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Multidrug resistance (MDR) remains a major obstacle in the treatment of human cancers. The recently discovered breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP/ABCG2) has been found to be an important mediator of chemotherapeutic MDR. Fumitremorgin C (FTC) is a selective and potent inhibitor of BCRP that completely inhibits and reverses BCRP-mediated resistance at micromolar concentrations. We report a study of the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of FTC when administered intravenously (IV) at a dose of 25 mg/kg to female SCID mice bearing the BCRP-overexpressing human ovarian xenograft Igrov1/T8 tumors. Plasma pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of FTC in various organs and tissues were studied. In addition, the effect of FTC administration on the expression of BCRP in T8 tumors was also assessed by RT-PCR. Administration of a single FTC IV dose did not appear to cause any major toxicities. The resulting pharmacokinetic data were fit to a two-compartment model using NONMEM and the FTC clearance was determined to be 0.55 ml/min (25.0 ml/min/kg) with a 56% inter-animal variability. Area under the plasma concentration time curve was determined by Bailer's method and was calculated to be 1128+/-111 microg min/ml. FTC was widely distributed in all tissues assayed with highest concentrations found in lungs, liver and kidney in decreasing order, respectively. FTC did not appear to have any effect on the expression of BCRP in T8 tumors. Less than 2% of the administered dose was recovered in the urine and feces after 24 h, suggesting hepatic metabolism as a primary mechanism of elimination. The current study can be used as a basis for future animal or in vivo studies with FTC designed to further understand the impact of BCRP on drug resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key issue in the treatment of acute leukemia is the development of resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs. Several mechanisms may account for this phenomenon, including failure of the cell to undergo apoptosis in response to chemotherapy, or failure of the drug to reach and/or affect its intracellular target. This review focuses on the latter mechanism, and on intracellular drug transport resistance mechanisms in particular. Expression of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter P-glycoprotein (Pgp) has generally been reported to correlate with prognosis in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Additionally, but more controversial, expression of the ABC transporter multidrug resistance protein (MRP) and the vault-transporter lung resistance protein (LRP) have been correlated with outcome in AML. Despite these findings, functional efflux assays indicate the presence of non-Pgp, non-MRP transporters in AML. Recently, a novel ABC transporter, breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) was cloned and sequenced in our laboratory. Transfection and overexpression of BCRP in drug-sensitive cells confers drug-resistance to the cells. BCRP is a half-transporter, and may homodimerize or form heterodimers (with a yet unknown half-transporter) to produce an active transport complex. Relatively high expression of BCRP mRNA is observed in approximately 30% of AML cases, suggesting a potential role for this new transporter in drug resistance in leukemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The expression of side-population (SP) cells and their relation to tumour-initiating cells (T-ICs) have been insufficiently studied in breast cancer (BC). We therefore evaluated primary cell cultures derived from patients and a panel of human BC cell lines with luminal- or basal-molecular signatures for the presence of SP and BC stem cell markers.Methods: The SPs from luminal-type BC were analysed for BC T-IC characteristics, including human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), ERalpha, IGFBP7 expression and their ability to initiate tumours in non-obese diabetic severe combined immunodeficiency (NOD/SCID) mice. Pharmacological modulators were used to assess the effects of HER2 signalling and breast cancer-resistance protein (BCRP) expression on SPs.Results: The SP was more prevalent in the luminal subtype of BC compared with the basal subtype. HER2 expression was significantly correlated with the occurrence of an SP (r(2)=0.75, P=0.0003). Disappearance of SP in the presence of Ko143, a specific inhibitor of the ATP-binding cassette transporter BCRP, suggests that BCRP is the predominant transporter expressed in this population. The SP also decreased in the presence of HER2 signalling inhibitors AG825 or trastuzumab, strengthening the notion that HER2 contributed to the SP phenotype, likely through downstream AKT signalling. The SP cells from luminal-type MCF-7 cells with enforced expression of HER2, and primary cells with luminal-like properties from a BC patient, displayed enrichment in cells capable of repopulating tumours in NOD/SCID mice. Engraftment of SP cells was inhibited by pretreatment with AG825 or by in vivo treatment with trastuzumab.Interpretation: Our findings indicate an important role of HER2 in regulating SP and hence T-ICs in BC, which may account for the poor responsiveness of HER2-positive BCs to chemotherapy, as well as their aggressiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aberrant expression of homeobox genes has been described in primary leukemia blasts. We recently cloned a new cDNA, BP1, which is a member of the homeobox gene family. BP1 expression was investigated in bone marrow samples from acute myeloid leukemia (AML), acute T cell lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and pre-B cell ALL. Expression levels of two apparent isoforms of BP1, DLX7 and DLX4, were measured in the same samples. They are weakly if at all detectable in normal bone marrow, PHA-stimulated T cells or B cells. BP1 RNA was highly expressed in 63% of AML cases, including 81% of the pediatric and 47% of the adult cases, and in 32% of T-ALL cases, but was not found in any of the pre-B ALL cases. Coexpression of BP1, DLX7 and DLX4 occurred in a significant number of leukemias. Our data, including co-expression of BP1 with c-myb and GATA-1, markers of early progenitors, suggest that BP1 expression occurs in primitive cells in AML. Analysis of CD34+ and CD34- normal bone marrow cells revealed BP1 is expressed in CD34- cells and virtually extinguished in CD34+ cells. Ectopic expression of BP1 in the leukemia cell line K562 increased clonogenicity, consistent with a role for BP1 in leukemogenesis. The presence of BP1 RNA in leukemic blasts may therefore be a molecular marker for primitive cells and/or may indicate that BP1 is an important upstream factor in an oncogenic pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human cancer cell lines grown in the presence of the cytotoxic agent mitoxantrone frequently develop resistance associated with a reduction in intracellular drug accumulation without increased expression of the known drug resistance transporters P-glycoprotein and multidrug resistance protein (also known as multidrug resistance-associated protein). Breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) is a recently described adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transporter associated with resistance to mitoxantrone and anthracyclines. This study was undertaken to test the prevalence of BCRP overexpression in cell lines selected for growth in the presence of mitoxantrone.Methods: Total cellular RNA or poly A+ RNA and genomic DNA were isolated from parental and drug-selected cell lines. Expression of BCRP messenger RNA (mRNA) and amplification of the BCRP gene were analyzed by northern and Southern blot hybridization, respectively.Results: A variety of drug-resistant human cancer cell lines derived by selection with mitoxantrone markedly overexpressed BCRP mRNA; these cell lines included sublines of human breast carcinoma (MCF-7), colon carcinoma (S1 and HT29), gastric carcinoma (EPG85-257), fibrosarcoma (EPF86-079), and myeloma (8226) origins. Analysis of genomic DNA from BCRP-overexpressing MCF-7/MX cells demonstrated that the BCRP gene was also amplified in these cells.Conclusions: Overexpression of BCRP mRNA is frequently observed in multidrug-resistant cell lines selected with mitoxantrone, suggesting that BCRP is likely to be a major cellular defense mechanism elicited in response to exposure to this drug. It is likely that BCRP is the putative "mitoxantrone transporter" hypothesized to be present in these cell lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]