ORCID Profile
0000-0002-5201-4127
Current Organisation
University of South Australia
Does something not look right? The information on this page has been harvested from data sources that may not be up to date. We continue to work with information providers to improve coverage and quality. To report an issue, use the Feedback Form.
Publisher: American Society of Hematology
Date: 15-11-2001
DOI: 10.1182/BLOOD.V98.10.3165
Abstract: Transfected murine cell lines are commonly used to study the function of many human cytokine or receptor mutants. This study reports the inappropriate activation of the human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (hGM-CSF) receptor by the human GM-CSF antagonist, E21R, when the human receptor is introduced into the murine cell line BaF-B03. E21R-induced proliferation of the BaF-B03 cells is dependent on transfection with both hGM-CSF receptor α and βc subunits. Studies on the underlying mechanism revealed constitutive association between human and mouse βc and GM-CSF receptor-α, tyrosine phosphorylation of mouse and human βc, and association of phosphorylated mouse βc into an activated human GM-CSF receptor complex in response to E21R and GM-CSF. This interspecies receptor cross-talk of receptor signaling subunits may produce misleading results and emphasizes the need to use cell lines devoid of the cognate endogenous receptors for functional analysis of ligand and receptor mutants.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 26-08-2013
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-03-2018
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-12-2022
DOI: 10.1038/S41388-021-02126-4
Abstract: The genetic basis of the predisposition for Down Syndrome (DS) patients to develop cytokine receptor-like factor 2 rearranged (CRLF2r) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is currently unknown. Genes located on chromosome 21 and expressed in hematopoietic cells are likely candidates for investigation of CRLF2r DS-ALL pathogenesis. We explored the high-mobility group nucleosome-binding protein 1 (HMGN1), located in the DS critical region, in an inducible CRISPR/Cas9 knockout (KO) xenograft model to assess the effect of HMGN1 loss of function on the leukemic burden. We demonstrated HMGN1 KO-mitigated leukemic phenotypes including hepatosplenomegaly, thrombocytopenia, and anemia, commonly observed in leukemia patients, and significantly increased survival in vivo. HMGN1 overexpression in murine stem cells and Ba/F3 cells in vitro, in combination with P2RY8-CRLF2, resulted in cytokine-independent transformation and upregulation of cell signaling pathways associated with leukemic development. Finally, in vitro screening demonstrated successful targeting of P2RY8-CRLF2 and HMGN1 co-expressing cell lines and patient s les with fedratinib (JAK2 inhibitor), and GSK-J4 (demethylase inhibitor) in combination. Together, these data provide critical insight into the development and persistence of CRLF2r DS-ALL and identify HMGN1 as a potential therapeutic target to improve outcomes and reduce toxicity in this high-risk cohort of young patients.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 26-02-2021
DOI: 10.1002/PBC.28922
Abstract: We report on the Australian experience of blinatumomab for treatment of 24 children with relapsed/refractory precursor B‐cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (B‐ALL) and high‐risk genetics, resulting in a minimal residual disease (MRD) response rate of 58%, 2‐year progression‐free survival (PFS) of 39% and 2‐year overall survival of 63%. In total, 83% ( n = 20/24) proceeded to haematopoietic stem cell transplant, directly after blinatumomab ( n = 12) or following additional salvage therapy ( n = 8). Four patients successfully received CD19‐directed chimeric antigen receptor T‐cell therapy despite prior blinatumomab exposure. Inferior 2‐year PFS was associated with MRD positivity (20%, n = 15) and in KMT2A ‐rearranged infants (15%, n = 9). Our findings highlight that not all children with relapsed/refractory B‐ALL respond to blinatumomab and factors such as blast genotype may affect prognosis.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2019
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-2001
DOI: 10.1046/J.1440-1711.2001.00987.X
Abstract: Asthma is a common and complex inflammatory disease of the airways that remains incurable. Current forms of therapy are long term and may exhibit associated side-effect problems. Major participants in the development of an asthma phenotype include the triggering stimuli such as the allergens themselves, cells such as T cells, epithelial cells and mast cells that produce a variety of cytokines including IL-5, GM-CSF, IL-3, IL-4 and IL-13 and chemokines such as eotaxin. Significantly, the eosinophil, a specialized blood cell type, is invariably associated with this disease. The eosinophil has long been incriminated in the pathology of asthma due to its ability to release preformed and unique toxic substances as well as newly formed pro-inflammatory mediators. The regulation of eosinophil production and function is carried out by soluble peptides or factors. Of these IL-5, GM-CSF and IL-3 are of paramount importance as they control eosinophil functional activity and are the only known eosinophilopoietic factors. In addition they regulate the eosinophil life span by inhibiting apoptosis. While one therapeutic approach in asthma is directed at inhibiting single eosinophil products such as leukotrienes or single eosinophil regulators such as IL-5, we believe that the simultaneous inhibition of more than one component is preferable. This may be particularly important with eosinophil regulators in that not only IL-5, but also GM-CSF has been repeatedly implicated in clinical studies of asthma. The fact that GM-CSF is produced by many cells in the body and in copious amounts by lung epithelial cells highlights this need further. Our approach takes advantage of the fact that the IL-5 and GM-CSF receptors (as well as IL-3 receptors) utilize a shared subunit to bind, with high affinity, to these cytokines and the same common subunit mediates signal transduction culminating in all the biological activities mentioned. By generating the monoclonal antibody BION-1 to the cytokine binding region of the common subunit (betac) we have shown that the approach of inhibiting IL-5, GM-CSF and IL-3 binding and the resulting stimulation of eosinophil production and function with a single agent is feasible. Furthermore we have used BION-1 as a tool to crystallize and define the structure of the cytokine binding domain of betac. This knowledge and this approach may lead to the generation of novel therapeutics for the treatment of asthma.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-08-2021
DOI: 10.1038/S41698-021-00215-X
Abstract: Ruxolitinib (rux) Phase II clinical trials are underway for the treatment of high-risk JAK2 -rearranged ( JAK2 r) B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). Treatment resistance to targeted inhibitors in other settings is common elucidating potential mechanisms of rux resistance in JAK2 r B-ALL will enable development of therapeutic strategies to overcome or avert resistance. We generated a murine pro-B cell model of ATF7IP-JAK2 with acquired resistance to multiple type-I JAK inhibitors. Resistance was associated with mutations within the JAK2 ATP/rux binding site, including a JAK2 p.G993A mutation. Using in vitro models of JAK2 r B-ALL, JAK2 p.G993A conferred resistance to six type-I JAK inhibitors and the type-II JAK inhibitor, CHZ-868. Using computational modeling, we postulate that JAK2 p.G993A enabled JAK2 activation in the presence of drug binding through a unique resistance mechanism that modulates the mobility of the conserved JAK2 activation loop. This study highlights the importance of monitoring mutation emergence and may inform future drug design and the development of therapeutic strategies for this high-risk patient cohort.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2000
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 26-01-2006
Publisher: American Society of Hematology
Date: 15-02-2003
DOI: 10.1182/BLOOD-2002-06-1903
Abstract: Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a hematopoietic cytokine that stimulates the production and functional activity of granulocytes and macrophages, properties that have encouraged its clinical use in bone marrow transplantation and in certain infectious diseases. Despite the importance of GM-CSF in regulating myeloid cell numbers and function, little is known about the exact composition and mechanism of assembly of the GM-CSF receptor complex. We have now produced soluble forms of the GM-CSF receptor α chain (sGMRα) and β chain (sβc) and utilized GM-CSF, the GM-CSF antagonist E21R (Glu21Arg), and the βc-blocking monoclonal antibody BION-1 to define the molecular assembly of the GM-CSF receptor complex. We found that GM-CSF and E21R were able to form low-affinity, binary complexes with sGMRα, each having a stoichiometry of 1:1. Importantly, GM-CSF but not E21R formed a ternary complex with sGMRα and sβc, and this complex could be disrupted by E21R. Significantly, size-exclusion chromatography, analytical ultracentrifugation, and radioactive tracer experiments indicated that the ternary complex is composed of one sβc dimer with a single molecule each of sGMRα and of GM-CSF. In addition, a hitherto unrecognized direct interaction between βc and GM-CSF was detected that was absent with E21R and was abolished by BION-1. These results demonstrate a novel mechanism of cytokine receptor assembly likely to apply also to interleukin-3 (IL-3) and IL-5 and have implications for our molecular understanding and potential manipulation of GM-CSF activation of its receptor.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-01-2021
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.JID.2021.07.183
Abstract: Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is a prevalent and poorly controlled inflammatory disease caused by skin infiltration of T cells and granulocytes. The beta common (β
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.STR.2016.05.017
Abstract: The GM-CSF, IL-3, and IL-5 receptors constitute the βc family, playing important roles in inflammation, autoimmunity, and cancer. Typical of heterodimeric type I cytokine receptors, signaling requires recruitment of the shared subunit to the initial cytokine:α subunit binary complex through an affinity conversion mechanism. This critical process is poorly understood due to the paucity of crystal structures of both binary and ternary receptor complexes for the same cytokine. We have now solved the structure of the binary GM-CSF:GMRα complex at 2.8-Å resolution and compared it with the structure of the ternary complex, revealing distinct conformational changes. Guided by these differences we performed mutational and functional studies that, importantly, show GMRα interactions playing a major role in receptor signaling while βc interactions control high-affinity binding. These results support the notion that conformational changes underlie the mechanism of GM-CSF receptor activation and also suggest how related type I cytokine receptors signal.
Publisher: American Society of Hematology
Date: 26-11-2009
DOI: 10.1182/BLOOD-2009-02-204818
Abstract: Deregulated cell survival programs are a classic hallmark of cancer. We have previously identified a serine residue (Ser585) in the βc subunit of the granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor that selectively and independently promotes cell survival. We now show that Ser585 phosphorylation is constitutive in 20 (87%) of 23 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patient s les, indicating that this survival-only pathway is frequently deregulated in leukemia. We performed a global expression screen to identify gene targets of this survival pathway and report a 138-gene βc Ser585-regulated transcriptome. Pathway analysis defines a gene network enriched for PI3-kinase target genes and a cluster of genes involved in cancer and cell survival. We show that one such gene, osteopontin (OPN), is a functionally relevant target of the Ser585-survival pathway as shown by siRNA-mediated knockdown of OPN expression that induces cell death in both AML blasts and CD34+CD38−CD123+ leukemic progenitors. Increased expression of OPN at diagnosis is associated with poor prognosis with multivariate analysis indicating that it is an independent predictor of overall patient survival in normal karyotype AML (n = 60 HR = 2.2 P = .01). These results delineate a novel cytokine-regulated Ser585/PI3-kinase signaling network that is deregulated in AML and identify OPN as a potential prognostic and therapeutic target.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 30-07-2020
DOI: 10.1111/BJH.17002
Publisher: Ferrata Storti Foundation (Haematologica)
Date: 21-09-2017
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.CANCERGEN.2017.07.008
Abstract: We report a novel somatic mutation in the kinase domain of JAK2 (R938Q) in a high-risk pediatric case of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The patient developed on-therapy relapse at 12 months, and interestingly, the JAK2 locus acquired loss of heterozygosity during treatment resulting in 100% mutation load. Furthermore, we show that primary ALL mononuclear cells harboring the JAK2 R938Q mutation display reduced sensitivity to the JAK1/2 ATP-competitive inhibitor ruxolitinib in vitro, compared to ALL cells that carry a more common JAK2 pseudokinase domain mutation. Our findings are in line with previous reports that demonstrate that mutations within the kinase domain of JAK2 are associated with resistance to type I JAK inhibitors. Importantly, given the recent inclusion of ruxolitinib in trial protocols for children with JAK pathway alterations, we predict that inter-patient genetic variability may result in suboptimal responses to JAK inhibitor therapy in a subset of cases. The need for alternate targeted and/or combination therapies for patients who display inherent or developed resistance to JAK inhibitor therapy will be warranted, and we propose that kinase-mutants less sensitive to type I JAK inhibitors may present a currently unexplored platform for investigation of improved therapies.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2008
DOI: 10.1016/J.CELL.2008.05.053
Abstract: Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a pleiotropic cytokine that controls the production and function of blood cells, is deregulated in clinical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and leukemia, yet offers therapeutic value for other diseases. Its receptors are heterodimers consisting of a ligand-specific alpha subunit and a betac subunit that is shared with the interleukin (IL)-3 and IL-5 receptors. How signaling is initiated remains an enigma. We report here the crystal structure of the human GM-CSF/GM-CSF receptor ternary complex and its assembly into an unexpected dodecamer or higher-order complex. Importantly, mutagenesis of the GM-CSF receptor at the dodecamer interface and functional studies reveal that dodecamer formation is required for receptor activation and signaling. This unusual form of receptor assembly likely applies also to IL-3 and IL-5 receptors, providing a structural basis for understanding their mechanism of activation and for the development of therapeutics.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 26-09-2023
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2001
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 15-08-2020
DOI: 10.1002/GCC.22887
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.CELREP.2014.06.038
Abstract: Interleukin-3 (IL-3) is an activated T cell product that bridges innate and adaptive immunity and contributes to several immunopathologies. Here, we report the crystal structure of the IL-3 receptor α chain (IL3Rα) in complex with the anti-leukemia antibody CSL362 that reveals the N-terminal domain (NTD), a domain also present in the granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), IL-5, and IL-13 receptors, adopting unique "open" and classical "closed" conformations. Although extensive mutational analyses of the NTD epitope of CSL362 show minor overlap with the IL-3 binding site, CSL362 only inhibits IL-3 binding to the closed conformation, indicating alternative mechanisms for blocking IL-3 signaling. Significantly, whereas "open-like" IL3Rα mutants can simultaneously bind IL-3 and CSL362, CSL362 still prevents the assembly of a higher-order IL-3 receptor-signaling complex. The discovery of open forms of cytokine receptors provides the framework for development of potent antibodies that can achieve a "double hit" cytokine receptor blockade.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 25-10-2021
DOI: 10.1111/BJH.17910
Abstract: Rearrangements of Janus kinase 2 ( JAK2 r) form a subtype of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) associated with poor patient outcomes. We present a high‐risk case of B‐cell ALL (B‐ALL) where retrospective mRNA sequencing identified a novel GOLGA4–JAK2 fusion gene. Expression of GOLGA4–JAK2 in murine pro‐B cells promoted factor‐independent growth, implicating GOLGA4–JAK2 as an oncogenic driver. Cells expressing GOLGA4–JAK2 demonstrated constitutive activation of JAK/STAT signalling and were sensitive to JAK inhibitors. This study contributes to the erse collection of JAK2 fusion genes identified in B‐ALL and supports the incorporation of JAK inhibitors into treatment strategies to improve outcomes for this subtype.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-12-2013
DOI: 10.1038/TP.2013.99
Publisher: American Society of Hematology
Date: 02-2004
DOI: 10.1182/BLOOD-2003-06-1999
Abstract: We have recently identified a novel mechanism of hematopoietic cell survival that involves site-specific serine phosphorylation of the common beta subunit (βc) of the granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin-3 (IL-3), and IL-5 receptors. However, the downstream components of this pathway are not known, nor is its relationship to survival signals triggered by tyrosine phosphorylation of the receptor clear. We have now found that phosphorylation of Ser585 of βc in response to GM-CSF recruited 14-3-3 and phosphatidyl inositol 3-OH kinase (PI 3-kinase) to the receptor, while phosphorylation of the neighboring Tyr577 within this “viability domain” promoted the activation of both Src homology and collagen (Shc) and Ras. These are independent processes as demonstrated by the intact reactivity of phosphospecific anti-Ser585 and anti-Tyr577 antibodies on the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte–ecotrophic retroviral receptor neomycin (CTL-EN) mutants βcTyr577Phe and βcSer585Gly, respectively. Importantly, while mutants in which either Ser585 (βcSer585Gly) or all tyrosines (βcF8) were substituted showed a defect in Akt phosphorylation, nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) activation, bcl-2 induction, and cell survival, the mutant βcTyr577Phe was defective in Shc, Ras, and extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) activation, but supported CTL-EN cell survival in response to GM-CSF. These results demonstrate that both serine and tyrosine phosphorylation pathways play a role in hematopoietic cell survival, are initially independent of each other, and converge on NF-κB to promote bcl-2 expression.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-07-2018
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-12-2021
DOI: 10.1111/BJH.17995
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2017
Location: Australia
Location: Australia
No related grants have been discovered for Barbara McClure.