Search

The ongoing therapeutic revolution in multiple myeloma care can be traced to the turn of the millennium with the unanticipated discovery in 1999 that the cereblon binding small molecule thalidomide had profound clinical effectiveness and, simultaneously, the emergence of a new class of targeted therapies inhibiting the proteasome, both of which ultimately target ubiquitinated protein degradation. These contemporaneous discoveries forever changed the landscape of multiple myeloma care, substantially extending survival. Foreshadowing this seismic change, Nobel Prize winning work on the proteasome ubiquitin pathway had stimulated the development of highly specific proteasome inhibitor small molecules, particularly PS-341 (later named bortezomib). An abundance of the proteasome in hematologic malignancies had been recognized and thus PS-341 was logically being explored in relevant preclinical models. Concurrent with phase I trials, which were soon to prove the significant clinical relevance of preclinical models, the laboratory of Dr. Kenneth Anderson and colleagues at Dana-Farber, in partnership with Dr. Julian Adams and scientists at ProScript (later Millennium Pharmaceuticals) first demonstrated that the proteasome inhibitor PS-341 inhibited growth, induced apoptosis, and overcame drug resistance in human multiple myeloma cells. This landmark paper in Cancer Research set the stage for a paradigm shift in how multiple myeloma was managed across all stages of the disease, which changed the lives of patients worldwide. See related article by Hideshima and colleagues, Cancer Res 2001;61:3071-6., (©2023 American Association for Cancer Research.)

Introduction: Every year there is an increase in the number of cases and deaths due to the majority of cancers. Currently, these diseases constitute the second cause of death in Poland and the USA. The number of cases of malignant neoplasms in Poland has more than doubled over the last three decades. According to the National Cancer Registry, in Poland about 95.5 people per thousand die every year from malignant neoplasms. Current epidemiological data on cancer is worrying because the World Health Organization predicts a significant increase in the incidence of cancer in the general population. This problem, which is significant on the global scale, demands the search for more effective prevention methods so that more and more attention is paid to both primary and secondary prevention. Prevention and early detection of cancer have become a priority for the national health policy of many European countries. Numerous studies around the world prove that reducing the risk of cancer is most effective through adopting a healthy lifestyle, avoiding exposure to carcinogens, combined with regular screening. Objective: The aim of the study was to review knowledge on cancer prevention, including the latest research results. Conclusions: Due to the systematic increase in the incidence of cancer, a strong emphasis should be placed on prevention. Preventive actions bring benefits not only to the individual, but are an important aspect of health policy. The importance of primary prevention in relation to healthy people has been demonstrated, including secondary prevention aimed at controlling risk factors in relation to persons exposed to them. The combination of these activities becomes an important element in maintaining the health of the individual, as well as society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent pace, extent, and impact of paradigm-changing cancer prevention science has been remarkable. The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) convened a 3-day summit, aligned with five research priorities: (i) Precancer Atlas (PCA). (ii) Cancer interception. (iii) Obesity-cancer linkage, a global epidemic of chronic low-grade inflammation. (iv) Implementation science. (v) Cancer disparities. Aligned with these priorities, AACR co-led the Lancet Commission to formally endorse and accelerate the NCI Cancer Moonshot program, facilitating new global collaborative efforts in cancer control. The expanding scope of creative impact is perhaps most startling-from NCI-funded built environments to AACR Team Science Awarded studies of Asian cancer genomes informing global primary prevention policies; cell-free epigenetic marks identifying incipient neoplastic site; practice-changing genomic subclasses in myeloproliferative neoplasia (including germline variant tightly linked to JAK2 V617F haplotype); universal germline genetic testing for pancreatic cancer; and repurposing drugs targeting immune- and stem-cell signals (e.g., IL-1β, PD-1, RANK-L) to cancer interception. Microbiota-driven IL-17 can induce stemness and transformation in pancreatic precursors (identifying another repurposing opportunity). Notable progress also includes hosting an obesity special conference (connecting epidemiologic and molecular perspectives to inform cancer research and prevention strategies), co-leading concerted national implementation efforts in HPV vaccination, and charting the future elimination of cancer disparities by integrating new science tools, discoveries and perspectives into community-engaged research, including targeted counter attacks on e-cigarette ad exploitation of children, Hispanics and Blacks. Following this summit, two unprecedented funding initiatives were catalyzed to drive cancer prevention research: the NCI Cancer Moonshot (e.g., PCA and disparities); and the AACR-Stand Up To Cancer bold "Cancer Interception" initiative., (©2018 American Association for Cancer Research.)

Collection and analysis of DNA, most commonly from blood or buccal cells, is becoming more common in epidemiologic studies. Buccal samples, which are painless to take and relatively easily collected, are often the preferred source. There are several buccal cell collection methods: swabs, brushes, mouthwash, and treated cards, such as FTA or IsoCode cards. Few studies have systematically compared methods of buccal cell collection with respect to DNA yield and amplification success under similar conditions. We compared buccal DNA collection and amplification using buccal swabs and FTA cards in 122 control subjects from our Australian case-control study of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Buccal DNA was quantified using a real-time PCR for beta-actin and genotyped at the loci of three polymorphisms (MTHFR 677C>T, ACE I/D, and XPD 1012G>A). PCR was successful with DNA from buccal swabs for 62% to 89% of subjects and from FTA cards for 83% to 100% of subjects, depending on the locus. The matched pair odds ratios (95% confidence interval) comparing success of FTA cards with buccal swabs are as follows: MTHFR 677C>T using PCR-RFLP, 12.5 (11.6-13.5) and using real-time PCR, 130.0 (113.1-152.8); ACE I/D using PCR-amplified fragment length polymorphism, 3.36 (3.2-3.5); XPD 1012G>A using real-time PCR, 150.0 (132.7-172.3). FTA cards are a robust DNA collection method and generally produce DNA suitable for PCR more reliably than buccal swabs. There are, however, technical challenges in handling discs punched from FTA cards that intending users should be aware of.

We devised a simple, noninvasive, cost-efficient technique for collecting buccal cell DNA for molecular epidemiology studies. Subjects (n = 52) brushed their oral mucosa and expectorated the fluid in their mouths, which was applied to "Guthrie" cards pretreated to retard bacterial growth and inhibit nuclease activity (IsoCode, Schleicher and Schuell, Keene, NH). The cards are well-suited for transport and storage because they dry quickly, need no processing, and are compact and lightweight. We stored the samples at room temperature for 5 days to mimic a field situation and then divided them into portions from which DNA was extracted either immediately or after storage for 9 months at room temperature, -20 degrees C, or -70 degrees C. The fresh samples had a median yield of 2.3 microg of human DNA (range, 0.2-53.8 microg), which was adequate for at least 550 PCR reactions. More than 90% of the samples were amplified in all three beta-globin gene fragment assays attempted. DNA extract frozen for 1 week at -20 degrees C also performed well. Stored samples had reduced DNA yields, which achieved statistical significance for room temperature and -70 degrees C, but not -20 degrees C, storage. However, because all of the stored samples tested were successfully amplified, the observed reduction may represent tighter DNA fixation to the card over time rather than loss of genetic material. We conclude that treated cards are an alternative to brushes/swabs and mouth rinses for the collection of buccal cell DNA and offer some advantages over these methods, particularly for large-scale or large-scale or long-term studies involving stored samples and studies in which samples are collected off-site and transported. Future studies that enable direct comparisons of the various buccal cell collection methods are needed.

Human serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is elevated in not only hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) but also benign liver diseases. AFP produced in HCC and benign liver diseases was separated into several isoforms corresponding to different sugar chain structures by several types of lectin affinity electrophoresis, and the HCC-specific AFP isoform was discriminated from those of benign liver diseases. Because a small amount of HCC-specific AFP isoform was detected in cord serum AFP, the whole sugar chain structures of human cord serum AFP were determined, as follows: Neu5Ac alpha 2-->Gal beta 1-->4GlcNAc beta 1-->2Man alpha 1-->6(Neu5Ac alpha 2 -->6Gal beta 1-->4GlcNAc beta 1-->2Man alpha 1-->3)Man beta 1-->4R1 and R2, Gal beta 1-->4GlcNAc beta 1-->2Man alpha 1-->6(Neu5Ac alpha 2-->6Gal beta 1 -->4GlcNAc beta 1-->2Man alpha 1-->3)Man beta 1-->4R1 and R2, and Neu5Ac alpha 2-->3Gal beta 1-->4GlcNAc beta 1-->2Man alpha 1-->6(Neu5Ac alpha 2 -->6Gal beta 1-->4GlcNAc beta 1-->2Man alpha 1-->3)Man beta 1-->4R1 and R2 in the ratio of 81.6:8.9:9.5. R1 and R2 denote GlcNAc beta 1-->4GlcNAcOT (subscript OT represents an NaB3H4-reduced oligosaccharide) and GlcNAc beta 1-->4(Fuc alpha 1-->6)GlcNAcOT, respectively, and the ratio between R1 and R2 in the respective fractions was approximately 19:1. In contrast, the sugar chain structure of HCC highly specific AFP isoform was found to comprise a monosialyl-biantennary sugar chain with additional fucosylation of the proximal N-acetylglucosamine. Fucosylation of AFP produced in fetal liver increased in inverse proportion to the gestation period, in weeks, indicating that fucosylation of AFP in HCC may be related to the dedifferentiation of human hepatocytes through malignant transformation.

Male CD rats were injected with single i.p. doses of benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P), and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs), livers, and lungs were removed at various times after administration. DNA adducts were analyzed in each tissue by 32P postlabeling with nuclease P1 enhancement. Sister chromatid exchange frequencies were concomitantly measured in cultured whole blood. B(a)P-DNA adducts were observed in all three tissues from animals sacrificed between 1 and 56 days after injection. Maximal adduction levels occurred at about 4 days after administration, followed by a gradual loss of adducts over the period examined. The apparent half-lives of total DNA adducts were 15 days in liver, 17 days in PBLs, and 22 days in lung. Induced sister chromatid exchanges were linearly related to the amount of DNA adducts remaining in the PBLs at the time of harvest up to 56 days and were significantly elevated above concurrent controls up to 14 days. One of the major adducts found in each tissue was N2-(10 beta-[7 beta,8 alpha,9 alpha-trihydroxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo(a) pyrene]yl)deoxyguanosine. An additional novel major adduct was found in the liver DNA and is derived from the further metabolism of B(a)P-trans-7,8-dihydrodiol. A second major novel B(a)P adduct was found in the DNA of lung tissues and accounts for about 40% of the total adducts present. Experimental evidence suggests that this adduct is derived from a metabolic pathway that includes the formation of 9-hydroxy-B(a)P.

Asparagine-linked oligosaccharides were quantitatively released by hydrazinolysis from an alkaline phosphatase, Kasahara isozyme, which was purified from FL amnion cells. Almost all of the oligosaccharides (98%) were acidic components, all of which can be converted to neutral oligosaccharides upon sialidase digestion. Structural analysis of the oligosaccharides by sequential exoglycosidase digestion in combination with methylation analysis revealed that the alkaline phosphatase of FL cells contains sialylated mono-, bi-, tri-, and tetraantennary complex type sugar chains with the Gal beta 1----4GlcNAc beta 1---- outer chains. Some of the tetraantennary sugar chains contain a single Gal beta 1----4GlcNAc beta 1----3Gal beta 1----4GlcNAc beta 1---- outer chain on their Man alpha 1----6 arm. Both fucosylated and nonfucosylated trimannosyl cores were found in the sugar chains. However, it is of interest that the core portion of monoantennary oligosaccharide was not fucosylated and that of the tetraantennary oligosaccharide with a tetrasaccharide outer chain was completely fucosylated.

Background: What are the major determinants of women's breast cancer risk? Rare mutations such as those in the BRCA1/2 genes, polygenic scores of common alleles identified by genome-wide association studies, or nongenetic factors? Methods: The population-based Nordic Twin Study of Cancer, with 3,933 breast cancer cases among 21,054 monozygotic (MZ) and 30,939 dizygotic (DZ) female twin pairs, provides three key clues to this question: (i) the average lifetime risk, approximately 8%, does not differ by twin zygosity; (ii) the mean time interval between diagnoses when both twins develop disease (i.e., disease concordance) also does not differ by zygosity; but, (iii) conditioning on one twin having developed disease, the incidence rate in the co-twin is approximately 1% per year if the pair is MZ and 0.5% per year if DZ. Results: Assuming that nongenetic risk factors are shared similarly between twins regardless of zygosity, we can draw two conclusions from (i) to (iii). Conclusions: First, (i) and (iii) imply that the chief determinant of risk is in the germline DNA, because the conditional incidence rate is several-fold higher than the average risk (8% lifetime) in MZ twins but only half as much in DZ twins. Second, the seeming inconsistency between the two-fold conditional incidence rate (iii) and the equality of the mean inter-twin disease intervals in disease concordance (ii) can be resolved if the risk factors in the germline DNA are rare variants, not common variants. Impact: This paper details simple deductive reasoning for these conclusions and draws a critical inference regarding breast cancer etiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implementing fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) through clinic based opportunistic screening or programmatic mailing is not as straightforward as it seems. Liu and colleagues present data for 56,980 individuals who submitted a FIT in a safety net hospital system. In 10.2% (N = 5,819), the test was deemed unsatisfactory. These data demonstrate that there is significant room for improvement in clinical practice regarding colorectal cancer screening with FIT. The high rate of 10% for unsatisfactory FIT tests is higher than the 5% benchmark suggested by the U.S. Multi-Society Task Force on colorectal cancer screening. To maximize FIT success, there needs to be a preoccupation with failure at the system level that results in reducing the number of FIT tests that are rejected. Completing a stool test independently at home is not easy. The medical system needs to help and support individuals in completing the test every step of the way. Suggestions include patient related tips such as labelling and mailing the tests. There are also suggestions for the ordering clinician including administrative tracking to notify clinicians when a FIT has not been performed or is rejected. Papers like this get us focused exactly where we need to be to improve FIT-based screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N4-Palmitoyl-1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (N4-palmitoyl-ara-C), a lipophilic derivative of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine, possessed an affinity for KB cell plasma membrane. Approximately 15 to 25% of the drug incorporated into KB cells was retained in plasma membrane when the cells were treated with the drug for 1 to 32 hr at 10 microM, the concentration required for 50% inhibition of cell growth. Less than 5.3% of the drug was found in the plasma membrane when the cells were treated with 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine. N4-Palmitoyl-ara-C in the membrane fraction cosedimented with plasma membrane in a sucrose density gradient at 4 degrees, indicating a close association between the drug and the membrane. The affinity of N4-palmitoyl-ara-C for plasma membrane probably contributes to the efficient uptake rate and the strong cytotoxic effect of N4-palmitoyl-ara-C reported previously. The metabolites of N4-palmitoyl-ara-C in KB cells, treated with the drug for 32 hr at the concentration required for 50% inhibition of cell growth (10 microM), were analyzed by diethylaminoethyl Sepharose CL-6B column chromatography and thin-layer and paper chromatography. This analysis showed that over 98% of the drug present in the KB cell was N4-palmitoyl-ara-C. The active metabolites, 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine, 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine 5'-monophosphate, N4-palmitoyl-1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine 5'-monophosphate, and 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine 5'-triphosphate, were found in amounts of 0.41, 0.37, 0.17, and 0.05%, respectively, of the total drug found in the cells. Also found were the inactive metabolites 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyluracil and 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine diphosphate choline in amounts of 0.61 and 0.29%, respectively.

The purpose of this study was to compare the expression of O-acetylated sialic acids on normal colonic epithelial cells to that on primary and metastatic human adenocarcinoma of the colon and rectum. In 24 cases, the relative percentages of biosynthetically labeled non-, mono-, di-, and tri-O-acetylated sialic acids were measured after hydrolytic release, separation, and identification by paper chromatography. In one case, the presence of di- and tri-O-acetylated sialic acids was confirmed by fast atom bombardment-mass spectral analysis. Differences were observed in the expression of sialic acids between normal colonic epithelium, "uninvolved" colon mucosa remote to a colonic adenocarcinoma, and colonic adenocarcinoma. The levels of mono- and tri-O-acetylated sialic acids accounted for the difference in the ratios of sialic acids expressed between normal and "uninvolved" colonic mucosa, while the total amount of O-acetylation was unchanged. However, no difference was observed in the relative amounts of non- and O-acetylated sialic acids between either fresh and tissue culture-established colon carcinomas, or fresh and tissue culture-established liver metastasis derived from carcinoma of the colon. The relative expression of these O-acetylated sialic acids molecules appears to vary according to tissue type. This study suggests that individuals with adenocarcinoma of the colon express a field defect resulting in abnormal ratios of O-acetylated sialic acids.

A technique involving O-acetylation of purine N-oxide derivatives in buffered aqueous solutions has permitted studies of the reactivity of many compounds for which the O-acetyl derivatives are not otherwise available. The oxidizing properties of a variety of N-acetoxypurines have been measured through their ability to oxidize iodide ion ot iodine, a reaction which is representative of a more general oxidizing ability. Those esters that oxidize iodide ion also catalyze the autoxidation of sulfite, a property characteristic of radicals. The same esters also oxidize cysteine to cysteic acid and tryptophan, tyrosine, and uric acid to yet uncharacterized products. Their oxidizing reactivity was compared with the ability of the same esters to react as electrophiles in another assay that measured the rate of formation of pyridine substitution products. The sulfate ester of 3-hydroxyxanthine has been synthesized. Its reactivity is qualitatively the same as that of 3-acetoxyxanthine but proceeds at a higher rate. Syntheses of S-(8-xanthyl)-N-acetylcysteine, 8-(2-hydroxyethylthio)xanthine, and 1-methyl-8-mehtylmercaptoguanine are also described.

The carbohydrate moiety of alpha-fetoprotein purified from human yolk sac tumors grown in nude mice was quantitatively released from the polypeptide chain as oligosaccharides by hydrazinolysis. The oligosaccharides were separated into a neutral and two acidic oligosaccharides by paper electrophoresis. By sequential exoglycosidase digestion in combination with per-O-methylation study and periodate oxidation, their structures were determined to be: Gal beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 2Man alpha 1 leads to 6(GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 4) (Gal beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 2Man alpha 1 leads to 3)Man beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 4(Fuc alpha 1 leads to 6)GlcNAcOT, Gal beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 2Man alpha 1 leads to 6(GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 4) (Sia alpha 2 leads to 6Gal beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 2Man alpha 1 leads to 3)Man beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 4(Fuc alpha 1 leads to 6)GlcNAcOT; and Sia alpha 2 leads to 6Gal beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 2Man alpha 1 leads to 6(GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 4) (Sia alpha 2 leads to 6Gal beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 2Man alpha 1 leads to 3)Man beta 1 leads to 4 GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 4(Fuc alpha 1 leads to 6)GlcNAcOT, in which Gal is galactose, GlcNac is N-acetylglucosamine, Man is mannose, Fuc is fucose, Sia is sialic acid, and Subscript OT is the NaB3H4-reduced oligosaccharide.

Twenty-one cell lines (six human lines, and nine mouse lines) were compared with respect to inhibition of growth by N-6-(delta-2-isopentenyl)adenosine (IPAR). Six of these, mouse Sarcoma 180, Ehrilich ascites carcinoma, mammary adenocarconoma (TA3), leukemia L1210, mouse kidney, and canine kidney cells, differed by up to 16-fold with respect to their sensitivity and were chosen for further study. One factor contributing to the resistance was a slower formation of intracellular 5-monophosphate of IPAR (IPAMP) due to reduced adenosine kinase activity. Because of this slower formation of IPAMP in the resistant cells, a higher extracellular IPAR was required for the maintenance of equal intracellular IPAMP levels. Regardless of the degree of resistance, the rate of decay of intracellular IPAMP was similar and very rapid, with a half-life of 37 plus or minus 5 min. In the sensitive cells IPAMP was cleaved back to IPAR, while in the resistant cells IPAR was cleaved further to the free base, N-6-(delta-2-isopentenyl)adenine (IPA), which accumulated in the medium. The rate of formation of IPA constitutes an irreversible inactivation of IPAR, because IPA is not converted back to IPAMP and is not growth inhibitory. In one of the resistant cells (mouse kidney) the inactivation was so rapid that in 1 hr 25% of the extracellular (30 muM) IPAR was converted to IPA.

Sulfation of glycosaminoglycans and glycopeptides was compared in baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells and the polyoma virus transformants (PY-BHK). Cells were incubated with [3H]glucosamine and [35S]sulfate, and the labeled glycosaminoglycans and glycopeptides were isolated by digesting the cell membrane fraction with pronase followed by gel filtration. Each type of glycosaminoglycan in the void volume fraction (Fraction I) and in the included fraction (Fraction II) was determined by sequential enzymatic digestions. The residue was regarded as being glycopeptides. Of the total 3H radioactivities of glycosaminoglycans in Fraction I from BHK cells, 51% were in dermatan sulfate, 23% were in heparan sulfate, 17% were in chondroitin 4- and 6-sulfates, and 9% were in hyaluronate. PY-BHK cells acquired significantly larger amounts of 3H radioactivities in sulfated glycosaminoglycans than did BHK cells on the basis of cell number. On the basis of protein content, there was no such difference due to higher protein content of PY-BHK cells. The degree of sulfation of the glycosaminoglycans, estimated from the ratio of 35S to 3H and by disaccharide analysis, was significantly lower in PY-BHK cells than in BHK cells. Considerable amounts of 35S radioactivities assigned to sulfated glycopeptides were found in Fraction II from both BHK and PY-BHK cells.

In order to elucidate whether chromosomal change or induction of differentiation is correlated with the change of the patterns of cell surface glycoproteins and asparagine-linked sugar chains, glycoproteins and carbohydrates of five rat erythroleukemic cell lines (K1DB, D5A1, K2D, K2DA, and K4D) were studied by sodium dodecyl sulfate:polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and hydrazinolysis followed by gel chromatography, respectively. The surface glycoprotein patterns of five cell lines were very similar, each containing four glycoproteins with molecular weights of 250,000, 115,000, 80,000, and 28,000, respectively. Only D5A1, which can be induced to erythroid differentiation, had two additional glycoproteins, with molecular weights of 135,000 and 65,000, respectively. All neutral oligosaccharides obtained from plasma membranes of five cell lines by hydrazinolysis were of the high-mannose type, and the acidic oligosaccharides were of the complex type with three different types of outer chains in various combinations: +/- NeuAc alpha 2 leads to 6Gal beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc; Gal beta 1 leads to 3Gal beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc; and Gal beta 1 leads to 4GlcNac beta 1 leads to 3Gal beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc. An interesting finding was that two sugar chains, NeuAc alpha 2 leads to 6Gal beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 2Man alpha 1 leads to 3(Gal beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 2Man alpha 1 leads to 6)Man beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 4(+/-Fuc alpha 1 leads to 6)GlcNAcOT (in which the subscript OT indicates a NaB3H4-reduced oligosaccharide), were found only in surface carbohydrates of D5A1.

Malignant cells grown in culture excrete into their growth medium a folate catabolite that can be seen as a blue-fluorescent region on paper chromatograms of such media. This folate catabolite has now been identified by paper chromatography, thin-layer chromatography, and combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry as 6- hydroxymethylpterin and not as pterin-6-carboxaldehyde as previously reported. Moreover, when pterin-6-carboxaldehyde was added to the growth medium of logarithmically growing malignant cells, it was primarily reduced to 6-hydroxymethylpterin. In contrast pterin-6-carboxylate was the principal product formed from added pterin-6-carboxaldehyde by normal established cell lines in culture. These results have been interpreted as indicative of a possible mechanism of folate catabolism in malignant cells. Folic acid or another folate derivative is oxidatively cleaved at the C-9-N-10 bond to yield pterin-6-carboxaldehyde as one of the products. This derivative is subsequently reduced to 6-hydroxymethylpterin, which is excreted into the growth medium.

Pyrimidine-specific nucleosidases were released rapidly by human lymphoblastoid cells of established cultures when incubated under certain culture conditions having no adverse affect on their viability or morphology. Nucleosidase production was not restricted to any particular type of lymphoblastoid line; enzymes with a high level of activity were elaborated by cells of cultures initiated from healthy subjects and patients with uncontrolled lymphocytic or myelocytic leukemia, as well as by cells of cultures exhibiting mostly B- or T-cell properties. Tritiated thymine and uracil, which were not incorporated to any appreciable extent by DNA- and RNA-synthesizing cells, were identified by paper chromatography as the primary products arising from nucleosidase degradation of radiolabeled thymidine, uridine, and cytidine. Neither adenosine nor guanosine was catabolized. These heat-labile and ultraviolet-sensitive enzymes with a molecular weight of 5 to 10 X 10(4) did not affect the viability, morphology, or proliferation of lymphocytes in mitogenactivated cultures, lymphoblastoid cells in long-term cultures, or fibroblasts in monolayer cultures.