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Lamhamedi-Cherradi SE, Maitituoheti M, Menegaz BA, Krishnan S, Vetter AM, Camacho P, Wu CC, Beird HC, Porter RW, Ingram DR, Ramamoorthy V, Mohiuddin S, McCall D, Truong DD, Cuglievan B, Futreal PA, Velasco AR, Anvar NE, Utama B, Titus M, Lazar AJ, Wang WL, Rodriguez-Aguayo C, Ratan R, Livingston JA, Rai K, MacLeod AR, Daw NC, Hayes-Jordan A, Ludwig JA. The androgen receptor is a therapeutic target in desmoplastic small round cell sarcoma. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3057. [PMID: 35650195 PMCID: PMC9160255 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30710-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is an aggressive, usually incurable sarcoma subtype that predominantly occurs in post-pubertal young males. Recent evidence suggests that the androgen receptor (AR) can promote tumor progression in DSRCTs. However, the mechanism of AR-induced oncogenic stimulation remains undetermined. Herein, we demonstrate that enzalutamide and AR-directed antisense oligonucleotides (AR-ASO) block 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-induced DSRCT cell proliferation and reduce xenograft tumor burden. Gene expression analysis and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) were performed to elucidate how AR signaling regulates cellular epigenetic programs. Remarkably, ChIP-seq revealed novel DSRCT-specific AR DNA binding sites adjacent to key oncogenic regulators, including WT1 (the C-terminal partner of the pathognomonic fusion protein) and FOXF1. Additionally, AR occupied enhancer sites that regulate the Wnt pathway, neural differentiation, and embryonic organ development, implicating AR in dysfunctional cell lineage commitment. Our findings have direct clinical implications given the widespread availability of FDA-approved androgen-targeted agents used for prostate cancer. Androgen receptor can promote tumour progression in desmoplastic small round cell tumour (DSRCT), an aggressive paediatric malignancy that predominantly affects young males. Here, the authors show that DSRCT is an AR-driven malignancy and sensitive to androgen deprivation therapy
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mayinuer Maitituoheti
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Brian A Menegaz
- Department of Surgery, Breast surgical Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Sandhya Krishnan
- Sarcoma Medical Oncology Department, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Amelia M Vetter
- Sarcoma Medical Oncology Department, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Pamela Camacho
- Texas Children's Cancer & Hematology Centers, Houston, TX, 77384, USA
| | - Chia-Chin Wu
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Hannah C Beird
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Robert W Porter
- Sarcoma Medical Oncology Department, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Davis R Ingram
- Division of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Vandhana Ramamoorthy
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Sana Mohiuddin
- Division of Pediatrics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - David McCall
- Division of Pediatrics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Danh D Truong
- Sarcoma Medical Oncology Department, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Branko Cuglievan
- Division of Pediatrics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - P Andrew Futreal
- Division of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Alejandra Ruiz Velasco
- Sarcoma Medical Oncology Department, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Nazanin Esmaeili Anvar
- Division of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Budi Utama
- Optical Microscopy Facility, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Mark Titus
- Genitourinary Medical Oncology Department, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Alexander J Lazar
- Division of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Wei-Lien Wang
- Division of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Cristian Rodriguez-Aguayo
- Experimental Therapeutics Department, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Ravin Ratan
- Sarcoma Medical Oncology Department, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - J Andrew Livingston
- Sarcoma Medical Oncology Department, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Kunal Rai
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | | | - Najat C Daw
- Division of Pediatrics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | | | - Joseph A Ludwig
- Sarcoma Medical Oncology Department, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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Revenko A, Carnevalli LS, Sinclair C, Johnson B, Peter A, Taylor M, Hettrick L, Chapman M, Klein S, Solanki A, Gattis D, Watt A, Hughes AM, Magiera L, Kar G, Ireland L, Mele DA, Sah V, Singh M, Walton J, Mairesse M, King M, Edbrooke M, Lyne P, Barry ST, Fawell S, Goldberg FW, MacLeod AR. Direct targeting of FOXP3 in Tregs with AZD8701, a novel antisense oligonucleotide to relieve immunosuppression in cancer. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2021-003892. [PMID: 35387780 PMCID: PMC8987763 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-003892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Regulatory T cell (Treg) lineage is defined by the transcription factor FOXP3, which controls immune-suppressive gene expression profiles. Tregs are often recruited in high frequencies to the tumor microenvironment where they can suppress antitumor immunity. We hypothesized that pharmacological inhibition of FOXP3 by systemically delivered, unformulated constrained ethyl-modified antisense oligonucleotides could modulate the activity of Tregs and augment antitumor immunity providing therapeutic benefit in cancer models and potentially in man. METHODS We have identified murine Foxp3 antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) and clinical candidate human FOXP3 ASO AZD8701. Pharmacology and biological effects of FOXP3 inhibitors on Treg function and antitumor immunity were tested in cultured Tregs and mouse syngeneic tumor models. Experiments were controlled by vehicle and non-targeting control ASO groups as well as by use of multiple independent FOXP3 ASOs. Statistical significance of biological effects was evaluated by one or two-way analysis of variance with multiple comparisons. RESULTS AZD8701 demonstrated a dose-dependent knockdown of FOXP3 in primary Tregs, reduction of suppressive function and efficient target downregulation in humanized mice at clinically relevant doses. Surrogate murine FOXP3 ASO, which efficiently downregulated Foxp3 messenger RNA and protein levels in primary Tregs, reduced Treg suppressive function in immune suppression assays in vitro. FOXP3 ASO promoted more than 70% reduction in FOXP3 levels in Tregs in vitro and in vivo, strongly modulated Treg effector molecules (eg, ICOS, CTLA-4, CD25 and 4-1BB), and augmented CD8+ T cell activation and produced antitumor activity in syngeneic tumor models. The combination of FOXP3 ASOs with immune checkpoint blockade further enhanced antitumor efficacy. CONCLUSIONS Antisense inhibitors of FOXP3 offer a promising novel cancer immunotherapy approach. AZD8701 is being developed clinically as a first-in-class FOXP3 inhibitor for the treatment of cancer currently in Ph1a/b clinical trial (NCT04504669).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ben Johnson
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, California, USA
| | | | | | | | - Melissa Chapman
- Clinical Pharmacology and Safety Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | | | - Andrew Watt
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, California, USA
| | | | | | - Gozde Kar
- Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | - Vasu Sah
- Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Waltham, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Paul Lyne
- Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Waltham, MA, USA
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Fijen LM, Riedl MA, Bordone L, Bernstein JA, Raasch J, Tachdjian R, Craig T, Lumry WR, Manning ME, Alexander VJ, Newman KB, Revenko A, Baker BF, Nanavati C, MacLeod AR, Schneider E, Cohn DM. Inhibition of Prekallikrein for Hereditary Angioedema. N Engl J Med 2022; 386:1026-1033. [PMID: 35294812 DOI: 10.1056/nejmoa2109329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hereditary angioedema is characterized by recurrent and unpredictable swellings that are disabling and potentially fatal. Selective inhibition of plasma prekallikrein production by antisense oligonucleotide treatment (donidalorsen) may reduce the frequency of attacks and the burden of disease. METHODS In this phase 2 trial, we randomly assigned, in a 2:1 ratio, patients with hereditary angioedema with C1 inhibitor deficiency to receive four subcutaneous doses of either donidalorsen (80 mg) or placebo, with one dose administered every 4 weeks. The primary end point was the time-normalized number of investigator-confirmed angioedema attacks per month (attack rate) between week 1 (baseline) and week 17. Secondary end points included quality of life, as measured with the Angioedema Quality of Life Questionnaire (scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating worse quality of life), and safety. RESULTS A total of 20 patients were enrolled, of whom 14 were randomly assigned to receive donidalorsen and 6 to receive placebo. The mean monthly rate of investigator-confirmed angioedema attacks was 0.23 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.08 to 0.39) among patients receiving donidalorsen and 2.21 (95% CI, 0.58 to 3.85) among patients receiving placebo (mean difference, -90%; 95% CI, -96 to -76; P<0.001). The mean change from baseline to week 17 in the Angioedema Quality of Life Questionnaire score was -26.8 points in the donidalorsen group and -6.2 points in the placebo group (mean difference, -20.7 points; 95% CI, -32.7 to -8.7). The incidence of mild-to-moderate adverse events was 71% among patients receiving donidalorsen and 83% among those receiving placebo. CONCLUSIONS Among patients with hereditary angioedema, donidalorsen treatment resulted in a significantly lower rate of angioedema attacks than placebo in this small, phase 2 trial. (Funded by Ionis Pharmaceuticals; ISIS 721744-CS2 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04030598.).
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauré M Fijen
- From the Department of Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (L.M.F., D.M.C.); the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla (M.A.R.), Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad (L.B., V.J.A., K.B.N., A.R., B.F.B., C.N., A.R.M., E.S.), and the Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles (R.T.) - all in California; the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Immunology-Allergy Section and the Bernstein Clinical Research Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati (J.A.B.); the Midwest Immunology Clinic, Plymouth, MN (J.R.); the Department of Medicine and Pediatrics, Penn State Health Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, Hershey, PA (T.C.); Asthma and Allergy Research Associates, Dallas (W.R.L.); and Medical Research of Arizona, Scottsdale (M.E.M.)
| | - Marc A Riedl
- From the Department of Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (L.M.F., D.M.C.); the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla (M.A.R.), Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad (L.B., V.J.A., K.B.N., A.R., B.F.B., C.N., A.R.M., E.S.), and the Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles (R.T.) - all in California; the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Immunology-Allergy Section and the Bernstein Clinical Research Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati (J.A.B.); the Midwest Immunology Clinic, Plymouth, MN (J.R.); the Department of Medicine and Pediatrics, Penn State Health Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, Hershey, PA (T.C.); Asthma and Allergy Research Associates, Dallas (W.R.L.); and Medical Research of Arizona, Scottsdale (M.E.M.)
| | - Laura Bordone
- From the Department of Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (L.M.F., D.M.C.); the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla (M.A.R.), Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad (L.B., V.J.A., K.B.N., A.R., B.F.B., C.N., A.R.M., E.S.), and the Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles (R.T.) - all in California; the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Immunology-Allergy Section and the Bernstein Clinical Research Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati (J.A.B.); the Midwest Immunology Clinic, Plymouth, MN (J.R.); the Department of Medicine and Pediatrics, Penn State Health Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, Hershey, PA (T.C.); Asthma and Allergy Research Associates, Dallas (W.R.L.); and Medical Research of Arizona, Scottsdale (M.E.M.)
| | - Jonathan A Bernstein
- From the Department of Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (L.M.F., D.M.C.); the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla (M.A.R.), Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad (L.B., V.J.A., K.B.N., A.R., B.F.B., C.N., A.R.M., E.S.), and the Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles (R.T.) - all in California; the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Immunology-Allergy Section and the Bernstein Clinical Research Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati (J.A.B.); the Midwest Immunology Clinic, Plymouth, MN (J.R.); the Department of Medicine and Pediatrics, Penn State Health Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, Hershey, PA (T.C.); Asthma and Allergy Research Associates, Dallas (W.R.L.); and Medical Research of Arizona, Scottsdale (M.E.M.)
| | - Jason Raasch
- From the Department of Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (L.M.F., D.M.C.); the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla (M.A.R.), Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad (L.B., V.J.A., K.B.N., A.R., B.F.B., C.N., A.R.M., E.S.), and the Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles (R.T.) - all in California; the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Immunology-Allergy Section and the Bernstein Clinical Research Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati (J.A.B.); the Midwest Immunology Clinic, Plymouth, MN (J.R.); the Department of Medicine and Pediatrics, Penn State Health Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, Hershey, PA (T.C.); Asthma and Allergy Research Associates, Dallas (W.R.L.); and Medical Research of Arizona, Scottsdale (M.E.M.)
| | - Raffi Tachdjian
- From the Department of Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (L.M.F., D.M.C.); the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla (M.A.R.), Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad (L.B., V.J.A., K.B.N., A.R., B.F.B., C.N., A.R.M., E.S.), and the Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles (R.T.) - all in California; the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Immunology-Allergy Section and the Bernstein Clinical Research Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati (J.A.B.); the Midwest Immunology Clinic, Plymouth, MN (J.R.); the Department of Medicine and Pediatrics, Penn State Health Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, Hershey, PA (T.C.); Asthma and Allergy Research Associates, Dallas (W.R.L.); and Medical Research of Arizona, Scottsdale (M.E.M.)
| | - Timothy Craig
- From the Department of Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (L.M.F., D.M.C.); the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla (M.A.R.), Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad (L.B., V.J.A., K.B.N., A.R., B.F.B., C.N., A.R.M., E.S.), and the Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles (R.T.) - all in California; the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Immunology-Allergy Section and the Bernstein Clinical Research Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati (J.A.B.); the Midwest Immunology Clinic, Plymouth, MN (J.R.); the Department of Medicine and Pediatrics, Penn State Health Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, Hershey, PA (T.C.); Asthma and Allergy Research Associates, Dallas (W.R.L.); and Medical Research of Arizona, Scottsdale (M.E.M.)
| | - William R Lumry
- From the Department of Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (L.M.F., D.M.C.); the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla (M.A.R.), Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad (L.B., V.J.A., K.B.N., A.R., B.F.B., C.N., A.R.M., E.S.), and the Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles (R.T.) - all in California; the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Immunology-Allergy Section and the Bernstein Clinical Research Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati (J.A.B.); the Midwest Immunology Clinic, Plymouth, MN (J.R.); the Department of Medicine and Pediatrics, Penn State Health Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, Hershey, PA (T.C.); Asthma and Allergy Research Associates, Dallas (W.R.L.); and Medical Research of Arizona, Scottsdale (M.E.M.)
| | - Michael E Manning
- From the Department of Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (L.M.F., D.M.C.); the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla (M.A.R.), Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad (L.B., V.J.A., K.B.N., A.R., B.F.B., C.N., A.R.M., E.S.), and the Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles (R.T.) - all in California; the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Immunology-Allergy Section and the Bernstein Clinical Research Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati (J.A.B.); the Midwest Immunology Clinic, Plymouth, MN (J.R.); the Department of Medicine and Pediatrics, Penn State Health Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, Hershey, PA (T.C.); Asthma and Allergy Research Associates, Dallas (W.R.L.); and Medical Research of Arizona, Scottsdale (M.E.M.)
| | - Veronica J Alexander
- From the Department of Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (L.M.F., D.M.C.); the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla (M.A.R.), Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad (L.B., V.J.A., K.B.N., A.R., B.F.B., C.N., A.R.M., E.S.), and the Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles (R.T.) - all in California; the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Immunology-Allergy Section and the Bernstein Clinical Research Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati (J.A.B.); the Midwest Immunology Clinic, Plymouth, MN (J.R.); the Department of Medicine and Pediatrics, Penn State Health Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, Hershey, PA (T.C.); Asthma and Allergy Research Associates, Dallas (W.R.L.); and Medical Research of Arizona, Scottsdale (M.E.M.)
| | - Kenneth B Newman
- From the Department of Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (L.M.F., D.M.C.); the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla (M.A.R.), Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad (L.B., V.J.A., K.B.N., A.R., B.F.B., C.N., A.R.M., E.S.), and the Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles (R.T.) - all in California; the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Immunology-Allergy Section and the Bernstein Clinical Research Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati (J.A.B.); the Midwest Immunology Clinic, Plymouth, MN (J.R.); the Department of Medicine and Pediatrics, Penn State Health Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, Hershey, PA (T.C.); Asthma and Allergy Research Associates, Dallas (W.R.L.); and Medical Research of Arizona, Scottsdale (M.E.M.)
| | - Alexey Revenko
- From the Department of Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (L.M.F., D.M.C.); the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla (M.A.R.), Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad (L.B., V.J.A., K.B.N., A.R., B.F.B., C.N., A.R.M., E.S.), and the Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles (R.T.) - all in California; the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Immunology-Allergy Section and the Bernstein Clinical Research Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati (J.A.B.); the Midwest Immunology Clinic, Plymouth, MN (J.R.); the Department of Medicine and Pediatrics, Penn State Health Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, Hershey, PA (T.C.); Asthma and Allergy Research Associates, Dallas (W.R.L.); and Medical Research of Arizona, Scottsdale (M.E.M.)
| | - Brenda F Baker
- From the Department of Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (L.M.F., D.M.C.); the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla (M.A.R.), Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad (L.B., V.J.A., K.B.N., A.R., B.F.B., C.N., A.R.M., E.S.), and the Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles (R.T.) - all in California; the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Immunology-Allergy Section and the Bernstein Clinical Research Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati (J.A.B.); the Midwest Immunology Clinic, Plymouth, MN (J.R.); the Department of Medicine and Pediatrics, Penn State Health Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, Hershey, PA (T.C.); Asthma and Allergy Research Associates, Dallas (W.R.L.); and Medical Research of Arizona, Scottsdale (M.E.M.)
| | - Charvi Nanavati
- From the Department of Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (L.M.F., D.M.C.); the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla (M.A.R.), Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad (L.B., V.J.A., K.B.N., A.R., B.F.B., C.N., A.R.M., E.S.), and the Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles (R.T.) - all in California; the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Immunology-Allergy Section and the Bernstein Clinical Research Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati (J.A.B.); the Midwest Immunology Clinic, Plymouth, MN (J.R.); the Department of Medicine and Pediatrics, Penn State Health Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, Hershey, PA (T.C.); Asthma and Allergy Research Associates, Dallas (W.R.L.); and Medical Research of Arizona, Scottsdale (M.E.M.)
| | - A Robert MacLeod
- From the Department of Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (L.M.F., D.M.C.); the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla (M.A.R.), Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad (L.B., V.J.A., K.B.N., A.R., B.F.B., C.N., A.R.M., E.S.), and the Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles (R.T.) - all in California; the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Immunology-Allergy Section and the Bernstein Clinical Research Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati (J.A.B.); the Midwest Immunology Clinic, Plymouth, MN (J.R.); the Department of Medicine and Pediatrics, Penn State Health Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, Hershey, PA (T.C.); Asthma and Allergy Research Associates, Dallas (W.R.L.); and Medical Research of Arizona, Scottsdale (M.E.M.)
| | - Eugene Schneider
- From the Department of Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (L.M.F., D.M.C.); the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla (M.A.R.), Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad (L.B., V.J.A., K.B.N., A.R., B.F.B., C.N., A.R.M., E.S.), and the Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles (R.T.) - all in California; the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Immunology-Allergy Section and the Bernstein Clinical Research Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati (J.A.B.); the Midwest Immunology Clinic, Plymouth, MN (J.R.); the Department of Medicine and Pediatrics, Penn State Health Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, Hershey, PA (T.C.); Asthma and Allergy Research Associates, Dallas (W.R.L.); and Medical Research of Arizona, Scottsdale (M.E.M.)
| | - Danny M Cohn
- From the Department of Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (L.M.F., D.M.C.); the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla (M.A.R.), Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad (L.B., V.J.A., K.B.N., A.R., B.F.B., C.N., A.R.M., E.S.), and the Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles (R.T.) - all in California; the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Immunology-Allergy Section and the Bernstein Clinical Research Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati (J.A.B.); the Midwest Immunology Clinic, Plymouth, MN (J.R.); the Department of Medicine and Pediatrics, Penn State Health Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, Hershey, PA (T.C.); Asthma and Allergy Research Associates, Dallas (W.R.L.); and Medical Research of Arizona, Scottsdale (M.E.M.)
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4
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Kapustin AN, Davey P, Longmire D, Matthews C, Linnane E, Rustogi N, Stavrou M, Devine PWA, Bond NJ, Hanson L, Sonzini S, Revenko A, MacLeod AR, Ross S, Chiarparin E, Puri S. Antisense oligonucleotide activity in tumour cells is influenced by intracellular LBPA distribution and extracellular vesicle recycling. Commun Biol 2021; 4:1241. [PMID: 34725463 PMCID: PMC8560811 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02772-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Next generation modified antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) are commercially approved new therapeutic modalities, yet poor productive uptake and endosomal entrapment in tumour cells limit their broad application. Here we compare intracellular traffic of anti KRAS antisense oligonucleotide (AZD4785) in tumour cell lines PC9 and LK2, with good and poor productive uptake, respectively. We find that the majority of AZD4785 is rapidly delivered to CD63+late endosomes (LE) in both cell lines. Importantly, lysobisphosphatidic acid (LBPA) that triggers ASO LE escape is presented in CD63+LE in PC9 but not in LK2 cells. Moreover, both cell lines recycle AZD4785 in extracellular vesicles (EVs); however, AZD4785 quantification by advanced mass spectrometry and proteomic analysis reveals that LK2 recycles more AZD4785 and RNA-binding proteins. Finally, stimulating LBPA intracellular production or blocking EV recycling enhances AZD4785 activity in LK2 but not in PC9 cells thus offering a possible strategy to enhance ASO potency in tumour cells with poor productive uptake of ASOs. Kapustin et al. investigate the intracellular trafficking of anti-KRAS antisense oligonucleotides. They show that the oligonucleotide AZD4785 is recycled via late endosomes in extracellular vesicles in both cells with poor and good oligo productive uptake, and that inducing lysobisphosphatidic acid in late endosomes or blocking EV recycling enhance AZD4785 activity in cells with poor productive uptake, potentially offering improved treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander N Kapustin
- Advanced Drug Delivery, Pharmaceutical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Paul Davey
- Chemistry, Research and Early Development, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - David Longmire
- Chemistry, Research and Early Development, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Carl Matthews
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Emily Linnane
- Bioscience, Research and Early Development, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Nitin Rustogi
- Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceutical Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Maria Stavrou
- Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceutical Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Paul W A Devine
- Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceutical Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Nicholas J Bond
- Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceutical Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Lyndsey Hanson
- Bioscience, Research and Early Development, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, UK
| | - Silvia Sonzini
- Advanced Drug Delivery, Pharmaceutical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | - Sarah Ross
- Bioscience, Research and Early Development, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Sanyogitta Puri
- Advanced Drug Delivery, Pharmaceutical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
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5
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Ningarhari M, Caruso S, Hirsch TZ, Bayard Q, Franconi A, Védie AL, Noblet B, Blanc JF, Amaddeo G, Ganne N, Ziol M, Paradis V, Guettier C, Calderaro J, Morcrette G, Kim Y, MacLeod AR, Nault JC, Rebouissou S, Zucman-Rossi J. Telomere length is key to hepatocellular carcinoma diversity and telomerase addiction is an actionable therapeutic target. J Hepatol 2021; 74:1155-1166. [PMID: 33338512 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2020.11.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Telomerase activation is the earliest event in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development. Thus, we aimed to elucidate the role of telomere length maintenance during liver carcinogenesis. METHODS Telomere length was measured in the tumor and non-tumor liver tissues of 1,502 patients (978 with HCC) and integrated with TERT alterations and expression, as well as clinical and molecular (analyzed by genome, exome, targeted and/or RNA-sequencing) features of HCC. The preclinical efficacy of anti-TERT antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) was assessed in vitro in 26 cell lines and in vivo in a xenograft mouse model. RESULTS Aging, liver fibrosis, male sex and excessive alcohol consumption were independent determinants of liver telomere attrition. HCC that developed in livers with long telomeres frequently had wild-type TERT with progenitor features and BAP1 mutations. In contrast, HCC that developed on livers with short telomeres were enriched in the non-proliferative HCC class and frequently had somatic TERT promoter mutations. In HCCs, telomere length is stabilized in a narrow biological range around 5.7 kb, similar to non-tumor livers, by various mechanisms that activate TERT expression. Long telomeres are characteristic of very aggressive HCCs, associated with the G3 transcriptomic subclass, TP53 alterations and poor prognosis. In HCC cell lines, TERT silencing with ASO was efficient in highly proliferative and poorly differentiated cells. Treatment for 3 to 16 weeks induced cell proliferation arrest in 12 cell lines through telomere shortening, DNA damage and activation of apoptosis. The therapeutic effect was also obtained in a xenograft mouse model. CONCLUSIONS Telomere maintenance in HCC carcinogenesis is diverse, and is associated with tumor progression and aggressiveness. The efficacy of anti-TERT ASO treatment in cell lines revealed the oncogenic addiction to TERT in HCC, providing a preclinical rationale for anti-TERT ASO treatment in HCC clinical trials. LAY SUMMARY Telomeres are repeated DNA sequences that protect chromosomes and naturally shorten in most adult cells because of the inactivation of the TERT gene, coding for the telomerase enzyme. Here we show that telomere attrition in the liver, modulated by aging, sex, fibrosis and alcohol, associates with specific clinical and molecular features of hepatocellular carcinoma, the most frequent primary liver cancer. We also show that liver cancer is dependent on TERT reactivation and telomere maintenance, which could be targeted through a novel therapeutic approach called antisense oligonucleotides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massih Ningarhari
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Université de Paris, F-75006, Paris, France; Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, Équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Stefano Caruso
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Université de Paris, F-75006, Paris, France; Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, Équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Théo Z Hirsch
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Université de Paris, F-75006, Paris, France; Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, Équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Quentin Bayard
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Université de Paris, F-75006, Paris, France; Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, Équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Andrea Franconi
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Université de Paris, F-75006, Paris, France; Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, Équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Anne-Laure Védie
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Université de Paris, F-75006, Paris, France; Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, Équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Bénédicte Noblet
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Université de Paris, F-75006, Paris, France; Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, Équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Frédéric Blanc
- Service Hépato-Gastroentérologie et Oncologie Digestive, Hôpital Haut-Lévêque, CHU de Bordeaux, F-33000, Bordeaux, France; Service de Pathologie, Hôpital Pellegrin, CHU de Bordeaux, F-33076, Bordeaux, France; Université Bordeaux, Inserm, Research in Translational Oncology, BaRITOn, F-33076, Bordeaux, France
| | - Giuliana Amaddeo
- Service d'Hépato-Gastro-Entérologie, Hôpital Henri Mondor, APHP, Université Paris Est Créteil, Inserm U955, Institut Mondor de Recherche Biomédicale, F-94010, Créteil, France
| | - Nathalie Ganne
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Université de Paris, F-75006, Paris, France; Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, Équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, F-75006, Paris, France; Service d'Hépatologie, Hôpital Jean Verdier, Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris-Seine-Saint-Denis, APHP, F-93140, Bondy, France
| | - Marianne Ziol
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Université de Paris, F-75006, Paris, France; Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, Équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, F-75006, Paris, France; Service d'Anatomo-Pathologie, Hôpital Jean Verdier, Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris-Seine-Saint-Denis, APHP, F-93140, Bondy, France
| | - Valérie Paradis
- Service de Pathologie, Hôpital Beaujon, APHP, F-92110, Clichy, France; Université Paris Diderot, CNRS, Centre de Recherche sur l'Inflammation (CRI), Paris, F-75890, France
| | - Catherine Guettier
- Service d'Anatomie Pathologique, CHU Bicêtre, APHP, F-94270, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Julien Calderaro
- Service d'Anatomopathologie, Hôpital Henri Mondor, APHP, Institut Mondor de Recherche Biomédicale, F-94010, Créteil, France
| | - Guillaume Morcrette
- Service de Pathologie Pédiatrique, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Robert Debré, F-75019, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Jean-Charles Nault
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Université de Paris, F-75006, Paris, France; Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, Équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, F-75006, Paris, France; Service d'Hépatologie, Hôpital Jean Verdier, Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris-Seine-Saint-Denis, APHP, F-93140, Bondy, France.
| | - Sandra Rebouissou
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Université de Paris, F-75006, Paris, France; Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, Équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, F-75006, Paris, France.
| | - Jessica Zucman-Rossi
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Université de Paris, F-75006, Paris, France; Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, Équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, F-75006, Paris, France; Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, APHP, F-75015, Paris, France.
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6
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Xu Y, Li Y, Jin J, Han G, Sun C, Pizzi MP, Huo L, Scott A, Wang Y, Ma L, Lee JH, Bhutani MS, Weston B, Vellano C, Yang L, Lin C, Kim Y, MacLeod AR, Wang L, Wang Z, Song S, Ajani JA. Correction to: LncRNA PVT1 up-regulation is a poor prognosticator and serves as a therapeutic target in esophageal adenocarcinoma. Mol Cancer 2021; 20:56. [PMID: 33766033 PMCID: PMC7992986 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-021-01351-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yan Xu
- Departments of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Department of Surgical Oncology and General Surgery, First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuan Li
- Departments of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Department of Surgical Oncology and General Surgery, First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiankang Jin
- Departments of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Guangchun Han
- Departments of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Chengcao Sun
- Departments of Molecular & Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Melissa Pool Pizzi
- Departments of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Longfei Huo
- Departments of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Ailing Scott
- Departments of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Ying Wang
- Departments of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Lang Ma
- Departments of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Jeffrey H Lee
- Departments of Gastroenterology&Hepatology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Manoop S Bhutani
- Departments of Gastroenterology&Hepatology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Brian Weston
- Departments of Gastroenterology&Hepatology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Christopher Vellano
- Center for Co-Clinical Trial, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Liuqing Yang
- Departments of Molecular & Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Chunru Lin
- Departments of Molecular & Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Youngsoo Kim
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA, 92010, USA
| | - A Robert MacLeod
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA, 92010, USA
| | - Linghua Wang
- Departments of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Zhenning Wang
- Department of Surgical Oncology and General Surgery, First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, People's Republic of China.
| | - Shumei Song
- Departments of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Jaffer A Ajani
- Departments of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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7
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Mondala PK, Vora AA, Zhou T, Lazzari E, Ladel L, Luo X, Kim Y, Costello C, MacLeod AR, Jamieson CHM, Crews LA. Selective antisense oligonucleotide inhibition of human IRF4 prevents malignant myeloma regeneration via cell cycle disruption. Cell Stem Cell 2021; 28:623-636.e9. [PMID: 33476575 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2020.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
In multiple myeloma, inflammatory and anti-viral pathways promote disease progression and cancer stem cell generation. Using diverse pre-clinical models, we investigated the role of interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) in myeloma progenitor regeneration. In a patient-derived xenograft model that recapitulates IRF4 pathway activation in human myeloma, we test the effects of IRF4 antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) and identify a lead agent for clinical development (ION251). IRF4 overexpression expands myeloma progenitors, while IRF4 ASOs impair myeloma cell survival and reduce IRF4 and c-MYC expression. IRF4 ASO monotherapy impedes tumor formation and myeloma dissemination in xenograft models, improving animal survival. Moreover, IRF4 ASOs eradicate myeloma progenitors and malignant plasma cells while sparing normal human hematopoietic stem cell development. Mechanistically, IRF4 inhibition disrupts cell cycle progression, downregulates stem cell and cell adhesion transcript expression, and promotes sensitivity to myeloma drugs. These findings will enable rapid clinical development of selective IRF4 inhibitors to prevent myeloma progenitor-driven relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phoebe K Mondala
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Ashni A Vora
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | | | - Elisa Lazzari
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Luisa Ladel
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Xiaolin Luo
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA
| | | | - Caitlin Costello
- Moores Cancer Center at University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | | | - Catriona H M Jamieson
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Moores Cancer Center at University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| | - Leslie A Crews
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Moores Cancer Center at University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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8
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Rauch DA, Olson SL, Harding JC, Sundaramoorthi H, Kim Y, Zhou T, MacLeod AR, Challen G, Ratner L. Interferon regulatory factor 4 as a therapeutic target in adult T-cell leukemia lymphoma. Retrovirology 2020; 17:27. [PMID: 32859220 PMCID: PMC7456374 DOI: 10.1186/s12977-020-00535-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Adult T-cell leukemia lymphoma (ATLL) is a chemotherapy-resistant malignancy with a median survival of less than one year that will afflict between one hundred thousand and one million individuals worldwide who are currently infected with human T-cell leukemia virus type 1. Recurrent somatic mutations in host genes have exposed the T-cell receptor pathway through nuclear factor κB to interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) as an essential driver for this malignancy. We sought to determine if IRF4 represents a therapeutic target for ATLL and to identify downstream effectors and biomarkers of IRF4 signaling in vivo. Results ATLL cell lines, particularly Tax viral oncoprotein-negative cell lines, that most closely resemble ATLL in humans, were sensitive to dose- and time-dependent inhibition by a next-generation class of IRF4 antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) that employ constrained ethyl residues that mediate RNase H-dependent RNA degradation. ATLL cell lines were also sensitive to lenalidomide, which repressed IRF4 expression. Both ASOs and lenalidomide inhibited ATLL proliferation in vitro and in vivo. To identify biomarkers of IRF4-mediated CD4 + T-cell expansion in vivo, transcriptomic analysis identified several genes that encode key regulators of ATLL, including interleukin 2 receptor subunits α and β, KIT ligand, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4, and thymocyte selection-associated high mobility group protein TOX 2. Conclusions These data support the pursuit of IRF4 as a therapeutic target in ATLL with the use of either ASOs or lenalidomide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Rauch
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Ave, Box 8069, St Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Sydney L Olson
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Ave, Box 8069, St Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - John C Harding
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Ave, Box 8069, St Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Hemalatha Sundaramoorthi
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Ave, Box 8069, St Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | | | | | | | - Grant Challen
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Ave, Box 8069, St Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Lee Ratner
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Ave, Box 8069, St Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
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9
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Luo X, Kim Y, Schmidt J, Li J, Fleming R, Malik S, Klein S, MacLeod AR. Abstract B08: Therapeutic inhibition of YAP1 expression by next-generation antisense oligonucleotides leads to antitumor activity in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with YAP1 activation. Mol Cancer Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1158/1557-3125.hippo19-b08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
As the final effector of the Hippo pathway, YAP1 plays a driver role in promoting growth of a variety of tumor types. Unlike other oncogenic pathways, however, genetic alterations on the core components of the Hippo pathway leading to YAP1 activation are rare and have not been well characterized. Therefore, identifying alternate pathway alterations leading to YAP1-dependent tumors will be critical for clinical success of potential YAP1-targeted therapies. Recent reports have suggested that frequent mutations of tumor suppressor FAT1 might contribute to the progression of YAP1-dependent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). In this study, we have investigated the underlying mechanisms for YAP1 activation in HNSCC, developed a therapeutic agent for the specific suppression of YAP expression, and identified a HNSCC subtype that is highly sensitive to YAP1 inhibition. We first screened and identified active human YAP1 antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) with next-generation (constrained ethyl=cEt) chemistry and then evaluated them in a broad panel of human HNSCC lines in vitro. The majority of HNSCC lines were highly amenable to ASO free uptake (without any transfection agents), resulting in strong reductions of YAP1 and its downstream target genes such as CTGF, Cyr61, and Survivin in a dose-dependent manner. However, phenotypic consequences of YAP1 depletion varied significantly among the cell lines and were dependent upon the levels of functional FAT1 protein. Cell proliferation was strongly reduced by YAP1 ASOs in the cell lines harboring homozygous copy loss or nonsense mutations of FAT1, while minimal antiproliferative activity was observed in cells with wild-type FAT1 or YAP1 amplification. Importantly, the nuclear localization of YAP1 appeared to be a key determining factor for the sensitivity of HNSCC cells to YAP1 ASOs. Unexpectedly, in contrast to oral tongue SCC (OTSCC) lines that were generally sensitive to YAP1 ASOs, proliferation of FAT1 mutant HNSCC lines originated from larynx were minimally affected by YAP1 inhibition even with near-complete depletion of YAP1, suggesting variable dependency of tumor cells on YAP1 for their growth among different subtypes of HNSCC. Moreover, when systemically administered into mice bearing OTSCC with FAT1 mutations, YAP1 ASOs greatly reduced YAP1 expression in tumors and suppressed tumor growth in subcutaneous and more notably oral orthotopic xenograft models. These results suggest that OTSCC with YAP1 activation due to FAT1 loss is highly dependent on YAP1 for growth and that YAP1 ASOs have promise for the treatment of this cancer. Finally, through an extensive selection process the human YAP1 ASO clinical development compound, YAP1Rx, has been identified.
Citation Format: Xiaolin Luo, Youngsoo Kim, Joanna Schmidt, Jian Li, Rachel Fleming, Shivani Malik, Stephanie Klein, A. Robert MacLeod. Therapeutic inhibition of YAP1 expression by next-generation antisense oligonucleotides leads to antitumor activity in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with YAP1 activation [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on the Hippo Pathway: Signaling, Cancer, and Beyond; 2019 May 8-11; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2020;18(8_Suppl):Abstract nr B08.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolin Luo
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA
| | - Youngsoo Kim
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA
| | - Joanna Schmidt
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA
| | - Jian Li
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA
| | - Rachel Fleming
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA
| | - Shivani Malik
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA
| | - Stephanie Klein
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA
| | - A. Robert MacLeod
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA
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10
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Köhler J, Maletzki C, Koczan D, Frank M, Springer A, Steffen C, Revenko AS, MacLeod AR, Mikkat S, Kreikemeyer B, Oehmcke-Hecht S. Kininogen supports inflammation and bacterial spreading during Streptococccus Pyogenes Sepsis. EBioMedicine 2020; 58:102908. [PMID: 32707450 PMCID: PMC7381504 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2020.102908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND High-molecular-weight kininogen is a cofactor of the human contact system, an inflammatory response mechanism that is activated during sepsis. It has been shown that high-molecular-weight kininogen contributes to endotoxemia, but is not critical for local host defense during pneumonia by Gram-negative bacteria. However, some important pathogens, such as Streptococcus pyogenes, can cleave kininogen by contact system activation. Whether kininogen causally affects antibacterial host defense in S. pyogenes infection, remains unknown. METHODS Kininogen concentration was determined in course plasma samples from septic patients. mRNA expression and degradation of kininogen was determined in liver or plasma of septic mice. Kininogen was depleted in mice by treatment with selective kininogen directed antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) or a scrambled control ASO for 3 weeks prior to infection. 24 h after infection, infection parameters were determined. FINDINGS Data from human and mice samples indicate that kininogen is a positive acute phase protein. Lower kininogen concentration in plasma correlate with a higher APACHE II score in septic patients. We show that ASO-mediated depletion of kininogen in mice indeed restrains streptococcal spreading, reduces levels of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β and IFNγ, but increased intravascular tissue factor and fibrin deposition in kidneys of septic animals. INTERPRETATION Mechanistically, kininogen depletion results in reduced plasma kallikrein levels and, during sepsis, in increased intravascular tissue factor that may reinforce immunothrombosis, and thus reduce streptococcal spreading. These novel findings point to an anticoagulant and profibrinolytic role of kininogens during streptococcal sepsis. FUNDING Full details are provided in the Acknowledgements section.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliane Köhler
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany
| | - Claudia Maletzki
- Department of Internal Medicine, Medical Clinic III - Hematology, Oncology, Palliative Care, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany
| | - Dirk Koczan
- Center for Medical Research - Core Facility Micro-Array-Technology, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany
| | - Marcus Frank
- Medical Biology and Electron Microscopy Centre, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany; Department of Life, Light and Matter, Rostock University, Rostock, Germany
| | - Armin Springer
- Medical Biology and Electron Microscopy Centre, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany
| | - Carolin Steffen
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany
| | - Alexey S Revenko
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA
| | - A Robert MacLeod
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA
| | - Stefan Mikkat
- Core Facility Proteome Analysis, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany
| | - Bernd Kreikemeyer
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany
| | - Sonja Oehmcke-Hecht
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany.
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11
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Barrett TJ, Wu BG, Revenko AS, MacLeod AR, Segal LN, Berger JS. Antisense oligonucleotide targeting of thrombopoietin represents a novel platelet depletion method to assess the immunomodulatory role of platelets. J Thromb Haemost 2020; 18:1773-1782. [PMID: 32227586 DOI: 10.1111/jth.14808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Platelets are effector cells of the innate and adaptive immune system; however, understanding their role during inflammation-driven pathologies can be challenging due to several drawbacks associated with current platelet depletion methods. The generation of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) directed to thrombopoietin (Tpo) mRNA represents a novel method to reduce circulating platelet count. OBJECTIVE To understand if Tpo-targeted ASO treatment represents a viable strategy to specifically reduce platelet count in mice. METHODS Female and male mice were treated with TPO-targeted ASOs and platelet count and function was assessed, in addition to circulating blood cell counts and hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. The utility of the platelet-depletion strategy was assessed in a murine model of lower airway dysbiosis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Herein, we describe how in mice, ASO-mediated silencing of hepatic TPO expression reduces platelet, megakaryocyte, and megakaryocyte progenitor count, without altering platelet activity. TPO ASO-mediated platelet depletion can be achieved acutely and sustained chronically in the absence of adverse bleeding. TPO ASO-mediated platelet depletion allows for the reintroduction of new platelets, an advantage over commonly used antibody-mediated depletion strategies. Using a murine model of lung inflammation, we demonstrate that platelet depletion, induced by either TPO ASO or anti-CD42b treatment, reduces the accumulation of inflammatory immune cells, including monocytes and macrophages, in the lung. Altogether, we characterize a new platelet depletion method that can be sustained chronically and allows for the reintroduction of new platelets highlighting the utility of the TPO ASO method to understand the role of platelets during chronic immune-driven pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa J Barrett
- Marc and Ruti Bell Program in Vascular Biology, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Benjamin G Wu
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Leopoldo N Segal
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Berger
- Marc and Ruti Bell Program in Vascular Biology, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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12
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Ochaba J, Powers AF, Tremble KA, Greenlee S, Post NM, Matson JE, MacLeod AR, Guo S, Aghajan M. A novel and translational role for autophagy in antisense oligonucleotide trafficking and activity. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 47:11284-11303. [PMID: 31612951 PMCID: PMC6868497 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Revised: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Endocytosis is a mechanism by which cells sense their environment and internalize various nutrients, growth factors and signaling molecules. This process initiates at the plasma membrane, converges with autophagy, and terminates at the lysosome. It is well-established that cellular uptake of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) proceeds through the endocytic pathway; however, only a small fraction escapes endosomal trafficking while the majority are rendered inactive in the lysosome. Since these pathways converge and share common molecular machinery, it is unclear if autophagy-related trafficking participates in ASO uptake or whether modulation of autophagy affects ASO activity and localization. To address these questions, we investigated the effects of autophagy modulation on ASO activity in cells and mice. We found that enhancing autophagy through small-molecule mTOR inhibition, serum-starvation/fasting, and ketogenic diet, increased ASO-mediated target reduction in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, autophagy activation enhanced the localization of ASOs into autophagosomes without altering intracellular concentrations or trafficking to other compartments. These results support a novel role for autophagy and the autophagosome as a previously unidentified compartment that participates in and contributes to enhanced ASO activity. Further, we demonstrate non-chemical methods to enhance autophagy and subsequent ASO activity using translatable approaches such as fasting or ketogenic diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Ochaba
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | | | | | | | - Noah M Post
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - John E Matson
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | | | - Shuling Guo
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
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13
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Xu Y, Li Y, Jin J, Han G, Sun C, Pizzi MP, Huo L, Scott A, Wang Y, Ma L, Lee JH, Bhutani MS, Weston B, Vellano C, Yang L, Lin C, Kim Y, MacLeod AR, Wang L, Wang Z, Song S, Ajani JA. LncRNA PVT1 up-regulation is a poor prognosticator and serves as a therapeutic target in esophageal adenocarcinoma. Mol Cancer 2019; 18:141. [PMID: 31601234 PMCID: PMC6785865 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-019-1064-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background PVT1 has emerged as an oncogene in many tumor types. However, its role in Barrett’s esophagus (BE) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the role of PVT1 in BE/EAC progression and uncover its therapeutic value against EAC. Methods PVT1 expression was assessed by qPCR in normal, BE, and EAC tissues and statistical analysis was performed to determine the association of PVT1 expression and EAC (stage, metastases, and survival). PVT1 antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) were tested for their antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo. Results PVT1 expression was up-regulated in EACs compared with paired BEs, and normal esophageal tissues. High expression of PVT1 was associated with poor differentiation, lymph node metastases, and shorter survival. Effective knockdown of PVT1 in EAC cells using PVT1 ASOs resulted in decreased cell proliferation, invasion, colony formation, tumor sphere formation, and reduced proportion of ALDH1A1+ cells. Mechanistically, we discovered mutual regulation of PVT1 and YAP1 in EAC cells. Inhibition of PVT1 by PVT1 ASOs suppressed YAP1 expression through increased phosphor-LATS1and phosphor-YAP1 while knockout of YAP1 in EAC cells significantly suppressed PVT1 levels indicating a positive regulation of PVT1 by YAP1. Most importantly, we found that targeting both PVT1 and YAP1 using their specific ASOs led to better antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions Our results provide strong evidence that PVT1 confers an aggressive phenotype to EAC and is a poor prognosticator. Combined targeting of PVT1 and YAP1 provided the highest therapeutic index and represents a novel therapeutic strategy. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12943-019-1064-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Xu
- Departments of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Department of Surgical Oncology and General Surgery, First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuan Li
- Departments of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Department of Surgical Oncology and General Surgery, First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiankang Jin
- Departments of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Guangchun Han
- Departments of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Chengcao Sun
- Departments of Molecular & Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Melissa Pool Pizzi
- Departments of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Longfei Huo
- Departments of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Ailing Scott
- Departments of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Ying Wang
- Departments of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Lang Ma
- Departments of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Jeffrey H Lee
- Departments of Gastroenterology&Hepatology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Manoop S Bhutani
- Departments of Gastroenterology&Hepatology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Brian Weston
- Departments of Gastroenterology&Hepatology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Christopher Vellano
- Center for Co-Clinical Trial, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Liuqing Yang
- Departments of Molecular & Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Chunru Lin
- Departments of Molecular & Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Youngsoo Kim
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA, 92010, USA
| | - A Robert MacLeod
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA, 92010, USA
| | - Linghua Wang
- Departments of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Zhenning Wang
- Department of Surgical Oncology and General Surgery, First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, People's Republic of China.
| | - Shumei Song
- Departments of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Jaffer A Ajani
- Departments of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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14
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De Velasco MA, Kura Y, Sakai K, Hatanaka Y, Davies BR, Campbell H, Klein S, Kim Y, MacLeod AR, Sugimoto K, Yoshikawa K, Nishio K, Uemura H. Targeting castration-resistant prostate cancer with androgen receptor antisense oligonucleotide therapy. JCI Insight 2019; 4:122688. [PMID: 31484823 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.122688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Sustained therapeutic responses from traditional and next-generation antiandrogen therapies remain elusive in clinical practice due to inherent and/or acquired resistance resulting in persistent androgen receptor (AR) activity. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) have the ability to block target gene expression and associated protein products and provide an alternate treatment strategy for castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). We demonstrate the efficacy and therapeutic potential of this approach with a Generation-2.5 ASO targeting the mouse AR in genetically engineered models of prostate cancer. Furthermore, reciprocal feedback between AR and PI3K/AKT signaling was circumvented using a combination approach of AR-ASO therapy with the potent pan-AKT inhibitor, AZD5363. This treatment strategy effectively improved treatment responses and prolonged survival in a clinically relevant mouse model of advanced CRPC. Thus, our data provide preclinical evidence to support a combination strategy of next-generation ASOs targeting AR in combination with AKT inhibition as a potentially beneficial treatment approach for CRPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco A De Velasco
- Department of Urology and.,Department of Genome Biology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osakasayama, Osaka, Japan
| | | | - Kazuko Sakai
- Department of Genome Biology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osakasayama, Osaka, Japan
| | | | - Barry R Davies
- Oncology, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Hayley Campbell
- Oncology, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Stephanie Klein
- Oncology, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Youngsoo Kim
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, California, USA
| | - A Robert MacLeod
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, California, USA
| | | | - Kazuhiro Yoshikawa
- Research Creation Support Center, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, Aichi, Japan
| | - Kazuto Nishio
- Department of Genome Biology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osakasayama, Osaka, Japan
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15
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Kim Y, Jo M, Schmidt J, Luo X, Prakash TP, Zhou T, Klein S, Xiao X, Post N, Yin Z, MacLeod AR. Enhanced Potency of GalNAc-Conjugated Antisense Oligonucleotides in Hepatocellular Cancer Models. Mol Ther 2019; 27:1547-1557. [PMID: 31303442 PMCID: PMC6731179 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2019.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 06/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) are a novel therapeutic approach to target difficult-to-drug protein classes by targeting their corresponding mRNAs. Significantly enhanced ASO activity has been achieved by the targeted delivery of ASOs to selected tissues. One example is the targeted delivery of ASOs to hepatocytes, achieved with N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) conjugation to ASO, which results in selective uptake by asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGR). Here we have evaluated the potential of GalNAc-conjugated ASOs as a therapeutic approach to targeting difficult-to-drug pathways in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The activity of GalNAc-conjugated ASOs was superior to that of the unconjugated parental ASO in ASGR (+) human HCC cells in vitro, but not in ASGR (-) cells. Both human- and mouse-derived HCC displayed reduced levels of ASGR, however, despite this, GalNAc-conjugated ASOs showed a 5- to 10-fold increase in potency in tumors. Systemically administered GalNAc-conjugated ASOs demonstrated both enhanced antisense activity and antitumor activity in the diethylnitrosamine-induced HCC tumor model. Finally, GalNAc conjugation enhanced ASO activity in human circulating tumor cells from HCC patients, demonstrating the potential of this approach in primary human HCC tumor cells. Taken together, these results provide a strong rationale for a potential therapeutic use of GalNAc-conjugated ASOs for the treatment of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youngsoo Kim
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA.
| | - Minji Jo
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Joanna Schmidt
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Xiaolin Luo
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Thazha P Prakash
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Tianyuan Zhou
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Stephanie Klein
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Xiaokun Xiao
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Noah Post
- Department of Pharmacokinetics, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Zhengfeng Yin
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - A Robert MacLeod
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA.
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16
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Xu S, Zhou T, Doh HM, Trinh KR, Catapang A, Lee JT, Braas D, Bayley NA, Yamada RE, Vasuthasawat A, Sasine JP, Timmerman JM, Larson SM, Kim Y, MacLeod AR, Morrison SL, Herschman HR. An HK2 Antisense Oligonucleotide Induces Synthetic Lethality in HK1 -HK2 + Multiple Myeloma. Cancer Res 2019; 79:2748-2760. [PMID: 30885978 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-18-2799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2018] [Revised: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Although the majority of adult tissues express only hexokinase 1 (HK1) for glycolysis, most cancers express hexokinase 2 (HK2) and many coexpress HK1 and HK2. In contrast to HK1+HK2+ cancers, HK1-HK2+ cancer subsets are sensitive to cytostasis induced by HK2shRNA knockdown and are also sensitive to synthetic lethality in response to the combination of HK2shRNA knockdown, an oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) inhibitor diphenyleneiodonium (DPI), and a fatty acid oxidation (FAO) inhibitor perhexiline (PER). The majority of human multiple myeloma cell lines are HK1-HK2+. Here we describe an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) directed against human HK2 (HK2-ASO1), which suppressed HK2 expression in human multiple myeloma cell cultures and human multiple myeloma mouse xenograft models. The HK2-ASO1/DPI/PER triple-combination achieved synthetic lethality in multiple myeloma cells in culture and prevented HK1-HK2+ multiple myeloma tumor xenograft progression. DPI was replaceable by the FDA-approved OXPHOS inhibitor metformin (MET), both for synthetic lethality in culture and for inhibition of tumor xenograft progression. In addition, we used an ASO targeting murine HK2 (mHK2-ASO1) to validate the safety of mHK2-ASO1/MET/PER combination therapy in mice bearing murine multiple myeloma tumors. HK2-ASO1 is the first agent that shows selective HK2 inhibition and therapeutic efficacy in cell culture and in animal models, supporting clinical development of this synthetically lethal combination as a therapy for HK1-HK2+ multiple myeloma. SIGNIFICANCE: A first-in-class HK2 antisense oligonucleotide suppresses HK2 expression in cell culture and in in vivo, presenting an effective, tolerated combination therapy for preventing progression of HK1-HK2+ multiple myeloma tumors. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/canres/79/10/2748/F1.large.jpg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shili Xu
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Tianyuan Zhou
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, California
| | - Hanna M Doh
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - K Ryan Trinh
- Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Art Catapang
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Jason T Lee
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles.,Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles.,Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Daniel Braas
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles.,UCLA Metabolomics Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Nicholas A Bayley
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Reiko E Yamada
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Alex Vasuthasawat
- Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Joshua P Sasine
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles.,Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - John M Timmerman
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles.,Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Sarah M Larson
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles.,Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Youngsoo Kim
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, California
| | - A Robert MacLeod
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, California
| | - Sherie L Morrison
- Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles.,Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Harvey R Herschman
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles. .,Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles.,Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles.,Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles.,Molecular Biology Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
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17
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Ferrone JD, Bhattacharjee G, Revenko AS, Zanardi TA, Warren MS, Derosier FJ, Viney NJ, Pham NC, Kaeser GE, Baker BF, Schneider E, Hughes SG, Monia BP, MacLeod AR. IONIS-PKK Rx a Novel Antisense Inhibitor of Prekallikrein and Bradykinin Production. Nucleic Acid Ther 2019; 29:82-91. [PMID: 30817230 PMCID: PMC6461157 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2018.0754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Kallikrein is the key contact system mediator responsible for the conversion of high-molecular-weight kininogen into the inflammatory vasodilator peptide bradykinin, a process regulated by C1-esterase inhibitor (C1-INH). In hereditary angioedema (HAE), genetic mutations result in deficient or dysfunctional C1-INH and dysregulation of the contact system leading to recurrent, sometimes fatal, angioedema attacks. IONIS-PKKRx is a second-generation 2'-O-(2-methoxyethyl)-modified chimeric antisense oligonucleotide, designed to bind and selectively reduce prekallikrein (PKK) mRNA in the liver. IONIS-PKKRx demonstrated dose-dependent reduction of human prekallikrein hepatic mRNA and plasma protein in transgenic mice and dose- and time-dependent reductions of plasma PKK in Cynomolgus monkeys. Similar dose-dependent reductions of plasma PKK levels were observed in healthy human volunteers accompanied by decreases in bradykinin generation capacity with an acceptable safety and tolerability profile. These results highlight a novel and specific approach to target PKK for the treatment of HAE and other diseases involving contact system activation and overproduction of bradykinin.
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18
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MacLeod AR, Serrancoli G, Fregly BJ, Toms AD, Gill HS. The effect of plate design, bridging span, and fracture healing on the performance of high tibial osteotomy plates: An experimental and finite element study. Bone Joint Res 2019; 7:639-649. [PMID: 30662711 PMCID: PMC6318751 DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.712.bjr-2018-0035.r1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives Opening wedge high tibial osteotomy (HTO) is an established surgical procedure for the treatment of early-stage knee arthritis. Other than infection, the majority of complications are related to mechanical factors – in particular, stimulation of healing at the osteotomy site. This study used finite element (FE) analysis to investigate the effect of plate design and bridging span on interfragmentary movement (IFM) and the influence of fracture healing on plate stress and potential failure. Materials and Methods A 10° opening wedge HTO was created in a composite tibia. Imaging and strain gauge data were used to create and validate FE models. Models of an intact tibia and a tibia implanted with a custom HTO plate using two different bridging spans were validated against experimental data. Physiological muscle forces and different stages of osteotomy gap healing simulating up to six weeks postoperatively were then incorporated. Predictions of plate stress and IFM for the custom plate were compared against predictions for an industry standard plate (TomoFix). Results For both plate types, long spans increased IFM but did not substantially alter peak plate stress. The custom plate increased axial and shear IFM values by up to 24% and 47%, respectively, compared with the TomoFix. In all cases, a callus stiffness of 528 MPa was required to reduce plate stress below the fatigue strength of titanium alloy. Conclusion We demonstrate that larger bridging spans in opening wedge HTO increase IFM without substantially increasing plate stress. The results indicate, however, that callus healing is required to prevent fatigue failure. Cite this article: A. R. MacLeod, G. Serrancoli, B. J. Fregly, A. D. Toms, H. S. Gill. The effect of plate design, bridging span, and fracture healing on the performance of high tibial osteotomy plates: An experimental and finite element study. Bone Joint Res 2018;7:639–649. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.712.BJR-2018-0035.R1.
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Affiliation(s)
- A R MacLeod
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - G Serrancoli
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - B J Fregly
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - A D Toms
- Princess Elizabeth Orthopaedic Centre, Royal Devon and Exeter NHS, Exeter, UK
| | - H S Gill
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, UK
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19
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Reilley MJ, McCoon P, Cook C, Lyne P, Kurzrock R, Kim Y, Woessner R, Younes A, Nemunaitis J, Fowler N, Curran M, Liu Q, Zhou T, Schmidt J, Jo M, Lee SJ, Yamashita M, Hughes SG, Fayad L, Piha-Paul S, Nadella MVP, Xiao X, Hsu J, Revenko A, Monia BP, MacLeod AR, Hong DS. STAT3 antisense oligonucleotide AZD9150 in a subset of patients with heavily pretreated lymphoma: results of a phase 1b trial. J Immunother Cancer 2018; 6:119. [PMID: 30446007 PMCID: PMC6240242 DOI: 10.1186/s40425-018-0436-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 157] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 10/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The Janus kinase (JAK) and signal transduction and activation of transcription (STAT) signaling pathway is an attractive target in multiple cancers. Activation of the JAK-STAT pathway is important in both tumorigenesis and activation of immune responses. In diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), the transcription factor STAT3 has been associated with aggressive disease phenotype and worse overall survival. While multiple therapies inhibit upstream signaling, there has been limited success in selectively targeting STAT3 in patients. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) represent a compelling therapeutic approach to target difficult to drug proteins such as STAT3 through of mRNA targeting. We report the evaluation of a next generation STAT3 ASO (AZD9150) in a non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma population, primarily consisting of patients with DLBCL. Methods Patients with relapsed or treatment refractory lymphoma were enrolled in this expansion cohort. AZD9150 was administered at 2 mg/kg and the 3 mg/kg (MTD determined by escalation cohort) dose levels with initial loading doses in the first week on days 1, 3, and 5 followed by weekly dosing. Patients were eligible to remain on therapy until unacceptable toxicity or progression. Blood was collected pre- and post-treatment for analysis of peripheral immune cells. Results Thirty patients were enrolled, 10 at 2 mg/kg and 20 at 3 mg/kg dose levels. Twenty-seven patients had DLBCL. AZD9150 was safe and well tolerated at both doses. Common drug-related adverse events included transaminitis, fatigue, and thrombocytopenia. The 3 mg/kg dose level is the recommended phase 2 dose. All responses were seen among DLBCL patients, including 2 complete responses with median duration of response 10.7 months and 2 partial responses. Peripheral blood cell analysis of three patients without a clinical response to therapy revealed a relative increase in proportion of macrophages, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells; this trend did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions AZD9150 was well tolerated and demonstrated efficacy in a subset of heavily pretreated patients with DLBCL. Studies in combination with checkpoint immunotherapies are ongoing. Trial registration Registered at ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01563302. First submitted 2/13/2012. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s40425-018-0436-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Reilley
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Patricia McCoon
- Oncology, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, Waltham, MA, USA
| | - Carl Cook
- Oncology, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, Waltham, MA, USA
| | - Paul Lyne
- Oncology, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, Waltham, MA, USA
| | | | - Youngsoo Kim
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA, USA
| | - Richard Woessner
- Oncology, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, Waltham, MA, USA
| | - Anas Younes
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Nathan Fowler
- Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Unit 0455, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Michael Curran
- Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Unit 0455, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Qinying Liu
- Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Unit 0455, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Tianyuan Zhou
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA, USA
| | - Joanna Schmidt
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA, USA
| | - Minji Jo
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA, USA
| | - Samantha J Lee
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA, USA
| | - Mason Yamashita
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA, USA
| | - Steven G Hughes
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA, USA
| | - Luis Fayad
- Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Unit 0455, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Sarina Piha-Paul
- Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Unit 0455, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Murali V P Nadella
- Drug Safety and Metabolism, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, Waltham, MA, USA
| | - Xiaokun Xiao
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA, USA
| | - Jeff Hsu
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA, USA
| | - Alexey Revenko
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA, USA
| | - Brett P Monia
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA, USA
| | - A Robert MacLeod
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA, USA
| | - David S Hong
- Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Unit 0455, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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20
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Shastri A, Choudhary G, Teixeira M, Gordon-Mitchell S, Ramachandra N, Bernard L, Bhattacharyya S, Lopez R, Pradhan K, Giricz O, Ravipati G, Wong LF, Cole S, Bhagat TD, Feld J, Dhar Y, Bartenstein M, Thiruthuvanathan VJ, Wickrema A, Ye BH, Frank DA, Pellagatti A, Boultwood J, Zhou T, Kim Y, MacLeod AR, Epling-Burnette PK, Ye M, McCoon P, Woessner R, Steidl U, Will B, Verma A. Antisense STAT3 inhibitor decreases viability of myelodysplastic and leukemic stem cells. J Clin Invest 2018; 128:5479-5488. [PMID: 30252677 DOI: 10.1172/jci120156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2018] [Accepted: 09/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are associated with disease-initiating stem cells that are not eliminated by conventional therapies. Transcriptomic analysis of stem and progenitor populations in MDS and AML demonstrated overexpression of STAT3 that was validated in an independent cohort. STAT3 overexpression was predictive of a shorter survival and worse clinical features in a large MDS cohort. High STAT3 expression signature in MDS CD34+ cells was similar to known preleukemic gene signatures. Functionally, STAT3 inhibition by a clinical, antisense oligonucleotide, AZD9150, led to reduced viability and increased apoptosis in leukemic cell lines. AZD9150 was rapidly incorporated by primary MDS/AML stem and progenitor cells and led to increased hematopoietic differentiation. STAT3 knockdown also impaired leukemic growth in vivo and led to decreased expression of MCL1 and other oncogenic genes in malignant cells. These studies demonstrate that STAT3 is an adverse prognostic factor in MDS/AML and provide a preclinical rationale for studies using AZD9150 in these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditi Shastri
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Lumie Bernard
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Robert Lopez
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Kith Pradhan
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Orsolya Giricz
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Li-Fan Wong
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Sally Cole
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Tushar D Bhagat
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jonathan Feld
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Yosman Dhar
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | | | | | | | - B Hilda Ye
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - David A Frank
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Andrea Pellagatti
- Bloodwise Molecular Haematology Unit, Nuffield Division of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, and Oxford Biomedical Research Centre Haematology Theme, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jacqueline Boultwood
- Bloodwise Molecular Haematology Unit, Nuffield Division of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, and Oxford Biomedical Research Centre Haematology Theme, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Tianyuan Zhou
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, California, USA
| | - Youngsoo Kim
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, California, USA
| | | | | | - Minwei Ye
- AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | | | - Ulrich Steidl
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Britta Will
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Amit Verma
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
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21
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Xiao L, Tien JC, Vo J, Tan M, Parolia A, Zhang Y, Wang L, Qiao Y, Shukla S, Wang X, Zheng H, Su F, Jing X, Luo E, Delekta A, Juckette KM, Xu A, Cao X, Alva AS, Kim Y, MacLeod AR, Chinnaiyan AM. Epigenetic Reprogramming with Antisense Oligonucleotides Enhances the Effectiveness of Androgen Receptor Inhibition in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer. Cancer Res 2018; 78:5731-5740. [PMID: 30135193 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-18-0941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Revised: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Advanced prostate cancer initially responds to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), but the disease inevitably recurs as castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Although CRPC initially responds to abiraterone and enzalutamide, the disease invariably becomes nonresponsive to these agents. Novel approaches are required to circumvent resistance pathways and to extend survival, but the mechanisms underlying resistance remain poorly defined. Our group previously showed the histone lysine-N-methyltransferase EZH2 to be overexpressed in prostate cancer and quantitatively associated with progression and poor prognosis. In this study, we screened a library of epigenetic inhibitors for their ability to render CRPC cells sensitive to enzalutamide and found that EZH2 inhibitors specifically potentiated enzalutamide-mediated inhibition of proliferation. Moreover, we identified antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) as a novel drug strategy to ablate EZH2 and androgen receptor (AR) expression, which may have advantageous properties in certain settings. RNA-seq, chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing, and assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing demonstrated that EZH2 inhibition altered the AR cistrome to significantly upregulate AR signaling, suggesting an enhanced dependence of CRPC cells on this pathway following inhibition of EZH2. Combination treatment with ASO targeting EZH2 and AR transcripts inhibited prostate cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo better than single agents. In sum, this study identifies EZH2 as a critical epigenetic regulator of ADT resistance and defines ASO-based cotargeting of EZH2 and AR as a promising strategy for the treatment of CRPC.Significance: Simultaneous targeting of lysine methyltransferase EZH2 and the AR with ASO proves a novel and effective therapeutic strategy in patients with CRPC. Cancer Res; 78(20); 5731-40. ©2018 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lanbo Xiao
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Jean C Tien
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Josh Vo
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Mengyao Tan
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Abhijit Parolia
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Yajia Zhang
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Lisha Wang
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Yuanyuan Qiao
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Sudhanshu Shukla
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Dharwad, Dharwad, Karnataka, India
| | - Xiaoju Wang
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Heng Zheng
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Fengyun Su
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Xiaojun Jing
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Esther Luo
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Andrew Delekta
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Kristin M Juckette
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Alice Xu
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Xuhong Cao
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Ajjai S Alva
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | | | | | - Arul M Chinnaiyan
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, Ann Arbor, Michigan. .,Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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22
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Velasco MAD, Kura Y, Ando N, Sakai K, Davies BR, Kim Y, MacLeod AR, Nozawa M, Yoshimura K, Yoshikawa K, Nishio K, Uemura H. Abstract 1715: Treatment-dependent effects of androgen receptor signaling suppression on immune modulation in mouse Pten-deficient prostate cancer. Cancer Res 2018. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2018-1715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) is the mainstay treatment for advanced metastatic prostate cancer. Treatments targeting androgen receptor (AR) signaling by androgen withdrawal or AR antagonists have been implemented in clinical practice, and clinical trials evaluating treatment combinations with immunotherapy are ongoing. However, AR expression is not limited to prostate epithelial cells and is expressed in several cell types including stromal and immune cells. Preclinical studies have shown that ADT can positively or negatively influence antitumor immunity depending on the treatment approach. To gain insights into the influence of ADT on tumor immunity, we compared surgical castration (Cast), AR-antisense oligonucleotide (ISIS581088, ISI), nonsteroidal antiandrogen (apalutamide, Apa) and hormonal antiandrogen (chlormadinone acetate, CMA) treatments in a mouse model of Pten-deficient prostate cancer. Conditional PSACre/Ptenf/f mice were treated for eight weeks and the antitumor activity and effects on immune organs were assessed. Compared to control mice, treatments with Cast, ISI, Apa and CMA significantly reduced tumor growth by 69.8%, 65.0%, 37.8%, and 40.8%, respectively, P<0.001. A significant enlargement of the thymus was seen in Cast (125 %) and Apa (45.8%)-treated mice whereas significant involution occurred after ISI (-73.3%) and CMA (-60.0%) treatments. Enlargement of spleen was noted in Cast (201.2%, P=0.009) ISI (96.3%, P=0.004) and Apa (55%, P=0.256)-treated mice. Draining lymph nodes were significantly larger in mice treated with ISI (48%, P=0.027), whereas their size decreased after treatment with Apa (-31.6%) and CMA (-15.4%). Focused gene expression profiling of immune and AR responsive genes by qRT-PCR array was performed on prostate tumor samples. Functional enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes indicated distinct patterns of expression between treatments. Overall, the expression signatures of Cast and ISI were more closely concordant than those of Apa and CMA. Notably, genes associated with abnormal immune tolerance were enriched in Cast, Apa and CMA treatment groups. Genes associated with abnormal T-cell proliferation and PD-1 signaling were enriched in castrated mice. Our study shows that the AR signaling axis influences immune modulation and its effects on tumor immunity vary greatly depending on the pharmacologic approach for AR signaling inhibition. Rational combinations of ADT and immunotherapy will have to be carefully characterized and optimized in order to achieve their full therapeutic potential.
Citation Format: Marco A. De Velasco, Yurie Kura, Naomi Ando, Kazuko Sakai, Barry R. Davies, Youngsoo Kim, A. Robert MacLeod, Masahiro Nozawa, Kazuhiro Yoshimura, Kazuhiro Yoshikawa, Kazuto Nishio, Hirotsugu Uemura. Treatment-dependent effects of androgen receptor signaling suppression on immune modulation in mouse Pten-deficient prostate cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1715.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yurie Kura
- 1Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
| | - Naomi Ando
- 1Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
| | - Kazuko Sakai
- 1Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
| | - Barry R. Davies
- 2Strategy, Oncology, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Kazuto Nishio
- 1Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
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23
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MacLeod AR, Crooke ST. RNA Therapeutics in Oncology: Advances, Challenges, and Future Directions. J Clin Pharmacol 2018; 57 Suppl 10:S43-S59. [PMID: 28921648 DOI: 10.1002/jcph.957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2016] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
RNA-based therapeutic technologies represent a rapidly expanding class of therapeutic opportunities with the power to modulate cellular biology in ways never before possible. With RNA-targeted therapeutics, inhibitors of previously undruggable proteins, gene expression modulators, and even therapeutic proteins can be rationally designed based on sequence information alone, something that is not possible with other therapeutic modalities. The most advanced RNA therapeutic modalities are antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) and small interfering RNAs. Particularly with ASOs, recent clinical data have demonstrated proof of mechanism and clinical benefit with these approaches across several nononcology disease areas by multiple routes of administration. In cancer, next-generation ASOs have recently demonstrated single-agent activity in patients with highly refractory cancers. Here we discuss advances in RNA therapeutics for the treatment of cancer and the challenges that remain to solidify these as mainstay therapeutic modalities to bridge the pharmacogenomic divide that remains in cancer drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Robert MacLeod
- Vice President, Oncology Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA, USA
| | - Stanley T Crooke
- CEO and Chairman of the Board, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA, USA
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24
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Kim Y, Schmidt J, Jo M, Yi J, Zhou T, Luo X, Yim SY, Lee JS, Johnson RL, Monia BP, Mills G, MacLeod AR. Abstract B197: Selective depletion of YAP1 with next-generation antisense oligonucleotides leads to immune cell infiltration and tumor regression in mouse models of HCC. Mol Cancer Ther 2018. [DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.targ-17-b197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The Hippo pathway plays important roles in maintaining tissue homeostasis. When dysregulated, however, it contributes to the development of a variety of cancers including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). YAP1 is the final regulator of the pathway and its causal role in promoting HCC growth has been demonstrated previously in multiple animal models. YAP1 is therefore considered an attractive drug target for HCC but as a transcription coactivator is difficult to inhibit by conventional approaches. We investigated how selective downregulation of YAP1 would affect the growth of established HCC using optimized Gen2.5 antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) for mouse YAP1. Here, we describe the antitumor activity of YAP1 ASOs in 2 mouse models of HCC, which appears to be mediated by both tumor autonomous and immune modulatory functions of YAP1. In YAP1-activated Salvador KO mice with established HCC, systemic treatment of YAP1 ASO for 2 months at 75 mg/kg/week resulted in a marked reduction (>90%) in tumor YAP1 levels and regression of HCC tumors, which is in contrast to the tumors in the control ASO-treated animals that significantly increased in size. Proliferation of tumor cells was drastically reduced in YAP1 ASO-treated animals as demonstrated by low Ki-67 staining along with a decrease in Cyr61, a downstream YAP1 target. YAP1 ASOs were also tested in the diethylnitrosamine-induced HCC model. Although the model has been widely used in HCC research, lack of reliable biomarkers and high variability in tumor take between animals make it less ideal for an efficacy study. To overcome these limitations, we established a subcutaneous model by in vivo passaging tumors excised from the liver in either nude or immune-competent C57BL/6 mice. Activation of YAP1 in this model was demonstrated by strong nuclear localization of YAP1 protein in tumors. While the effect of YAP1 ASO on tumor was primarily delaying its growth in nude mice, the same YAP1 ASO induced tumor regression when DEN tumors were grown in immune competent mice, suggesting an immune component for activity. Strong infiltration of myeloid lineage cells was observed in tumors of YAP1 ASO-treated animals at the end of the 6 week study, suggesting potential activation of immune cells as a result of YAP1 depletion. Significant infiltration of T cells and myeloid lineage cells into YAP1 ASO-treated tumors was also observed at an early time point as demonstrated by increases in CD3 and F4/80 signals by IHC. Immune cell infiltration into tumors was more pronounced in the combination of ASOs for YAP1 and its paralog mouse TAZ than YAP1 ASO alone; however, the combination group exhibited notable signs of inflammation on the skin and in the liver. Importantly, when tumor-bearing animals were taken off the treatment after tumor regression was observed with YAP1 ASO, the antitumor response was sustained for more than 6 weeks with 2 out of 8 animals remaining tumor free in YAP1 ASO group. Further, safety of ASO-mediated YAP1 inhibition was confirmed in both normal mice with no notable toxicity and tumor-bearing mice with improvement in liver transaminases despite near complete depletion of YAP1 in the liver. Collectively, these results provide evidence for immune activation as a result of YAP1 downregulation and also suggest a potential therapeutic use of YAP1 ASO in the treatment of HCC with YAP1 activation.
Citation Format: Youngsoo Kim, Joanna Schmidt, Minji Jo, Jing Yi, Tianyuan Zhou, Xiaolin Luo, Sun Young Yim, Ju-Seog Lee, Randy L. Johnson, Brett P. Monia, Gordon Mills, A. Robert MacLeod. Selective depletion of YAP1 with next-generation antisense oligonucleotides leads to immune cell infiltration and tumor regression in mouse models of HCC [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2017 Oct 26-30; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2018;17(1 Suppl):Abstract nr B197.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Minji Jo
- 1Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA
| | - Jing Yi
- 2The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | | | | | - Sun Young Yim
- 2The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Ju-Seog Lee
- 2The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | | | | | - Gordon Mills
- 2The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
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25
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Revenko AS, Sinclair C, Johnson B, Hettrick L, Peter A, Staniszewska A, Hughes A, Sandin L, Taylor M, Klein S, Watt A, Monia B, Edbrooke M, MacLeod AR. Abstract LB-B20: High-affinity antisense oligonucleotides targeting Foxp3 inhibit immunosuppressive function of regulatory T cells and produce anti-tumor effects in syngeneic tumor models. Mol Cancer Ther 2018. [DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.targ-17-lb-b20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Treg) contribute to the progression of cancer through suppression of specific anti-tumor effector immune responses. Therefore, inhibition of Treg function is an attractive approach for cancer immunotherapy. However, despite substantial effort, specific inhibition of Tregs remains a challenge. Foxp3 is a Treg-specific transcription factor required for their development and function. We employed next-generation antisense inhibitors (Gen 2.5 cEt-modified ASOs) to selectively inhibit Foxp3 expression in mouse Treg cells and evaluated consequences of ASO-mediated Foxp3 knock-down in vitro and in vivo. Mouse Foxp3-specific ASOs produced potent dose-dependent reductions in Foxp3 mRNA and protein in mouse Tregs in vitro without the use of transfection reagents. Reductions of Foxp3 in mouse Tregs was associated with loss of expression of immunosuppressive markers as well as loss of immunosuppressive function in vitro. Systemically delivered unformulated cEt-modified mouse Foxp3 ASOs reduced Foxp3 mRNA and protein in Tregs in normal mice. Importantly, this inhibition, in contrast to the phenotype of Foxp3 KO mice, was not associated with a significant autoimmune phenotype. When mouse Foxp3 ASOs were administered to syngeneic tumor-bearing mice they produced significant Foxp3 mRNA and protein knockdown in tumor-infiltrating Tregs. The growth of tumors in mouse Foxp3 ASO-treated animals was significantly attenuated with a fraction of animals (25%-50%) achieving complete regressions. Anti-tumor activity of mouse Foxp3 ASOs was associated with immunophenotype changes consistent with the increased anti-tumor immune response. Overall these data demonstrate that regulatory T cells can be effectively targeted by ASOs and that Foxp3 ASOs represent a potentially attractive therapeutic approach in cancer immunotherapy.
Citation Format: Alexey S. Revenko, Charles Sinclair, Ben Johnson, Lisa Hettrick, Alison Peter, Anna Staniszewska, Adina Hughes, Linda Sandin, Molly Taylor, Stephanie Klein, Andy Watt, Brett Monia, Mark Edbrooke, A. Robert MacLeod. High-affinity antisense oligonucleotides targeting Foxp3 inhibit immunosuppressive function of regulatory T cells and produce anti-tumor effects in syngeneic tumor models [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2017 Oct 26-30; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2018;17(1 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-B20.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Andy Watt
- 1Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA
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Velasco MAD, Kura Y, Ando N, Sugimoto K, Sakai K, Davies BR, Kim Y, MacLeod AR, Nozawa M, Yoshimura K, Yoshikawa K, Nishio K, Uemura H. Abstract 1582: Therapeutic potential of combination therapy using a next generation antisense oligonucleotide targeting the androgen receptor and AKT inhibition with AZD5363 in genetically engineered mouse models of prostate cancer. Cancer Res 2017. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2017-1582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Prostate cancer is highly dependent on androgen receptor (AR) and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways for survival and disease progression. Preclinical evidence suggests that combinatorial approaches targeting both AR and PI3K/AKT activity improves treatment efficacy. However, sustained responses from traditional and next-generation anti-androgen therapies targeting AR remain elusive in clinical practice due to inherent/acquired resistance resulting in lethal castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Mechanisms for continued AR transcriptional activity may be ligand dependent or independent but still require AR gene expression. Persistent AR gene expression is a key feature of CRPC. Thus, blocking AR gene expression by antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) is a logical approach to CRPC. We previously showed that monotherapy with ISIS581088, a generation 2.5 ASO targeting mouse AR, demonstrated strong antitumor activity in a transgenic mouse model of PTEN-deficient prostate cancer. In this study we show the antitumor effects of combined therapy of ISIS581088 and AZD5363, a potent AKT inhibitor and demonstrate the therapeutic benefit of combination therapy in a clinically relevant mouse model of CRPC. Sixteen-week-old mice with PTEN-/- castration-naïve prostate tumors were treated with ISIS581088 and AZD5363 alone or in combination for four weeks. Tumor growth inhibition rates were 41.2%, 20.2% and 54.4% for ISIS581088, AZD5363 and ISIS581088/AZD5363 treatment groups, respectively, P<0.001. In a model of mouse CRPC, 16-week-old mice with PTEN-/- castration-resistant prostate tumors (eight weeks post castration) experienced reduced tumor burden with all treatments but no enhancement was observed when the compounds were administered in combination compared with monotherapy drug treatments. In a randomized trial of advanced CRPC in PTEN/P53 double knockout mice, combination therapy significantly increased overall survival. Median survival were 18, 17 21, 22, and 38 days for control vehicle, control ASO, ISIS581088, AZD5363 and ISIS581088/AZD5363 treatment groups, respectively, P=0.041. In conclusion, our data shows that combination therapy significantly reduced tumor burden in mice with castration-naïve tumors compared to those treated with monotherapy. Notably, combination therapy did not produce an additive effect in an early stage CRPC intervention model. Still, combination therapy demonstrated a clear advantage in prolonging overall survival in a long-term randomized mouse trial of PTEN/P53-deficient CRPC. Thus, our data provides preclinical evidence to support that next generation ASOs targeting AR in combination with AKT inhibition is a potentially effective treatment approach for CRPC.
Citation Format: Marco A. De Velasco, Yurie Kura, Naomi Ando, Koichi Sugimoto, Kazuko Sakai, Barry R. Davies, Youngsoo Kim, A. Robert MacLeod, Masahiro Nozawa, Kazuhiro Yoshimura, Kazuhiro Yoshikawa, Kazuto Nishio , Hirotsugu Uemura. Therapeutic potential of combination therapy using a next generation antisense oligonucleotide targeting the androgen receptor and AKT inhibition with AZD5363 in genetically engineered mouse models of prostate cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1582. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-1582
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yurie Kura
- 1Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
| | - Naomi Ando
- 1Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
| | | | - Kazuko Sakai
- 1Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Kazuto Nishio
- 1Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
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Jauvin D, Chrétien J, Pandey SK, Martineau L, Revillod L, Bassez G, Lachon A, MacLeod AR, Gourdon G, Wheeler TM, Thornton CA, Bennett CF, Puymirat J. Targeting DMPK with Antisense Oligonucleotide Improves Muscle Strength in Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1 Mice. Mol Ther Nucleic Acids 2017. [PMID: 28624222 PMCID: PMC5453865 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2017.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), a dominant hereditary muscular dystrophy, is caused by an abnormal expansion of a (CTG)n trinucleotide repeat in the 3′ UTR of the human dystrophia myotonica protein kinase (DMPK) gene. As a consequence, mutant transcripts containing expanded CUG repeats are retained in nuclear foci and alter the function of splicing regulatory factors members of the MBNL and CELF families, resulting in alternative splicing misregulation of specific transcripts in affected DM1 tissues. In the present study, we treated DMSXL mice systemically with a 2′-4′-constrained, ethyl-modified (ISIS 486178) antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) targeted to the 3′ UTR of the DMPK gene, which led to a 70% reduction in CUGexp RNA abundance and foci in different skeletal muscles and a 30% reduction in the heart. Furthermore, treatment with ISIS 486178 ASO improved body weight, muscle strength, and muscle histology, whereas no overt toxicity was detected. This is evidence that the reduction of CUGexp RNA improves muscle strength in DM1, suggesting that muscle weakness in DM1 patients may be improved following elimination of toxic RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic Jauvin
- Laval University Experimental Organogenesis Center/LOEX, Enfant-Jésus Hospital, Québec, QC G1J 1Z4, Canada
| | - Jessina Chrétien
- Laval University Experimental Organogenesis Center/LOEX, Enfant-Jésus Hospital, Québec, QC G1J 1Z4, Canada
| | - Sanjay K Pandey
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA; Triangulum Biopharma, San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Laurie Martineau
- Laval University Experimental Organogenesis Center/LOEX, Enfant-Jésus Hospital, Québec, QC G1J 1Z4, Canada
| | - Lucille Revillod
- INSERM U955, Neuromuscular Reference Center, Henri-Mondor Hospital, Créteil 94000, France
| | - Guillaume Bassez
- INSERM U955, Neuromuscular Reference Center, Henri-Mondor Hospital, Créteil 94000, France
| | - Aline Lachon
- INSERM U781, Imagine Institute, Paris 75015, France
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Jack Puymirat
- Laval University Experimental Organogenesis Center/LOEX, Enfant-Jésus Hospital, Québec, QC G1J 1Z4, Canada; Department of Neurological Sciences CHU de Québec-Laval University, Enfant-Jésus Hospital, Québec, QC G1J 1Z4, Canada.
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Liao CP, Chen LY, Luethy A, Kim Y, Kani K, MacLeod AR, Gross ME. Androgen receptor in cancer-associated fibroblasts influences stemness in cancer cells. Endocr Relat Cancer 2017; 24:157-170. [PMID: 28264911 PMCID: PMC5453797 DOI: 10.1530/erc-16-0138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2017] [Accepted: 02/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Androgen receptor (AR) regulation pathways are essential for supporting the growth and survival of prostate cancer cells. Recently, sub-populations of prostate cancer cells have been identified with stem cell features and are associated with the emergence of treatment-resistant prostate cancer. Here, we explored the function of AR in prostate cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) relative to growth and stem cell-associated characteristics. CAFs were isolated from the murine cPten-/-L prostate cancer model and cultured with human prostate cancer epithelial (hPCa) cells. A murine-specific AR antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) was used to suppress the expression of AR in the CAF cells. CAFs express low, but significant levels of AR relative to fibroblasts derived from non-malignant tissue. CAFs promoted growth and colony formation of hPCa cells, which was attenuated by the suppression of AR expression. Surprisingly, AR-depleted CAFs promoted increased stem cell marker expression in hPCa cells. Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) were increased in AR-depleted CAF cells and exhibited similar effects on stem cell marker expression as seen in the CAF co-culture systems. Clinically, elevated IFN-γ expression was found to correlate with histologic grade in primary prostate cancer samples. In summary, AR and androgen-dependent signaling are active in CAFs and exert significant effects on prostate cancer cells. IFN-γ and M-CSF are AR-regulated factors secreted by CAF cells, which promote the expression of stem cell markers in prostate cancer epithelial cells. Understanding how CAFs and other constituents of stromal tissue react to anti-cancer therapies may provide insight into the development and progression of prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Peng Liao
- Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative MedicineKeck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Leng-Ying Chen
- Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative MedicineKeck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Andrea Luethy
- Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative MedicineKeck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Youngsoo Kim
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc.Carlsbad, California, USA
| | - Kian Kani
- Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative MedicineKeck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | | | - Mitchell E Gross
- Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative MedicineKeck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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Mignemi NA, Yuasa M, Baker CE, Moore SN, Ihejirika RC, Oelsner WK, Wallace CS, Yoshii T, Okawa A, Revenko AS, MacLeod AR, Bhattacharjee G, Barnett JV, Schwartz HS, Degen JL, Flick MJ, Cates JM, Schoenecker JG. Plasmin Prevents Dystrophic Calcification After Muscle Injury. J Bone Miner Res 2017; 32:294-308. [PMID: 27530373 DOI: 10.1002/jbmr.2973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2016] [Revised: 08/09/2016] [Accepted: 08/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Extensive or persistent calcium phosphate deposition within soft tissues after severe traumatic injury or major orthopedic surgery can result in pain and loss of joint function. The pathophysiology of soft tissue calcification, including dystrophic calcification and heterotopic ossification (HO), is poorly understood; consequently, current treatments are suboptimal. Here, we show that plasmin protease activity prevents dystrophic calcification within injured skeletal muscle independent of its canonical fibrinolytic function. After muscle injury, dystrophic calcifications either can be resorbed during the process of tissue healing, persist, or become organized into mature bone (HO). Without sufficient plasmin activity, dystrophic calcifications persist after muscle injury and are sufficient to induce HO. Downregulating the primary inhibitor of plasmin (α2-antiplasmin) or treating with pyrophosphate analogues prevents dystrophic calcification and subsequent HO in vivo. Because plasmin also supports bone homeostasis and fracture repair, increasing plasmin activity represents the first pharmacologic strategy to prevent soft tissue calcification without adversely affecting systemic bone physiology or concurrent muscle and bone regeneration. © 2016 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A Mignemi
- Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Masato Yuasa
- Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.,Department of Orthopaedics, Tokyo Medical Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Courtney E Baker
- School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Stephanie N Moore
- Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Rivka C Ihejirika
- School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - William K Oelsner
- Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | - Toshitaka Yoshii
- Department of Orthopaedics, Tokyo Medical Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Atsushi Okawa
- Department of Orthopaedics, Tokyo Medical Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | | | | | - Joey V Barnett
- School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Herbert S Schwartz
- Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jay L Degen
- Department of Experimental Hematology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Matthew J Flick
- Department of Experimental Hematology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Justin M Cates
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jonathan G Schoenecker
- Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.,Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.,Vanderbilt Center for Bone Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
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30
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Hong D, Kurzrock R, Kim Y, Woessner R, Younes A, Nemunaitis J, Fowler N, Zhou T, Schmidt J, Jo M, Lee SJ, Yamashita M, Hughes SG, Fayad L, Piha-Paul S, Nadella MVP, Mohseni M, Lawson D, Reimer C, Blakey DC, Xiao X, Hsu J, Revenko A, Monia BP, MacLeod AR. AZD9150, a next-generation antisense oligonucleotide inhibitor of STAT3 with early evidence of clinical activity in lymphoma and lung cancer. Sci Transl Med 2016; 7:314ra185. [PMID: 26582900 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aac5272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 319] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Next-generation sequencing technologies have greatly expanded our understanding of cancer genetics. Antisense technology is an attractive platform with the potential to translate these advances into improved cancer therapeutics, because antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) inhibitors can be designed on the basis of gene sequence information alone. Recent human clinical data have demonstrated the potent activity of systemically administered ASOs targeted to genes expressed in the liver. We describe the preclinical activity and initial clinical evaluation of a class of ASOs containing constrained ethyl modifications for targeting the gene encoding the transcription factor STAT3, a notoriously difficult protein to inhibit therapeutically. Systemic delivery of the unformulated ASO, AZD9150, decreased STAT3 expression in a broad range of preclinical cancer models and showed antitumor activity in lymphoma and lung cancer models. AZD9150 preclinical activity translated into single-agent antitumor activity in patients with highly treatment-refractory lymphoma and non-small cell lung cancer in a phase 1 dose-escalation study.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Hong
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Razelle Kurzrock
- UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, 3855 Health Sciences Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| | - Youngsoo Kim
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA
| | - Richard Woessner
- Cancer Bioscience Drug Discovery, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, 35 Gatehouse Drive, Waltham, MA 02451, USA
| | - Anas Younes
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - John Nemunaitis
- Mary Crowley Cancer Research Center, 7777 Forest Lane, Dallas, TX 75230, USA
| | - Nathan Fowler
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Tianyuan Zhou
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA
| | - Joanna Schmidt
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA
| | - Minji Jo
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA
| | - Samantha J Lee
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA
| | - Mason Yamashita
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA
| | - Steven G Hughes
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA
| | - Luis Fayad
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Sarina Piha-Paul
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Murali V P Nadella
- Drug Safety and Metabolism, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, Waltham, MA 02451, USA
| | - Morvarid Mohseni
- Cancer Bioscience Drug Discovery, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, 35 Gatehouse Drive, Waltham, MA 02451, USA
| | - Deborah Lawson
- Cancer Bioscience Drug Discovery, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, 35 Gatehouse Drive, Waltham, MA 02451, USA
| | - Corinne Reimer
- Cancer Bioscience Drug Discovery, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, 35 Gatehouse Drive, Waltham, MA 02451, USA
| | - David C Blakey
- Oncology iMED, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, Alderley Park, Macclesfield SK10 4TF, UK
| | - Xiaokun Xiao
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA
| | - Jeff Hsu
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA
| | - Alexey Revenko
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA
| | - Brett P Monia
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA
| | - A Robert MacLeod
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA.
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MacLeod AR, Sullivan NPT, Whitehouse MR, Gill HS. Large-diameter total hip arthroplasty modular heads require greater assembly forces for initial stability. Bone Joint Res 2016; 5:338-46. [PMID: 27496914 PMCID: PMC5013896 DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.58.bjr-2016-0044.r1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2016] [Accepted: 05/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives Modular junctions are ubiquitous in contemporary hip arthroplasty. The head-trunnion junction is implicated in the failure of large diameter metal-on-metal (MoM) hips which are the currently the topic of one the largest legal actions in the history of orthopaedics (estimated costs are stated to exceed $4 billion). Several factors are known to influence the strength of these press-fit modular connections. However, the influence of different head sizes has not previously been investigated. The aim of the study was to establish whether the choice of head size influences the initial strength of the trunnion-head connection. Materials and Methods Ti-6Al-4V trunnions (n = 60) and two different sizes of cobalt-chromium (Co-Cr) heads (28 mm and 36 mm; 30 of each size) were used in the study. Three different levels of assembly force were considered: 4 kN; 5 kN; and 6 kN (n = 10 each). The strength of the press-fit connection was subsequently evaluated by measuring the pull-off force required to break the connection. The statistical differences in pull-off force were examined using a Kruskal–Wallis test and two-sample Mann–Whitney U test. Finite element and analytical models were developed to understand the reasons for the experimentally observed differences. Results 36 mm diameter heads had significantly lower pull-off forces than 28 mm heads when impacted at 4 kN and 5 kN (p < 0.001; p < 0.001), but not at 6 kN (p = 0.21). Mean pull-off forces at 4 kN and 5 kN impaction forces were approximately 20% larger for 28 mm heads compared with 36 mm heads. Finite element and analytical models demonstrate that the differences in pull-off strength can be explained by differences in structural rigidity and the resulting interface pressures. Conclusion This is the first study to show that 36 mm Co-Cr heads have up to 20% lower pull-off connection strength compared with 28 mm heads for equivalent assembly forces. This effect is likely to play a role in the high failure rates of large diameter MoM hips. Cite this article: A. R. MacLeod, N. P. T. Sullivan, M. R. Whitehouse, H. S. Gill. Large-diameter total hip arthroplasty modular heads require greater assembly forces for initial stability. Bone Joint Res 2016;5:338–346. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.58.BJR-2016-0044.R1.
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Affiliation(s)
- A R MacLeod
- University of Bath, Claverton Down Rd, Bath, North East Somerset BA2 7AY, UK
| | - N P T Sullivan
- Southmead Hospital, Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, North Bristol NHS Trust, Southmead Way, Bristol, BS10 5NB, UK
| | - M R Whitehouse
- University of Bristol, Musculoskeletal Research Unit, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, UK, BS10 5NB, UK
| | - H S Gill
- University of Bath, Claverton Down Rd, Bath, North East Somerset BA2 7AY, UK
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Duffy AG, Makarova-Rusher OV, Ulahannan SV, Rahma OE, Fioravanti S, Walker M, Abdullah S, Raffeld M, Anderson V, Abi-Jaoudeh N, Levy E, Wood BJ, Lee S, Tomita Y, Trepel JB, Steinberg SM, Revenko AS, MacLeod AR, Peer CJ, Figg WD, Greten TF. Modulation of tumor eIF4E by antisense inhibition: A phase I/II translational clinical trial of ISIS 183750-an antisense oligonucleotide against eIF4E-in combination with irinotecan in solid tumors and irinotecan-refractory colorectal cancer. Int J Cancer 2016; 139:1648-57. [PMID: 27194579 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.30199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2015] [Revised: 03/03/2016] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) is a potent oncogene that is found to be dysregulated in 30% of human cancer, including colorectal carcinogenesis (CRC). ISIS 183750 is a second-generation antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) designed to inhibit the production of the eIF4E protein. In preclinical studies we found that EIF4e ASOs reduced expression of EIF4e mRNA and inhibited proliferation of colorectal carcinoma cells. An additive antiproliferative effect was observed in combination with irinotecan. We then performed a clinical trial evaluating this combination in patients with refractory cancer. No dose-limiting toxicities were seen but based on pharmacokinetic data and tolerability the dose of irinotecan was reduced to 160 mg/m(2) biweekly. Efficacy was evaluated in 15 patients with irinotecan-refractory colorectal cancer. The median time of disease control was 22.1 weeks. After ISIS 183750 treatment, peripheral blood levels of eIF4E mRNA were decreased in 13 of 19 patients. Matched pre- and posttreatment tumor biopsies showed decreased eIF4E mRNA levels in five of nine patients. In tumor tissue, the intracellular and stromal presence of ISIS 183750 was detected by IHC in all biopsied patients. Although there were no objective responses stable disease was seen in seven of 15 (47%) patients who were progressing before study entry, six of whom were stable at the time of the week 16 CT scan. We were also able to confirm through mandatory pre- and posttherapy tumor biopsies penetration of the ASO into the site of metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- A G Duffy
- Gastrointestinal Malignancies Section, Thoracic-GI Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - O V Makarova-Rusher
- Gastrointestinal Malignancies Section, Thoracic-GI Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - S V Ulahannan
- Gastrointestinal Malignancies Section, Thoracic-GI Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - O E Rahma
- Gastrointestinal Malignancies Section, Thoracic-GI Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - S Fioravanti
- Gastrointestinal Malignancies Section, Thoracic-GI Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - M Walker
- Gastrointestinal Malignancies Section, Thoracic-GI Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - S Abdullah
- Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - M Raffeld
- Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - V Anderson
- Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - N Abi-Jaoudeh
- Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - E Levy
- Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - B J Wood
- Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - S Lee
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Y Tomita
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - J B Trepel
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - S M Steinberg
- Biostatistics and Data Management Section, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | | | | | - C J Peer
- Clinical Pharmacology Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - W D Figg
- Clinical Pharmacology Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - T F Greten
- Gastrointestinal Malignancies Section, Thoracic-GI Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
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Fox RG, Lytle NK, Jaquish DV, Park FD, Ito T, Bajaj J, Koechlein CS, Zimdahl B, Yano M, Kopp J, Kritzik M, Sicklick J, Sander M, Grandgenett PM, Hollingsworth MA, Shibata S, Pizzo D, Valasek M, Sasik R, Scadeng M, Okano H, Kim Y, MacLeod AR, Lowy AM, Reya T. Image-based detection and targeting of therapy resistance in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Nature 2016; 534:407-411. [PMID: 27281208 PMCID: PMC4998062 DOI: 10.1038/nature17988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2015] [Accepted: 04/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) is a premalignant lesion that can progress to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, a highly lethal malignancy marked by its late stage at clinical presentation and profound drug resistance1. The genomic alterations that commonly occur in pancreatic cancer include activation of KRAS2 and inactivation of p53, and SMAD42-4. To date, however, it has been challenging to target these pathways therapeutically; thus the search for other key mediators of pancreatic cancer growth remains an important endeavor. Here we show that the stem cell determinant Musashi (Msi) is a critical element of pancreatic cancer progression in both genetic models and patient derived xenografts. Specifically, we developed Msi reporter mice that allowed image based tracking of stem cell signals within cancers, revealing that Msi expression rises as PanIN progresses to adenocarcinoma, and that Msi-expressing cells are key drivers of pancreatic cancer: they preferentially harbor the capacity to propagate adenocarcinoma, are enriched in circulating tumor cells, and are markedly drug resistant. This population could be effectively targeted by deletion of either Msi1 or Msi2, which led to a striking defect in PanIN progression to adenocarcinoma and an improvement in overall survival. Msi inhibition also blocked the growth of primary patient-derived tumors, suggesting that this signal is required for human disease. To define the translational potential of this work we developed antisense oligonucleotides against Msi; these showed reliable tumor penetration, uptake and target inhibition, and effectively blocked pancreatic cancer growth. Collectively, these studies highlight Msi reporters as a unique tool to identify therapy resistance, and define Msi signaling as a central regulator of pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymond G Fox
- Departments of Pharmacology and Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine La Jolla, CA.,Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, CA.,Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA
| | - Nikki K Lytle
- Departments of Pharmacology and Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine La Jolla, CA.,Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, CA.,Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA
| | - Dawn V Jaquish
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA.,Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA
| | - Frederick D Park
- Departments of Pharmacology and Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine La Jolla, CA.,Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, CA.,Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA.,Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA
| | - Takahiro Ito
- Departments of Pharmacology and Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine La Jolla, CA.,Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, CA.,Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA
| | - Jeevisha Bajaj
- Departments of Pharmacology and Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine La Jolla, CA.,Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, CA.,Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA
| | - Claire S Koechlein
- Departments of Pharmacology and Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine La Jolla, CA.,Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, CA.,Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA
| | - Bryan Zimdahl
- Departments of Pharmacology and Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine La Jolla, CA.,Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, CA.,Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA
| | - Masato Yano
- Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Keio University, Keio, Japan
| | - Janel Kopp
- Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, CA.,Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA
| | - Marcie Kritzik
- Departments of Pharmacology and Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine La Jolla, CA.,Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, CA.,Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA
| | - Jason Sicklick
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA.,Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA
| | - Maike Sander
- Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, CA.,Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA
| | - Paul M Grandgenett
- Eppley Institute For Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, Department of Pathology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
| | - Michael A Hollingsworth
- Eppley Institute For Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, Department of Pathology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
| | - Shinsuke Shibata
- Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Keio University, Keio, Japan
| | - Donald Pizzo
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA
| | - Mark Valasek
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA
| | - Roman Sasik
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA
| | - Miriam Scadeng
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA
| | - Hideyuki Okano
- Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Keio University, Keio, Japan
| | - Youngsoo Kim
- Department of Oncology Drug Discovery, Ionis pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA
| | - A Robert MacLeod
- Department of Oncology Drug Discovery, Ionis pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA
| | - Andrew M Lowy
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA.,Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA
| | - Tannishtha Reya
- Departments of Pharmacology and Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine La Jolla, CA.,Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, CA.,Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA
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Abstract
297 Background: Interactions between epithelial and stroma cells are important in the development of prostate cancer (PCa). Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have been to support tumor progression, metastasis, and differentiation. Androgen receptor (AR) and related pathways are known to support the growth and survival of prostate epithelial cancer cells, the roles of AR-dependent processes in cancerous stroma are less clear. We sought to investigate if AR-dependent pathways present in CAF cells influence the growth and tumorogencity of epithelial cancer cells in relation to androgen-deprivation therapy in prostate cancer. Methods: Murine CAFs were isolated from a well-described PTEN-dependent cancer mouse model (Liao, et al Cancer Res, 2010. 70(18):7294). A co-culture system was developed based on multiple lines of murine CAFs grown along with human prostate cancer epithelial cells, and a murine-specific anti-sense oligonucleotide (ASO) against murine AR was used to specifically suppress AR expression in murine CAFs in this system. RT-PCR was used to investigate changes in gene expression. Results: Using this co-culture system, we found that murine CAFs promoted cell proliferation and colony formation in several human prostate cancer cell lines. Further, these processes were decreased by suppression of AR-expression in CAFs. Expression of genes related to tumorigenicity in epithelial cells were investigated. Markers associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT, N-Cad) and “stemness” (OCT4, Sox2, Nanog) were increased in human prostate cancer cells grown with low-AR CAFs. Conclusions: Our data indicates that suppression of AR in CAFs results in down-regulation in the growth and tumorigenicity of prostate cancer cells through pathways related to EMT and “cell reprograming”. As such, development of therapies which inhibit the tumor-promoting pathways present in stromal cells may be one approach to improve the treatment of prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Youngsoo Kim
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA
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Abstract
Recent annotation of the human transcriptome revealed that only 2 % of the genome encodes proteins while the majority of human genome is transcribed into noncoding RNAs. Although we are just beginning to understand the diverse roles long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play in molecular and cellular processes, they have potentially important roles in human development and pathophysiology. However, targeting of RNA by traditional structure-based design of small molecule inhibitors has been difficult, due to a lack of understanding of the dynamic tertiary structures most RNA molecules adopt. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) are capable of targeting specific genes or transcripts directly through Watson-Crick base pairing and thus can be designed based on sequence information alone. These agents have made possible specific targeting of "non-druggable targets" including RNA molecules. Here we describe how ASOs can be applied in preclinical studies to reduce levels of lncRNAs of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyuan Zhou
- Antisense Drug Discovery, Oncology, Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA, 92010, USA.
| | - Youngsoo Kim
- Antisense Drug Discovery, Oncology, Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA, 92010, USA
| | - A Robert MacLeod
- Antisense Drug Discovery, Oncology, Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA, 92010, USA
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36
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Arun G, Diermeier S, Akerman M, Chang KC, Wilkinson JE, Hearn S, Kim Y, MacLeod AR, Krainer AR, Norton L, Brogi E, Egeblad M, Spector DL. Differentiation of mammary tumors and reduction in metastasis upon Malat1 lncRNA loss. Genes Dev 2015; 30:34-51. [PMID: 26701265 PMCID: PMC4701977 DOI: 10.1101/gad.270959.115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 424] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2015] [Accepted: 11/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Genome-wide analyses have identified thousands of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). Malat1 (metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1) is among the most abundant lncRNAs whose expression is altered in numerous cancers. Here we report that genetic loss or systemic knockdown of Malat1 using antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) in the MMTV (mouse mammary tumor virus)-PyMT mouse mammary carcinoma model results in slower tumor growth accompanied by significant differentiation into cystic tumors and a reduction in metastasis. Furthermore, Malat1 loss results in a reduction of branching morphogenesis in MMTV-PyMT- and Her2/neu-amplified tumor organoids, increased cell adhesion, and loss of migration. At the molecular level, Malat1 knockdown results in alterations in gene expression and changes in splicing patterns of genes involved in differentiation and protumorigenic signaling pathways. Together, these data demonstrate for the first time a functional role of Malat1 in regulating critical processes in mammary cancer pathogenesis. Thus, Malat1 represents an exciting therapeutic target, and Malat1 ASOs represent a potential therapy for inhibiting breast cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gayatri Arun
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA
| | - Sarah Diermeier
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA
| | - Martin Akerman
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA
| | - Kung-Chi Chang
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA; Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11790, USA
| | - J Erby Wilkinson
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - Stephen Hearn
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA
| | - Youngsoo Kim
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, California 92010, USA
| | | | - Adrian R Krainer
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA; Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11790, USA
| | - Larry Norton
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Edi Brogi
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Mikala Egeblad
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA
| | - David L Spector
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA; Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11790, USA
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37
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Crosby JR, Zhao C, Zhang H, MacLeod AR, Guo S, Monia BP. Reversing Antisense Oligonucleotide Activity with a Sense Oligonucleotide Antidote: Proof of Concept Targeting Prothrombin. Nucleic Acid Ther 2015; 25:297-305. [PMID: 26390010 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2015.0560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The tissue half-life of second-generation antisense oligonucleotide drugs (ASOs) is generally longer than traditional small molecule therapeutics. Thus, a strategy to reverse the activity of antisense drugs is warranted in certain settings. In this study, we describe a strategy employing the administration of a complementary sense oligonucleotide antidote (SOA). As a model system we have chosen to target the coagulation factor and antithrombotic drug target, prothrombin, to assess the feasibility of this approach. ASO targeting mouse prothrombin specifically suppressed >90% hepatic prothrombin mRNA levels and circulating prothrombin protein in mice. These effects were dose- and time-dependent, and as expected produced predictable increases in anticoagulation activity [prothrombin time/activated partial thromboplastin time (PT/aPTT)]. Treatment with prothrombin SOAs resulted in a dose-dependent reversal of ASO activity, as measured by a return in prothrombin mRNA levels and thrombin activity, and normalization of aPTT and PT. The antithrombotic activity of prothrombin ASOs was demonstrated in a FeCl3-induced thrombosis mouse model, and as predicted for this target, the doses required for antithrombotic activity were also associated with increased bleeding. Treatment with SOA was able to prevent prothrombin ASO-induced bleeding in a dose-dependent manner. These studies demonstrate for the first time the utility of SOAs to selectively and specifically reverse the intracellular effects of an antisense therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeff R Crosby
- 1 Drug Discovery and Corporate Development, Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. , Carlsbad, California
| | - Chenguang Zhao
- 1 Drug Discovery and Corporate Development, Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. , Carlsbad, California
| | - Hong Zhang
- 2 Prysis Biotechnologies , Shanghai, China
| | - A Robert MacLeod
- 1 Drug Discovery and Corporate Development, Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. , Carlsbad, California
| | - Shuling Guo
- 1 Drug Discovery and Corporate Development, Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. , Carlsbad, California
| | - Brett P Monia
- 1 Drug Discovery and Corporate Development, Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. , Carlsbad, California
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38
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Pandey SK, Wheeler TM, Justice SL, Kim A, Younis HS, Gattis D, Jauvin D, Puymirat J, Swayze EE, Freier SM, Bennett CF, Thornton CA, MacLeod AR. Identification and characterization of modified antisense oligonucleotides targeting DMPK in mice and nonhuman primates for the treatment of myotonic dystrophy type 1. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2015; 355:329-40. [PMID: 26330536 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.115.226969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2015] [Accepted: 08/31/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is the most common form of muscular dystrophy in adults. DM1 is caused by an expanded CTG repeat in the 3'-untranslated region of DMPK, the gene encoding dystrophia myotonica protein kinase (DMPK). Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) containing 2',4'-constrained ethyl-modified (cEt) residues exhibit a significantly increased RNA binding affinity and in vivo potency relative to those modified with other 2'-chemistries, which we speculated could translate to enhanced activity in extrahepatic tissues, such as muscle. Here, we describe the design and characterization of a cEt gapmer DMPK ASO (ISIS 486178), with potent activity in vitro and in vivo against mouse, monkey, and human DMPK. Systemic delivery of unformulated ISIS 486718 to wild-type mice decreased DMPK mRNA levels by up to 90% in liver and skeletal muscle. Similarly, treatment of either human DMPK transgenic mice or cynomolgus monkeys with ISIS 486178 led to up to 70% inhibition of DMPK in multiple skeletal muscles and ∼50% in cardiac muscle in both species. Importantly, inhibition of DMPK was well tolerated and was not associated with any skeletal muscle or cardiac toxicity. Also interesting was the demonstration that the inhibition of DMPK mRNA levels in muscle was maintained for up to 16 and 13 weeks post-treatment in mice and monkeys, respectively. These results demonstrate that cEt-modified ASOs show potent activity in skeletal muscle, and that this attractive therapeutic approach warrants further clinical investigation to inhibit the gain-of-function toxic RNA underlying the pathogenesis of DM1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay K Pandey
- Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA (S.K.P., S.L.J., A.K., H.S.Y., D.G., E.E.S., S.M.F., C.F.B., A.R.M.); Department of Neurology and Center of Neural Development and Disease, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York (T.M.W., C.A.T.); Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (T.M.W.); and Department of Human Genetics, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Quebec, Quebec City, Canada (D.J., J.P.)
| | - Thurman M Wheeler
- Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA (S.K.P., S.L.J., A.K., H.S.Y., D.G., E.E.S., S.M.F., C.F.B., A.R.M.); Department of Neurology and Center of Neural Development and Disease, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York (T.M.W., C.A.T.); Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (T.M.W.); and Department of Human Genetics, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Quebec, Quebec City, Canada (D.J., J.P.)
| | - Samantha L Justice
- Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA (S.K.P., S.L.J., A.K., H.S.Y., D.G., E.E.S., S.M.F., C.F.B., A.R.M.); Department of Neurology and Center of Neural Development and Disease, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York (T.M.W., C.A.T.); Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (T.M.W.); and Department of Human Genetics, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Quebec, Quebec City, Canada (D.J., J.P.)
| | - Aneeza Kim
- Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA (S.K.P., S.L.J., A.K., H.S.Y., D.G., E.E.S., S.M.F., C.F.B., A.R.M.); Department of Neurology and Center of Neural Development and Disease, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York (T.M.W., C.A.T.); Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (T.M.W.); and Department of Human Genetics, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Quebec, Quebec City, Canada (D.J., J.P.)
| | - Husam S Younis
- Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA (S.K.P., S.L.J., A.K., H.S.Y., D.G., E.E.S., S.M.F., C.F.B., A.R.M.); Department of Neurology and Center of Neural Development and Disease, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York (T.M.W., C.A.T.); Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (T.M.W.); and Department of Human Genetics, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Quebec, Quebec City, Canada (D.J., J.P.)
| | - Danielle Gattis
- Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA (S.K.P., S.L.J., A.K., H.S.Y., D.G., E.E.S., S.M.F., C.F.B., A.R.M.); Department of Neurology and Center of Neural Development and Disease, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York (T.M.W., C.A.T.); Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (T.M.W.); and Department of Human Genetics, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Quebec, Quebec City, Canada (D.J., J.P.)
| | - Dominic Jauvin
- Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA (S.K.P., S.L.J., A.K., H.S.Y., D.G., E.E.S., S.M.F., C.F.B., A.R.M.); Department of Neurology and Center of Neural Development and Disease, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York (T.M.W., C.A.T.); Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (T.M.W.); and Department of Human Genetics, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Quebec, Quebec City, Canada (D.J., J.P.)
| | - Jack Puymirat
- Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA (S.K.P., S.L.J., A.K., H.S.Y., D.G., E.E.S., S.M.F., C.F.B., A.R.M.); Department of Neurology and Center of Neural Development and Disease, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York (T.M.W., C.A.T.); Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (T.M.W.); and Department of Human Genetics, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Quebec, Quebec City, Canada (D.J., J.P.)
| | - Eric E Swayze
- Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA (S.K.P., S.L.J., A.K., H.S.Y., D.G., E.E.S., S.M.F., C.F.B., A.R.M.); Department of Neurology and Center of Neural Development and Disease, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York (T.M.W., C.A.T.); Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (T.M.W.); and Department of Human Genetics, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Quebec, Quebec City, Canada (D.J., J.P.)
| | - Susan M Freier
- Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA (S.K.P., S.L.J., A.K., H.S.Y., D.G., E.E.S., S.M.F., C.F.B., A.R.M.); Department of Neurology and Center of Neural Development and Disease, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York (T.M.W., C.A.T.); Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (T.M.W.); and Department of Human Genetics, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Quebec, Quebec City, Canada (D.J., J.P.)
| | - C Frank Bennett
- Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA (S.K.P., S.L.J., A.K., H.S.Y., D.G., E.E.S., S.M.F., C.F.B., A.R.M.); Department of Neurology and Center of Neural Development and Disease, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York (T.M.W., C.A.T.); Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (T.M.W.); and Department of Human Genetics, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Quebec, Quebec City, Canada (D.J., J.P.)
| | - Charles A Thornton
- Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA (S.K.P., S.L.J., A.K., H.S.Y., D.G., E.E.S., S.M.F., C.F.B., A.R.M.); Department of Neurology and Center of Neural Development and Disease, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York (T.M.W., C.A.T.); Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (T.M.W.); and Department of Human Genetics, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Quebec, Quebec City, Canada (D.J., J.P.)
| | - A Robert MacLeod
- Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA (S.K.P., S.L.J., A.K., H.S.Y., D.G., E.E.S., S.M.F., C.F.B., A.R.M.); Department of Neurology and Center of Neural Development and Disease, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York (T.M.W., C.A.T.); Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (T.M.W.); and Department of Human Genetics, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Quebec, Quebec City, Canada (D.J., J.P.)
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39
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Yamamoto Y, Loriot Y, Beraldi E, Zhang F, Wyatt AW, Al Nakouzi N, Mo F, Zhou T, Kim Y, Monia BP, MacLeod AR, Fazli L, Wang Y, Collins CC, Zoubeidi A, Gleave M. Generation 2.5 antisense oligonucleotides targeting the androgen receptor and its splice variants suppress enzalutamide-resistant prostate cancer cell growth. Clin Cancer Res 2015; 21:1675-87. [PMID: 25634993 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-14-1108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2014] [Accepted: 01/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Enzalutamide (ENZ) is a potent androgen receptor (AR) antagonist with activity in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC); however, progression to ENZ-resistant (ENZ-R) CRPC frequently occurs with rising serum PSA levels, implicating AR full-length (ARFL) or variants (AR-Vs) in disease progression. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN To define functional roles of ARFL and AR-Vs in ENZ-R CRPC, we designed 3 antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) targeting exon-1, intron-1, and exon-8 in AR pre-mRNA to knockdown ARFL alone or with AR-Vs, and examined their effects in three CRPC cell lines and patient-derived xenografts. RESULTS ENZ-R-LNCaP cells express high levels of both ARFL and AR-V7 compared with CRPC-LNCaP; in particular, ARFL levels were approximately 12-fold higher than AR-V7. Both ARFL and AR-V7 are highly expressed in the nuclear fractions of ENZ-R-LNCaP cells even in the absence of exogenous androgens. In ENZ-R-LNCaP cells, knockdown of ARFL alone, or ARFL plus AR-Vs, similarly induced apoptosis, suppressed cell growth and AR-regulated gene expression, and delayed tumor growth in vivo. In 22Rv1 cells that are inherently ENZ-resistant, knockdown of both ARFL and AR-Vs more potently suppressed cell growth, AR transcriptional activity, and AR-regulated gene expression than knockdown of ARFL alone. Exon-1 AR-ASO also inhibited tumor growth of LTL-313BR patient-derived CRPC xenografts. CONCLUSIONS These data identify the AR as an important driver of ENZ resistance, and while the contributions of ARFL and AR-Vs can vary across cell systems, ARFL is the key driver in the ENZ-R LNCaP model. AR targeting strategies against both ARFL and AR-Vs is a rational approach for AR-dependent CRPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiaki Yamamoto
- The Vancouver Prostate Centre and Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Ube, Japan
| | - Yohann Loriot
- The Vancouver Prostate Centre and Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Eliana Beraldi
- The Vancouver Prostate Centre and Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Fan Zhang
- The Vancouver Prostate Centre and Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Alexander W Wyatt
- The Vancouver Prostate Centre and Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Nader Al Nakouzi
- The Vancouver Prostate Centre and Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Fan Mo
- The Vancouver Prostate Centre and Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Tianyuan Zhou
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, California
| | - Youngsoo Kim
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, California
| | - Brett P Monia
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, California
| | - A Robert MacLeod
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, California
| | - Ladan Fazli
- The Vancouver Prostate Centre and Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Yuzhuo Wang
- The Vancouver Prostate Centre and Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Colin C Collins
- The Vancouver Prostate Centre and Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Amina Zoubeidi
- The Vancouver Prostate Centre and Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Martin Gleave
- The Vancouver Prostate Centre and Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
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Yamamoto Y, Matsumoto H, Kuruma H, Beraldi E, Zhou T, Kim Y, Monia BP, MacLeod AR, Fazli L, Zoubeidi A, Gleave M. MP24-04 CO-TARGETING CLUSTERIN AND THE ANDROGEN RECEPTOR WITH OGX-011 AND AN AR ANTISENSE SYNERGISTICALLY ENHANCES ACTIVITY OF ENZALUTAMIDE-RESISTANT PROSTATE CANCER. J Urol 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.juro.2014.02.285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Yamamoto Y, Loriot Y, Beraldi E, Zhou T, Kim Y, Monia BP, MacLeod AR, Fazli L, Zoubeidi A, Gleave ME. Biologic consequences of androgen receptor (AR) activity in MDV3100-resistant LNCaP cells and dependence on AR full length. J Clin Oncol 2014. [DOI: 10.1200/jco.2014.32.4_suppl.74] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
74 Background: While recent reports link androgen receptor (AR) variants (AR-Vs) to castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), the biological significance of AR-Vs in AR-regulated cell survival and proliferation, independent of AR full length (AR-FL), remains controversial. To define the functional role of AR-FL and AR-Vs in MDV3100-resistant (MDV-R), we designed antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) targeting exon 1 and exon 8 in AR to knockdown AR-FL alone or in combination with AR-Vs and examined these effects in MDV-R LNCaP-derived cells in vitro and in vivo. Methods: We generated by selection MDV-R LNCaP-derived sub-lines that uniformly expressed high levels of both AR-FL and AR-V7 compared to CRPC LNCaP xenografts. Cell growth rates, protein and gene expression were analyzed using crystal violet assay, western blotting and real-time PCR, respectively. Exon 1 and 8 AR-ASO were evaluated in MDV-R49F CRPC LNCaP xenografts. Results: AR-V7 was transiently transfected in MDV-R49F cells and differential knockdown of AR-V7 and/or AR-FL by exon 1 versus exon 8 AR-ASO was used to evaluate relative biologic contributions of AR-FL versus AR-V7 in MDV-R LNCaP AR-V7 overexpressing cells. Exon 1 and 8 AR-ASO treatment in these cells similarly decreased prostate-specific antigen (PSA) expression and induced apoptosis as measured by caspase-3 and PARP cleavage and cell growth inhibition. To further define the functional role of AR-Vs in MDV-R LNCaP cells, we used a CE3 siRNA that specifically silenced AR-V7, but not AR-FL in MDV-R LNCaP cells. AR-V7 knockdown did not decrease PSA levels, did not induce apoptosis, and did not inhibit cell growth. In MDV-R LNCaP cells, exon 1 and 8 ASO similarly suppressed cell growth and AR-regulated gene expression in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions: These results indicate that the AR remains an important driver of MDV3100 resistance and, the biologic consequences mainly driven by AR-FL in MDV-R LNCaP models.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Tianyuan Zhou
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA
| | - Youngsoo Kim
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA
| | | | | | - Ladan Fazli
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Burel SA, Han SR, Lee HS, Norris DA, Lee BS, Machemer T, Park SY, Zhou T, He G, Kim Y, MacLeod AR, Monia BP, Lio S, Kim TW, Henry SP. Preclinical evaluation of the toxicological effects of a novel constrained ethyl modified antisense compound targeting signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 in mice and cynomolgus monkeys. Nucleic Acid Ther 2013; 23:213-27. [PMID: 23692080 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2013.0422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
ISIS 481464 is a constrained ethyl (cEt) modified phosphorothioate antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) targeting signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) studied in mice and monkey to support oncology clinical trials. Six-week toxicology studies were performed in mice and cynomolgus monkey (up to 70 and 30 mg/kg/week respectively). Reduction in STAT3 protein up to 90% of control was observed in monkey. Cynomolgus monkey was considered the most relevant species to human with respect to pharmacokinetic properties, but mice are useful in their relative sensitivity to the potential proinflammatory and hepatic effects of oligonucleotides. In monkeys, there was no impact on organ function at doses up to 30 mg/kg/week for 6 weeks. Minimal to slight proximal tubular epithelial cell degeneration and regeneration within the kidney was observed, which had no impact on renal function and showed reversibility at the end of the treatment-free period. Additionally, mild and transient activated partial thromboplastin time elevations and mild increases in complement Bb were observed at the higher doses by intravenous dosing only. In mice, the alterations at 70 mg/kg/week included spleen weight increase up to 1.4-fold relative to control, increases in alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase up to 1.8-fold over control, interleukin-10 increases up to 3.7-fold, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 increase up to 1.9-fold over control. No significant clinical pathology or histopathology changes were seen in mice at 20 mg/kg/week or less. The toxicity profile of ISIS 481464 is consistent with effects observed with phosphorothioate ASOs containing 2'-O-methoxyethylribose modifications instead of cEt.
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Zhou T, Schmidt J, Jerue A, Jo M, Kim Y, MacLeod AR. Abstract B223: Selective downregulation of interferon regulatory factor 4 by generation 2.5 antisense oligonucleotides induces strong apoptosis and sensitizes multiple myeloma cells to lenalidomide or bortezomib. Mol Cancer Ther 2013. [DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.targ-13-b223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Despite significant advances made recently in treating multiple myeloma (MM), MM patients are often either unresponsive to or develop resistance to the standard therapies. Therefore, the disease still remains incurable and new more efficacious therapies are needed. Interferon Regulatory Factor 4 (IRF4) is a transcription factor which plays a critical role in the differentiation of normal B and T cells, and is strongly implicated in the development of hematological malignancies, especially MM. Although recent publications have pointed IRF4 as a key driver in the progression of MM, it is considered an intractable target by convention approaches.
We recently demonstrated preclinical and clinical activity of a next-generation constrained-ethyl (cEt) modified (Gen 2.5) antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) targeting STAT3 mRNA (STAT3Rx/AZD9150). Systemic delivery of unformulated STAT3Rx/AZD9150 produced robust target RNA and protein reductions in a broad range of xenograft models (AACR 2013). More importantly, STAT3Rx/AZD9150 showed striking clinical activity in the phase I dose escalation study, producing anti-tumor activity in 4 out of 6 patients with advanced treatment-refractory lymphoma (ASCO 2013).
In this study, we describe next-generation .Gen 2.5 ASOs targeting IRF4. We first investigated whether selective downregulaion of IRF4 could lead to the death of MM cells and enhance the sensitivity of the tumor cells to the treatment of either lenalidomide or bortezomib. IRF4 ASOs administered via ‘free-uptake’, (lipid-independent) to cells growing in culture reduced IRF4 levels in a dose-dependent fashion with a concomitant strong induction of apoptosis in multiple human MM cell lines including KMS-11 and H929 cells. c-Myc, a key oncogene in MM and an immediate target gene of IRF4, also decreased significantly following IRF4 knockdown as anticipated. Importantly, MM cells were sensitive to even modest depletion of IRF4 (<50%), suggesting the strong dependence of MM cells on IRF4 for their survival. The effects of IRF4 ASOs on cell death were specific to MM cells as the ASOs had little effect on the proliferation of most of non-MM types of tumor cells, further demonstrating the specificity of the compounds in targeting IRF4. Next, IRF4 ASOs strongly potentiated the antiproliferative effects of either lenalidomide or bortezomib on MM cells. In addition, we established bortezomib-resistant clones of KMS-11 cells from a long-term exposure to drug and these remained sensitive to IRF4 inhibition. Furthermore, the growth of subcutaneously implanted KMS-11 tumors was significantly delayed with the systemic administration of IRF4 ASO compared with control ASO and this activity correlated with IRF4 depletion. Finally, treatment of mice with mouse-selective IRF4 ASOs at 50 mg/kg, twice a week for 4 weeks was well tolerated in normal mice, which is consistent with the lack of phenotypes observed in IRF4 heterozygous animals. Taken together, these results suggest that MM cells rely heavily on the survival pathway mediated by IRF4 and that selective knockdown of IRF4 by ASOs might provide an efficacious option for treating MM either as a mono-therapy or in combination with other drugs currently in clinical use for MM.
Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):B223.
Citation Format: Tianyuan Zhou, Joanna Schmidt, Ari Jerue, Minji Jo, Youngsoo Kim, A. Robert MacLeod. Selective downregulation of interferon regulatory factor 4 by generation 2.5 antisense oligonucleotides induces strong apoptosis and sensitizes multiple myeloma cells to lenalidomide or bortezomib. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2013 Oct 19-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):Abstract nr B223.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ari Jerue
- Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA
| | - Minji Jo
- Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA
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Hong DS, Younes A, Fayad L, Fowler NH, Hagemeister FB, Mistry R, Nemunaitis JJ, Borad MJ, Bryce AH, Yamashita M, Hughes SG, Kwoh TJ, MacLeod AR, Norris D, Baldwin R, Hung G, Monia BP, Kurzrock R. A phase I study of ISIS 481464 (AZD9150), a first-in-human, first-in-class, antisense oligonucleotide inhibitor of STAT3, in patients with advanced cancers. J Clin Oncol 2013. [DOI: 10.1200/jco.2013.31.15_suppl.8523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
8523 Background: ISIS 481464 is a synthetic bicyclic nucleic acid-containing antisense oligonucleotide that is complementary to the mRNA for signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). Methods: Primary objective of the dose-escalation study (3+3 design) was to establish the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and recommended phase II dose (RP2D). Secondary objectives included safety, tumor response, pharmacokinetics (PK), and pharmacodynamics (PD) using IL-6 and tumor markers. Patient (pt) eligibility included : >18 yrs old, solid tumors or lymphomas refractory to at least 1 prior systemic therapy. ISIS 481464 was administered IV as a loading dose on Days 1, 3, and 5 and then weekly. Results: 15 pts were dosed (4 at 2 mg/kg and 11 at 4 mg/kg). 6 pts had advanced lymphoma (3 DLBCL, 2 Hodgkin’s lymphoma, 1 mantle cell lymphoma) and 9 pts solid tumors. There was one dose limiting toxicity (DLT), a possibly related thrombotic microangiopathy at 4 mg/kg. Treatment emergent thrombocytopenia was observed with an average reduction of approximately 70% from baseline. Three pts, 1 at 2 mg/kg and 2 at 4 mg/kg, experienced nadirs in platelet count below 50x109/L (range 16 to 33x109/L). MTD was not reached; however, given the thrombocytopenia at 4mg/kg, the RP2D was 2mg/kg. Partial responses were observed in 2/3 DLBCL pts. The 1st DLBCL pt (2 mg/kg) with 10 prior treatments had a durable 55% reduction in tumor size and is ongoing treatment at 11 months. This pt had a 76% reduction in IL-6. The 2nd DLBCL pt (4 mg/kg) with 2 prior treatments had a 65% reduction for 4 months and was able to undergo autologous stem cell transplantation. There were no responses in the solid tumor pts. PKs revealed increased plasma trough levels (indicative of tissue concentrations) with increased dose. Conclusions: ISIS 481462 was well-tolerated and the RP2D was determined to be 2 mg/kg. Initial tumor activity was observed in DLBCL pts and a dose expansion in advanced lymphomas is ongoing. Clinical trial information: NCT01563302.
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Affiliation(s)
- David S. Hong
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Anas Younes
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Luis Fayad
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | | | | | - Reena Mistry
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Gene Hung
- Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc, Carlsbad, CA
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Kim Y, Hsu J, Zhou T, Zhang N, Woessner R, Nadella MVP, Lawson D, Reimer C, He G, Schmidt J, Xiao X, Greenlee S, Bhattacharjee G, Hung G, Monia BP, MacLeod AR. Abstract LB-317: Potent in vivo pharmacology of AZD9150, a next-generation, constrained ethyl-modified antisense oligonucleotide targeting STAT3 in multiple preclinical cancer models. Cancer Res 2013. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2013-lb-317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Next generation sequencing technologies have greatly expanded our understanding of cancer genomes, epigenomes and transcriptomes. This knowledge, however, has not yet been effectively translated into improved cancer therapeutics, partly due to the inability of available therapeutic modalities to target the most promising cancer driver pathways. In contrast to other therapeutic approaches, the druggable universe is not limited with antisense technology as inhibitors can be rationally designed based on sequence information alone. Recent human clinical data has demonstrated potent activity of systemically-administered, unformulated, antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) when targeted to liver expressed genes. However, robust activity in extra-heptatic tissues and tumors has been limited with existing ASO chemistries. Here we evaluate the activity of high affinity next generation (constrained ethyl) ASOs in extrahepatic tissues and tumors of multiple preclinical cancer models including spontaneous tumors, human tumor xenografts and several primary patient-derived xenograft models. As a test case we employed next generation ASOs to inhibit the difficult to drug transcription factor STAT3. ASOs targeting mouse STAT3 sequences and the human-specific STAT3 ASO (AZD9150) demonstrate potent and selective inhibition of target RNA and protein levels in tumors and tumor-associated stromal cells of a broad range of cancer models, resulting in strong antitumor activity in several models. These findings suggest that next generation ASO technology is now poised to become a key therapeutic modality to bridge the pharmacogenomic divide in cancer drug discovery. The STAT3 ASO inhibitor, AZD9150 is currently in human clinical studies including patients with lymphomas.
Citation Format: Youngsoo Kim, Jeff Hsu, Tianyuan Zhou, Nancy Zhang, Richard Woessner, Murali VP Nadella, Deborah Lawson, Corinne Reimer, Guobin He, Joanna Schmidt, Xiaokun Xiao, Sarah Greenlee, Gourab Bhattacharjee, Gene Hung, Brett P. Monia, A. Robert MacLeod. Potent in vivo pharmacology of AZD9150, a next-generation, constrained ethyl-modified antisense oligonucleotide targeting STAT3 in multiple preclinical cancer models. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-317. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-LB-317
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Affiliation(s)
- Youngsoo Kim
- 1Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA
| | - Jeff Hsu
- 1Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA
| | - Tianyuan Zhou
- 1Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA
| | - Nancy Zhang
- 1Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA
| | | | | | - Deborah Lawson
- 2Cancer Bioscience, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, Waltham, MA
| | - Corinne Reimer
- 2Cancer Bioscience, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, Waltham, MA
| | - Guobin He
- 1Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA
| | - Joanna Schmidt
- 1Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA
| | - Xiaokun Xiao
- 1Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA
| | - Sarah Greenlee
- 1Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA
| | - Gourab Bhattacharjee
- 1Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA
| | - Gene Hung
- 1Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA
| | - Brett P. Monia
- 1Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA
| | - A. Robert MacLeod
- 1Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA
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Gutschner T, Hämmerle M, Eißmann M, Hsu J, Kim Y, Hung G, Revenko A, Arun G, Stentrup M, Groß M, Zörnig M, MacLeod AR, Spector DL, Diederichs S. Abstract 1121: The long non-coding RNA MALAT1 is an essential gene regulator for lung cancer metastasis in a novel human knockout model . Cancer Res 2013. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2013-1121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The long non-coding RNA MALAT1 was one of the first lncRNAs associated with cancer: it is a highly conserved nuclear ncRNA and a predictive marker for metastasis development in lung cancer. However, its high abundance and nuclear localization have greatly hampered its functional analysis since it is only inefficiently knocked down by RNA interference (RNAi).
To uncover its functional importance, we developed a MALAT1 knockout model in human lung tumor cells by genomically integrating RNA destabilizing elements site-specifically into the MALAT1 locus using Zinc Finger Nucleases (ZFN).This approach yielded a more than 1000-fold silencing of MALAT1 providing a unique loss-of-function model.
Proposed mechanisms of action of MALAT1 include regulation of splicing or gene expression. In lung cancer, MALAT1 does not alter alternative splicing but actively regulates gene expression inducing a signature of metastasis-associated genes. Consequently, MALAT1-deficient cells are impaired in migration and form fewer tumor nodules in a mouse xenograft model.
Encouraged by this discovery of the essential function of MALAT1 in lung cancer metastasis, we wanted to analyze whether MALAT1 could also be therapeutically targeted: We developed Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) effectively blocking MALAT1 expression in the cell culture and in the animal. Notably, MALAT1-ASO treatment prevents metastasis formation after tumor implantation. Thus, targeting MALAT1 with antisense oligonucleotides provides a potential therapeutic approach to prevent lung cancer metastasis with MALAT1 serving as both, predictive marker and therapeutic target.
Lastly, regulating gene expression, but not alternative splicing is the critical function of MALAT1 in lung cancer metastasis.
In summary, ten years after the discovery of the lncRNA MALAT1 as a biomarker for lung cancer metastasis, our loss-of-function model unravels the active function of MALAT1 as a regulator of gene expression governing hallmarks of lung cancer metastasis.
Citation Format: Tony Gutschner, Monika Hämmerle, Moritz Eißmann, Jeff Hsu, Youngsoo Kim, Gene Hung, Alexey Revenko, Gayatri Arun, Marion Stentrup, Matthias Groß, Martin Zörnig, A. Robert MacLeod, David L. Spector, Sven Diederichs. The long non-coding RNA MALAT1 is an essential gene regulator for lung cancer metastasis in a novel human knockout model . [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1121. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-1121
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Bhattacharjee G, Revenko AS, Crosby JR, May C, Gao D, Zhao C, Monia BP, MacLeod AR. Inhibition of vascular permeability by antisense-mediated inhibition of plasma kallikrein and coagulation factor 12. Nucleic Acid Ther 2013; 23:175-87. [PMID: 23582057 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2013.0417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare disorder characterized by recurrent, acute, and painful episodes of swelling involving multiple tissues. Deficiency or malfunction of the serine protease inhibitor C1 esterase inhibitor (C1-INH) results in HAE types 1 and 2, respectively, whereas mutations in coagulation factor 12 (f12) have been associated with HAE type 3. C1-INH is the primary inhibitor of multiple plasma cascade pathways known to be altered in HAE patients, including the complement, fibrinolytic, coagulation, and kinin-kallikrein pathways. We have selectively inhibited several components of both the kinin-kallikrein system and the coagulation cascades with potent and selective antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) to investigate their relative contributions to vascular permeability. We have also developed ASO inhibitors of C1-INH and characterized their effects on vascular permeability in mice as an inducible model of HAE. Our studies demonstrate that ASO-mediated reduction in C1-INH plasma levels results in increased vascular permeability and that inhibition of proteases of the kinin-kallikrein system, either f12 or prekallikrein (PKK) reverse the effects of C1-INH depletion with similar effects on both basal and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor-induced permeability. In contrast, inhibition of coagulation factors 11 (f11) or 7 (f7) had no effect. These results suggest that the vascular defects observed in C1-INH deficiency are dependent on the kinin-kallikrein system proteases f12 and PKK, and not mediated through the coagulation pathways. In addition, our results highlight a novel therapeutic modality that can potentially be employed prophylactically to prevent attacks in HAE patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gourab Bhattacharjee
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, California 92010, USA.
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Crosby JR, Marzec U, Revenko AS, Zhao C, Gao D, Matafonov A, Gailani D, MacLeod AR, Tucker EI, Gruber A, Hanson SR, Monia BP. Antithrombotic effect of antisense factor XI oligonucleotide treatment in primates. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2013; 33:1670-8. [PMID: 23559626 DOI: 10.1161/atvbaha.113.301282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE During coagulation, factor IX (FIX) is activated by 2 distinct mechanisms mediated by the active proteases of either FVIIa or FXIa. Both coagulation factors may contribute to thrombosis; FXI, however, plays only a limited role in the arrest of bleeding. Therefore, therapeutic targeting of FXI may produce an antithrombotic effect with relatively low hemostatic risk. APPROACH AND RESULTS We have reported that reducing FXI levels with FXI antisense oligonucleotides produces antithrombotic activity in mice, and that administration of FXI antisense oligonucleotides to primates decreases circulating FXI levels and activity in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. Here, we evaluated the relationship between FXI plasma levels and thrombogenicity in an established baboon model of thrombosis and hemostasis. In previous studies with this model, antibody-induced inhibition of FXI produced potent antithrombotic effects. In the present article, antisense oligonucleotides-mediated reduction of FXI plasma levels by ≥ 50% resulted in a demonstrable and sustained antithrombotic effect without an increased risk of bleeding. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that reducing FXI levels using antisense oligonucleotides is a promising alternative to direct FXI inhibition, and that targeting FXI may be potentially safer than conventional antithrombotic therapies that can markedly impair primary hemostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey R Crosby
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, ISIS Pharmaceuticals, Inc, Carlsbad, CA, USA.
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Yamamoto Y, Beraldi E, Loriot Y, Zhou T, Kim Y, Monia BP, MacLeod AR, Fazli L, Zoubeidi A, Gleave ME. Effect of generation 2.5 antisense inhibitor of androgen receptor on MDV3100-resistant prostate cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo. J Clin Oncol 2013. [DOI: 10.1200/jco.2013.31.6_suppl.94] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
94 Background: MDV3100 is a potent androgen receptor (AR) antagonist with activity in castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC); however, progression to MDV3100-resistant (MDV-R) CRPC frequently occurs with rising serum PSA levels, implicating AR full length or variants in disease progression. We studied the activity of Generation 2.5 antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) targeting the AR full length (ARfl) and splice variants in MDV-R CRPC models. Methods: and Results: ThreeASOs targeting exon 1, intron 1, or exon 8 were designed to suppress ARfl and known AR splice variants. We generated by selection MDV-R LNCaP-derived sub-lines that uniformly expressed high levels of both ARfl and AR-V7 compared to CRPC LNCaP cell lines. MDV-3100 induced time- and dose-dependent increases in ARfl and AR-V7 protein levels; ARfl levels were ~20-fold higher than AR-V7. All 3 AR-ASO decreased ARfl and PSA expression. Exon 1 ASO decreased expression of both ARfl and AR-V7 in MDV-R-LNCaP cells; in contrast, exon 8 ASO decreased ARfl without reducing AR-V7 levels. Exon 1 ASO also most potently suppressed ARfl and splice variants in M12 cells stably overexpressing AR splice variants AR-V7 and AR-V567es. Despite these differential effects on ARfl and splice variant knockdown, the AR ASO similarly inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis and G1 cell cycle arrest in LNCaP-derived CRPC and MDV-R cell lines. In 22RV-1 cells (which express endogenous ARfl and AR-V7), exon 1 ASO more potently suppressed ARfl and AR-V7 levels, AR transcriptional activity and AR-regulated gene expression compared to exon 8 ASO, but inhibition of cell growth did not differ significantly. Exon 1 ASO was evaluated in vivo in MDV-R49F CRPC LNCaP xenografts; mean tumor volume and serum PSA levels decreased significantly by 40% and 50%, respectively, compared to controls. Conclusions: While MDV-3100 induces both ARfl and AR-V7 levels, the biologic consequences appear cell line dependent and mainly driven by ARfl. AR-ASO knockdown of ARfl and its splice variants suppresses MDV-R LNCaP tumor growth, providing pre-clinical proof of principle to support clinical evaluation in post-AR pathway inhibitor CRPC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Tianyuan Zhou
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc, Carlsbad, CA
| | - Youngsoo Kim
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc, Carlsbad, CA
| | - Brett P. Monia
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc, Carlsbad, CA
| | - A. Robert MacLeod
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc, Carlsbad, CA
| | - Ladan Fazli
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Gutschner T, Hämmerle M, Eissmann M, Hsu J, Kim Y, Hung G, Revenko A, Arun G, Stentrup M, Gross M, Zörnig M, MacLeod AR, Spector DL, Diederichs S. The noncoding RNA MALAT1 is a critical regulator of the metastasis phenotype of lung cancer cells. Cancer Res 2012; 73:1180-9. [PMID: 23243023 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-12-2850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1230] [Impact Index Per Article: 102.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The long noncoding RNA MALAT1 (metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1), also known as MALAT-1 or NEAT2 (nuclear-enriched abundant transcript 2), is a highly conserved nuclear noncoding RNA (ncRNA) and a predictive marker for metastasis development in lung cancer. To uncover its functional importance, we developed a MALAT1 knockout model in human lung tumor cells by genomically integrating RNA destabilizing elements using zinc finger nucleases. The achieved 1,000-fold MALAT1 silencing provides a unique loss-of-function model. Proposed mechanisms of action include regulation of splicing or gene expression. In lung cancer, MALAT1 does not alter alternative splicing but actively regulates gene expression including a set of metastasis-associated genes. Consequently, MALAT1-deficient cells are impaired in migration and form fewer tumor nodules in a mouse xenograft. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) blocking MALAT1 prevent metastasis formation after tumor implantation. Thus, targeting MALAT1 with ASOs provides a potential therapeutic approach to prevent lung cancer metastasis with this ncRNA serving as both predictive marker and therapeutic target. Finally, regulating gene expression, but not alternative splicing, is the critical function of MALAT1 in lung cancer metastasis. In summary, 10 years after the discovery of the lncRNA MALAT1 as a biomarker for lung cancer metastasis, our loss-of-function model unravels the active function of MALAT1 as a regulator of gene expression governing hallmarks of lung cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tony Gutschner
- Helmholtz-University-Group Molecular RNA Biology & Cancer, German Cancer Research Center DKFZ & Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg, Germany
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