Tehran University Medical Journal

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Background: Human plasminogen is a plasma glycoprotein synthesized mainly in the liver. Conversion of plasminogen to plasmin by plasminogen activators is a key event in the fibrinolytic system. In this study, we investigated the effects of two anti-human plasminogen monoclonal antibodies, A1D12 and MC2B8 on Glu-plasminogen activation in presence of u-PA, t-PA and streptokinase.

Methods: Producing of Hybridoma antibodies was performed by fusion of spleen cells from BALB/C mice immunized with Glu-plasminogen and NS1 myeloma cells. Antibody binding to Human Glu-plasminogen was assessed using an ELISA assay. Activation of plasminogen was determined by measuring plasmin generation using the chromogenic substrate S-2251 and the effect of monoclonal antibodies, A1D12 and MC2B8 on plasminogen activation in solution was then evaluated. Initial rates and kinetic parameters of plasminogen activation in the presence of monoclonal antibodies were calculated. The effect of the monoclonal antibody MC2B8 on the rate of plasmin hydrolysis was measured. The effect of F(ab&apos)2 fragment of A1D12 on u-PA catalyzed-plasminogen activation also compared with the effect of the whole antibody in this reaction.

Results: ELISA assay showed that the antibodies reacted well with antigens. A1D12 increased the maximum velocity (Vmax) of plasminogen activation by each of the three plasminogen activators and MC2B8 decreased it. In all activation reactions, the KM value of plasminogen activation did not significantly change in the presence of antibody A1D12 whereas antibody MC2B8 increased the KM value of plasminogen activation by u-PA, fibrin monomer dependent t-PA and streptokinase. Monoclonal antibody MC2B8 had no significant effect on plasmin hydrolysis rate of synthetic substrate S-2251. Activation rate of plasminogen by u-PA in the lower concentration of F (ab)2 fragment of A1D12 was identical to activation in the presence of the whole antibody.

Conclusion: The binding of the A1D12 F(ab) region to Glu-plasminogen increases the catalytic efficiency of plasminogen activation by plasminogen activators. Therefore, it may be useful to apply clinically A1D12 for the therapy of thromboembolic events such as myocardial infarction by humanizing the F(ab) fragment of the A1D12 antibody. Inhibition pattern of antibody MC2B8 obey the mixed type of enzyme inhibition by binding the antibody probably at, or near, the cleavage site of Glu-plasminogen.

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Background: Streptokinase (SK) is an effective and specific thrombolytic treatment of acute myocardial infarction. Despite its significant limitations, streptokinase remains the drug of choice particularly in countries with poorer economies because of its relatively low cost. In this study, the production and purification of streptokinase using a pMAL expression vector were evaluated.
Methods: The pMAL vector, including the skc gene, obtained from Streptococcus equisimilis H46A, was transformed into E. coli BL21 to produce the soluble active fusion protein SK-MBP. The conditions of SK production were optimized by manipulating temperature, induction time and IPTG concentrations. This protein was purified by DEAE-sepharose column chromatography and the final purity was determined and activity of purified SK-MBP was measured using a synthetic substrate (S2251).
Results: After optimizing the production conditions, SK-MBP was the major portion of total protein. Purified SK-MBP formed a single band using SDS-PAGE and had high biological activity.
Conclusion: In this study we used pMAL expression vector to produce SK-MBP in E. coli BL21. Using this method we prevented the accumulation of inclusion bodies in spite of the high level of production of SK-MBP. Choosing a suitable host organism for the production of recombinant proteins is one of the most important factors that influence the level of desired protein production. Further studies are recommended to test other host organisms for this purpose.

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Background: Tumor cells need food and oxygen supply for growth and division. Therefore one of the most promising areas of cancer therapy focuses on using agents that inhibit tumor angiogenesis. Inhibition of angiogenesis prevents cell growth, division and metastasis. Previous studies showed that plasminogen related Protein-B has an anti-tumor activity in mice. This protein has a high level of homology with preactivation Peptide (PAP) of human plasminogen. According to this high homology, antiangiogeneic activity of PAP was investigated in an in vitro angiogenesis model.

Methods: PAP encoding region of human plasminogen gene was isolated by Polymerase Chain Reaction and ‎cloned in pGEX-2T vector. This plasmid was expressed in Escherichia coli as a fusion protein (GST-PAP). ‎GST-PAP was expressed as inclusion body and purified by affinity chromatography on GSH-sepharose ‎resin after refolding. antiangiogenic effects of purified protein were surveyed with Matrigel assay‏.‏‎ ‎

Results: The GST-PAP was expressed and purified and its accuracy was confirmed by SDS-PAGE analysis ‎and immunoblotting. Microscopic studies showed that GST-PAP inhibited angiogenesis in Matrigel system ‎which is shown by shrinking the length of capillary like structures and a decrease in the number of tubule. ‎While applying concentarations of 25μg/ml of GST-PAP and concentrations above that, antiangiogenic ‎activity of GST-PAP was significant comparing to the controls. ‎

Conclusion: Finding shows that GST-PAP can inhibit network formation in Matrigel system. This findings ‎support the theory that PAP is a potent angiogenesis inhibitor.‎

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Background: Plasminogen has a central role in fibrinolyrtic system can activate through various activators (PAs) to its active form plasmin and perfoem its vital function that is fibrin clot lysis. Furthermore the fibrinolyrtic system plays a major role in angiogenesis. The fibrinolyrtic system activation control cell migration and invasion. In addition to this, plasmin regulates tumor growth. Monoclonal antibodies, as biological tools, play an important role in basic researches.

Methods: In the first step the effects of antibodies on the activation of fibrinolyrtic system with PAs were evaluated with several methods including macroscopic observation, quantitative measurement of DD/E fragments by D-dimer assay and activation of plasminogen by S-2251 synthetic substrate (ELISA method), subsequently we studied the effect of antibodies on angiogenesis process in an in- vitro model.

Results: Results showed that MC2B8 that is an inhibitor of plasminogen activation in presence of plasminogen activators can inhibit angiogenesis process: A1D12 that is against N-terminal domain of Glu-plasminogen, in addition to activation of fibrinolyrtic system in presence of plasminogen activators, can activate in vitro angiogenesis process.

Conclusion: Plasmin formation is a critical step in invasion and migration of endothelial cells to form new vessels. Plasmin directly participates in angiogenesis by direct fibrin and other matrix components degradation, and indirectly by activating matrix degrading metalloproteinase and angiogenic growth factors. According to the in- vitro results, MC2B8 and A1D12 monoclonal antibodies play roles in this process in a dose dependent manner.

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Background: Human cancer cell lines express human choriogonadotropin (hCG), its subunits and derivatives, regardless of their origin and type. It appears that hCG is a common phenotype in human cancer cell lines. In this research, the effects of hCG targeting monoclonal antibodies (7D9, T18H7 and T8B12) on human cancer cell lines were evaluated.
Methods:  Monoclonal antibody secreting hybridomas were proliferated and injected intraperitoneally to Balb/C mice after treatment with pristine. Two weeks later, ascites fluid was collected. Purification of aforementioned antibodies from ascites fluid was performed using G-protein affinity followed by ion exchange chromatography. SDS-PAGE and ELISA confirmed the structure and functional integrity of the purified antibodies, respectively. Two human cancer cell lines "Hela" and "MDA" were treated by the purified antibodies. Three days later, different wells were imaged and the cells counted.
Results:  SDS-PAGE gel (None-reducing) indicated consistency of band migration patterns with control antibodies. ELISA test using hCG antigens indicated that the produced antibodies could detect hCG antigens. Cell lines were cultured and treated with different concentrations of each antibody. Counting and imaging different wells of treated plates, indicated that 7D9 antibody had a more significant (P<0.01) cytotoxic effect on cancer cell lines than the control cells.
Conclusion: HCG targeting monoclonal antibodies can be used for targeted cancer therapy, as human cancer cells express hCG gene. 7D9 antibody that exhibits protease activity is a proper candidate for this purpose, as it possesses both antagonistic and enzymatic properties.

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