Multipel skleros (MS) är en kronisk, neurologisk sjukdom som drabbar centrala nervsystemet (CNS). Sjukdomen är autoimmun där kroppens eget immunförsvar angriper nervvävnaden, framför allt myelin, och därefter uppstår en inflammatorisk reaktion. Nerverna i det centrala nervsystemet påverkar många olika funktioner och eftersom myelinet som omsluter nervfibrerna blir inflammerat på olika ställen, både i hjärnan och i ryggmärgen, uppkommer olika typer av symptom. Symptomen för MS kan skilja sig mycket från en individ till en annan, och från skov till skov. Om McDonald-kriterierna uppfylls, som bygger på att minst två separata CNS-lesioner skilda i rum och med minst en månads intervall påvisas utan en tydlig anledning, ställs diagnosen MS. Individer med MS producerar autoreaktiva T-celler som deltar i bildningen av inflammatoriska lesioner längs myelinskidan, men det finns även CNS-celler som gliaceller och astrocyter, som deltar i inflammationsprocessen. Vävnadstypen HLA-DR2 är förknippad med ökad risk att få MS. Den vanligaste och den milda formen av MS, skovvis förlöpande MS, bromsas med immunmodulerande läkemedel som interferon beta, fingolimod, m.fl. Syftet med det här litteraturarbetet var att utreda den kliniska effekten av fingolimod, den första orala behandlingen mot MS, på möjliga skador som förekommer på grund av MS. Studierna som granskades i detta arbete hämtades från Pubmed. Resultatet visar att fingolimod har klinisk effekt vid MS, men det behövs fler studier för att undersöka säkerhetsprofilen mer ingående. I en studie under två år reducerades den årliga skovfrekvensen från 0.4 till mindre än hälften av detta. I en annan två-årig studie, där fingolimod jämfördes med interferon-beta 1a, fanns det en signifikant större reduktion i den årliga skovfrekvensen i fingolimodgruppen (årlig skovfrekvens < 0,20) än i interferongruppen (årlig skovfrekvens 0,33). Majoriteten av patienterna (>70 %) förblev skovfria med fingolimodbehandlingen i båda studierna. Det fanns inga studier där fingolimod kombinerades med annan MS-behandling, vilket skulle vara intressant att se i framtiden. / Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease that affects the nerves within the central nervous system (CNS). The disease is autoimmune where the body's own immune system attacks nerve tissue, especially myelin, causing an inflammatory reaction. The nerves of the central nervous system serve many different functions and since the myelin surrounding the nerve fibers becomes inflamed at different places, both in the brain and the spinal cord, a variety of symptoms result. Symptoms of MS can differ greatly from one individual to another, as well as from relapse to relapse. If the McDonald criteria, which are based on at least two separate CNS lesions separated in space and at least one month apart demonstrated without a clear reason, are fulfilled a diagnosis of MS is set. Individuals with MS produce autoreactive T cells involved in the formation of inflammatory lesions along the myelin sheath, but CNS cells, glial cells and astrocytes, also participate in the inflammatory process. Tissue type HLA-DR2 is associated with increased risk of developing MS. The most common and mild form of MS, relapsing-remitting MS, can be slowed down with immunomodulatory drugs such as interferon beta, fingolimod, etc. The aim of this literature study was to investigate the clinical efficacy of fingolimod, the first oral therapy for MS, on the possible damage that occurs due to MS. The studies examined in this work were taken from Pubmed. The results demonstrate that fingolimod has clinical efficacy in MS, but more studies are needed to investigate the safety profile in more detail. In a study over two years the annualized relapse rate was reduced from 0.4 to less than half of this. In another two-year study in which fingolimod was compared with interferon-beta 1a, there was a significantly greater reduction in the annualized relapse rate in the fingolimod group (annualized relapse rate <0.20) than in interferon group (annualized relapse rate 0.33). The majority of patients (>70 %) remained relapse-free with fingolimod treatment in both studies. There were no studies that combined fingolimod with other MS treatments, which would be interesting to see in the future.

Phenotypic screening of drug molecules relies on the generation of a specific response; however the means by which this is elicited often remains unknown. Affinity chromatography is a valuable tool in the discovery of drug binding partners and may even allow the elucidation of the wider interactome of the initial drug target. The introduction of easily cleavable linkers and affinity-independent elution protocols to affinity chromatography is of current interest, since they render the technique much more adaptable with respect to the characterisation of biologically active species of interest. This thesis details the application of a novel azobenzene linker developed by the Hulme group for use in affinity-independent chromatography. The first chapter reviews recent developments in affinity chromatography and describes the synthesis of an affinity linker toolbox with both affinity-dependent and affinity-independent linkers. These linkers are functionalised with an azide moiety for use in CuAAC coupling to alkynyl derivatives of bioactive small molecules and have been modified to include photoreactive groups giving a series of linkers for use in the identification of less abundant, or low affinity, proteins. The first drug investigated, anisomycin (ANS), is a small molecule which was initially introduced as an antibiotic drug (Flagecidin). At nanomolar concentrations ANS has been shown to affect the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways; downstream effects of these pathways are thought to play a role in a range of pathological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). ANS is thus a candidate for drug repurposing. Although the downstream effects of MAPK/SAPK pathway activation induced by anisomycin are well-documented, the cellular target has yet to be revealed. Previous work by the Hulme group has shown that the N-propargyl anisomycin derivative (I) retains the biological activity of the lead compound ANS. Thus to evaluate the cellular protein targets, N-propargyl ANS (I) was coupled onto the linker toolbox to create an ANS affinity probe library as described in chapter 2. The second drug investigated, fingolimod, was introduced as an immunomodulating drug (Glienya) for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). This small molecule has also been shown to have anti-cancer properties in a range of cancer cell lines; however the precise mechanism by which this is effected is unknown. Literature precedent shows that terminal modification of fingolimod generates analogues which still retain biological activity. Thus a novel fingolimod alkyne derivative (II) was synthesised and used to create an affinity probe library as described in chapter 3. Chapter 4 describes affinity pull-down experiments conducted with the aim of finding the protein target(s) of ANS and fingolimod, using the affinity probe libraries generated in chapters 2 and 3. This chapter concludes with a discussion of the implications of these findings and directions for future study.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is an extremely lethal cancer that is difficult to treat. A better understanding of the biology of pancreatic ductal cancer will help to develop targeted therapies that may improve clinical outcomes. Recently, the lipid signaling molecule sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) has emerged as a driver of malignant behavior in many types of cancer. Its role in pancreatic cancer remains unknown. Pancreatic cancer cells express high levels of the S1P receptor known as S1PR1, which is the receptor most important for mediating growth and migration through S1P signaling. In addition, the subcellular expression of the sphingosine kinases is altered in pancreatic cancer cells, which may contribute to their malignant behavior. Exogenous S1P increases pancreatic cancer cell migration, while inhibition of S1P signaling decreases the metabolic activity of pancreatic cancer cells as well as their ability to invade and migrate. Taken together, these results demonstrate the importance of S1P signaling in maintaining malignant behavior in pancreatic cancer cells. In addition, inhibition of S1P signaling represents a potential therapeutic target in pancreatic ductal cancer.

Multipel skleros (MS) är en kronisk immunologisk sjukdom som slår på centrala nervsystemet (CNS) och kan leda till minskad neurologisk funktion. I Sverige finns 17 500 personer som fått en MS-diagnos. Den vanligaste åldern för insjuknande är 20-40 år och sjukdomen är dubbelt så vanlig bland kvinnor som bland män. Om patienterna inte får behandling finns risk för kraftiga funktionsnedsättningar. Syftet med detta arbete var att undersöka effekten och säkerheten med det perorala läkemedlet fingolimod jämfört med intravenös behandling med natalizumab vid MS. Arbetet utformades som en litteraturstudie där sökningar gjordes i PubMed genom Linnéuniversitetets bibliotek. De sökord som användes var "multiple sclerosis AND drug therapy AND fingolimod" samt "multiple sclerosis AND drug therapy AND natalizumab". Sökningarna ledde till att 7 studier granskades. Studierna visade att både fingolimod och natalizumab ger bättre effekt än placebo och de har dessutom bra säkerhet. Det var dock inga stora skillnader mellan de två substanserna. Vad gällde risken för progredierande funktionsnedsättning och risken för allvarliga biverkningar tycktes fingolimod vara något mera fördelaktigt, medan natalizumab hade en liten fördel vad gällde antalet gadoliniumförstärkta lesioner. Då man i några av fingolimodstudierna inte använde sig av intention-to-treat (ITT) och dubbelblindning kan läkemedlets effekter i dessa studier framstå som bättre än vad de är och de små förbättringar i effekter som sågs i resultaten blir osäkra. För att säkert kunna säga om det är någon skillnad i effekt och säkerhet mellan preparaten vore det önskvärt med nya dubbelblindade långtidsstudier av fingolimod där ITT använts vid analysen. Det vore också intressant med en randomiserad klinisk prövning som jämför fingolimod med natalizumab. De resultat som framförallt bör studeras är skovfrekvens, risk för ökande funktionsnedsättning och risk för allvarliga biverkningar, då dessa parametrar borde vara av störst värde för patienterna.

Objectives: Adherence to multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment is essential to optimize the likelihood of full treatment effect. This prospective, observational, single-center cohort study investigated adherence to fingolimod over the 2 years following treatment initiation. Two facets of adherence - implementation and persistence - were examined and compared between new and experienced users of disease-modifying treatments (DMTs). Materials and methods: Implementation rates were based on the proportion of days covered and calculated as percentages per half-yearly visits and over 2 years, captured through refill data, pill count, and self-report. Nonadherence was defined as taking less than 85.8% of prescribed pills. Implementation rates were classified as nonadherent (< 85.8%), suboptimally adherent (>= 85.8% but. 96.2%), and optimally adherent (>= 96.2%), including perfectly adherent (100%). Persistence, ie, time until discontinuation, was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Reasons for discontinuation were recorded. Results: The cohort included 98 patients with relapsing MS, all of whom received a dedicated education session about their medication. Of these 80% were women, 31.6% had fingolimod as first DMT, and 68.4% had switched from other DMTs. The mean implementation rate over 2 years was 98.6% (IQR(1-3) 98.51%-98.7%) and did not change significantly over time; 89% of measurements were in the optimally adherent category, 45.6% in the perfectly adherent category. There was one single occurrence of nonadherence. New users of DMTs were 1.29 times more likely to be adherent than experienced users (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.11-1.51; P < 0.001), but not more persistent. Nineteen of 98 patients discontinued fingolimod. Conclusion: The very high implementation rates displayed in this sample of MS patients suggest that facilitation by health care professionals in preserving adherence behavior may be sufficient for the majority of patients. Targeted interventions should focus on patients who are nonadherent or who stop treatment without intention to reinitiate.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・論文博士 / 博士(医学) / 乙第12871号 / 論医博第2087号 / 新制||医||1006(附属図書館) / 31589 / 北海道大学大学院医学研究科臨床医学コース / (主査)教授 三森 経世, 教授 長澤 丘司, 教授 河野 憲二 / 学位規則第4条第2項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

La polyradiculonévrite inflammatoire démyélinisante chronique (PIDC) est une pathologie neurologique auto-immune du système nerveux périphérique dont la physiopathologie est actuellement mal connue, pour laquelle les options thérapeutiques sont peu nombreuses et dont il n’existe pas de modèle animal fiable. Le premier objectif de ce travail était de valider et de caractériser un modèle animal de PIDC par immunisation de rat Lewis avec le peptide P0(180-199) palmitoylé. Les animaux ont développé une pathologie chronique ou à rechute qui a pu être caractérisée aux plans clinique, histologique, électrophysiologique et immunologique. Les résultats sont en faveur d’un modèle fiable et reproductible mimant bien la PIDC humaine. Le deuxième objectif de ce travail était de tester, sur notre modèle, le fingolimod, modulateur des récepteurs à la sphingosine 1-phosphate, comme potentiel traitement de la pathologie. Le fingolimod a permis, dans notre modèle, de diminuer la sévérité et la chronicité de la maladie, d’améliorer les paramètres électrophysiologiques, de diminuer l’infiltration par les cellules inflammatoires et les anomalies immunologiques. / Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) is an autoimmune pathology of the peripheral nervous system whose pathophysiology is currently poorly understood, for which there are few therapeutic options and no reliable animal model. The first aim of this work was to validate and characterize an animal model of CIDP by immunization of rat Lewis with the palmitoylated peptide P0(180-199). The animals developed a chronic or relapsing pathology that could be characterized clinically, histologically, electrophysiologically and immunologically. The results are in favor of a reliable and reproducible model that mimics the human CIDP. The second aim of this work was to test, on our model, the fingolimod, sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor modulator, as potential treatment of the pathology. In our model, fingolimod has reduced the severity and the chronicity of the disease, improved electrophysiological parameters, reduced infiltration by inflammatory cells and recue immunological abnormalities.

Les neuropathies à anticorps anti-MAG sont secondaires à une gammapathie monoclonale IgM dirigée contre la MAG des gaines de myéline des nerfs périphériques. Le traitement est celui de l’hémopathie sous‐jacente. Même si les thérapeutiques sont de plus en plus efficaces, les hémopathies restent le plus souvent incurables. Le rituximab est couramment utilisé dans le traitement des neuropathies à anticorps anti‐MAG, mais son efficacité n’a pas pu être clairement démontrée dans deux études contrôlées. Le FTY720 ou fingolimod est un sphingolipide, analogue de la sphingosine, qui inhibe les récepteurs de la sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P). Il est utilisé comme immunosuppresseur dans la Sclérose en Plaques. Des études ont également rapporté un effet cytotoxique du FTY720 dans des hémopathies sans toutefois clairement expliquer son mécanisme d’action. L’objectif de ce travail est d’élucider les mécanismes moléculaires de l’effet cytotoxique du FTY720 dans un modèle d’hémopathie B, la leucémie lymphoïde chronique (LLC). Des cellules leucémiques primaires de LLC et une lignée cellulaire MEC1 ont été utilisées comme modèle expérimental in vitro. Le FTY720, comme la sphingosine, entraîne une cytotoxicité dose‐dépendante dans la LLC. Cet effet, médié par la forme non phosphorylée de FTY720, est indépendant des récepteurs au S1P. Le FTY720 induit l’expression de marqueurs d’apoptose: exposition de la phosphaJdylsérine, clivage de PARP et de caspase 3. Cependant sa toxicité apparaît indépendante des caspases. La lipidation accrue de LC3 et la formation d’autophagolysosomes indiquent que le FTY720 augmente également le flux autophagique. Cependant, des inhibiteurs de l’autophagie ne permettent pas de bloquer la mort cellulaire induite par le FTY720, suggérant que l’autophagie a ici un rôle protecteur vis à vis de la toxicité du FTY720. Plusieurs éléments permettent de conclure que le FTY720 est responsable d’une nécrose cellulaire : aspect morphologique de nécrose en microscopie électronique, perméabilisation membranaire précoce avec relocalisation cytoplasmique de HMGB1, libération extracellulaire de LDH, perméabilisation de la membrane lysosomale associée à une activation des cathepsines. Au niveau moléculaire, l’action du FTY720 n’est pas bloquée par la nécrostatine 1, indiquant que la nécrose induite par le FTY720 est indépendante de RIPK1 (receptor interacJng protein 1), une kinase clef des voies extrinsèques de nécrose cellulaire programmée. Par contre, nos travaux ont établi l’implication de DRP1 (dynamin related protein), une enzyme régulatrice de la fission mitochondriale, dans le processus de nécrose induite par le FTY720. En plus d’une relocalisation précoce de DRP1 à la mitochondrie accompagnée d’une augmentation de sa phosphorylation sur des sites régulateurs de son activité, nos expériences montrent que la suppression de son expression par interférence à ARN dans les cellules leucémiques réduit fortement la mort cellulaire induite par le FTY720. Le FTY720 est donc responsable dans la LLC d’une nécrose cellulaire programmée dépendante de DRP1. Nos résultats illustrent l’implication des sphingolipides dans la régulation de la survie cellulaire et dans les voies de nécrose programmée. Le FTY720 a un mode d’action original différent de l’apoptose induite par les chimiothérapies classiques. Le FTY720 pourrait donc être une alternative thérapeutique dans les néoplasies B résistantes aux chimiothérapies usuelles et dans certaines manifestations auto‐immunes des hémopathies comme les neuropathies à anticorps anti‐MAG. / Fingolimod (FTY720) is an immunosuppressive drug that was recently approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis and is currently under pre-clinical investigation as a therapy for a number of haematological malignancies. Previous studies have indicated a role for FTY720 in inducing autophagy and caspase-independent cell death in cancer cells through incompletely characterized molecular mechanisms. Our study thus aims at a beeer understanding of the way of action of FTY720. In chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) cells, FTY720 induced cell death with typical features of apoptosis, including phosphatidylserine exposure and caspase-3 activation, and features of autophagy, including LC3 conversion, autophagolysosome formation and lysosomal cathepsins activation. However, neither caspase nor autophagy blockade prevented the cytotoxic effect of FTY720, suggesting another mechanism of cell death. Using electron and fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry and biochemical analyses, we found that FTY720 treatment increased a fraction of annexin V-/7-AAD+ cells both in primary and transformed leukemic cells and induced morphological changes representative of necrosis, including oncosis, mitochondrial and plasma membrane alteration. FTY720 treatment resulted in increased plasma membrane permeability as shown by the extracellular translocation of the nuclear high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protein and by the release into the culture medium of the cytosolic enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Interestingly, cell death induced by FTY720 was not prevented by pharmacological inhibition of RIPK1 and PP2A. In contrast, FTY720--‐induced necrosis was accompanied by an early relocation to the mitochondria of Dynamin Related Protein 1, DRP1. Importantly, FTY720 stimulation led to ma tior changes in the phosphorylation of serine residues associated with the mitochondrial fission activity of DRP1. Finally, siRNA--‐mediated knockdown of DRP1 significantly reduced necrotic cell death induced by FTY720. In this study, we thus demonstrate that in leukemic cells the cytotoxic effect of the immunosuppressive drug Fingolimod involves a DRP1--‐dependent regulated necrosis. These observations are important in line of the future development of Fingolimod as a new therapeutic agent in haematological malignancies.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(医学) / 甲第22336号 / 医博第4577号 / 新制||医||1041(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院医学研究科医学専攻 / (主査)教授 高橋 淳, 教授 渡邉 大, 教授 伊佐 正 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

Introduction: Addition of a second drug used to be a strategy to achieve clinical stabilization of multiple sclerosis in many patients with on-going activity despite monotherapy. Modern immunosuppressive drugs used in monotherapy exert more specific mode of action. Methods: This retrospective observational study evaluated 5-year data from 85 patients with active multiple sclerosis despite monotherapy with either interferon beta or azathioprine, who received add-on azathioprine or interferon beta, respectively. In a subgroup of 23 patients 10- year data were analysed. In a second part of the study, a group of 126 patients switched either from interferon beta or glatiramer acetate to fingolimod was followed-up for one after the change of their treatment and a in a subgroup of 53 patients the 2-year data were assessed. Clinical (relapse frequency, disability) parameters were compared preceding and following the addition of second drug or the switch of treatment. Laboratory results and potential serious adverse events were evaluated in a group of patients with combination therapy. Results: The add-on treatment triggered a drop in annualised relapse rate by approximately 1.5 points sustained over 5 and 10 years. No effect on disability was observed. Simultaneously, white blood cell and lymphocyte counts...