Pan-Bcl-2 inhibitor AT-101 enhances tumor cell killing by EGFR targeted T cells

Pancreatic cancer is a deadly disease and has the worst prognosis among almost all cancers and is in dire need of new and improved therapeutic strategies. Conditioning of tumor cells with chemotherapeutic drug has been shown to enhance the anti-tumor effects of cancer vaccines and adoptive cell therapy. In this study, we investigated the immunomodulatory effects of pan-Bcl-2 inhibitor AT-101 on pancreatic cancer (PC) cell cytotoxicity by activated T cells (ATC). The effects of AT-101 on cytotoxicity, early apoptosis, and Granzyme B (GrzB) and IFN-γ signaling pathways were evaluated during EGFR bispecific antibody armed ATC (aATC)-mediated killing of L3.6pl and MiaPaCa-2 PC cells pre-sensitized with AT-101. We found that pretreatment of tumor cells with AT-101 enhanced susceptibility of L3.6pl and MiaPaCa-2 tumor cells to ATC and aATC-mediated cytotoxicity, which was in part mediated via enhanced release of cytolytic granule GrzB from ATC and aATC. AT-101-sensitized L3.6pl cells showed up-regulation of IFN-γ-mediated induction in the phosphorylation of Ser⁷²⁷-Stat1 (pS⁷²⁷-Stat1), and IFN-γ induced dephosphorylation of phospho-Tyr⁷⁰⁵-Stat3 (pY⁷⁰⁵-Stat3). Priming (conditioning) of PC cells with AT-101 can significantly enhance the anti-tumor activity of EGFRBi armed ATC through increased IFN-γ induced activation of pS⁷²⁷-Stat1 and inhibition of pY⁷⁰⁵-Stat3 phosphorylation, and resulting in increased ratio of pro-apoptotic to anti-apoptotic proteins. Our results verify enhanced cytotoxicity after a novel chemotherapy conditioning strategy against PC that warrants further in vivo and clinical investigations.

Double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized phase 2 study of the proapoptotic agent AT-101 plus docetaxel, in second-line non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

AT-101 is an inhibitor of Bcl-2 family proteins including Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, Mcl-1, and Bcl-w. In vivo and in vitro studies have exhibited broad activity of AT-101, including synergy with docetaxel in non-small cell lung cancer tumor models.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective, randomized (1:1), double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 study. Eligible patients must have received one prior chemotherapeutic regimen for advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer and may also have received therapy with an epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor. Patients received AT-101 (40 mg b.i.d. × 3 days) or placebo in combination with docetaxel (75 mg/m on day 1) every 21 days. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) as determined by independent review; other endpoints include overall survival and PFS by investigator determination. Approximately 102 patients were planned to provide 70 events (80% power, hazard ratio [HR] of 0.6, one-sided alpha of 0.1).

RESULTS

: One hundred six patients were assigned to treatment and 105 patients received at least one dose of AT-101 or placebo. Baseline factors were balanced between treatment groups: median age 59 years; 77% men, and 79% current or former smokers. Ninety-three percent of patients had distant metastatic disease at randomization and 56% squamous histology. The most frequently reported adverse events were fatigue (18%), anemia (18%), and dyspnea (18%). No statistically significant differences in serious adverse events were observed between AT-101 and placebo; grade 1/2 headaches appeared more frequently with AT-101 (9% versus 0%) and neutropenia was reported more frequently in the docetaxel plus placebo arm compared with docetaxel plus AT-101 (17% versus 8%). Unlike trials with continuous daily dosing of AT-101, no cases of small bowel obstruction were reported. The response rate and median PFS were not different between the arms by independent review, PFS 7.5 weeks for docetaxel plus AT-101 and 7.1 weeks for docetaxel plus placebo arms (HR, 1.04; p = 0.57). The median overall survival was 7.8 months for docetaxel plus AT-101 versus 5.9 months for docetaxel plus placebo (HR, 0.82; p = 0.21).

CONCLUSIONS

The primary endpoint of improved PFS for AT-101 plus docetaxel was not met. AT-101 plus docetaxel was well tolerated with an adverse event profile indistinguishable from the base docetaxel regimen. AT-101 is the first oral, pan Bcl-2 family inhibitor to exhibit a possible survival benefit in a randomized study.

Novel targeted therapies for prostate cancer

This article reviews the concepts and rationale behind targeted agents that are currently in clinical testing for patients with castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying prostate cancer progression has translated into a variety of treatment approaches. Agents targeting androgen receptor activation and local steroidogenesis, angiogenesis, apoptosis, chaperone proteins, the insulinlike growth factor pathway, RANK ligand, endothelin receptors, and Src family kinases are entering, or have recently completed, accrual to phase III trials for patients with CRPC. There has also been interest generated by data from early-phase studies evaluating multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors, agents effecting signal transduction pathways, and novel cytotoxics.