1
|
Kim J, Koh DI, Lee M, Park YS, Hong SW, Shin JS, Lee MS, Kim MH, Lee JH, Jeong J, Bae S, Hong JK, Jeong HR, Ryu YS, Kim SM, Choi M, Kim H, Ryu H, Hur SC, Park J, Hur DY, Jin DH. Targeting isoforms of RON kinase (MST1R) drives antitumor efficacy. Cell Death Differ 2023; 30:2491-2507. [PMID: 37926711 PMCID: PMC10733321 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-023-01235-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Recepteur d'origine nantais (RON, MST1R) is a single-span transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) aberrantly expressed in numerous cancers, including various solid tumors. How naturally occurring splicing isoforms of RON, especially those which are constitutively activated, affect tumorigenesis and therapeutic response, is largely unknown. Here, we identified that presence of activated RON could be a possible factor for the development of resistance against anti-EGFR (cetuximab) therapy in colorectal cancer patient tissues. Also, we elucidated the roles of three splicing variants of RON, RON Δ155, Δ160, and Δ165 as tumor drivers in cancer cell lines. Subsequently, we designed an inhibitor of RON, WM-S1-030, to suppress phosphorylation thereby inhibiting the activation of the three RON variants as well as the wild type. Specifically, WM-S1-030 treatment led to potent regression of tumor growth in solid tumors expressing the RON variants Δ155, Δ160, and Δ165. Two mechanisms for the RON oncogenic activity depending on KRAS genotype was evaluated in our study which include activation of EGFR and Src, in a trimeric complex, and stabilization of the beta-catenin. In terms of the immunotherapy, WM-S1-030 elicited notable antitumor immunity in anti-PD-1 resistant cell derived mouse model, likely via repression of M1/M2 polarization of macrophages. These findings suggest that WM-S1-030 could be developed as a new treatment option for cancer patients expressing these three RON variants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Kim
- Wellmarkerbio Co., Ltd., Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Asan Institute for Life Science, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Pharmacology, AMIST, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-In Koh
- Wellmarkerbio Co., Ltd., Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Asan Institute for Life Science, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Minki Lee
- Wellmarkerbio Co., Ltd., Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Asan Institute for Life Science, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoon Sun Park
- Wellmarkerbio Co., Ltd., Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Asan Institute for Life Science, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Pharmacology, AMIST, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Jae-Sik Shin
- Wellmarkerbio Co., Ltd., Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi So Lee
- Wellmarkerbio Co., Ltd., Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Hwa Kim
- Wellmarkerbio Co., Ltd., Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | | | | | | | - Jun Ki Hong
- Wellmarkerbio Co., Ltd., Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Yea Seong Ryu
- Wellmarkerbio Co., Ltd., Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Asan Institute for Life Science, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Mi Kim
- Wellmarkerbio Co., Ltd., Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Mingee Choi
- Wellmarkerbio Co., Ltd., Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyojin Kim
- Wellmarkerbio Co., Ltd., Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Ryu
- Wellmarkerbio Co., Ltd., Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sun-Chul Hur
- Wellmarkerbio Co., Ltd., Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Junho Park
- Wellmarkerbio Co., Ltd., Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Dae Young Hur
- Department of Anatomy and Tumor Immunology, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Hoon Jin
- Wellmarkerbio Co., Ltd., Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Convergence Medicine, Asan Institute for Life Science, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Prognostic role of the recepteur d'origine nantais (RON) expression in primary high-grade osteosarcoma. J Orthop Sci 2021; 26:1100-1106. [PMID: 32972820 DOI: 10.1016/j.jos.2020.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 07/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Osteosarcoma is a common primary malignant bone tumor susceptible to distant metastasis. The clinical outcome for patients remains poor due to the resistance to chemotherapy and lacking effective therapeutic targets. Recepteur d'origine nantais (RON), a transmembrane protein of the c-MET proto-oncogene family, has been reported to contribute to the malignant progression and bone metastasis in several tumors. The present study aimed to explore the prognostic significance of RON in primary high-grade osteosarcoma. METHODS Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and western blotting (WB) were used to investigate the protein expression of RON in 80 surgically resected specimens (50 high-grade osteosarcoma specimens and 30 non-neoplastic bone tissues) and 6 cell lines. The χ2 test or independent-sample Student's t-test was used to assess the significance of RON difference between osteosarcoma and non-neoplastic bone tissues. The χ2 test and Fisher's exact test were used to analyze the association of RON with the clinicopathological features of osteosarcoma patients. Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model were used to assess the significance of RON for the survival of osteosarcoma patients. RESULTS The results of IHC and WB observed significant overexpression of RON in osteosarcoma specimens (P < 0.001) and osteosarcoma cell lines. Moreover, immunohistochemical high expression of RON was associated with a poor response to chemotherapy (P = 0.032) as well as worse progression-free (P = 0.003) and overall (P < 0.001) survival of osteosarcoma patients. Multivariate analysis revealed that high expression of RON was independently associated with reduced progression-free (P = 0.027, HR = 2.31) and overall survival (P = 0.004, HR = 5.06) time of osteosarcoma patients. CONCLUSIONS The present study demonstrated that high expression of RON held independent value for unfavorable survival in primary high-grade osteosarcoma. Its potential role as a therapeutic target for osteosarcoma treatment deserves further research.
Collapse
|
3
|
Yao HP, Tong XM, Hudson R, Wang MH. MET and RON receptor tyrosine kinases in colorectal adenocarcinoma: molecular features as drug targets and antibody-drug conjugates for therapy. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2020; 39:198. [PMID: 32962738 PMCID: PMC7510328 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-020-01711-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Advanced colorectal adenocarcinoma (CRAC), featured by distinctive histopathological appearance, distant organ metastasis, acquired chemoresistance, and tumorigenic stemness is a group of heterogeneous cancers with unique genetic signatures and malignant phenotypes. Treatment of CRAC is a daunting task for oncologists. Currently, various strategies including molecular targeting using therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, small molecule kinase inhibitors and immunoregulatory checkpoint therapy have been applied to combat this deadly disease. However, these therapeutic modalities and approaches achieve only limited success. Thus, there is a pharmaceutical need to discover new targets and develop novel therapeutics for CRAC therapy. MET and RON receptor tyrosine kinases have been implicated in CRAC pathogenesis. Clinical studies have revealed that aberrant MET and/or RON expression and signaling are critical in regulating CRAC progression and malignant phenotypes. Increased MET and/or RON expression also has prognostic value for CRAC progression and patient survival. These features provide the rationale to target MET and RON for clinical CRAC intervention. At present, the use of small molecule kinase inhibitors targeting MET for CRAC treatment has achieved significant progress with several approvals for clinical application. Nevertheless, antibody-based biotherapeutics, although under clinical trials for more than 8 years, have made very little progress. In this review, we discuss the importance of MET and/or RON in CRAC tumorigenesis and development of anti-MET, anti-RON, and MET and RON-dual targeting antibody-drug conjugates for clinical application. The findings from both preclinical studies and clinical trials highlight the potential of this novel type of biotherapeutics for CRAC therapy in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hang-Ping Yao
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Xiang-Min Tong
- Department of Hematology, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Rachel Hudson
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, TX, Amarillo, USA
| | - Ming-Hai Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, USA.
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, TX, Amarillo, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Identification of novel quinoline analogues bearing thiazolidinones as potent kinase inhibitors for the treatment of colorectal cancer. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 204:112643. [PMID: 32731184 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In this investigation, a novel series of quinoline analogues bearing thiazolidinones were designed and synthesized based on our previous study. Among them, the most potent compound 11k, 4-((4-(4-(3-(2-(2,6-difluorophenyl)-4-oxothiazolidin-3-yl)ureido)phenoxy)-6-methoxyquinolin-7-yl)oxy)-N-isopropylpiperidine-1-carboxamide, possessed submicromolar c-Met and Ron inhibitory activities. In addition, enzymatic assays against a mini-panel of kinases (c-Kit, B-Raf, c-Src, IGF1R, PDGFRα and AXL) were performed, the results showed that compound 11k exhibited moderate inhibitory activity against PDGFRα, c-Src and AXL. MTT assay revealed in vitro antitumor activities against HT-29 cells of compound 11k with an IC50 value of 0.31 μM which was 9.3- and 34.2-fold more potent than that of Regorafenib (IC50 = 2.87 μM) and Cabozantinib (IC50 = 10.6 μM). Preliminary antitumor mechanisms were also investigated by cellular assays. Considerable cytotoxicity, antiproliferation and induction of apoptosis of compound 11k in a dose- and time-dependent manner were confirmed by IncuCyte live-cell imaging assays. Treatment with compound 11k caused slight G2-or M-phase arrest in HT-29 cells. Further cell selectivity of compound 11k showed that it was not active against human normal colorectal mucosa epithelial cell FHC at 10.0 μg/mL. The above results support further structural modification of compound 11k to improve its inhibitory activity, which will lead to more potent anticancer agents.
Collapse
|
5
|
Chen JF, Yu BX, Ma L, Lv XY, Jiang JH, Ma Q. RON is overexpressed in bladder cancer and contributes to tumorigenic phenotypes in 5637 cells. Oncol Lett 2018; 15:6547-6554. [PMID: 29725403 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2018.8135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Accepted: 01/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Tyrosine kinase receptor macrophage stimulating 1 receptor (MST1R, also known as RON) contributes to the transformation and malignant progression observed in epithelial cells. The purpose of the present study is to assess the value of RON as a potential target in bladder cancer (BC) therapeutics. The expression profile of RON in BC tissues and adjacent noncancerous tissues was detected via immunohistochemistry. The rate of positive RON expression differed significantly between bladder urothelial cancer tissues (54.7%) and paraneoplastic tissues (29.4%) (P<0.05). RON expression was positively associated with the number of tumors per patient, histological grading, pathological stage and distant metastasis (all P<0.05). Downregulation of RON expression using small interfering RNAs inhibited cell growth, cell migration and promoted cell apoptosis in the 5637 cell line. RON inhibition induced cell cycle arrest at the G1/S boundary following an increase of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A, and a decrease of cyclin D1, cyclin D3 and cyclin-dependent kinase 4 expression. Furthermore, knockdown of RON significantly blocked signal transduction, including downstream protein kinase B and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways. These results indicated that RON serves a notable role in BC and is a potential target of therapeutic intervention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Feng Chen
- Translational Research Laboratory for Urology, The Key Laboratory of Ningbo, Ningbo First Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315010, P.R. China
| | - Bi-Xia Yu
- Translational Research Laboratory for Urology, The Key Laboratory of Ningbo, Ningbo First Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315010, P.R. China
| | - Liang Ma
- Translational Research Laboratory for Urology, The Key Laboratory of Ningbo, Ningbo First Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315010, P.R. China.,Department of Urology, Ningbo First Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315010, P.R. China
| | - Xiu-Yi Lv
- Translational Research Laboratory for Urology, The Key Laboratory of Ningbo, Ningbo First Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315010, P.R. China
| | - Jun-Hui Jiang
- Translational Research Laboratory for Urology, The Key Laboratory of Ningbo, Ningbo First Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315010, P.R. China.,Department of Urology, Ningbo First Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315010, P.R. China
| | - Qi Ma
- Translational Research Laboratory for Urology, The Key Laboratory of Ningbo, Ningbo First Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315010, P.R. China.,Department of Urology, Ningbo First Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315010, P.R. China.,Department of Urology, The Ninth Hospital of Ningbo, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315020, P.R. China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Chen JF, Yu BX, Yu R, Ma L, Lv XY, Cheng Y, Ma Q. Monoclonal antibody Zt/g4 targeting RON receptor tyrosine kinase enhances chemosensitivity of bladder cancer cells to Epirubicin by promoting G1/S arrest and apoptosis. Oncol Rep 2017; 37:721-728. [PMID: 28075465 PMCID: PMC5355669 DOI: 10.3892/or.2017.5356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2016] [Accepted: 11/21/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Epirubicin (EPI) is one of the most used intravesical chemotherapy agents after transurethral resection to non-muscle invasive bladder tumors (NMIBC) to prevent cancer recurrence and progression. However, even after resection of bladder tumors and intravesical chemotherapy, half of them will recur and progress. RON is a membrane tyrosine kinase receptor usually overexpressed in bladder cancer cells and associated with poor pathological features. This study aims to investigate the effects of anti-RON monoclonal antibody Zt/g4 on the chemosensitivity of bladder cells to EPI. After Zt/g4 treatment, cell cytotoxicity was significantly increased and cell invasion was markedly suppressed in EPI-treated bladder cancer cells. Further investigation indicated that combing Zt/g4 with EPI promoted cell G1/S-phase arrest and apoptosis, which are the potential mechanisms that RON signaling inhibition enhances chemosensitivity of EPI. Thus, combing antibody-based RON targeted therapy enhances the therapeutic effects of intravesical chemotherapy, which provides new strategy for further improvement of NMIBC patient outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Feng Chen
- Translational Research Laboratory for Urology, Ningbo First Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315010, P.R. China
| | - Bi-Xia Yu
- Translational Research Laboratory for Urology, Ningbo First Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315010, P.R. China
| | - Rui Yu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315212, P.R. China
| | - Liang Ma
- Translational Research Laboratory for Urology, Ningbo First Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315010, P.R. China
| | - Xiu-Yi Lv
- Translational Research Laboratory for Urology, Ningbo First Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315010, P.R. China
| | - Yue Cheng
- Translational Research Laboratory for Urology, Ningbo First Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315010, P.R. China
| | - Qi Ma
- Translational Research Laboratory for Urology, Ningbo First Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315010, P.R. China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Kim N, Cho SB, Park YL, Park SY, Myung E, Kim SH, Yu HM, Son YA, Myung DS, Lee WS, Joo YE. Effect of Recepteur d'Origine Nantais expression on chemosensitivity and tumor cell behavior in colorectal cancer. Oncol Rep 2016; 35:3331-40. [PMID: 27035413 DOI: 10.3892/or.2016.4721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2015] [Accepted: 12/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Recepteur d'Origine Nantais (RON) expression is known to induce oncogenic properties including tumor cell growth, survival, motility, angiogenesis and chemoresistance. In the present study, we evaluated whether RON affects chemosensitivity and oncogenic behavior of colorectal cancer cells and investigated its prognostic value in colorectal cancer. To evaluate the impact of RON on chemosensitivity and tumor cell behavior, we treated colorectal cancer cells with small interfering RNAs specific to RON. This was followed by flow cytometric analyses and migration, Matrigel invasion and endothelial tube formation assays. The expression of RON was investigated by immunohistochemistry in colorectal cancer tissues. TUNEL assay and immunohistochemical staining for CD34 and D2-40 were deployed to determine apoptosis, angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis. RON knockdown enhanced 5-fluorouracil (FU)-induced apoptosis by upregulating the activities of caspases and expression of proapoptotic genes. Moreover, it enhanced 5-FU-induced cell cycle arrest by decreasing the expression of cyclins and cyclin‑dependent kinases and inducing that of p21. Furthermore, RON knockdown augmented the 5-FU-induced inhibition of invasion and migration of colorectal cancer cells. The β-catenin signaling cascade was blocked by RON knockdown upon 5-FU treatment. RON knockdown also decreased endothelial tube formation and expression of VEGF-A and HIF-1α and increased angiostatin expression. Furthermore, it inhibited lymphatic endothelial cell tube formation and the expression of VEGF-C and COX-2. RON expression was observed to be associated with age, tumor size, lymphovascular and perineural invasion, tumor stage, lymph node and distant metastasis, and poor survival rate. The mean microvessel density value of RON-positive tumors was significantly higher than that of RON-negative ones. These results indicate that RON is associated with tumor progression by inhibiting chemosensitivity and enhancing angiogenesis in colorectal cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nuri Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Dong-ku, Gwangju 501-757, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Bum Cho
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Dong-ku, Gwangju 501-757, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Lan Park
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Dong-ku, Gwangju 501-757, Republic of Korea
| | - Sun-Young Park
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Dong-ku, Gwangju 501-757, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Myung
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Dong-ku, Gwangju 501-757, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Hun Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Dong-ku, Gwangju 501-757, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung-Min Yu
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Dong-ku, Gwangju 501-757, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Ae Son
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Dong-ku, Gwangju 501-757, Republic of Korea
| | - Dae-Seong Myung
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Dong-ku, Gwangju 501-757, Republic of Korea
| | - Wan-Sik Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Dong-ku, Gwangju 501-757, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Eun Joo
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Dong-ku, Gwangju 501-757, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Feng L, Yao HP, Wang W, Zhou YQ, Zhou J, Zhang R, Wang MH. Efficacy of anti-RON antibody Zt/g4-drug maytansinoid conjugation (Anti-RON ADC) as a novel therapeutics for targeted colorectal cancer therapy. Clin Cancer Res 2014; 20:6045-58. [PMID: 25294907 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-14-0898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The receptor tyrosine kinase RON is critical in epithelial tumorigenesis and a drug target for cancer therapy. Here, we report the development and therapeutic efficacy of a novel anti-RON antibody Zt/g4-maytansinoid (DM1) conjugates for targeted colorectal cancer (CRC) therapy. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Zt/g4 (IgG1a/κ) was conjugated to DM1 via thioether linkage to form Zt/g4-DM1 with a drug-antibody ratio of 4:1. CRC cell lines expressing different levels of RON were tested in vitro to determine Zt/g4-DM1-induced RON endocytosis, cell-cycle arrest, and cytotoxicity. Efficacy of Zt/g4-DM1 in vivo was evaluated in mouse xenograft CRC tumor model. RESULTS Zt/g4-DM1 rapidly induced RON endocytosis, arrested cell cycle at G2-M phase, reduced cell viability, and caused massive cell death within 72 hours. In mouse xenograft CRC models, Zt/g4-DM1 at a single dose of 20 mg/kg body weight effectively delayed CRC cell-mediated tumor growth up to 20 days. In a multiple dose-ranging study with a five injection regimen, Zt/g4-DM1 inhibited more than 90% tumor growth at doses of 7, 10, and 15 mg/kg body weight. The minimal dose achieving 50% of tumor inhibition was approximately 5.0 mg/kg. The prepared Zt/g4-DM1 is stable at 37°C for up to 30 days. At 60 mg/kg, Zt/g4-DM1 had a moderate toxicity in vivo with an average of 12% reduction in mouse body weight. CONCLUSION Zt/g4-DM1 is highly effective in targeted inhibition of CRC cell-derived tumor growth in mouse xenograft models. This work provides the basis for development of humanized Zt/g4-DM1 for RON-targeted CRC therapy in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liang Feng
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, First Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang, China. Department of Biomedical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Pharmacy, Amarillo, Texas
| | - Hang-Ping Yao
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, First Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Pharmacy, Amarillo, Texas
| | - Yong-Qing Zhou
- Department of Neurosurgery, First Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jianwei Zhou
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University School of Public Health, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ruiwen Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Pharmacy, Amarillo, Texas
| | - Ming-Hai Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, First Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang, China. Department of Biomedical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Pharmacy, Amarillo, Texas.
| |
Collapse
|