperone protein, is involved in signaling pathways assumed to control the proliferation of cancer cells and thus could serve as candidate for molecular characterisation of GBM. To test this hypothesis, we used the clinically applied sig1R-ligand (S)-(−)-[18F]fluspidine in imaging studies in an orthotopic mouse model of GBM (U87-MG) as well as in human GBM tissue. A tumour-specific overexpression of sig1R in the U87-MG model was revealed in vitro by autoradiography. The binding parameters demonstrated target-selective binding according to identical KD values in the tumour area and the contralateral side, but a higher density of sig1R in the tumour. Different kinetic profiles were observed in both areas, with a slower washout in the tumour tissue compared to the contralateral side. The translational relevance of sig1R imaging in oncology is reflected by the autoradiographic detection of tumour-specific expression of sig1R in samples obtained from patients with glioblastoma. Thus, the herein presented data support further research on sig1R in neuro-oncology.

No / BACKGROUND: Activating mutations of FGFR3 are frequently identified in superficial urothelial carcinoma (UC) and increased expression of FGFR1 and FGFR3 are common in both superficial and invasive UC. METHODS: The effects of inhibition of receptor activity by three small molecule inhibitors (PD173074, TKI-258 and SU5402) were investigated in a panel of bladder tumour cell lines with known FGFR expression levels and FGFR3 mutation status. RESULTS: All inhibitors prevented activation of FGFR3, and inhibited downstream MAPK pathway signalling. Response was related to FGFR3 and/or FGFR1 expression levels. Cell lines with the highest levels of FGFR expression showed the greatest response and little or no effect was measured in normal human urothelial cells or in UC cell lines with activating RAS gene mutations. In sensitive cell lines, the drugs induced cell cycle arrest and/or apoptosis. IC(50) values for PD173074 and TKI-258 were in the nanomolar concentration range compared with micromolar concentrations for SU5402. PD173074 showed the greatest effects in vitro and in vivo significantly delayed the growth of subcutaneous bladder tumour xenografts. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that inhibition of FGFR1 and wild-type or mutant FGFR3 may represent a useful therapeutic approach in patients with both non-muscle invasive and muscle invasive UC.