Previously we have described the derivation of three distinct classes of leukemic cell clones from a single in vivo-passaged myelomonocytic leukemia, WEHI-274, that arose in a mouse infected with the Abelson leukemia virus/Moloney leukemia virus complex (K. B. Leslie and J. W. Schrader, Mol. Cell. Biol. 9:2414-2423, 1989). The three classes of cell clones were characterized by distinct patterns...

Dendritic cells (DCs), which phagocytose antigens and subsequently proliferate and migrate, may be the most powerful antigen-presenting cells that activate naive T cells. To determine their role in the immune response to tumors, we used WEHI-3B murine leukemia cells transduced with adenovirus vectors expressing cytokines. We found that mixtures of irradiated cells expressing granulocyte-macroph...

Ampelopsis cantoniensis (AC) has been used as a folk medicine for reducing pain in the Taiwanese population. Our previous studies have shown that the crude extract of AC induced apoptosis in human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells. In this study, the in vivo effects of AC on leukemia WEHI-3 cells and immune responses such as phagocytosis and natural killer (NK) cell activity were investigated....

Background and objectives: Iran owns a rich and prestigious heritage of medicinal herbs but the majority of these plants have not yet undergone chemical, pharmacological and toxicological studies. In the present study some species form northern parts of Iran were evaluated for cytotoxicity. Methods: Sixteen medicinal plants were extracted with methanol and screened for their cytotoxic activitie...

Stimulation of B cell receptors (BCR ligation) induces apoptosis of immature B cells, which is critical to the elimination of self-reactive clones. In the mouse immature B cell line WEHI-231, the authors previously reported two types of background K+ channels with large (~300 pS, LK(bg)) and medium (~100 pS, MK(bg)) conductance in divalent cation-free conditions. While the authors have recently...

BACKGROUND BH3 mimetics are a class of drugs that antagonize the Bcl-2 family of apoptosis inhibitors. We have previously shown that these compounds can potentiate the activity of carboplatin against several ovarian cancer cell lines. However, recent clinical studies have highlighted that BH3 mimetics which antagonise Bcl-XL are associated with significant thrombocytopenia. This has led to the ...