1
|
Altman JK, Zuckerman T, Koprivnikar J, McCloskey J, Kota V, Keng M, Frankfurt O, Abaza Y, Bixby DL, Emadi A, Burch M, Bhatnagar B, Luger SM, Percival ME, Wolach O, Craig M, Ganzel C, Roboz G, Levi I, Gourevitch A, Flaishon L, Tessler S, Blumberg C, Gengrinovitch S, Ben Yakar R, Rowe JM. Aspacytarabine for the treatment of patients with AML unfit for intensive chemotherapy: a phase 2 study. Blood Adv 2023; 7:7494-7500. [PMID: 37903324 PMCID: PMC10758705 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2023010943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023] Open
Abstract
High-dose cytarabine is associated with gastrointestinal and cerebellar toxicity, precluding its use for older or unfit patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Aspacytarabine, an inactive prodrug of cytarabine, was evaluated as monotherapy in a phase 2b study of patients unfit for intensive chemotherapy (NCT03435848). Sixty-five patients with AML were treated with aspacytarabine 4.5 g/m2 per day (equimolar to 3 g/m2 per day cytarabine) for 6 doses per treatment. The median age was 75 years; 60.6% of patients had de novo AML, 28.8% had AML secondary to myelodysplastic syndrome, and 10.6% had therapy-related AML. Overall, 36.9% achieved complete remission (CR) with full count recovery. CR rates in patients with secondary AML, patients with prior treatment with hypomethylating agents, and patients with TP53 mutation were 26.7%, 25%, and 36%, respectively. Median overall survival was 9 months (range, 6-15.9) and was not reached among responders. Hematologic recovery was observed in all responding patients by day 26 without prolonged cytopenias. Adverse events typically precluding the use of high-dose cytarabine in older or unfit patients were not observed. These data suggest that aspacytarabine may be an effective regimen with a reduction in the attendant toxicities associated with high-dose cytarabine, an important consideration when treating AML and other hematologic disorders that use high-dose cytarabine. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT03435848.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica K. Altman
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
| | - Tsila Zuckerman
- Department of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel
| | - Jamie Koprivnikar
- John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, NJ
| | - James McCloskey
- John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, NJ
| | - Vamsi Kota
- Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA
| | - Michael Keng
- University of Virginia Cancer Center-Charlottesville, Charlottesville, VA
| | - Olga Frankfurt
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
| | - Yasmin Abaza
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
| | - Dale L. Bixby
- University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Ashkan Emadi
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, College Park, MD
| | - Micah Burch
- Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, Dallas, TX
| | - Bhavana Bhatnagar
- Arthur G James Cancer Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
| | - Selina M. Luger
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | | | - Ofir Wolach
- Department of Hematology, Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tikva, Israel
| | - Michael Craig
- Internal Medicine, Hematology-Oncology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
| | | | - Gail Roboz
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York City, NY
| | - Itai Levi
- Soroka University Medical Center, Beersheba, Israel
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Jacob M. Rowe
- Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
- Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Sun L, Yang N, Chen B, Bei Y, Kang Z, Zhang C, Zhang N, Xu P, Yang W, Wei J, Ke J, Sun W, Li X, Shen P. A novel mesenchymal stem cell-based regimen for acute myeloid leukemia differentiation therapy. Acta Pharm Sin B 2023; 13:3027-3042. [PMID: 37521858 PMCID: PMC10372914 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2023.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Currently the main treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is chemotherapy combining hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. However, the unbearable side effect of chemotherapy and the high risk of life-threatening infections and disease relapse following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation restrict its application in clinical practice. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop alternative therapeutic tactics with significant efficacy and attenuated adverse effects. Here, we revealed that umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSC) efficiently induced AML cell differentiation by shuttling the neutrophil elastase (NE)-packaged extracellular vesicles (EVs) into AML cells. Interestingly, the generation and release of NE-packaged EVs could be dramatically increased by vitamin D receptor (VDR) activation in UC-MSC. Chemical activation of VDR by using its agonist 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 efficiently enhanced the pro-differentiation capacity of UC-MSC and then alleviated malignant burden in AML mouse model. Based on these discoveries, to evade the risk of hypercalcemia, we synthetized and identified sw-22, a novel non-steroidal VDR agonist, which exerted a synergistic pro-differentiation function with UC-MSC on mitigating the progress of AML. Collectively, our findings provided a non-gene editing MSC-based therapeutic regimen to overcome the differentiation blockade in AML.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luchen Sun
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China
| | - Nanfei Yang
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Bing Chen
- Department of Hematology, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Yuncheng Bei
- The Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Zisheng Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Diseases, Center of Drug Discovery, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Can Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Diseases, Center of Drug Discovery, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Nan Zhang
- Centre of Micro/Nano Manufacturing Technology (MNMT-Dublin), School of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Peipei Xu
- Department of Hematology, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Wei Yang
- Department of Surgery, Division of Cancer Biology and Therapeutics, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Jia Wei
- The Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Jiangqiong Ke
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China
| | - Weijian Sun
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China
| | - Xiaokun Li
- Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health) & School of Pharmaceutical Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Pingping Shen
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China
- Department of Urology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Institute of Urology, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Nanjing University, Shenzhen 518000, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Park MR, Lee HJ, Jang HM, Kim NH, Lee JS, Jeong YT, Kim I, Choi SH, Seo KS, Kim DH. Cytarabine induces cachexia with lipid malabsorption via zippering the junctions of lacteal in murine small intestine. J Lipid Res 2023; 64:100387. [PMID: 37201659 PMCID: PMC10323926 DOI: 10.1016/j.jlr.2023.100387] [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: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemotherapy-induced cachexia causes severe metabolic abnormalities independently of cancer and reduces the therapeutic efficacy of chemotherapy. The underlying mechanism of chemotherapy-induced cachexia remains unclear. Here we investigated the cytarabine (CYT)-induced alteration in energy balance and its underlying mechanisms in mice. We compared energy balance-associated parameters among the three groups of mice: CON, CYT, and PF (pair-fed mice with the CYT group) that were intravenously administered vehicle or CYT. Weight gain, fat mass, skeletal muscle mass, grip strength, and nocturnal energy expenditure were significantly lowered in the CYT group than in the CON and PF groups. The CYT group demonstrated less energy intake than the CON group and higher respiratory quotient than the PF group, indicating that CYT induced cachexia independently from the anorexia-induced weight loss. Serum triglyceride was significantly lower in the CYT group than in the CON group, whereas the intestinal mucosal triglyceride levels and the lipid content within the small intestine enterocyte were higher after lipid loading in the CYT group than in the CON and PF groups, suggesting that CYT inhibited lipid uptake in the intestine. This was not associated with obvious intestinal damage. The CYT group showed increased zipper-like junctions of lymphatic endothelial vessel in duodenal villi compared to that in the CON and CYT groups, suggesting their imperative role in the CYT-induced inhibition of lipid uptake. CYT worsens cachexia independently of anorexia by inhibiting the intestinal lipid uptake, via the increased zipper-like junctions of lymphatic endothelial vessel.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mi-Rae Park
- Department of Pharmacology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye-Jin Lee
- Department of Pharmacology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye-Min Jang
- Department of Pharmacology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Nam Hoon Kim
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun-Seok Lee
- Department of Pharmacology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong Taek Jeong
- Department of Pharmacology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Inho Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Hyun Choi
- Department of Pharmacology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwan Sik Seo
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Dong-Hoon Kim
- Department of Pharmacology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Venetoclax in combination with nucleoside analogs in acute myelogenous leukemia. Curr Opin Oncol 2022; 34:531-539. [PMID: 35855507 DOI: 10.1097/cco.0000000000000868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Venetoclax in combination with nucleoside analogs such as hypomethylating agents (HMA) and low-dose cytarabine (LDAC) has led to unprecedented response and survival outcomes in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This has spurred the development of regimens combining venetoclax with other nucleoside analogs with distinct mechanisms of action. Here, we review older and newer nucleoside analogs, the rationale for their combination with venetoclax, and clinical evidence for the combination when available. RECENT FINDINGS Venetoclax with HMA prolonged survival in a phase 3 study. Additionally, biologic correlates of response and resistance to venetoclax with HMA have been identified. The addition of venetoclax to standard intensive regimens containing higher doses of cytarabine and purine nucleoside analogs are safe and induce very high rates of remission and measurable residual disease negativity (MRD) negativity in newly diagnosed and relapsed/refractory AML. Investigational nucleoside analogs aim to improve upon the safety, bioavailability, or efficacy of approved venetoclax combinations and are currently being evaluated in clinical studies. SUMMARY The development of venetoclax with HMA has transformed care for elderly adults with AML and opened the door for novel combinations of venetoclax with other nucleoside analogs. Further clinical studies are needed to see if these novel combinations further improve outcomes in AML particularly for patients with high-risk disease.
Collapse
|
5
|
Weigert N, Rowe JM, Lazarus HM, Salman MY. Consolidation in AML: Abundant opinion and much unknown. Blood Rev 2021; 51:100873. [PMID: 34483002 DOI: 10.1016/j.blre.2021.100873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Consolidation therapy forms the backbone of post-remission therapy for AML and is uniformly accepted as an integral part of therapy designed to achieve long-term survival. The need for post-remission therapy was initially described over four decades ago and has since undergone many variations in terms of dosage, number of cycles and intensity of therapy. There is much empiricism in the current understanding of consolidation therapy and much that has not been rigorously studied. This review will consider the many aspects of consolidation therapy, focusing on the number of cycles, differences between young and older adults, first and subsequent remission as well as therapy prior to an allogeneic transplant. Emphasis will be given to differentiate strategies that are clearly evidence-based from those that have been incorporated into standard of care while bypassing the need for rigorous data-driven approaches. Finally, consideration will be given to the current ability to assess the minimal measureable residual disease and the impact that this may have on therapeutic paradigms, including superseding many of the time-honored prognostic features.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nir Weigert
- Department of Hematology, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Jacob M Rowe
- Department of Hematology, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel; Department of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel; Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Oliva EN, Ronnebaum SM, Zaidi O, Patel DA, Nehme SA, Chen C, Almeida AM. A systematic literature review of disease burden and clinical efficacy for patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BLOOD RESEARCH 2021; 11:325-360. [PMID: 34540343 PMCID: PMC8446831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a rapidly progressive hematological malignancy that is difficult to cure. The prognosis is poor and treatment options are limited in case of relapse. A comprehensive assessment of current disease burden and the clinical efficacy of non-intensive therapies in this population are lacking. We conducted two systematic literature reviews (SLRs). The first SLR (disease burden) included observational studies reporting the incidence and economic and humanistic burden of relapsed/refractory (RR) AML. The second SLR (clinical efficacy) included clinical trials (phase II or later) reporting remission rates (complete remission [CR] or CR with incomplete hematologic recovery [CRi]) and median overall survival (mOS) in patients with RR AML or patients with de novo AML who are ineligible for intensive chemotherapy. For both SLRs, MEDLINE®/Embase® were searched from January 1, 2008 to January 31, 2020. Clinical trial registries were also searched for the clinical efficacy SLR. After screening, two independent reviewers determined the eligibility for inclusion in the SLRs based on full-text articles. The disease burden SLR identified 130 observational studies. The median cumulative incidence of relapse was 29.4% after stem cell transplant and 46.8% after induction chemotherapy. Total per-patient-per-month costs were $28,148-$29,322; costs and health care resource use were typically higher for RR versus non-RR patients. Patients with RR AML had worse health-related quality of life (HRQoL) scores than patients with de novo AML across multiple instruments, and lower health utility values versus other AML health states (i.e. newly diagnosed, remission, consolidation, and maintenance therapy). The clinical efficacy SLR identified 50 trials (66 total trial arms). CR/CRi rates and mOS have remained relatively stable and low over the last 2 decades. Across all arms, the median rate of CR/CRi was 18.3% and mOS was 6.2 months. In conclusion, a substantial proportion of patients with AML will develop RR AML, which is associated with significant humanistic and economic burden. Existing treatments offer limited efficacy, highlighting the need for more effective non-intensive treatment options.
Collapse
|
7
|
Wu YJ, Meanwell NA. Geminal Diheteroatomic Motifs: Some Applications of Acetals, Ketals, and Their Sulfur and Nitrogen Homologues in Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Design. J Med Chem 2021; 64:9786-9874. [PMID: 34213340 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Acetals and ketals and their nitrogen and sulfur homologues are often considered to be unconventional and potentially problematic scaffolding elements or pharmacophores for the design of orally bioavailable drugs. This opinion is largely a function of the perception that such motifs might be chemically unstable under the acidic conditions of the stomach and upper gastrointestinal tract. However, even simple acetals and ketals, including acyclic molecules, can be sufficiently robust under acidic conditions to be fashioned into orally bioavailable drugs, and these structural elements are embedded in many effective therapeutic agents. The chemical stability of molecules incorporating geminal diheteroatomic motifs can be modulated by physicochemical design principles that include the judicious deployment of proximal electron-withdrawing substituents and conformational restriction. In this Perspective, we exemplify geminal diheteroatomic motifs that have been utilized in the discovery of orally bioavailable drugs or drug candidates against the backdrop of understanding their potential for chemical lability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Jin Wu
- Small Molecule Drug Discovery, Bristol Myers Squibb Research and Early Development, 100 Binney Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Nicholas A Meanwell
- Department of Discovery and Chemistry and Molecular Technologies, Bristol-Myers Squibb PRI, PO Box 4000, Princeton, New Jersey 08543-4000, United States
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Abstract
The past three years have witnessed remarkable progress in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The approval and development of targeted therapies and novel agents has improved outcomes for patients with traditionally poor survival rates. This review has summarized the survival impact of chemotherapy-based regimens in AML and described recent advances that will be of significance in the near future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob M Rowe
- Department of Hematology, Rambam Health Care Campus, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, 12 Shmuel Bait St, Jerusalem, IL, 9103102, Israel.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Ferrara F, Picardi A. Is outcome of older people with acute myeloid leukemia improving with new therapeutic approaches and stem cell transplantation? Expert Rev Hematol 2020; 13:99-108. [PMID: 31922453 DOI: 10.1080/17474086.2020.1715207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: The clinical outcome of older patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is still poor, especially for those who are unfit to treatments aimed at altering the natural course of the disease. Hypomethylating agents (HMA) offer an important therapeutic opportunity to a consistent number of patients, but long-term results are largely unsatisfactory.Area covered: Recently, a number of new agents have been registered for AML, some of which selectively available for older patient population, with promising results in terms of response rate and survival. Furthermore, the upper age limit for allogeneic stem cell transplantation is constantly increasing, so that this procedure is offered and actually given to an increasing number of older patients with AML. A literature review was conducted of the PubMed database for articles published in English as well as for abstracts from most important and recent hematology meetings on AML in older patients.Expert opinion: Appropriate selection among different options on the basis of clinical fitness and molecular findings at diagnosis as well as at relapse would result in improvement of therapeutic results, sparing unnecessary toxicity and optimizing health systems resources.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Felicetto Ferrara
- Division of Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation Program, AORN Cardarelli Hospital, Naples, Italy
| | - Alessandra Picardi
- Division of Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation Program, AORN Cardarelli Hospital, Naples, Italy.,Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|