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The United States Department of Defense Blast Injury Research Program Coordinating Office organized the 2015 International State-of-the-Science meeting to explore links between blast-related head injury and the development of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Before the meeting, the planning committee examined articles published between 2005 and October 2015 and prepared this literature review, which summarized broadly CTE research and addressed questions about the pathophysiological basis of CTE and its relationship to blast- and nonblast-related head injury. It served to inform participants objectively and help focus meeting discussion on identifying knowledge gaps and priority research areas. CTE is described generally as a progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting persons exposed to head injury. Affected individuals have been participants primarily in contact sports and military personnel, some of whom were exposed to blast. The symptomatology of CTE overlaps with Alzheimer's disease and includes neurological and cognitive deficits, psychiatric and behavioral problems, and dementia. There are no validated diagnostic criteria, and neuropathological evidence of CTE has come exclusively from autopsy examination of subjects with histories of exposure to head injury. The perivascular accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau) at the depths of cortical sulci is thought to be unique to CTE and has been proposed as a diagnostic requirement, although the contribution of p-tau and other reported pathologies to the development of clinical symptoms of CTE are unknown. The literature on CTE is limited and is focused predominantly on head injuries unrelated to blast exposure (e.g., football players and boxers). In addition, comparative analyses of clinical case reports has been challenging because of small case numbers, selection biases, methodological differences, and lack of matched controls, particularly for blast-exposed individuals. Consequently, the existing literature is not sufficient to determine whether the development of CTE is associated with head injury frequency (e.g., single vs. multiple exposures) or head injury type (e.g., impact, nonimpact, blast-related). Moreover, the incidence and prevalence of CTE in at-risk populations is unknown. Future research priorities should include identifying additional risk factors, pursuing population-based longitudinal studies, and developing the ability to detect and diagnose CTE in living persons using validated criteria.

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The nitric oxide (NO) prodrug JS-K, a promising anti-cancer agent, consists of a diazeniumdiolate group necessary for the release of NO as well as an arylating ring. In this study, we research the mechanism by which JS-K kills a murine erythroleukemia cell line and determine the roles of NO and arylation in the process. Our studies indicate that JS-K inhibits the PI 3-kinase/Akt and MAP kinase pathways. This correlates with the activation of the tumor suppressor FoxO3a and increased expression of various caspases, leading to apoptosis. The arylating capability of JS-K appears to be sufficient for inducing these biological effects. Overall, these data suggest that JS-K kills tumor cells by arylating and inactivating signaling molecules that block the activation of a tumor suppressor.

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Lack of suitable mouse models for central nervous system (CNS)-associated leukemias has hindered mechanism-guided development of therapeutics. By transplanting retrovirus-transformed mouse erythroleukemia cells into syngeneic mice, we developed a new animal model of meningeal leukemia associated with rapid paralysis. Necropsy revealed massive proliferation of the leukemic cells in the bone marrow (BM) followed by pathological angiogenesis and invasion of the leukemic cells into the meninges of the CNS. Further analysis demonstrated that the erythroleukemia cells secreted high levels of VEGF and preferentially adhered in vitro to fibronectin. This unique animal model for meningeal leukemia should facilitate studies of engraftment and proliferation of leukemic cells in the BM and their invasion of the CNS as well as pre-clinical evaluation of experimental therapeutics for CNS-associated leukemias.

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We recently reported that infection of rats with the neurodegenerative disease-causing retrovirus PVC-211 MuLV results in elevated levels of the chemokine MIP-1α followed by the accumulation of activated microglia in the brain. To investigate the importance of MIP-1α in recruitment of microglia to the brain, we treated rats with MIP-1α antibodies before and after PVC-211 MuLV infection. This caused a delay in the development of paralysis which was associated with a decrease in activated microglia without affecting virus expression. To determine the source of activated microglia, rats were splenectomized 4 days after virus infection. Splenectomized rats showed a delay in disease development that was associated with decreased numbers of activated microglia without affecting virus expression. Together, these results suggest that MIP-1α is directly involved in the neurodegeneration induced in rats by PVC-211 MuLV by recruiting macrophages/microglia from the periphery into regions of the brain that eventually become diseased.

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The cell lines of the NCI-60 panel represent different cancer types and have been widely utilized for drug screening and molecular target identification. Screening these cell lines for envelope proteins or gene sequences related to xenotropic murine leukemia viruses (X-MLVs) revealed that one cell line, EKVX, was a candidate for production of an infectious gammaretrovirus. The presence of a retrovirus infectious to human cells was confirmed by the cell-free transmission of infection to the human prostate cancer cell line LNCaP. Amplification and sequencing of additional proviral sequences from EKVX confirmed a high degree of similarity to X-MLV. The cell line EKVX was established following passage of the original tumor cells through nude mice, providing a possible source of the X-MLV found in the EKVX cells.

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HEMATOLOGICAL MALIGNANCIES IN HUMANS TYPICALLY INVOLVE TWO TYPES OF GENETIC CHANGES: those that promote hematopoietic cell proliferation and survival (often the result of activation of tyrosine kinases) and those that impair hematopoietic cell differentiation (often the result of changes in transcription factors). The multi-stage erythroleukemia induced in mice by Friend spleen focus-forming virus (SFFV) is an excellent animal model for studying the molecular basis for both of these changes. Significant progress has been made in understanding the molecular basis for the multi-stage erythroleukemia induced by Friend SFFV. In the first stage of leukemia, the envelope protein encoded by SFFV interacts with and activates the erythropoietin (Epo) receptor and the receptor tyrosine kinase sf-Stk in erythroid cells, causing their Epo-independent proliferation, differentiation and survival. In the second stage, SFFV integration into the Sfpi1 locus activates the myeloid transcription factor PU.1, blocking erythroid cell differentiation, and in conjunction with the loss of p53 tumor suppressor activity, results in the outgrowth of malignant cells. In this review, we discuss the current level of understanding of how SFFV alters the growth and differentiation of erythroid cells and results in the development of erythroleukemia. Our knowledge of how SFFV causes erythroleukemia in mice may give us clues as to how the highly related human retrovirus XMRV causes malignancies in humans.

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PVC-211 murine leukemia virus (MuLV) is a neuropathogenic retrovirus that has undergone genetic changes from its nonneuropathogenic parent, Friend MuLV, that allow it to efficiently infect rat brain capillary endothelial cells (BCEC). To clarify the mechanism by which PVC-211 MuLV expression in BCEC induces neurological disease, we examined virus-infected rats at various times during neurological disease progression for vascular and inflammatory changes. As early as 2 weeks after virus infection and before any marked appearance of spongiform neurodegeneration, we detected vessel leakage and an increase in size and number of vessels in the areas of the brain that eventually become diseased. Consistent with these findings, the amount of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) increased in the brain as early as 1 to 2 weeks postinfection. Also detected at this early disease stage was an increased level of macrophage inflammatory protein 1 alpha (MIP-1 alpha), a cytokine involved in recruitment of microglia to the brain. This was followed at 3 weeks postinfection by a marked accumulation of activated microglia in the spongiform areas of the brain accompanied by an increase in tissue plasminogen activator, a product of microglia implicated in neurodegeneration. Pathological observations at the end stage of the disease included loss of neurons, decreased myelination, and mild muscle atrophy. Treatment of PVC-211 MuLV-infected rats with clodronate-containing liposomes, which specifically kill microglia, significantly blocked neurodegeneration. Together, these results suggest that PVC-211 MuLV infection of BCEC results in the production of VEGF and MIP-1 alpha, leading to the vascular changes and microglial activation necessary to cause neurodegeneration.

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Infection of erythroid progenitor cells by Friend spleen focus-forming virus (SFFV) leads to acute erythroid hyperplasia and eventually to erythroleukemia in susceptible strains of mice. The viral envelope protein, SFFV gp55, forms a complex with the erythropoietin receptor (EpoR) and a short form of the receptor tyrosine kinase Stk (sf-Stk), activating both and inducing Epo-independent proliferation. Recently, we discovered that coexpression of SFFV gp55 and sf-Stk is sufficient to transform NIH 3T3 and primary fibroblasts. In the current study, we demonstrate that sf-Stk and its downstream effectors are critical to this transformation. Unlike SFFV-derived erythroleukemia cells, which depend on PU.1 expression for maintenance of the transformed phenotype, SFFV gp55-sf-Stk-transformed fibroblasts are negative for PU.1. Underscoring the importance of sf-Stk to fibroblast transformation, knockdown of sf-Stk abolished the ability of these cells to form anchorage-independent colonies. Like SFFV-infected erythroid cells, SFFV gp55-sf-Stk-transformed fibroblasts express high levels of phosphorylated MEK, ERK, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), Gab1/2, Akt, Jun kinase (JNK), and STAT3, but unlike virus-infected erythroid cells they fail to express phosphorylated STATs 1 and 5, which may require involvement of the EpoR. In addition, the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) stress response is suppressed in the transformed fibroblasts. Inhibition of either JNK or the PI3K pathway decreases both monolayer proliferation and anchorage-independent growth of the transformed fibroblasts as does the putative kinase inhibitor luteolin, but inhibition of p38 MAPK has no effect. Our results indicate that sf-Stk is a molecular endpoint of transformation that could be targeted directly or with agents against its downstream effectors.

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A novel protein kinase, polyploidy-associated protein kinase (PAPK), was isolated using a subtraction cDNA library approach from a mouse erythroleukemia cell line that had been induced to polyploidy after serum withdrawal. PAPK shares homology with members of the Ste20/germinal center kinase family of protein kinases and is ubiquitously expressed as two spliced forms, PAPK-A and PAPK-B, that encode for proteins of 418 and 189 amino acids, respectively. The expression of endogenous PAPK-A protein increased after growth factor withdrawal in murine hematopoietic and fibroblast cells. When tested in an in vitro kinase assay, PAPK-A was activated in response to the stress-inducing agent hydrogen peroxide and slightly by fetal calf serum. Biochemical characterization of the PAPK-A-initiated pathway revealed that this novel kinase does not affect MAP kinase activity but can stimulate both c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1) and ERK6/p38 gamma. The kinase activity of PAPK appears to be required for the activation of ERK6/p38 gamma but not JNK1. When an inducible construct of PAPK-A was expressed in stably transfected NIH3T3 cells, the cells exhibited distinct cytoskeletal changes and became resistant to apoptotic cell death induced by serum withdrawal, effects of PAPK that require its kinase activity. These data suggest that PAPK is a new member of the Ste20/germinal center kinase family that modulates cytoskeletal organization and cell survival.

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Most molecular biology and biochemical analyses use cultured cells grown in anchorage-dependent monolayer conditions. The standard oncogenic transformation assay for cell lines is usually performed in soft agar rather than in monolayers because of the higher transformation efficiency of cells in soft agar. However, cells suspended in soft agar cannot be readily recovered for studying inducible biochemical and molecular events. We developed an over-agar assay that enables us to study tumor promoter-induced cell transformation and the associated biochemical or molecular events under anchorage-independent conditions.

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