Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

On the Role of Polyamines and Microvesicles in Tumour Development. Regulation by Hypoxia and Implications for Therapeutic Intervention of Cancer.

Welch, Johanna LU (2010) In Lund University Faculty of Medicine Doctoral Dissertation Series 2010:93.
Abstract
Novel strategies for specific tumour cell targeting are necessary in order to improve survival rates and to reduce side effects of current therapies in cancer patients.

Hypoxia is a hallmark of solid tumours and one of the major driving forces for tumour progression. Targeting of the adaptive responses of cancer cells to hypoxia offers opportunities for tumour specific therapies.

The aim of this thesis was to study the hypoxic regulation of polyamines and tumour cell-derived microvesicles (MVs), both of which have been associated with tumour development. It was initially demonstrated that epitope-specific interference of cell surface heparan sulphate proteoglycans (HSPGs) by anti-HS antibodies inhibits the... (More)
Novel strategies for specific tumour cell targeting are necessary in order to improve survival rates and to reduce side effects of current therapies in cancer patients.

Hypoxia is a hallmark of solid tumours and one of the major driving forces for tumour progression. Targeting of the adaptive responses of cancer cells to hypoxia offers opportunities for tumour specific therapies.

The aim of this thesis was to study the hypoxic regulation of polyamines and tumour cell-derived microvesicles (MVs), both of which have been associated with tumour development. It was initially demonstrated that epitope-specific interference of cell surface heparan sulphate proteoglycans (HSPGs) by anti-HS antibodies inhibits the bioavailability of exogenous polyamines, and that combined targeting of polyamine biosynthesis by α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) and HSPG-dependent uptake by a HIV-1 trans-activator of transcription (TAT) peptide, Tat, results in reduced tumour growth. We found a novel role for the polyamine system in the hypoxia-induced adaptive response of tumour cells; depletion of polyamines sensitizes tumour cells to hypoxic stress and enhances the tumour inhibiting effect of anti-angiogenic therapy. Finally, tumour cell-derived MVs are shown to elicit a hypoxic, pro-angiogenic response in endothelial cells (ECs) and the upregulation of a specific subset of microvesicular proteins and mRNAs by hypoxia implicates MVs as novel biomarkers for hypoxic signalling in cancer cells.

This thesis implicates the targeting of hypoxia-induced adaptive responses as a means of obtaining tumour cell specific therapies and suggests the polyamine system and tumour-derived MVs as promising candidates for therapeutic intervention or as biomarkers of cancer disease. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
supervisor
opponent
  • Prof Gilmour, Susan K., Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, Wynnewood, PA, USA
organization
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
heparan sulphate proteoglycans, cancer, hypoxia, polyamines, microvesicles, anti-angiogenic therapy, angiogenesis
in
Lund University Faculty of Medicine Doctoral Dissertation Series
volume
2010:93
pages
158 pages
publisher
Department of Oncology, Clinical Sciences, Lund University
defense location
GK-salen, BMC
defense date
2010-10-08 09:00:00
ISSN
1652-8220
ISBN
978-91-86671-09-9
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e99498bd-f06b-4fd6-b444-d90af05629ad (old id 1670669)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:24:38
date last changed
2023-04-18 20:15:22
@phdthesis{e99498bd-f06b-4fd6-b444-d90af05629ad,
  abstract     = {{Novel strategies for specific tumour cell targeting are necessary in order to improve survival rates and to reduce side effects of current therapies in cancer patients. <br/><br>
Hypoxia is a hallmark of solid tumours and one of the major driving forces for tumour progression. Targeting of the adaptive responses of cancer cells to hypoxia offers opportunities for tumour specific therapies. <br/><br>
The aim of this thesis was to study the hypoxic regulation of polyamines and tumour cell-derived microvesicles (MVs), both of which have been associated with tumour development. It was initially demonstrated that epitope-specific interference of cell surface heparan sulphate proteoglycans (HSPGs) by anti-HS antibodies inhibits the bioavailability of exogenous polyamines, and that combined targeting of polyamine biosynthesis by α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) and HSPG-dependent uptake by a HIV-1 trans-activator of transcription (TAT) peptide, Tat, results in reduced tumour growth. We found a novel role for the polyamine system in the hypoxia-induced adaptive response of tumour cells; depletion of polyamines sensitizes tumour cells to hypoxic stress and enhances the tumour inhibiting effect of anti-angiogenic therapy. Finally, tumour cell-derived MVs are shown to elicit a hypoxic, pro-angiogenic response in endothelial cells (ECs) and the upregulation of a specific subset of microvesicular proteins and mRNAs by hypoxia implicates MVs as novel biomarkers for hypoxic signalling in cancer cells. <br/><br>
This thesis implicates the targeting of hypoxia-induced adaptive responses as a means of obtaining tumour cell specific therapies and suggests the polyamine system and tumour-derived MVs as promising candidates for therapeutic intervention or as biomarkers of cancer disease.}},
  author       = {{Welch, Johanna}},
  isbn         = {{978-91-86671-09-9}},
  issn         = {{1652-8220}},
  keywords     = {{heparan sulphate proteoglycans; cancer; hypoxia; polyamines; microvesicles; anti-angiogenic therapy; angiogenesis}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Department of Oncology, Clinical Sciences, Lund University}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  series       = {{Lund University Faculty of Medicine Doctoral Dissertation Series}},
  title        = {{On the Role of Polyamines and Microvesicles in Tumour Development. Regulation by Hypoxia and Implications for Therapeutic Intervention of Cancer.}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/3961844/1670706.pdf}},
  volume       = {{2010:93}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}