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Wang L, Lv C, Liu X. AKR1C4 regulates the sensitivity of colorectal cancer cells to chemotherapy through ferroptosis modulation. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 2024:10.1007/s00280-024-04685-1. [PMID: 38890190 DOI: 10.1007/s00280-024-04685-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a major global health concern, necessitating innovative therapeutic strategies to enhance treatment efficacy. In this study, we investigated the role of AKR1C4 in CRC and its impact on chemotherapy response. METHODS AKR1C4 stable knockout CRC cell lines were generated using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. The impact of AKR1C4 depletion on chemotherapy sensitivity was assessed using Sulforhodamine B assay. Long-term, low-dose drug induction with increasing concentrations of 5FU, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin were employed to establish acquired chemoresistant CRC cell lines. Ferroptosis induction and inhibition were examined through total iron content and lipid peroxidation measurements. RESULTS We found that AKR1C4 knockout enhances CRC cell sensitivity to chemotherapy, specifically by inducing ferroptosis. The enzymatic activity of AKR1C4 is crucial for regulating chemotherapy sensitivity in CRC cells, as evidenced by the inability of a Y55A mutant to reverse the sensitizing effect. Additionally, AKR1C4 inhibitors enhance chemotherapy sensitivity by inducing ferroptosis. Notably, AKR1C4 depletion resensitizes the acquired chemoresistant CRC cells to chemotherapy, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target for overcoming acquired chemoresistance. Clinical analysis reveals that high AKR1C4 expression is associated with poor prognosis in CRC patients undergoing chemotherapy, highlighting its significance as a prognostic marker and a potential target for therapeutic intervention. CONCLUSION This study illuminates the multifaceted role of AKR1C4 in CRC, demonstrating its significance in regulating chemotherapy sensitivity, overcoming acquired resistance, and impacting clinical outcomes. The insights provided may pave the way for novel therapeutic strategies in CRC management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Wang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Yantaishan Hospital, Yantai, Shandong, China
| | - Cuiling Lv
- Department of Gastroenterology, Qixia City People's Hospital, Qixia, Shandong, China
| | - Xiaoxia Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Qixia City People's Hospital, Qixia, Shandong, China.
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Pippione AC, Kovachka S, Vigato C, Bertarini L, Mannella I, Sainas S, Rolando B, Denasio E, Piercy-Mycock H, Romalho L, Salladini E, Adinolfi S, Zonari D, Peraldo-Neia C, Chiorino G, Passoni A, Mirza OA, Frydenvang K, Pors K, Lolli ML, Spyrakis F, Oliaro-Bosso S, Boschi D. Structure-guided optimization of 3-hydroxybenzoisoxazole derivatives as inhibitors of Aldo-keto reductase 1C3 (AKR1C3) to target prostate cancer. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 268:116193. [PMID: 38364714 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
AKR1C3 is an enzyme that is overexpressed in several types of radiotherapy- and chemotherapy-resistant cancers. Despite AKR1C3 is a validated target for drug development, no inhibitor has been approved for clinical use. In this manuscript, we describe our study of a new series of potent AKR1C3-targeting 3-hydroxybenzoisoxazole based inhibitors that display high selectivity over the AKR1C2 isoform and low micromolar activity in inhibiting 22Rv1 prostate cancer cell proliferation. In silico studies suggested proper substituents to increase compound potency and provided with a mechanistic explanation that could clarify their different activity, later confirmed by X-ray crystallography. Both the in-silico studies and the crystallographic data highlight the importance of 90° rotation around the single bond of the biphenyl group, in ensuring that the inhibitor can adopt the optimal binding mode within the active pocket. The p-biphenyls that bear the meta-methoxy, and the ortho- and meta-trifluoromethyl substituents (in compounds 6a, 6e and 6f respectively) proved to be the best contributors to cellular potency as they provided the best IC50 values in series (2.3, 2.0 and 2.4 μM respectively) and showed no toxicity towards human MRC-5 cells. Co-treatment with scalar dilutions of either compound 6 or 6e and the clinically used drug abiraterone led to a significant reduction in cell proliferation, and thus confirmed that treatment with both CYP171A1-and AKR1C3-targeting compounds possess the potential to intervene in key steps in the steroidogenic pathway. Taken together, the novel compounds display desirable biochemical potency and cellular target inhibition as well as good in-vitro ADME properties, which highlight their potential for further preclinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnese Chiara Pippione
- Department of Science and Drug Technology, University of Turin, via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125, Turin, Italy
| | - Sandra Kovachka
- Department of Science and Drug Technology, University of Turin, via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125, Turin, Italy; The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology, Jupiter, FL, USA
| | - Chiara Vigato
- Department of Science and Drug Technology, University of Turin, via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125, Turin, Italy
| | - Laura Bertarini
- Department of Science and Drug Technology, University of Turin, via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125, Turin, Italy; Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 103, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Iole Mannella
- Department of Science and Drug Technology, University of Turin, via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125, Turin, Italy
| | - Stefano Sainas
- Department of Science and Drug Technology, University of Turin, via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125, Turin, Italy
| | - Barbara Rolando
- Department of Science and Drug Technology, University of Turin, via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125, Turin, Italy
| | - Enrica Denasio
- Institute of Cancer Therapeutics, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD7 1DP, UK
| | - Helen Piercy-Mycock
- Institute of Cancer Therapeutics, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD7 1DP, UK
| | - Linda Romalho
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 162, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Edoardo Salladini
- Department of Science and Drug Technology, University of Turin, via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125, Turin, Italy
| | - Salvatore Adinolfi
- Department of Science and Drug Technology, University of Turin, via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125, Turin, Italy
| | - Daniele Zonari
- Department of Science and Drug Technology, University of Turin, via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125, Turin, Italy
| | - Caterina Peraldo-Neia
- Laboratory of Cancer Genomics, Fondazione Edo ed Elvo Tempia, via Malta 3, 13900, Biella, Italy
| | - Giovanna Chiorino
- Laboratory of Cancer Genomics, Fondazione Edo ed Elvo Tempia, via Malta 3, 13900, Biella, Italy
| | - Alice Passoni
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Via Mario Negri 2, 20156, Milan, Italy
| | - Osman Asghar Mirza
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 162, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Karla Frydenvang
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 162, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Klaus Pors
- Institute of Cancer Therapeutics, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD7 1DP, UK
| | - Marco Lucio Lolli
- Department of Science and Drug Technology, University of Turin, via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125, Turin, Italy
| | - Francesca Spyrakis
- Department of Science and Drug Technology, University of Turin, via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125, Turin, Italy
| | - Simonetta Oliaro-Bosso
- Department of Science and Drug Technology, University of Turin, via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125, Turin, Italy.
| | - Donatella Boschi
- Department of Science and Drug Technology, University of Turin, via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125, Turin, Italy.
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Jin W, Fan B, Qin X, Liu Y, Qian C, Tang B, James TD, Chen G. Structure-activity of chlormethine fluorescent prodrugs: Witnessing the development of trackable drug delivery. Coord Chem Rev 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2022.214999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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4
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Gao D, Liu R, Lv Y, Feng Y, Hong F, Xu X, Hu J, He A, Yang Y. A novel ferroptosis-related gene signature for predicting prognosis in multiple myeloma. Front Oncol 2023; 13:999688. [PMID: 36845727 PMCID: PMC9950937 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.999688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Multiple myeloma (MM) is a highly malignant hematological tumor with a poor overall survival (OS). Due to the high heterogeneity of MM, it is necessary to explore novel markers for the prognosis prediction for MM patients. Ferroptosis is a form of regulated cell death, playing a critical role in tumorigenesis and cancer progression. However, the predictive role of ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) in MM prognosis remains unknown. Methods This study collected 107 FRGs previously reported and utilized the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) cox regression model to construct a multi-genes risk signature model upon FRGs. The ESTIMATE algorithm and immune-related single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) were carried out to evaluate immune infiltration level. Drug sensitivity was assessed based on the Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer database (GDSC). Then the synergy effect was determined with Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and SynergyFinder software. Results A 6-gene prognostic risk signature model was constructed, and MM patients were divided into high and low risk groups. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that patients in the high risk group had significantly reduced OS compared with patients in the low risk group. Besides, the risk score was an independent predictor for OS. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis confirmed the predictive capacity of the risk signature. Combination of risk score and ISS stage had better prediction performance. Enrichment analysis revealed immune response, MYC, mTOR, proteasome and oxidative phosphorylation were enriched in high risk MM patients. We found high risk MM patients had lower immune scores and immune infiltration levels. Moreover, further analysis found that MM patients in high risk group were sensitive to bortezomib and lenalidomide. At last, the results of the in vitro experiment showed that ferroptosis inducers (RSL3 and ML162) may synergistically enhance the cytotoxicity of bortezomib and lenalidomide against MM cell line RPMI-8226. Conclusion This study provides novel insights into roles of ferroptosis in MM prognosis prediction, immune levels and drug sensitivity, which complements and improves current grading systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Gao
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Rui Liu
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Yang Lv
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Yuandong Feng
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Fei Hong
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Xuezhu Xu
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Jinsong Hu
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi’an, China
| | - Aili He
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China,National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biodiagnostics and Biotherapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China,*Correspondence: Aili He, ; Yun Yang,
| | - Yun Yang
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China,*Correspondence: Aili He, ; Yun Yang,
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5
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Reddi D, Seaton BW, Woolston D, Aicher L, Monroe LD, Mao ZJ, Harrell JC, Radich JP, Advani A, Papadantonakis N, Yeung CCS. AKR1C3 expression in T acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma for clinical use as a biomarker. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5809. [PMID: 35388063 PMCID: PMC8986791 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09697-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
To investigate aldo–keto reductase 1C3 (AKR1C3) expression in T and B acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma (ALL) patients. Three commercial antibodies were evaluated for AKR1C3 immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining performance: Polyclonal Thermofisher scientific (Clone#PA523667), rabbit monoclonal Abcam [EPR16726] (ab209899) and Sigma/Millipore anti-AKR1C3 antibody, mouse monoclonal, clone NP6.G6.A6, purified from hybridoma cell culture. Initial optimization was performed on cell line controls: HCT116 (negative control); genetically modified cell line HCT116 with AKR1C3 overexpression; Nalm and TF1 cell lines. Twenty normal bone marrows from archival B and T-ALL patient samples were subsequently examined. AKR1C3 expression levels in these samples were evaluated by immunohistochemistry, Protein Wes and quantitative RT-PCR. Sigma/Millipore Anti-AKR1C3 antibody (mouse monoclonal, clone NP6.G6.A6) showed higher specificity compared to rabbit polyclonal antibody by immunohistochemistry. H-score was used to quantify percent of nuclear immunoreactivity for AKR1C3 with varying disease involvement. T-ALL samples had a higher H-score (172–190) compared to B-ALL cases (H-score, 30–160). The AKR1C3 expression in peripheral blood by Protein Wes and RT-qPCR showed concordance in relapsed/refractory and/or minimal residual T-ALL cases. Sigma/Millipore Anti-AKR1C3 antibody and mouse monoclonal, clone NP6.G6.A6 can be used to aid in AKR1C expression of T-ALL and in cases of relapsed/refractory and/or minimal residual disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepti Reddi
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
| | | | - David Woolston
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lauri Aicher
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Luke D Monroe
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Zhengwei J Mao
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jill C Harrell
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Anjali Advani
- Hematology and Medical Oncology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | | | - Cecilia C S Yeung
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.,Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
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6
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Restoring Tumour Selectivity of the Bioreductive Prodrug PR-104 by Developing an Analogue Resistant to Aerobic Metabolism by Human Aldo-Keto Reductase 1C3. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14121231. [PMID: 34959631 PMCID: PMC8707548 DOI: 10.3390/ph14121231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
PR-104 is a phosphate ester pre-prodrug that is converted in vivo to its cognate alcohol, PR-104A, a latent alkylator which forms potent cytotoxins upon bioreduction. Hypoxia selectivity results from one-electron nitro reduction of PR-104A, in which cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (POR) plays an important role. However, PR-104A also undergoes ‘off-target’ two-electron reduction by human aldo-keto reductase 1C3 (AKR1C3), resulting in activation in oxygenated tissues. AKR1C3 expression in human myeloid progenitor cells probably accounts for the dose-limiting myelotoxicity of PR-104 documented in clinical trials, resulting in human PR-104A plasma exposure levels 3.4- to 9.6-fold lower than can be achieved in murine models. Structure-based design to eliminate AKR1C3 activation thus represents a strategy for restoring the therapeutic window of this class of agent in humans. Here, we identified SN29176, a PR-104A analogue resistant to human AKR1C3 activation. SN29176 retains hypoxia selectivity in vitro with aerobic/hypoxic IC50 ratios of 9 to 145, remains a substrate for POR and triggers γH2AX induction and cell cycle arrest in a comparable manner to PR-104A. SN35141, the soluble phosphate pre-prodrug of SN29176, exhibited superior hypoxic tumour log cell kill (>4.0) to PR-104 (2.5–3.7) in vivo at doses predicted to be achievable in humans. Orthologues of human AKR1C3 from mouse, rat and dog were incapable of reducing PR-104A, thus identifying an underlying cause for the discrepancy in PR-104 tolerance in pre-clinical models versus humans. In contrast, the macaque AKR1C3 gene orthologue was able to metabolise PR-104A, indicating that this species may be suitable for evaluating the toxicokinetics of PR-104 analogues for clinical development. We confirmed that SN29176 was not a substrate for AKR1C3 orthologues across all four pre-clinical species, demonstrating that this prodrug analogue class is suitable for further development. Based on these findings, a prodrug candidate was subsequently identified for clinical trials.
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7
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Bruno S, Mancini M, De Santis S, Monaldi C, Cavo M, Soverini S. The Role of Hypoxic Bone Marrow Microenvironment in Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Future Therapeutic Opportunities. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22136857. [PMID: 34202238 PMCID: PMC8269413 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22136857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a hematologic malignancy caused by a wide range of alterations responsible for a high grade of heterogeneity among patients. Several studies have demonstrated that the hypoxic bone marrow microenvironment (BMM) plays a crucial role in AML pathogenesis and therapy response. This review article summarizes the current literature regarding the effects of the dynamic crosstalk between leukemic stem cells (LSCs) and hypoxic BMM. The interaction between LSCs and hypoxic BMM regulates fundamental cell fate decisions, including survival, self-renewal, and proliferation capacity as a consequence of genetic, transcriptional, and metabolic adaptation of LSCs mediated by hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs). HIF-1α and some of their targets have been associated with poor prognosis in AML. It has been demonstrated that the hypoxic BMM creates a protective niche that mediates resistance to therapy. Therefore, we also highlight how hypoxia hallmarks might be targeted in the future to hit the leukemic population to improve AML patient outcomes.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Bone Marrow/metabolism
- Bone Marrow/pathology
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Cellular Reprogramming
- Disease Management
- Disease Susceptibility
- Energy Metabolism
- Epigenesis, Genetic
- Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic
- Humans
- Hypoxia/metabolism
- Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1/metabolism
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/etiology
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/metabolism
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/pathology
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/therapy
- Molecular Targeted Therapy
- Neoplastic Stem Cells/metabolism
- Signal Transduction
- Tumor Microenvironment
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Bruno
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy; (S.B.); (S.D.S.); (C.M.); (M.C.)
| | - Manuela Mancini
- Istituto di Ematologia “Seràgnoli”, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero, Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy;
| | - Sara De Santis
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy; (S.B.); (S.D.S.); (C.M.); (M.C.)
| | - Cecilia Monaldi
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy; (S.B.); (S.D.S.); (C.M.); (M.C.)
| | - Michele Cavo
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy; (S.B.); (S.D.S.); (C.M.); (M.C.)
- Istituto di Ematologia “Seràgnoli”, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero, Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy;
| | - Simona Soverini
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy; (S.B.); (S.D.S.); (C.M.); (M.C.)
- Correspondence:
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8
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Liu Y, He S, Chen Y, Liu Y, Feng F, Liu W, Guo Q, Zhao L, Sun H. Overview of AKR1C3: Inhibitor Achievements and Disease Insights. J Med Chem 2020; 63:11305-11329. [PMID: 32463235 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b02138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Human aldo-keto reductase family 1 member C3 (AKR1C3) is known as a hormone activity regulator and prostaglandin F (PGF) synthase that regulates the occupancy of hormone receptors and cell proliferation. Because of the overexpression in metabolic diseases and various hormone-dependent and -independent carcinomas, as well as the emergence of clinical drug resistance, an increasing number of studies have investigated AKR1C3 inhibitors. Here, we briefly review the physiological and pathological function of AKR1C3 and then summarize the recent development of selective AKR1C3 inhibitors. We propose our viewpoints on the current problems associated with AKR1C3 inhibitors with the aim of providing a reference for future drug discovery and potential therapeutic perspectives on novel, potent, selective AKR1C3 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Liu
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, People's Republic of China
| | - Siyu He
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Chen
- Department of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, People's Republic of China
| | - Yijun Liu
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, People's Republic of China
| | - Feng Feng
- Jiangsu Food and Pharmaceuticals Science College, Institute of Food and Pharmaceuticals Research, Huaian 223005, People's Republic of China.,Department of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenyuan Liu
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, People's Republic of China
| | - Qinglong Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Haopeng Sun
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, People's Republic of China
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9
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Wang Y, Liu Y, Zhou C, Wang C, Zhang N, Cao D, Li Q, Wang Z. An AKR1C3-specific prodrug with potent anti-tumor activities against T-ALL. Leuk Lymphoma 2020; 61:1660-1668. [PMID: 32091283 DOI: 10.1080/10428194.2020.1728746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yanlan Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yue Liu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Changhua Zhou
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chunnian Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ning Zhang
- Department of Urology, Peking University Cancer Hospital, Beijing Institute for Cancer Research, Beijing, China
| | - Donglin Cao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qing Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhong Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
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10
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Karunasinghe N, Symes E, Gamage A, Wang A, Murray P, Zhu S, Goudie M, Masters J, Ferguson LR. Interaction between leukocyte aldo-keto reductase 1C3 activity, genotypes, biological, lifestyle and clinical features in a prostate cancer cohort from New Zealand. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0217373. [PMID: 31125365 PMCID: PMC6534310 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Aldo-keto reductase 1C3 (AKR1C3) is known for multiple functions including its catalytic activity towards producing extra-testicular androgen. The present study is towards understanding interaction between biological, lifestyle and genetic impacts of AKR1C3 and their influence on clinical factors in a prostate cancer (PC) cohort from New Zealand (NZ). Method Characteristics of 516 PC patients were collected from the Auckland Regional Urology Facility, NZ. These men were genotyped for the AKR1C3 rs12529 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). The leukocyte AKR1C3 activity was measured in a sub-cohort. Variability of leukocyte AKR1C3 activity between biological, lifestyle and clinical features as well as correlation between biological and clinical features were assessed with and without genetic stratification. Results The leukocyte AKR1C3 activity was associated with age at diagnosis (0.51 vs 0.34 μM coumberol units for >69y vs ≤69y, P = 0.03); and with anatomic stage/prognostic grouping among the AKR1C3 rs12529 CC genotype carriers (0.50 vs 28 μM coumberol units among low- and high-risk groups respectively, P = 0.02). Significant correlation between leukocyte AKR1C3 activity and age at PC diagnosis was also observed (correlation coefficient 0.20 and P = 0.02). Ever- smoking impacted both age and PSA at PC diagnosis among AKR1C3 rs12529 GG and CG genotype carriers respectively. Age at diagnosis significantly correlated with PSA at diagnosis in the main (correlation coefficient 0.29, and P<0.001) and sub-cohorts (correlation coefficient 0.24, and P = 0.01); and those carrying the AKR1C3 rs12529 CG and GG genotypes in both the main (correlation coefficient 0.30, and P<0.001 and correlation coefficient 0.35, and P<0.001 respectively) and sub-cohorts (correlation coefficient 0.43, and P<0.001 and correlation coefficient 0.39, and P = 0.06 respectively); but not with those carrying the CC genotype. Conclusions Age dependent PSA thresholds in PC screening could have been valid only in men carrying the AKR1C3 rs12529 CG and GG genotypes in this NZ cohort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nishi Karunasinghe
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre (ACSRC), Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences (FM&HS), The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- * E-mail:
| | - Eva Symes
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre (ACSRC), Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences (FM&HS), The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Amy Gamage
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre (ACSRC), Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences (FM&HS), The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Alice Wang
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre (ACSRC), Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences (FM&HS), The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Pam Murray
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre (ACSRC), Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences (FM&HS), The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Shuotun Zhu
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre (ACSRC), Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences (FM&HS), The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Megan Goudie
- Urology Department, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jonathan Masters
- Urology Department, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand
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11
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Evans K, Duan J, Pritchard T, Jones CD, McDermott L, Gu Z, Toscan CE, El-Zein N, Mayoh C, Erickson SW, Guo Y, Meng F, Jung D, Rathi KS, Roberts KG, Mullighan CG, Shia CS, Pearce T, Teicher BA, Smith MA, Lock RB. OBI-3424, a Novel AKR1C3-Activated Prodrug, Exhibits Potent Efficacy against Preclinical Models of T-ALL. Clin Cancer Res 2019; 25:4493-4503. [PMID: 31015346 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-19-0551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Revised: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OBI-3424 is a highly selective prodrug that is converted by aldo-keto reductase family 1 member C3 (AKR1C3) to a potent DNA-alkylating agent. OBI-3424 has entered clinical testing for hepatocellular carcinoma and castrate-resistant prostate cancer, and it represents a potentially novel treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We assessed AKR1C3 expression by RNA-Seq and immunoblotting, and evaluated the in vitro cytotoxicity of OBI-3424. We investigated the pharmacokinetics of OBI-3424 in mice and nonhuman primates, and assessed the in vivo efficacy of OBI-3424 against a large panel of patient-derived xenografts (PDX). RESULTS AKR1C3 mRNA expression was significantly higher in primary T-lineage ALL (T-ALL; n = 264) than B-lineage ALL (B-ALL; n = 1,740; P < 0.0001), and OBI-3424 exerted potent cytotoxicity against T-ALL cell lines and PDXs. In vivo, OBI-3424 significantly prolonged the event-free survival (EFS) of nine of nine ALL PDXs by 17.1-77.8 days (treated/control values 2.5-14.0), and disease regression was observed in eight of nine PDXs. A significant reduction (P < 0.0001) in bone marrow infiltration at day 28 was observed in four of six evaluable T-ALL PDXs. The importance of AKR1C3 in the in vivo response to OBI-3424 was verified using a B-ALL PDX that had been lentivirally transduced to stably overexpress AKR1C3. OBI-3424 combined with nelarabine resulted in prolongation of mouse EFS compared with each single agent alone in two T-ALL PDXs. CONCLUSIONS OBI-3424 exerted profound in vivo efficacy against T-ALL PDXs derived predominantly from aggressive and fatal disease, and therefore may represent a novel treatment for aggressive and chemoresistant T-ALL in an AKR1C3 biomarker-driven clinical trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Evans
- Children's Cancer Institute, School of Women's and Children's Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - JianXin Duan
- Ascentawits Pharmaceuticals, Ltd, Nanshan Shenzhen, China
| | - Tara Pritchard
- Children's Cancer Institute, School of Women's and Children's Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Connor D Jones
- Children's Cancer Institute, School of Women's and Children's Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Lisa McDermott
- Children's Cancer Institute, School of Women's and Children's Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Zhaohui Gu
- Department of Pathology and the Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Cara E Toscan
- Children's Cancer Institute, School of Women's and Children's Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Narimanne El-Zein
- Children's Cancer Institute, School of Women's and Children's Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Chelsea Mayoh
- Children's Cancer Institute, School of Women's and Children's Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Yuelong Guo
- RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
| | - Fanying Meng
- Ascentawits Pharmaceuticals, Ltd, Nanshan Shenzhen, China
| | - Donald Jung
- Ascentawits Pharmaceuticals, Ltd, Nanshan Shenzhen, China
| | - Komal S Rathi
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics and Center for Data-Driven Discovery in Biomedicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Kathryn G Roberts
- Department of Pathology and the Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Charles G Mullighan
- Department of Pathology and the Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | | | | | | | | | - Richard B Lock
- Children's Cancer Institute, School of Women's and Children's Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
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12
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Gaudichon J, Jakobczyk H, Debaize L, Cousin E, Galibert MD, Troadec MB, Gandemer V. Mechanisms of extramedullary relapse in acute lymphoblastic leukemia: Reconciling biological concepts and clinical issues. Blood Rev 2019; 36:40-56. [PMID: 31010660 DOI: 10.1016/j.blre.2019.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Revised: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Long-term survival rates in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are currently above 85% due to huge improvements in treatment. However, 15-20% of children still experience relapses. Relapses can either occur in the bone marrow or at extramedullary sites, such as gonads or the central nervous system (CNS), formerly referred to as ALL-blast sanctuaries. The reason why ALL cells migrate to and stay in these sites is still unclear. In this review, we have attempted to assemble the evidence concerning the microenvironmental factors that could explain why ALL cells reside in such sites. We present criteria that make extramedullary leukemia niches and solid tumor metastatic niches comparable. Indeed, considering extramedullary leukemias as metastases could be a useful approach for proposing more effective treatments. In this context, we conclude with several examples of potential niche-based therapies which could be successfully added to current treatments of ALL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérémie Gaudichon
- CNRS, IGDR (Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes), Univ Rennes, UMR 6290, Rennes F-35000, France; Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Department, University Hospital, Caen, France.
| | - Hélène Jakobczyk
- CNRS, IGDR (Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes), Univ Rennes, UMR 6290, Rennes F-35000, France
| | - Lydie Debaize
- CNRS, IGDR (Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes), Univ Rennes, UMR 6290, Rennes F-35000, France
| | - Elie Cousin
- CNRS, IGDR (Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes), Univ Rennes, UMR 6290, Rennes F-35000, France; Pediatric Hematology Department, University Hospital, Rennes, France
| | - Marie-Dominique Galibert
- CNRS, IGDR (Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes), Univ Rennes, UMR 6290, Rennes F-35000, France.
| | - Marie-Bérengère Troadec
- CNRS, IGDR (Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes), Univ Rennes, UMR 6290, Rennes F-35000, France
| | - Virginie Gandemer
- CNRS, IGDR (Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes), Univ Rennes, UMR 6290, Rennes F-35000, France; Pediatric Hematology Department, University Hospital, Rennes, France.
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13
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Su MX, Zhang LL, Huang ZJ, Shi JJ, Lu JJ. Investigational Hypoxia-Activated Prodrugs: Making Sense of Future Development. Curr Drug Targets 2019; 20:668-678. [DOI: 10.2174/1389450120666181123122406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Revised: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Hypoxia, which occurs in most cancer cases, disrupts the efficacy of anticarcinogens. Fortunately,
hypoxia itself is a potential target for cancer treatment. Hypoxia-activated prodrugs (HAPs)
can be selectively activated by reductase under hypoxia. Some promising HAPs have been already
achieved, and many clinical trials of HAPs in different types of cancer are ongoing. However, none of
them has been approved in clinic to date. From the studies on HAPs began, some achievements are
obtained but more challenges are put forward. In this paper, we reviewed the research progress of
HAPs to discuss the strategies for HAPs development. According to the research status and results of
these studies, administration pattern, reductase activity, and patient selection need to be taken into
consideration to further improve the efficacy of existing HAPs. As the requirement of new drug research
and development, design of optimal preclinical models and clinical trials are quite important in
HAPs development, while different drug delivery systems and anticancer drugs with different mechanisms
can be sources of novel HAPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Xia Su
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Le-Le Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Zhang-Jian Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jia-Jie Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Jin-Jian Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
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14
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Shen X, Gates KS. Enzyme-Activated Generation of Reactive Oxygen Species from Heterocyclic N-Oxides under Aerobic and Anaerobic Conditions and Its Relevance to Hypoxia-Selective Prodrugs. Chem Res Toxicol 2019; 32:348-361. [PMID: 30817135 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.9b00036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Enzymatic one-electron reduction of heterocyclic N-oxides can lead to the intracellular generation of reactive oxygen species via several different chemical pathways. These reactions may be relevant to hypoxia-selective anticancer drugs, antimicrobial agents, and unwanted toxicity of heterocylic nitrogen compounds.
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15
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Jackson RK, Liew LP, Hay MP. Overcoming Radioresistance: Small Molecule Radiosensitisers and Hypoxia-activated Prodrugs. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol) 2019; 31:290-302. [PMID: 30853148 DOI: 10.1016/j.clon.2019.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The role of hypoxia in radiation resistance is well established and many approaches to overcome hypoxia in tumours have been explored, with variable success. Two small molecule strategies for targeting hypoxia have dominated preclinical and clinical efforts. One approach has been the use of electron-affinic nitroheterocycles as oxygen-mimetic sensitisers. These agents are best exemplified by the 5-nitroimidazole nimorazole, which has limited use in conjunction with radiotherapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The second approach seeks to leverage tumour hypoxia as a tumour-specific address for hypoxia-activated prodrugs. These prodrugs are selectively activated by reductases under hypoxia to release cytotoxins, which in some instances may diffuse to kill surrounding oxic tumour tissue. A number of these hypoxia-activated prodrugs have been examined in clinical trial and the merits and shortcomings of recent examples are discussed. There has been an evolution from delivering DNA-interactive cytotoxins to molecularly targeted agents. Efforts to implement these strategies clinically continue today, but success has been elusive. Several issues have been identified that compromised these clinical campaigns. A failure to consider the extravascular transport and the micropharmacokinetic properties of the prodrugs has reduced efficacy. One key element for these 'targeted' approaches is the need to co-develop biomarkers to identify appropriate patients. Hypoxia-activated prodrugs require biomarkers for hypoxia, but also for appropriate activating reductases in tumours, as well as markers of intrinsic sensitivity to the released drug. The field is still evolving and changes in radiation delivery and the impact of immune-oncology will provide fertile ground for future innovation.
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Affiliation(s)
- R K Jackson
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - L P Liew
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - M P Hay
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
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16
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Drug-DNA adducts as biomarkers for metabolic activation of the nitro-aromatic nitrogen mustard prodrug PR-104A. Biochem Pharmacol 2018; 154:64-74. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2018.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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17
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Abstract
Background Despite chemotherapy intensification, a subgroup of high-risk paediatric T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) patients still experience treatment failure. In this context, we hypothesised that therapy resistance in T-ALL might involve aldo-keto reductase 1C (AKR1C) enzymes as previously reported for solid tumors. Methods Expression of NRF2-AKR1C signaling components has been analysed in paediatric T-ALL samples endowed with different treatment outcomes as well as in patient-derived xenografts of T-ALL. The effects of AKR1C enzyme modulation has been investigated in T-ALL cell lines and primary cultures by combining AKR1C inhibition, overexpression, and gene silencing approaches. Results We show that T-ALL cells overexpress AKR1C1-3 enzymes in therapy-resistant patients. We report that AKR1C1-3 enzymes play a role in the response to vincristine (VCR) treatment, also ex vivo in patient-derived xenografts. Moreover, we demonstrate that the modulation of AKR1C1-3 levels is sufficient to sensitise T-ALL cells to VCR. Finally, we show that T-ALL chemotherapeutics induce overactivation of AKR1C enzymes independent of therapy resistance, thus establishing a potential resistance loop during T-ALL combination treatment. Conclusions Here, we demonstrate that expression and activity of AKR1C enzymes correlate with response to chemotherapeutics in T-ALL, posing AKR1C1-3 as potential targets for combination treatments during T-ALL therapy.
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18
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Shen X, Laber CH, Sarkar U, Galazzi F, Johnson KM, Mahieu NG, Hillebrand R, Fuchs-Knotts T, Barnes CL, Baker GA, Gates KS. Exploiting the Inherent Photophysical Properties of the Major Tirapazamine Metabolite in the Development of Profluorescent Substrates for Enzymes That Catalyze the Bioreductive Activation of Hypoxia-Selective Anticancer Prodrugs. J Org Chem 2018; 83:3126-3131. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.7b03035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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19
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El-Hoss J, Jing D, Evans K, Toscan C, Xie J, Lee H, Taylor RA, Lawrence MG, Risbridger GP, MacKenzie KL, Sutton R, Lock RB. A single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping platform for the authentication of patient derived xenografts. Oncotarget 2018; 7:60475-60490. [PMID: 27528024 PMCID: PMC5312397 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.11125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2015] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Patient derived xenografts (PDXs) have become a vital, frequently used, component of anti-cancer drug development. PDXs can be serially passaged in vivo for years, and shared across laboratories. As a consequence, the potential for mis-identification and cross-contamination is possible, yet authentication of PDXs appears limited. We present a PDX Authentication System (PAS), by combining a commercially available OpenArray assay of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with in-house R studio programs, to validate PDXs established in individual mice from acute lymphoblastic leukemia biopsies. The PAS is sufficiently robust to identify contamination at levels as low as 3%, similar to the gold standard of short tandem repeat (STR) profiling. We have surveyed a panel of PDXs established from 73 individual leukemia patients, and found that the PAS provided sufficient discriminatory power to identify each xenograft. The identified SNP-discrepant PDXs demonstrated distinct gene expression profiles, indicating a risk of contamination for PDXs at high passage number. The PAS also allows for the authentication of tumor cells with complex karyotypes from solid tumors including prostate cancer and Ewing's sarcoma. This study highlights the demands of authenticating PDXs for cancer research, and evaluates a reliable authentication platform that utilizes a commercially available and cost-effective system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jad El-Hoss
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, Sydney, UNSW, Australia
| | - Duohui Jing
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, Sydney, UNSW, Australia
| | - Kathryn Evans
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, Sydney, UNSW, Australia
| | - Cara Toscan
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, Sydney, UNSW, Australia
| | - Jinhan Xie
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, Sydney, UNSW, Australia
| | - Hyunjoo Lee
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, Sydney, UNSW, Australia
| | - Renea A Taylor
- Prostate Research Group, Department of Physiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Mitchell G Lawrence
- Prostate Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Gail P Risbridger
- Prostate Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Karen L MacKenzie
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, Sydney, UNSW, Australia
| | - Rosemary Sutton
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, Sydney, UNSW, Australia
| | - Richard B Lock
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, Sydney, UNSW, Australia
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20
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Stornetta A, Villalta PW, Gossner F, Wilson WR, Balbo S, Sturla SJ. DNA Adduct Profiles Predict in Vitro Cell Viability after Treatment with the Experimental Anticancer Prodrug PR104A. Chem Res Toxicol 2017; 30:830-839. [PMID: 28140568 PMCID: PMC5362746 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.6b00412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
PR104A is an experimental DNA-alkylating hypoxia-activated prodrug that can also be activated in an oxygen-independent manner by the two-electron aldo-keto reductase 1C3. Nitroreduction leads to the formation of cytotoxic hydroxylamine (PR104H) and amine (PR104M) metabolites, which induce DNA mono and cross-linked adducts in cells. PR104A-derived DNA adducts can be utilized as drug-specific biomarkers of efficacy and as a mechanistic tool to elucidate the cellular and molecular effects of PR104A. Toward this goal, a mass spectrometric bioanalysis approach based on a stable isotope-labeled adduct mixture (SILAM) and selected reaction monitoring (SRM) data acquisition for relative quantitation of PR104A-derived DNA adducts in cells was developed. Use of this SILAM-based approach supported simultaneous relative quantitation of 33 PR104A-derived DNA adducts in the same sample, which allowed testing of the hypothesis that the enhanced cytotoxicity, observed by preconditioning cells with the transcription-activating isothiocyanate sulforaphane, is induced by an increased level of DNA adducts induced by PR104H and PR104M, but not PR104A. By applying the new SILAM-SRM approach, we found a 2.4-fold increase in the level of DNA adducts induced by PR104H and PR104M in HT-29 cells preconditioned with sulforaphane and a corresponding 2.6-fold increase in cytotoxicity. These results suggest that DNA adduct levels correlate with drug potency and underly the possibility of monitoring PR104A-derived DNA adducts as biomarkers of efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Stornetta
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich , Schmelzbergstrasse 9, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Peter W Villalta
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota , 2231 Sixth Street Southeast, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Frederike Gossner
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich , Schmelzbergstrasse 9, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - William R Wilson
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Auckland , Auckland 92019, New Zealand
| | - Silvia Balbo
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota , 2231 Sixth Street Southeast, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Shana J Sturla
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich , Schmelzbergstrasse 9, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
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21
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Jones L, Richmond J, Evans K, Carol H, Jing D, Kurmasheva RT, Billups CA, Houghton PJ, Smith MA, Lock RB. Bioluminescence Imaging Enhances Analysis of Drug Responses in a Patient-Derived Xenograft Model of Pediatric ALL. Clin Cancer Res 2017; 23:3744-3755. [PMID: 28119366 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-16-2392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2016] [Revised: 01/10/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Purpose: Robust preclinical models of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are essential in prioritizing promising therapies for clinical assessment in high-risk patients. Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of ALL provide a clinically relevant platform for assessing novel drugs, with efficacy generally assessed by enumerating circulating human lymphoblasts in mouse peripheral blood (PB) as an indicator of disease burden. While allowing indirect measurement of disease burden in real time, this technique cannot assess treatment effects on internal reservoirs of disease. We explore benefits of bioluminescence imaging (BLI) to evaluate drug responses in ALL PDXs, compared with PB monitoring. BLI-based thresholds of drug response are also explored.Experimental Design: ALL PDXs were lentivirally transduced to stably express luciferase and green fluorescent protein. In vivo PDX responses to an induction-type regimen of vincristine, dexamethasone, and L-asparaginase were assessed by BLI and PB. Residual disease at day 28 after treatment initiation was assessed by flow cytometric analysis of major organs. BLI and PB were subsequently used to evaluate efficacy of the Bcl-2 inhibitor venetoclax.Results: BLI considerably accelerated and enhanced detection of leukemia burden compared with PB and identified sites of residual disease during treatment in a quantitative manner, highlighting limitations in current PB-based scoring criteria. Using BLI alongside enumeration of human lymphoblasts in PB and bone marrow, we were able to redefine response criteria analogous to the clinical setting.Conclusions: BLI substantially improves the stringency of preclinical drug testing in pediatric ALL PDXs, which will likely be important in prioritizing effective agents for clinical assessment. Clin Cancer Res; 23(14); 3744-55. ©2017 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Jones
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jennifer Richmond
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia
| | - Kathryn Evans
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia
| | - Hernan Carol
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia
| | - Duohui Jing
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia
| | - Raushan T Kurmasheva
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | | | - Peter J Houghton
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | | | - Richard B Lock
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia.
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22
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Jones L, Carol H, Evans K, Richmond J, Houghton PJ, Smith MA, Lock RB. A review of new agents evaluated against pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia by the Pediatric Preclinical Testing Program. Leukemia 2016; 30:2133-2141. [PMID: 27416986 DOI: 10.1038/leu.2016.192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2016] [Revised: 05/31/2016] [Accepted: 07/04/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children exemplifies how multi-agent chemotherapy has improved the outcome for patients. Refinements in treatment protocols and improvements in supportive care for this most common pediatric malignancy have led to a cure rate that now approaches 90%. However, certain pediatric ALL subgroups remain relatively intractable to treatment and many patients who relapse face a similarly dismal outcome. Moreover, survivors of pediatric ALL suffer the long-term sequelae of their intensive treatment throughout their lives. Therefore, the development of drugs to treat relapsed/refractory pediatric ALL, as well as those that more specifically target leukemia cells, remains a high priority. As pediatric malignancies represent a minority of the overall cancer burden, it is not surprising that they are generally underrepresented in drug development efforts. The identification of novel therapies relies largely on the reappropriation of drugs developed for adult malignancies. However, despite the large number of experimental agents available, clinical evaluation of novel drugs for pediatric ALL is hindered by limited patient numbers and the availability of effective established drugs. The Pediatric Preclinical Testing Program (PPTP) was established in 2005 to provide a mechanism by which novel therapeutics could be evaluated against xenograft and cell line models of the most common childhood malignancies, including ALL, to prioritize those with the greatest activity for clinical evaluation. In this article, we review the results of >50 novel agents and combinations tested against the PPTP ALL xenografts, highlighting comparisons between PPTP results and clinical data where possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Jones
- Leukaemia Biology Program, Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - H Carol
- Leukaemia Biology Program, Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - K Evans
- Leukaemia Biology Program, Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - J Richmond
- Leukaemia Biology Program, Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - P J Houghton
- Molecular Medicine, Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - M A Smith
- Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program, NCI, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - R B Lock
- Leukaemia Biology Program, Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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23
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Hunter FW, Wouters BG, Wilson WR. Hypoxia-activated prodrugs: paths forward in the era of personalised medicine. Br J Cancer 2016; 114:1071-7. [PMID: 27070712 PMCID: PMC4865974 DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2016.79] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2015] [Revised: 02/21/2016] [Accepted: 02/24/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumour hypoxia has been pursued as a cancer drug target for over 30 years, most notably using bioreductive (hypoxia-activated) prodrugs that target antineoplastic agents to low-oxygen tumour compartments. Despite compelling evidence linking hypoxia with treatment resistance and adverse prognosis, a number of such prodrugs have recently failed to demonstrate efficacy in pivotal clinical trials; an outcome that demands reflection on the discovery and development of these compounds. In this review, we discuss a clear disconnect between the pathobiology of tumour hypoxia, the pharmacology of hypoxia-activated prodrugs and the manner in which they have been taken into clinical development. Hypoxia-activated prodrugs have been evaluated in the manner of broad-spectrum cytotoxic agents, yet a growing body of evidence suggests that their activity is likely to be dependent on the coincidence of tumour hypoxia, expression of specific prodrug-activating reductases and intrinsic sensitivity of malignant clones to the cytotoxic effector. Hypoxia itself is highly variable between and within individual tumours and is not treatment-limiting in all cancer subtypes. Defining predictive biomarkers for hypoxia-activated prodrugs and overcoming the technical challenges of assaying them in clinical settings will be essential to deploying these agents in the era of personalised cancer medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis W Hunter
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Bradly G Wouters
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2M9, Canada.,Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
| | - William R Wilson
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
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24
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Sulforaphane Preconditioning Sensitizes Human Colon Cancer Cells towards the Bioreductive Anticancer Prodrug PR-104A. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0150219. [PMID: 26950072 PMCID: PMC4780774 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2015] [Accepted: 02/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The chemoprotective properties of sulforaphane (SF), derived from cruciferous vegetables, are widely acknowledged to arise from its potent induction of xenobiotic-metabolizing and antioxidant enzymes. However, much less is known about the impact of SF on the efficacy of cancer therapy through the modulation of drug-metabolizing enzymes. To identify proteins modulated by a low concentration of SF, we treated HT29 colon cancer cells with 2.5 μM SF. Protein abundance changes were detected by stable isotope labeling of amino acids in cell culture. Among 18 proteins found to be significantly up-regulated, aldo-keto reductase 1C3 (AKR1C3), bioactivating the DNA cross-linking prodrug PR-104A, was further characterized. Preconditioning HT29 cells with SF reduced the EC50 of PR-104A 3.6-fold. The increase in PR-104A cytotoxicity was linked to AKR1C3 abundance and activity, both induced by SF in a dose-dependent manner. This effect was reproducible in a second colon cancer cell line, SW620, but not in other colon cancer cell lines where AKR1C3 abundance and activity were absent or barely detectable and could not be induced by SF. Interestingly, SF had no significant influence on PR-104A cytotoxicity in non-cancerous, immortalized human colonic epithelial cell lines expressing either low or high levels of AKR1C3. In conclusion, the enhanced response of PR-104A after preconditioning with SF was apparent only in cancer cells provided that AKR1C3 is expressed, while its expression in non-cancerous cells did not elicit such a response. Therefore, a subset of cancers may be susceptible to combined food-derived component and prodrug treatments with no harm to normal tissues.
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25
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Geier B, Kurmashev D, Kurmasheva RT, Houghton PJ. Preclinical Childhood Sarcoma Models: Drug Efficacy Biomarker Identification and Validation. Front Oncol 2015; 5:193. [PMID: 26380223 PMCID: PMC4549564 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2015.00193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2015] [Accepted: 08/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past 35 years, cure rates for pediatric cancers have increased dramatically. However, it is clear that further dose intensification using cytotoxic agents or radiation therapy is not possible without enhancing morbidity and long-term effects. Consequently, novel, less genotoxic, agents are being sought to complement existing treatments. Here, we discuss preclinical human tumor xenograft models of pediatric cancers that may be used practically to identify novel agents for soft tissue and bone sarcomas, and "omics" approaches to identifying biomarkers that may identify sensitive and resistant tumors to these agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Geier
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Dias Kurmashev
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Raushan T. Kurmasheva
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Peter J. Houghton
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
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26
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AKR1C3 is a biomarker of sensitivity to PR-104 in preclinical models of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood 2015; 126:1193-202. [PMID: 26116659 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2014-12-618900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2014] [Accepted: 06/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
PR-104, a phosphate ester of the nitrogen mustard prodrug PR-104A, has shown evidence of efficacy in adult leukemia clinical trials. Originally designed to target hypoxic cells, PR-104A is independently activated by aldo-keto-reductase 1C3 (AKR1C3). The aim of this study was to test whether AKR1C3 is a predictive biomarker of in vivo PR-104 sensitivity. In a panel of 7 patient-derived pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) xenografts, PR-104 showed significantly greater efficacy against T-lineage ALL (T-ALL) than B-cell-precursor ALL (BCP-ALL) xenografts. Single-agent PR-104 was more efficacious against T-ALL xenografts compared with a combination regimen of vincristine, dexamethasone, and l-asparaginase. Expression of AKR1C3 was significantly higher in T-ALL xenografts compared with BCP-ALL, and correlated with PR-104/PR-104A sensitivity in vivo and in vitro. Overexpression of AKR1C3 in a resistant BCP-ALL xenograft resulted in dramatic sensitization to PR-104 in vivo. Testing leukemic blasts from 11 patients confirmed that T-ALL cells were more sensitive than BCP-ALL to PR-104A in vitro, and that sensitivity correlated with AKR1C3 expression. Collectively, these results indicate that PR-104 shows promise as a novel therapy for relapsed/refractory T-ALL, and that AKR1C3 expression could be used as a biomarker to select patients most likely to benefit from such treatment in prospective clinical trials.
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27
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Abbattista MR, Jamieson SMF, Gu Y, Nickel JE, Pullen SM, Patterson AV, Wilson WR, Guise CP. Pre-clinical activity of PR-104 as monotherapy and in combination with sorafenib in hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Biol Ther 2015; 16:610-22. [PMID: 25869917 DOI: 10.1080/15384047.2015.1017171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
PR-104 is a clinical stage bioreductive prodrug that is converted in vivo to its cognate alcohol, PR-104A. This dinitrobenzamide mustard is reduced to activated DNA cross-linking metabolites (hydroxylamine PR-104H and amine PR-104M) under hypoxia by one-electron reductases and independently of hypoxia by the 2-electron reductase aldo-keto reductase 1C3 (AKR1C3). High expression of AKR1C3, along with extensive hypoxia, suggested the potential of PR-104 for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, a phase IB trial with sorafenib demonstrated significant toxicity that was ascribed in part to reduced PR-104A clearance, likely reflecting compromised glucuronidation in patients with advanced HCC. Here, we evaluate the activity of PR-104 in HCC xenografts (HepG2, PLC/PRF/5, SNU-398, Hep3B) in mice, which do not significantly glucuronidate PR-104A. Cell line differences in sensitivity to PR-104A in vitro under aerobic conditions could be accounted for by differences in both expression of AKR1C3 (high in HepG2 and PLC/PRF/5) and sensitivity to the major active metabolite PR-104H, to which PLC/PRF/5 was relatively resistant, while hypoxic selectivity of PR-104A cytotoxicity and reductive metabolism was greatest in the low-AKR1C3 SNU-398 and Hep3B lines. Expression of AKR1C3 in HepG2 and PLC/PRF/5 xenografts was in the range seen in 21 human HCC specimens. PR-104 monotherapy elicited significant reductions in growth of Hep3B and HepG2 xenografts, and the combination with sorafenib was significantly active in all 4 xenograft models. The results suggest that better-tolerated analogs of PR-104, without a glucuronidation liability, may have the potential to exploit AKR1C3 and/or hypoxia in HCC in humans.
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28
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Konopleva M, Thall PF, Yi CA, Borthakur G, Coveler A, Bueso-Ramos C, Benito J, Konoplev S, Gu Y, Ravandi F, Jabbour E, Faderl S, Thomas D, Cortes J, Kadia T, Kornblau S, Daver N, Pemmaraju N, Nguyen HQ, Feliu J, Lu H, Wei C, Wilson WR, Melink TJ, Gutheil JC, Andreeff M, Estey EH, Kantarjian H. Phase I/II study of the hypoxia-activated prodrug PR104 in refractory/relapsed acute myeloid leukemia and acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Haematologica 2015; 100:927-34. [PMID: 25682597 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2014.118455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2014] [Accepted: 02/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously demonstrated vast expansion of hypoxic areas in the leukemic microenvironment and provided a rationale for using hypoxia-activated prodrugs. PR104 is a phosphate ester that is rapidly hydrolyzed in vivo to the corresponding alcohol PR-104A and further reduced to the amine and hydroxyl-amine nitrogen mustards that induce DNA cross-linking in hypoxic cells under low oxygen concentrations. In this phase I/II study, patients with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (n=40) after 1 or 2 prior treatments or acute lymphoblastic leukemia (n=10) after any number of prior treatments received PR104; dose ranged from 1.1 to 4 g/m(2). The most common treatment-related grade 3/4 adverse events were myelosuppression (anemia 62%, neutropenia 50%, thrombocytopenia 46%), febrile neutropenia (40%), infection (24%), and enterocolitis (14%). Ten of 31 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (32%) and 2 of 10 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (20%) who received 3 g/m(2) or 4 g/m(2) had a response (complete response, n=1; complete response without platelet recovery, n=5; morphological leukemia-free state, n=6). The extent of hypoxia was evaluated by the hypoxia tracer pimonidazole administered prior to a bone marrow biopsy and by immunohistochemical assessments of hypoxia-inducible factor alpha and carbonic anhydrase IX. A high fraction of leukemic cells expressed these markers, and PR104 administration resulted in measurable decrease of the proportions of hypoxic cells. These findings indicate that hypoxia is a prevalent feature of the leukemic microenvironment and that targeting hypoxia with hypoxia-activated prodrugs warrants further evaluation in acute leukemia. The trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov identifier: 01037556.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Konopleva
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Peter F Thall
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Cecilia Arana Yi
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Gautam Borthakur
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Andrew Coveler
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Carlos Bueso-Ramos
- Department of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Juliana Benito
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sergej Konoplev
- Department of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yongchuan Gu
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, University of Auckland, NZ, USA
| | - Farhad Ravandi
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Elias Jabbour
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Stefan Faderl
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Deborah Thomas
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jorge Cortes
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Tapan Kadia
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Steven Kornblau
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Naval Daver
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Naveen Pemmaraju
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hoang Q Nguyen
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jennie Feliu
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hongbo Lu
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Caimiao Wei
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - William R Wilson
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, University of Auckland, NZ, USA
| | | | | | - Michael Andreeff
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Elihu H Estey
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Hagop Kantarjian
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
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Krauser JA, Jin Y, Walles M, Pfaar U, Sutton J, Wiesmann M, Graf D, Pflimlin-Fritschy V, Wolf T, Camenisch G, Swart P. Phenotypic and metabolic investigation of a CSF-1R kinase receptor inhibitor (BLZ945) and its pharmacologically active metabolite. Xenobiotica 2014; 45:107-23. [PMID: 25180976 DOI: 10.3109/00498254.2014.945988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
1. 4-[2((1R,2R)-2-Hydroxycyclohexylamino)-benzothiazol-6-yloxyl]-pyridine-2-carboxylic acid methylamide (BLZ945) is a small molecule inhibitor of CSF-1R kinase activity within osteoclasts designed to prevent skeletal related events in metastatic disease. Key metabolites were enzymatically and structurally characterized to understand the metabolic fate of BLZ945 and pharmacological implications. The relative intrinsic clearances for metabolites were derived from in vitro studies using human hepatocytes, microsomes and phenotyped with recombinant P450 enzymes. 2. Formation of a pharmacologically active metabolite (M9) was observed in human hepatocytes. The M9 metabolite is a structural isomer (diastereomer) of BLZ945 and is about 4-fold less potent. This isomer was enzymatically formed via P450 oxidation of the BLZ945 hydroxyl group, followed by aldo-keto reduction to the alcohol (M9). 3. Two reaction phenotyping approaches based on fractional clearances were applied to BLZ945 using hepatocytes and liver microsomes. The fraction metabolized (fm) or contribution ratio was determined for each metabolic reaction type (oxidation, glucuronidation or isomerization) as well as for each metabolite. The results quantitatively illustrate contribution ratios of the involved enzymes and pathways, e.g. the isomerization to metabolite M9 accounted for 24% intrinsic clearance in human hepatocytes. In summary, contribution ratios for the Phase I and Phase II pathways can be determined in hepatocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel A Krauser
- Department of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research , Basel , Switzerland
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30
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Yin YD, Fu M, Brooke DG, Heinrich DM, Denny WA, Jamieson SMF. The Activity of SN33638, an Inhibitor of AKR1C3, on Testosterone and 17β-Estradiol Production and Function in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer and ER-Positive Breast Cancer. Front Oncol 2014; 4:159. [PMID: 24995161 PMCID: PMC4061482 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2014.00159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2014] [Accepted: 06/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
AKR1C3 is a novel therapeutic target in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer because of its ability to produce testosterone and 17β-estradiol intratumorally, thus promoting nuclear receptor signaling and tumor progression. A panel of CRPC, ER-positive breast cancer and high/low AKR1C3-expressing cell lines were treated with SN33638, a selective inhibitor of AKR1C3, in the presence of hormone or prostaglandin (PG) precursors, prior to evaluation of cell proliferation and levels of 11β-PG F2α (11β-PGF2α), testosterone, 17β-estradiol, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA). A meta-analysis of AKR1C3 mRNA expression in patient samples was also conducted, which revealed that AKR1C3 mRNA was upregulated in CRPC, but downregulated in ER-positive breast cancer. 11β-PGF2α and testosterone levels in the cell line panel correlated with AKR1C3 protein expression. SN33638 prevented 11β-PGF2α formation in cell lines that expressed AKR1C3, but partially inhibited testosterone formation and subsequently cell proliferation and/or PSA expression only in high (LAPC4 AKR1C3-overexpressing cells) or moderate (22RV1) AKR1C3-expressing cell lines. SN33638 had little effect on 17β-estradiol production or estrone-stimulated cell proliferation in ER-positive breast cancer cell lines. Although SN33638 could prevent 11β-PGF2α formation, its ability to prevent testosterone and 17β-estradiol production and their roles in CRPC and ER-positive breast cancer progression was limited due to AKR1C3-independent steroid hormone production, except in LAPC4 AKR1C3 cells where the majority of testosterone was AKR1C3-dependent. These results suggest that inhibition of AKR1C3 is unlikely to produce therapeutic benefit in CRPC and ER-positive breast cancer patients, except possibly in the small subpopulation of CRPC patients with tumors that have upregulated AKR1C3 expression and are dependent on AKR1C3 to produce the testosterone required for their growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yarong Diana Yin
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, The University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand
| | - Melissa Fu
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, The University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand
| | - Darby G Brooke
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, The University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand
| | - Daniel M Heinrich
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, The University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand
| | - William A Denny
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, The University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand ; Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, The University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand
| | - Stephen M F Jamieson
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, The University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand ; Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, The University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand
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