Principal Investigator/Program Director (Last, first, middle): Carroll, Steven, L RESEARCH & RELATED Other Project Information 1. * Are Human Subjects Involved? m Yes l No 1.a. If YES to Human Subjects Is the IRB review Pending? m Yes m No IRB Approval Date: Exemption Number: 1 2 3 4 5 6 Human Subject Assurance Number 2. * Are Vertebrate Animals Used? l Yes m No 2.a. If YES to Vertebrate Animals Is the IACUC review Pending? l Yes m No IACUC Approval Date: Animal Welfare Assurance Number A3255-01 3. * Is proprietary/privileged information m Yes l No included in the application? 4.a.* Does this project have an actual or potential impact on m Yes l No the environment? 4.b. If yes, please explain: 4.c. If this project has an actual or potential impact on the environment, has an exemption been authorized or an environmental assessment (EA) or environmental impact statement (EIS) been performed? m Yes m No 4.d. If yes, please explain: 5.a.* Does this project involve activities outside the U.S. or m Yes l No partnership with International Collaborators? 5.b. If yes, identify countries: 5.c. Optional Explanation: 6. * Project Summary/Abstract 6511-MPNST_Therapy_R01A2_AbstractM.pidmfe Type: application/pdf 7. * Project Narrative 1894-Narrative.pdf Mime Type: application/pdf 8. Bibliography & References Cited 9436-Literature_Cited.pdf Mime Type: application/pdf 9. Facilities & Other Resources 7973-Resource_Page.pdf Mime Type: application/pdf 10. Equipment 987-Major_Equipment.pdf Mime Type: application/pdf Tracking Number: Other Information Page 5 OMB Number: 4040-0001 Expiration Date: 04/30/2008 Principal Investigator/Program Director (Last, first, middle): Carroll, Steven, L Patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) develop benign tumors of peripheral nerve known as neurofibromas and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs), a highly aggressive form of Schwann cell neoplasm that arises from neurofibromas. Inappropriate stimulation by growth factors is thought to cooperate with mutations of tumor suppressor genes such as NF1 and p53 to promote MPNST tumorigenesis. We hypothesized that proteins from the neuregulin-1 (NRG-1) family of growth and differentiation factors are among the molecules promoting the proliferation and/or survival of neoplastic Schwann cells in MPNSTs. To test this hypothesis, we generated transgenic mice expressing the NRG-1 isoform glial growth factor-¿3 (GGF¿3) in Schwann cells (P0-GGF¿3 mice) and found that these animals develop multiple neurofibromas and MPNSTs. We have also found that human neurofibromas and MPNSTs coexpress multiple NRG-1 isoforms and their erbB receptors and that the proliferation of human MPNST cell lines is profoundly inhibited by treatment with the small molecular erbB inhibitors PD158780 and PD168393. Based on these preliminary studies, we hypothesize that constitutive activation of erbB receptors is essential for the proliferation and/or survival of human MPNST cells and that decreasing erbB activity with PD168393 and/or 4D5, the anti-erbB2 antibody from which Herceptin was derived, will retard the proliferation and survival of these cells. We will partner human MPNST cell lines, mouse lines derived from MPNSTs arising in P0-GGF¿3 mice and the P0- GGF¿3 mouse model to critically test the hypotheses that: 1) inhibition of the NRG-1 receptors (erbB2, erbB3 and/or erbB4) decreases the proliferation and/or survival of MPNST cells in vivo and 2) NRG-1 promotes the proliferation and/or survival of MPNST cells by activating specific neurofibromin-regulated Ras proteins and their downstream effectors. These studies will critically evaluate novel therapies for MPNSTs that utilize effective, existing erbB inhibitors and will establish a strong basis for the future development of even more effective therapies precisely targeting critical NRG-1 regulated cytoplasmic signaling molecules, alone or in combination with erbB inhibitors, in NF1-associated MPNSTs. Project Description Page 6 |