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Schuster SJ, Huw LY, Bolen CR, Maximov V, Polson AG, Hatzi K, Lasater EA, Assouline SE, Bartlett NL, Budde LE, Matasar MJ, Koeppen H, Piccione EC, Wilson D, Wei MC, Yin S, Penuel E. Loss of CD20 expression as a mechanism of resistance to mosunetuzumab in relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphomas. Blood 2024; 143:822-832. [PMID: 38048694 PMCID: PMC10934296 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2023022348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT CD20 is an established therapeutic target in B-cell malignancies. The CD20 × CD3 bispecific antibody mosunetuzumab has significant efficacy in B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs). Because target antigen loss is a recognized mechanism of resistance, we evaluated CD20 expression relative to clinical response in patients with relapsed and/or refractory NHL in the phase 1/2 GO29781 trial investigating mosunetuzumab monotherapy. CD20 was studied using immunohistochemistry (IHC), RNA sequencing, and whole-exome sequencing performed centrally in biopsy specimens collected before treatment at predose, during treatment, or upon progression. Before treatment, most patients exhibited a high proportion of tumor cells expressing CD20; however, in 16 of 293 patients (5.5%) the proportion was <10%. Analyses of paired biopsy specimens from patients on treatment revealed that CD20 levels were maintained in 29 of 30 patients (97%) vs at progression, where CD20 loss was observed in 11 of 32 patients (34%). Reduced transcription or acquisition of truncating mutations explained most but not all cases of CD20 loss. In vitro modeling confirmed the effects of CD20 variants identified in clinical samples on reduction of CD20 expression and missense mutations in the extracellular domain that could block mosunetuzumab binding. This study expands the knowledge about the occurrence of target antigen loss after anti-CD20 therapeutics to include CD20-targeting bispecific antibodies and elucidates mechanisms of reduced CD20 expression at disease progression that may be generalizable to other anti-CD20 targeting agents. These results also confirm the utility of readily available IHC staining for CD20 as a tool to inform clinical decisions. This trial was registered at www.ClinicalTrials.gov as #NCT02500407.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J. Schuster
- Lymphoma Program, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Nancy L. Bartlett
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Shen Yin
- Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA
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2
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Lasater EA, Amin DN, Bannerji R, Mali RS, Barrett K, Rys RN, Oeh J, Lin E, Sterne-Weiler T, Ingalla ER, Go M, Yu SF, Krem MM, Arthur C, Hahn U, Johnston A, Karur V, Khan N, Marlton P, Phillips T, Gritti G, Seymour JF, Tani M, Yuen S, Martin S, Chang MT, Rose CM, Pham VC, Polson AG, Chang Y, Wever C, Johnson NA, Jiang Y, Hirata J, Sampath D, Musick L, Flowers CR, Wertz IE. Targeting MCL-1 and BCL-2 with polatuzumab vedotin and venetoclax overcomes treatment resistance in R/R non-Hodgkin lymphoma: Results from preclinical models and a Phase Ib study. Am J Hematol 2023; 98:449-463. [PMID: 36594167 DOI: 10.1002/ajh.26809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory lymphoid neoplasms represents a significant clinical challenge. Here, we identify the pro-survival BCL-2 protein family member MCL-1 as a resistance factor for the BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) cell lines and primary NHL samples. Mechanistically, we show that the antibody-drug conjugate polatuzumab vedotin promotes MCL-1 degradation via the ubiquitin/proteasome system. This targeted MCL-1 antagonism, when combined with venetoclax and the anti-CD20 antibodies obinutuzumab or rituximab, results in tumor regressions in preclinical NHL models, which are sustained even off-treatment. In a Phase Ib clinical trial (NCT02611323) of heavily pre-treated patients with relapsed or refractory NHL, 25/33 (76%) patients with follicular lymphoma and 5/17 (29%) patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma achieved complete or partial responses with an acceptable safety profile when treated with the recommended Phase II dose of polatuzumab vedotin in combination with venetoclax and an anti-CD20 antibody.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth A Lasater
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Dhara N Amin
- Department of Discovery Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA.,Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Rajat Bannerji
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Raghuveer Singh Mali
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Kathy Barrett
- Department of Biomarker Development, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Ryan N Rys
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jason Oeh
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Eva Lin
- Department of Discovery Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Tim Sterne-Weiler
- Department of Oncology Bioinformatics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Ellen Rei Ingalla
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - MaryAnn Go
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Shang-Fan Yu
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Maxwell M Krem
- Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Chris Arthur
- Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Uwe Hahn
- The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (TQEH), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Anna Johnston
- Royal Hobart Hospital (RHH), Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Vinit Karur
- Baylor Scott & White Healthcare, Temple, Texas, USA
| | - Nadia Khan
- Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Paula Marlton
- Princess Alexandra Hospital, and University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Tycel Phillips
- University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Giuseppe Gritti
- Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, Ospedale Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy
| | - John F Seymour
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Royal Melbourne Hospital, and University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Monica Tani
- Ospedale S. Maria delle Croci, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Sam Yuen
- Calvary Mater Newcastle, Waratah, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Scott Martin
- Department of Discovery Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Matthew T Chang
- Department of Oncology Bioinformatics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Christopher M Rose
- Department of Microchemistry, Proteomics and Lipidomics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Victoria C Pham
- Department of Microchemistry, Proteomics and Lipidomics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Andrew G Polson
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - YiMeng Chang
- Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
| | - Claudia Wever
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Nathalie A Johnson
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Yanwen Jiang
- Department of Biomarker Development, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jamie Hirata
- Product Development Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Deepak Sampath
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Lisa Musick
- Product Development Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Christopher R Flowers
- Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Ingrid E Wertz
- Department of Discovery Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA.,Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
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3
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Larrayoz M, Garcia-Barchino MJ, Celay J, Etxebeste A, Jimenez M, Perez C, Ordoñez R, Cobaleda C, Botta C, Fresquet V, Roa S, Goicoechea I, Maia C, Lasaga M, Chesi M, Bergsagel PL, Larrayoz MJ, Calasanz MJ, Campos-Sanchez E, Martinez-Cano J, Panizo C, Rodriguez-Otero P, Vicent S, Roncador G, Gonzalez P, Takahashi S, Katz SG, Walensky LD, Ruppert SM, Lasater EA, Amann M, Lozano T, Llopiz D, Sarobe P, Lasarte JJ, Planell N, Gomez-Cabrero D, Kudryashova O, Kurilovich A, Revuelta MV, Cerchietti L, Agirre X, San Miguel J, Paiva B, Prosper F, Martinez-Climent JA. Preclinical models for prediction of immunotherapy outcomes and immune evasion mechanisms in genetically heterogeneous multiple myeloma. Nat Med 2023; 29:632-645. [PMID: 36928817 PMCID: PMC10033443 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-022-02178-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
The historical lack of preclinical models reflecting the genetic heterogeneity of multiple myeloma (MM) hampers the advance of therapeutic discoveries. To circumvent this limitation, we screened mice engineered to carry eight MM lesions (NF-κB, KRAS, MYC, TP53, BCL2, cyclin D1, MMSET/NSD2 and c-MAF) combinatorially activated in B lymphocytes following T cell-driven immunization. Fifteen genetically diverse models developed bone marrow (BM) tumors fulfilling MM pathogenesis. Integrative analyses of ∼500 mice and ∼1,000 patients revealed a common MAPK-MYC genetic pathway that accelerated time to progression from precursor states across genetically heterogeneous MM. MYC-dependent time to progression conditioned immune evasion mechanisms that remodeled the BM microenvironment differently. Rapid MYC-driven progressors exhibited a high number of activated/exhausted CD8+ T cells with reduced immunosuppressive regulatory T (Treg) cells, while late MYC acquisition in slow progressors was associated with lower CD8+ T cell infiltration and more abundant Treg cells. Single-cell transcriptomics and functional assays defined a high ratio of CD8+ T cells versus Treg cells as a predictor of response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). In clinical series, high CD8+ T/Treg cell ratios underlie early progression in untreated smoldering MM, and correlated with early relapse in newly diagnosed patients with MM under Len/Dex therapy. In ICB-refractory MM models, increasing CD8+ T cell cytotoxicity or depleting Treg cells reversed immunotherapy resistance and yielded prolonged MM control. Our experimental models enable the correlation of MM genetic and immunological traits with preclinical therapy responses, which may inform the next-generation immunotherapy trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Larrayoz
- Division of Hemato-Oncology, Center for Applied Medical Research CIMA, Cancer Center University of Navarra (CCUN), Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), CIBERONC, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Maria J Garcia-Barchino
- Division of Hemato-Oncology, Center for Applied Medical Research CIMA, Cancer Center University of Navarra (CCUN), Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), CIBERONC, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Jon Celay
- Division of Hemato-Oncology, Center for Applied Medical Research CIMA, Cancer Center University of Navarra (CCUN), Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), CIBERONC, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Amaia Etxebeste
- Division of Hemato-Oncology, Center for Applied Medical Research CIMA, Cancer Center University of Navarra (CCUN), Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), CIBERONC, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Maddalen Jimenez
- Division of Hemato-Oncology, Center for Applied Medical Research CIMA, Cancer Center University of Navarra (CCUN), Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), CIBERONC, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Cristina Perez
- Division of Hemato-Oncology, Center for Applied Medical Research CIMA, Cancer Center University of Navarra (CCUN), Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), CIBERONC, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Raquel Ordoñez
- Division of Hemato-Oncology, Center for Applied Medical Research CIMA, Cancer Center University of Navarra (CCUN), Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), CIBERONC, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Cesar Cobaleda
- Immune System Development and Function Unit, Centro de Biologia Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas/Universidad Autonoma, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cirino Botta
- Division of Hemato-Oncology, Center for Applied Medical Research CIMA, Cancer Center University of Navarra (CCUN), Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), CIBERONC, Pamplona, Spain
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Vicente Fresquet
- Division of Hemato-Oncology, Center for Applied Medical Research CIMA, Cancer Center University of Navarra (CCUN), Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), CIBERONC, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Sergio Roa
- Division of Hemato-Oncology, Center for Applied Medical Research CIMA, Cancer Center University of Navarra (CCUN), Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), CIBERONC, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Ibai Goicoechea
- Division of Hemato-Oncology, Center for Applied Medical Research CIMA, Cancer Center University of Navarra (CCUN), Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), CIBERONC, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Catarina Maia
- Division of Hemato-Oncology, Center for Applied Medical Research CIMA, Cancer Center University of Navarra (CCUN), Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), CIBERONC, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Miren Lasaga
- Division of Hemato-Oncology, Center for Applied Medical Research CIMA, Cancer Center University of Navarra (CCUN), Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), CIBERONC, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Marta Chesi
- Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Scottsdale, AZ, USA
| | - P Leif Bergsagel
- Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Scottsdale, AZ, USA
| | - Maria J Larrayoz
- Division of Hemato-Oncology, Center for Applied Medical Research CIMA, Cancer Center University of Navarra (CCUN), Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), CIBERONC, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Maria J Calasanz
- Division of Hemato-Oncology, Center for Applied Medical Research CIMA, Cancer Center University of Navarra (CCUN), Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), CIBERONC, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Elena Campos-Sanchez
- Immune System Development and Function Unit, Centro de Biologia Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas/Universidad Autonoma, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge Martinez-Cano
- Immune System Development and Function Unit, Centro de Biologia Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas/Universidad Autonoma, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Panizo
- Department of Hematology, Clinica Universidad de Navarra, CCUN, IDISNA, CIBERONC, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Paula Rodriguez-Otero
- Department of Hematology, Clinica Universidad de Navarra, CCUN, IDISNA, CIBERONC, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Silvestre Vicent
- Program in Solid Tumors, Center for Applied Medical Research CIMA, University of Navarra, IDISNA, CIBERONC, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Giovanna Roncador
- Monoclonal Antibodies Unit, Biotechnology Program, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre CNIO, Madrid, Spain
| | - Patricia Gonzalez
- Monoclonal Antibodies Unit, Biotechnology Program, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre CNIO, Madrid, Spain
| | - Satoru Takahashi
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Samuel G Katz
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Loren D Walensky
- Department of Pediatric Oncology and Program in Cancer Chemical Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shannon M Ruppert
- Oncology Biomarker Development, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Elisabeth A Lasater
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Maria Amann
- Roche Innovation Center Zurich, Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development (pRED), Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Teresa Lozano
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research CIMA, University of Navarra, IDISNA, CIBEREHD, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Diana Llopiz
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research CIMA, University of Navarra, IDISNA, CIBEREHD, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Pablo Sarobe
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research CIMA, University of Navarra, IDISNA, CIBEREHD, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Juan J Lasarte
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research CIMA, University of Navarra, IDISNA, CIBEREHD, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Nuria Planell
- Translational Bioinformatics Unit, Navarra-Biomed, Public University of Navarra, IDISNA, Pamplona, Spain
| | - David Gomez-Cabrero
- Translational Bioinformatics Unit, Navarra-Biomed, Public University of Navarra, IDISNA, Pamplona, Spain
- Biological and Environmental Sciences & Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science & Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | | | | | - Maria V Revuelta
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Leandro Cerchietti
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Xabier Agirre
- Division of Hemato-Oncology, Center for Applied Medical Research CIMA, Cancer Center University of Navarra (CCUN), Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), CIBERONC, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Jesus San Miguel
- Division of Hemato-Oncology, Center for Applied Medical Research CIMA, Cancer Center University of Navarra (CCUN), Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), CIBERONC, Pamplona, Spain
- Department of Hematology, Clinica Universidad de Navarra, CCUN, IDISNA, CIBERONC, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Bruno Paiva
- Division of Hemato-Oncology, Center for Applied Medical Research CIMA, Cancer Center University of Navarra (CCUN), Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), CIBERONC, Pamplona, Spain
- Department of Hematology, Clinica Universidad de Navarra, CCUN, IDISNA, CIBERONC, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Felipe Prosper
- Division of Hemato-Oncology, Center for Applied Medical Research CIMA, Cancer Center University of Navarra (CCUN), Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), CIBERONC, Pamplona, Spain
- Department of Hematology, Clinica Universidad de Navarra, CCUN, IDISNA, CIBERONC, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Jose A Martinez-Climent
- Division of Hemato-Oncology, Center for Applied Medical Research CIMA, Cancer Center University of Navarra (CCUN), Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), CIBERONC, Pamplona, Spain.
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4
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Singh Mali R, Zhang Q, DeFilippis RA, Cavazos A, Kuruvilla VM, Raman J, Mody V, Choo EF, Dail M, Shah NP, Konopleva M, Sampath D, Lasater EA. Venetoclax combines synergistically with FLT3 inhibition to effectively target leukemic cells in FLT3-ITD+ acute myeloid leukemia models. Haematologica 2021; 106:1034-1046. [PMID: 32414851 PMCID: PMC8017817 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2019.244020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [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: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
FLT3 internal tandem duplication (FLT3-ITD) mutations account for ~25% of adult acute myeloid leukemia cases and are associated with poor prognosis. Venetoclax, a selective BCL-2 inhibitor, has limited monotherapy activity in relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia with no responses observed in a small subset of FLT3-ITD+ patients. Further, FLT3-ITD mutations emerged at relapse following venetoclax monotherapy and combination therapy suggesting a potential mechanism of resistance. Therefore, we investigated the convergence of FLT3-ITD signaling on the BCL-2 family proteins and determined combination activity of venetoclax and FLT3-ITD inhibition in preclinical models. In vivo, venetoclax combined with quizartinib, a potent FLT3 inhibitor, showed greater anti-tumor efficacy and prolonged survival compared to monotherapies. In a patient-derived FLT3-ITD+ xenograft model, cotreatment with venetoclax and quizartinib at clinically relevant doses had greater anti-tumor activity in the tumor microenvironment compared to quizartinib or venetoclax alone. Use of selective BCL-2 family inhibitors further identified a role for BCL-2, BCL-XL and MCL-1 in mediating survival in FLT3-ITD+ cells in vivo and highlighted the need to target all three proteins for greatest anti-tumor activity. Assessment of these combinations in vitro revealed synergistic combination activity for quizartinib and venetoclax but not for quizartinib combined with BCL-XL or MCL-1 inhibition. FLT3-ITD inhibition was shown to indirectly target both BCL-XL and MCL-1 through modulation of protein expression, thereby priming cells toward BCL-2 dependence for survival. These data demonstrate that FLT3-ITD inhibition combined with venetoclax has impressive anti-tumor activity in FLT3-ITD+ acute myeloid leukemia preclinical models and provides strong mechanistic rational for clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raghuveer Singh Mali
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Qi Zhang
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Rosa Anna DeFilippis
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Antonio Cavazos
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Vinitha Mary Kuruvilla
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jayant Raman
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Vidhi Mody
- Department of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Edna F Choo
- Department of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Monique Dail
- Oncology Biomarker Development, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Neil P Shah
- Helen Diller Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California at San Francisco, USA
| | - Marina Konopleva
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Deepak Sampath
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Elisabeth A Lasater
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
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5
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Kohlhapp FJ, Haribhai D, Mathew R, Duggan R, Ellis PA, Wang R, Lasater EA, Shi Y, Dave N, Riehm JJ, Robinson VA, Do AD, Li Y, Orr CJ, Sampath D, Raval A, Merchant M, Bhathena A, Salem AH, Hamel KM, Leverson JD, Donawho C, Pappano WN, Uziel T. Venetoclax Increases Intratumoral Effector T Cells and Antitumor Efficacy in Combination with Immune Checkpoint Blockade. Cancer Discov 2020; 11:68-79. [PMID: 32887697 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-19-0759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 07/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The antiapoptotic protein BCL2 plays critical roles in regulating lymphocyte development and immune responses, and has also been implicated in tumorigenesis and tumor survival. However, it is unknown whether BCL2 is critical for antitumor immune responses. We evaluated whether venetoclax, a selective small-molecule inhibitor of BCL2, would influence the antitumor activity of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). We demonstrate in mouse syngeneic tumor models that venetoclax can augment the antitumor efficacy of ICIs accompanied by the increase of PD-1+ T effector memory cells. Venetoclax did not impair human T-cell function in response to antigen stimuli in vitro and did not antagonize T-cell activation induced by anti-PD-1. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the antiapoptotic family member BCL-XL provides a survival advantage in effector T cells following inhibition of BCL2. Taken together, these data provide evidence that venetoclax should be further explored in combination with ICIs for cancer therapy. SIGNIFICANCE: The antiapoptotic oncoprotein BCL2 plays critical roles in tumorigenesis, tumor survival, lymphocyte development, and immune system regulation. Here we demonstrate that venetoclax, the first FDA/European Medicines Agency-approved BCL2 inhibitor, unexpectedly can be combined preclinically with immune checkpoint inhibitors to enhance anticancer immunotherapy, warranting clinical evaluation of these combinations.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dipica Haribhai
- Translational Oncology, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, Illinois
| | - Rebecca Mathew
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, Illinois
| | - Ryan Duggan
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, Illinois
| | - Paul A Ellis
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, Illinois
| | - Rui Wang
- Translational Oncology, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, Illinois
| | | | - Yan Shi
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, Illinois
| | - Nimita Dave
- Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacometrics, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, Illinois
| | - Jacob J Riehm
- Translational Oncology, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, Illinois
| | | | - An D Do
- Oncology Biomarker Development, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Yijin Li
- Oncology Biomarker Development, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Christine J Orr
- Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Deepak Sampath
- Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Aparna Raval
- Oncology Biomarker Development, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Mark Merchant
- Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | | | - Ahmed Hamed Salem
- Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacometrics, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, Illinois
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Keith M Hamel
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, Illinois
| | | | | | | | - Tamar Uziel
- Translational Oncology, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, Illinois.
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6
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McMahon CM, Ferng T, Canaani J, Wang ES, Morrissette JJD, Eastburn DJ, Pellegrino M, Durruthy-Durruthy R, Watt CD, Asthana S, Lasater EA, DeFilippis R, Peretz CAC, McGary LHF, Deihimi S, Logan AC, Luger SM, Shah NP, Carroll M, Smith CC, Perl AE. Clonal Selection with RAS Pathway Activation Mediates Secondary Clinical Resistance to Selective FLT3 Inhibition in Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Cancer Discov 2019; 9:1050-1063. [PMID: 31088841 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-18-1453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 245] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Revised: 04/06/2019] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Gilteritinib is a potent and selective FLT3 kinase inhibitor with single-agent clinical efficacy in relapsed/refractory FLT3-mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In this context, however, gilteritinib is not curative, and response duration is limited by the development of secondary resistance. To evaluate resistance mechanisms, we analyzed baseline and progression samples from patients treated on clinical trials of gilteritinib. Targeted next-generation sequencing at the time of AML progression on gilteritinib identified treatment-emergent mutations that activate RAS/MAPK pathway signaling, most commonly in NRAS or KRAS. Less frequently, secondary FLT3-F691L gatekeeper mutations or BCR-ABL1 fusions were identified at progression. Single-cell targeted DNA sequencing revealed diverse patterns of clonal selection and evolution in response to FLT3 inhibition, including the emergence of RAS mutations in FLT3-mutated subclones, the expansion of alternative wild-type FLT3 subclones, or both patterns simultaneously. These data illustrate dynamic and complex changes in clonal architecture underlying response and resistance to mutation-selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy in AML. SIGNIFICANCE: Comprehensive serial genotyping of AML specimens from patients treated with the selective FLT3 inhibitor gilteritinib demonstrates that complex, heterogeneous patterns of clonal selection and evolution mediate clinical resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibition in FLT3-mutated AML. Our data support the development of combinatorial targeted therapeutic approaches for advanced AML.See related commentary by Wei and Roberts, p. 998.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 983.
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MESH Headings
- Adult
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Aniline Compounds/pharmacology
- Aniline Compounds/therapeutic use
- Clonal Evolution/genetics
- Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/genetics
- Female
- High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
- Humans
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/genetics
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/metabolism
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/pathology
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Mutation
- Protein Kinase Inhibitors/pharmacology
- Protein Kinase Inhibitors/therapeutic use
- Pyrazines/pharmacology
- Pyrazines/therapeutic use
- Signal Transduction/drug effects
- Single-Cell Analysis
- Young Adult
- fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3/antagonists & inhibitors
- fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3/genetics
- fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3/metabolism
- ras Proteins/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M McMahon
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Timothy Ferng
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Jonathan Canaani
- Hematology Division, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
| | - Eunice S Wang
- Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York
| | - Jennifer J D Morrissette
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | | | | | | | - Christopher D Watt
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Saurabh Asthana
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Elisabeth A Lasater
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., San Francisco, California
| | - RosaAnna DeFilippis
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Cheryl A C Peretz
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Lisa H F McGary
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Safoora Deihimi
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Aaron C Logan
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Selina M Luger
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Neil P Shah
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Martin Carroll
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Philadelphia Veterans Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Catherine C Smith
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Alexander E Perl
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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7
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Minson KA, Smith CC, DeRyckere D, Libbrecht C, Lee-Sherick AB, Huey MG, Lasater EA, Kirkpatrick GD, Stashko MA, Zhang W, Jordan CT, Kireev D, Wang X, Frye SV, Earp HS, Shah NP, Graham DK. The MERTK/FLT3 inhibitor MRX-2843 overcomes resistance-conferring FLT3 mutations in acute myeloid leukemia. JCI Insight 2016; 1:e85630. [PMID: 27158668 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.85630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3-targeted (FLT3-targeted) therapies have shown initial promise for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) expressing FLT3-activating mutations; however, resistance emerges rapidly. Furthermore, limited options exist for the treatment of FLT3-independent AML, demonstrating the need for novel therapies that reduce toxicity and improve survival. MERTK receptor tyrosine kinase is overexpressed in 80% to 90% of AMLs and contributes to leukemogenesis. Here, we describe MRX-2843, a type 1 small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor that abrogates activation of both MERTK and FLT3 and their downstream effectors. MRX-2843 treatment induces apoptosis and inhibits colony formation in AML cell lines and primary patient samples expressing MERTK and/or FLT3-ITD, with a wide therapeutic window compared with that of normal human cord blood cells. In murine orthotopic xenograft models, once-daily oral therapy prolonged survival 2- to 3-fold over that of vehicle-treated controls. Additionally, MRX-2843 retained activity against quizartinib-resistant FLT3-ITD-mutant proteins with clinically relevant alterations at the D835 or F691 loci and prolonged survival in xenograft models of quizartinib-resistant AML. Together, these observations validate MRX-2843 as a translational agent and support its clinical development for the treatment of AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine A Minson
- Aflac Cancer Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University Department of Pediatrics, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Deborah DeRyckere
- Aflac Cancer Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University Department of Pediatrics, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Clara Libbrecht
- University of Colorado, Department of Pediatrics, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | | | - Madeline G Huey
- Aflac Cancer Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University Department of Pediatrics, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | | | - Michael A Stashko
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Weihe Zhang
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Craig T Jordan
- University of Colorado, Department of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Dmitri Kireev
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Xiaodong Wang
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Stephen V Frye
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - H Shelton Earp
- UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Neil P Shah
- UCSF, Department of Medicine, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Douglas K Graham
- Aflac Cancer Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University Department of Pediatrics, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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8
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Lasater EA, Massi ES, Stecula A, Politi J, Tan SK, Smith CC, Gunthorpe M, Holmes JP, Chehab F, Sali A, Shah NP. Novel TKI-resistant BCR-ABL1 gatekeeper residue mutations retain in vitro sensitivity to axitinib. Leukemia 2015; 30:1405-9. [PMID: 26511402 DOI: 10.1038/leu.2015.303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- E A Lasater
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - E S Massi
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - A Stecula
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - J Politi
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - S K Tan
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - C C Smith
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - M Gunthorpe
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - J P Holmes
- Annadel Medical Group, Santa Rosa, CA, USA
| | - F Chehab
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - A Sali
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.,California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - N P Shah
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Helen Diller Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
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9
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Smith CC, Zhang C, Lin KC, Lasater EA, Zhang Y, Massi E, Damon LE, Pendleton M, Bashir A, Sebra R, Perl A, Kasarskis A, Shellooe R, Tsang G, Carias H, Powell B, Burton EA, Matusow B, Zhang J, Spevak W, Ibrahim PN, Le MH, Hsu HH, Habets G, West BL, Bollag G, Shah NP. Characterizing and Overriding the Structural Mechanism of the Quizartinib-Resistant FLT3 "Gatekeeper" F691L Mutation with PLX3397. Cancer Discov 2015; 5:668-79. [PMID: 25847190 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-15-0060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2015] [Accepted: 04/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Tyrosine kinase domain mutations are a common cause of acquired clinical resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) used to treat cancer, including the FLT3 inhibitor quizartinib. Mutation of kinase "gatekeeper" residues, which control access to an allosteric pocket adjacent to the ATP-binding site, has been frequently implicated in TKI resistance. The molecular underpinnings of gatekeeper mutation-mediated resistance are incompletely understood. We report the first cocrystal structure of FLT3 with the TKI quizartinib, which demonstrates that quizartinib binding relies on essential edge-to-face aromatic interactions with the gatekeeper F691 residue, and F830 within the highly conserved Asp-Phe-Gly motif in the activation loop. This reliance makes quizartinib critically vulnerable to gatekeeper and activation loop substitutions while minimizing the impact of mutations elsewhere. Moreover, we identify PLX3397, a novel FLT3 inhibitor that retains activity against the F691L mutant due to a binding mode that depends less vitally on specific interactions with the gatekeeper position. SIGNIFICANCE We report the first cocrystal structure of FLT3 with a kinase inhibitor, elucidating the structural mechanism of resistance due to the gatekeeper F691L mutation. PLX3397 is a novel FLT3 inhibitor with in vitro activity against this mutation but is vulnerable to kinase domain mutations in the FLT3 activation loop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine C Smith
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, California. Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | | | - Kimberly C Lin
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Elisabeth A Lasater
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | | | - Evan Massi
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Lauren E Damon
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Matthew Pendleton
- Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Ali Bashir
- Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Robert Sebra
- Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Alexander Perl
- Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Andrew Kasarskis
- Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Mai H Le
- Plexxikon Inc., Berkeley, California
| | | | | | | | | | - Neil P Shah
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, California. Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, California.
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10
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Warkentin AA, Lopez MS, Lasater EA, Lin K, He BL, Leung AY, Smith CC, Shah NP, Shokat KM. Overcoming myelosuppression due to synthetic lethal toxicity for FLT3-targeted acute myeloid leukemia therapy. eLife 2014; 3. [PMID: 25531068 PMCID: PMC4307180 DOI: 10.7554/elife.03445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [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: 05/24/2014] [Accepted: 12/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Activating mutations in FLT3 confer poor prognosis for individuals with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Clinically active investigational FLT3 inhibitors can achieve complete remissions but their utility has been hampered by acquired resistance and myelosuppression attributed to a ‘synthetic lethal toxicity’ arising from simultaneous inhibition of FLT3 and KIT. We report a novel chemical strategy for selective FLT3 inhibition while avoiding KIT inhibition with the staurosporine analog, Star 27. Star 27 maintains potency against FLT3 in proliferation assays of FLT3-transformed cells compared with KIT-transformed cells, shows no toxicity towards normal human hematopoiesis at concentrations that inhibit primary FLT3-mutant AML blast growth, and is active against mutations that confer resistance to clinical inhibitors. As a more complete understanding of kinase networks emerges, it may be possible to define anti-targets such as KIT in the case of AML to allow improved kinase inhibitor design of clinical agents with enhanced efficacy and reduced toxicity. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03445.001 Major advances in cancer therapy have improved the treatment options for many patients. However, many cancer treatments are toxic or have severe side effects, making them difficult for patients to tolerate. One cause of these side effects is that many cancer therapies kill both normal cells and cancer cells. Developing cancer therapies that are more targeted is therefore a priority in cancer research. Acute myeloid leukemia is a type of blood cancer that has proven difficult to treat without causing serious side effects. This cancer is very aggressive and only about 1 in 4 patients are successfully cured of their cancer. At present, physicians treat acute myeloid leukemia with chemotherapy, which kills both the cancer cells and some of the patient's healthy cells. Many patients with acute myeloid leukemia have mutations in the gene encoding an enzyme called Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3). This mutation makes the enzyme permanently active, and patients with the mutation have a greater risk of their cancer recurring or death. Scientists have recently discovered that treatments that inhibit the FLT3 enzyme can be effective against cancer. However, the drugs investigated so far also interfere with the patient's ability to produce new blood cells, which can lead to infections or an inability to recover from bleeding. Therefore, no new drugs have yet been approved for general use. Warkentin et al. suspected the reason for the adverse effects of FLT3 inhibitors is that these drugs also inhibit another enzyme necessary for blood cell production. Previous work showed that inhibiting one or the other of the enzymes still allows blood cells to be produced as normal: it is only when both are inhibited that production problems arise. Warkentin et al. therefore looked for a chemical that inhibits only the FLT3 enzyme and found one called Star 27. Tests revealed that this inhibits FLT3 and prevents the growth and spread of cancerous cells but does not impair blood cell production. Additionally, Star 27 continues to work even when mutations arise in the cancer cells that cause resistance to other FLT3 inhibitors. The findings demonstrate that when it comes to drug development, it is sometimes as important to avoid certain molecular targets as it is to hit others. Understanding the network of enzymes that FLT3 works with could therefore help researchers to develop more effective and safer cancer treatments. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03445.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander A Warkentin
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - Michael S Lopez
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - Elisabeth A Lasater
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - Kimberly Lin
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - Bai-Liang He
- Division of Haematology, Department of Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Anskar Yh Leung
- Division of Haematology, Department of Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Catherine C Smith
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - Neil P Shah
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - Kevan M Shokat
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
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11
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Quinn ER, Ciceri P, Müller-Knapp S, O'Mahony A, Fedorov O, Filippakopoulos P, Hunt JP, Lasater EA, Pallares G, Picaud S, Wells C, Wodicka LM, Shah NP, Knapp S, Treiber DK. Abstract 5387: Dual kinase/bromodomain inhibitors for rationally designed polypharmacology. Cancer Res 2014. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2014-5387] [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
Concomitant inhibition of multiple cancer-driving kinases is an established strategy to improve the durability of clinical responses to targeted therapies. The difficulty of discovering kinase inhibitors with an appropriate multi-target profile has, however, necessitated the application of combination therapies, which can pose significant clinical development challenges. Epigenetic reader domains of the bromodomain family have recently emerged as novel targets for cancer therapy. Here we have used BROMOscan™ bromodomain ligand binding assays to identify several clinical kinase inhibitors that also inhibit bromodomains with therapeutically relevant potencies and are best classified as dual kinase/bromodomain inhibitors. Nanomolar activity on BRD4 by clinical PLK1 and JAK2/FLT3 kinase inhibitors is particularly noteworthy as these combinations of activities on independent oncogenic pathways exemplify a novel strategy for rational single agent polypharmacological targeting. Importantly, cell-based data show that these dual inhibitors suppress c-Myc expression (a hallmark of BRD4 inhibition) and induce complex polypharmacological phenotypes reflecting dual kinase/bromodomain inhibition across a panel of primary human cell assay systems that model complex tissue and disease state environments (BioMap™). Furthermore, rich structure-activity relationships for related inhibitors and co-crystal structures identify design features that enable a general platform for the rational design of dual kinase/bromodomain inhibitors.
Citation Format: Elizabeth R. Quinn, Pietro Ciceri, Susanne Müller-Knapp, Alison O'Mahony, Oleg Fedorov, Panagis Filippakopoulos, Jeremy P. Hunt, Elisabeth A. Lasater, Gabriel Pallares, Sarah Picaud, Christopher Wells, Lisa M. Wodicka, Neil P. Shah, Stefan Knapp, Daniel K. Treiber. Dual kinase/bromodomain inhibitors for rationally designed polypharmacology. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 5387. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-5387
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Neil P. Shah
- 3University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
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12
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Ciceri P, Müller S, O'Mahony A, Fedorov O, Filippakopoulos P, Hunt JP, Lasater EA, Pallares G, Picaud S, Wells C, Martin S, Wodicka LM, Shah NP, Treiber DK, Knapp S. Erratum: Corrigendum: Dual kinase-bromodomain inhibitors for rationally designed polypharmacology. Nat Chem Biol 2014. [DOI: 10.1038/nchembio0814-692d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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13
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Asmussen J, Lasater EA, Tajon C, Oses-Prieto J, Jun YW, Taylor BS, Burlingame A, Craik CS, Shah NP. MEK-dependent negative feedback underlies BCR-ABL-mediated oncogene addiction. Cancer Discov 2013; 4:200-15. [PMID: 24362263 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-13-0235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [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: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED The clinical experience with BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) for the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) provides compelling evidence for oncogene addiction. Yet, the molecular basis of oncogene addiction remains elusive. Through unbiased quantitative phosphoproteomic analyses of CML cells transiently exposed to BCR-ABL TKI, we identified persistent downregulation of growth factor receptor (GF-R) signaling pathways. We then established and validated a tissue-relevant isogenic model of BCR-ABL-mediated addiction, and found evidence for myeloid GF-R signaling pathway rewiring that profoundly and persistently dampens physiologic pathway activation. We demonstrate that eventual restoration of ligand-mediated GF-R pathway activation is insufficient to fully rescue cells from a competing apoptotic fate. In contrast to previous work with BRAF(V600E) in melanoma cells, feedback inhibition following BCR-ABL TKI treatment is markedly prolonged, extending beyond the time required to initiate apoptosis. Mechanistically, BCR-ABL-mediated oncogene addiction is facilitated by persistent high levels of MAP-ERK kinase (MEK)-dependent negative feedback. SIGNIFICANCE We found that BCR–ABL can confer addiction in vitro by rewiring myeloid GF-R signaling through establishment of MEK-dependent negative feedback. Our findings predict that deeper, more durable responses to targeted agents across a range of malignancies may be facilitated by maintaining negative feedback concurrently with oncoprotein inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Asmussen
- Departments of 1Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomics, 2Chemistry and Chemical Biology, 3Pharmaceutical Chemistry, 4Otolaryngology, and 5Epidemiology and Biostatistics; 6Division of Hematology/Oncology; and 7Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
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14
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Lasater EA, Smith CC, Shah NP. Abstract 1893: Activating NRAS mutations are associated with FLT3-independent resistance to the clinically active FLT3 inhibitor AC220 in vitro. Cancer Res 2012. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2012-1893] [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
Background: Clinical outcomes associated with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have not improved substantially in decades. Activating FMS-like tyrosine kinase-3 (FLT3) mutations are detected in ∼30% of AML cases with internal tandem duplication (ITD) mutations conferring worse prognosis. Recently, the potent FLT3 inhibitor AC220 has achieved composite complete remission in 45% of patients with relapsed/refractory FLT3-mutant AML (Cortes et al, EHA 2011). Translational studies from our laboratory implicate reactivation of FLT3-ITD through kinase domain mutations in the majority AC220 relapse cases (Smith et al, ASH 2011). Given that less than half of treated patients initially achieve deep remissions on AC220, we hypothesize that off-target (non-FLT3 mediated) resistance is responsible for primary resistance to AC220, and may mediate loss of response in a subset of patients. Results: To model and identify putative mechanisms of off-target resistance to AC220 in vitro, we cultured the FLT3-ITD+ patient derived cell lines MV4;11 and Molm14 in escalating concentrations of AC220. To date, we have isolated 8 Molm14 subclones that are resistant to at least 20nM AC220, which is >60-fold the IC50 of the parental line (0.3nM), while efforts to generate resistant MV4;11 cells have repeatedly failed. Analysis of FLT3 signaling revealed persistent FLT3 phosphorylation in 5 clones in the presence of 10nM AC220. Sequencing of the FLT3 kinase domain identified acquired secondary activation loop mutations suggesting on-target acquired resistance. The remaining 3 clones demonstrated off-target resistance as evidenced by the absence of a FLT3 mutation and loss of FLT3 phosphorylation with 10nM AC220 treatment. Despite FLT3 inhibition, the clones failed to undergo apoptosis and maintained ERK phosphorylation when treated with AC220. Sequencing of K- and NRAS revealed an NRAS G12C mutation in 2 clones and an NRAS Q61K mutation in the third clone, both of which are known activating RAS mutations. The AC220 IC50 values for the G12C mutant clones were determined to be 134nM and 329nM AC220 and the Q61K mutant was one of the most resistant of all clones with an IC50 of >1000nM AC220. Further, all 3 NRAS mutant clones showed increased sensitivity to the MEK inhibitor PD0325901 compared to the parental cells and on-target resistant clones. Conclusions: Generation of 8 independent AC220-resistant AML cell lines revealed evidence for on- or off-target resistance mechanisms. We have identified oncogenic RAS as a putative mechanism of acquired AC220 off-target resistance in vitro, suggesting that pathologic activation of the RAS/ERK pathway may result in failure of clinically active FLT3 inhibitor therapy in AML patients. Assessment for activating RAS mutations in patient samples with primary and acquired resistance to AC220 and other clinically effective FLT3 inhibitors is currently ongoing.
Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1893. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-1893
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15
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Gajan J, Oses-prieto J, Lasater EA, Burlingame A, Shah NP. Abstract 2923: Phosphoproteomic assessment of CML cells following transient potent inhibition with dasatinib is associated with durable alteration of the STAT5 and RAF/MEK/ERK pathways. Cancer Res 2011. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2011-2923] [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 critical reliance of CML cells upon BCR-ABL kinase activity for survival supports the concept of “oncogene addiction”, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are poorly understood. Consistent with clinical responses in CML patients to once daily administration of dasatinib, we have previously demonstrated that transient, but potent tyrosine kinase inhibition of BCR-ABL is sufficient to induce cytotoxicity of the CML cell line K562 in vitro. These cells display an irreversible commitment to apoptosis despite reactivation of BCR-ABL kinase activity as assessed by rephosphorylation of the substrate CRKL. We hypothesized that durable alterations in signaling occur in this in vitro model of transient kinase inhibition and that a subset of these changes are critical to eliciting cytotoxicity. To obtain an unbiased, global view of signaling before and after a high-dose pulse (HDP) of dasatinib, we optimized phosphoproteomic technology to interrogate changes in the phosphotyrosine proteome of K562 cells. Through implementation of SILAC to assess quantitative changes in tyrosine phosphorylation and a high pH C18 fractionation prior to MS/MS analysis, we compared lysates from the end-of-exposure, 3 hours, and 6 hours post-HDP, and identified 204 unique phosphosites originating from 160 different proteins. Notably, following transient exposure to dasatinib, durable alterations in phosphorylation occurred in two of the three major signaling pathways downstream of BCR-ABL. Specifically, we observed a durable loss of tyrosine phosphorylation in the SH2-domain of STAT5, as well as a loss of phosphorylation within the activation loop of ERK1/2 without alterations in the PI3K/AKT pathway. We have confirmed these findings with phospho-specific antibodies. Of particular interest is the mechanism whereby the STAT5 and RAS/MAPK signaling pathways are durably altered. Interestingly, despite durable alterations in the phosphorylation status of MEK, ERK and BIM, the overall level of activated RAS is unaltered with dasatinib treatment. We therefore hypothesize that the RAF kinases are durably altered and are presently investigating the molecular mechanism responsible. Lastly, despite durable loss of STAT5 phosphorylation we observed no activation-loop phosphorylation of JAK2 before or after a HDP, suggestive of a JAK2-independent mechanism of STAT5 activation in K562 cells. Our findings suggest that the molecular basis of oncogene addition in CML involves irreversible hijacking of the STAT5 and RAF/MEK/ERK pathways by BCR-ABL as evidenced by durable loss of signaling through these pathways following potent transient BCR-ABL inhibition. Current work is evaluating the molecular mechanisms that underlie these durable signaling alterations.
MS analysis was provided by the MS Resource at UCSF (NIH NCRR P41RR001614).
Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2923. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-2923
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Lasater EA, Li F, Bessler WK, Estes ML, Vemula S, Hingtgen CM, Dinauer MC, Kapur R, Conway SJ, Ingram DA. Genetic and cellular evidence of vascular inflammation in neurofibromin-deficient mice and humans. J Clin Invest 2010; 120:859-70. [PMID: 20160346 DOI: 10.1172/jci41443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2009] [Accepted: 01/06/2010] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) results from mutations in the NF1 tumor suppressor gene, which encodes the protein neurofibromin. NF1 patients display diverse clinical manifestations, including vascular disease, which results from neointima formation and vessel occlusion. However, the pathogenesis of NF1 vascular disease remains unclear. Vessel wall homeostasis is maintained by complex interactions between vascular and bone marrow-derived cells (BMDCs), and neurofibromin regulates the function of each cell type. Therefore, utilizing cre/lox techniques and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation to delete 1 allele of Nf1 in endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells, and BMDCs alone, we determined which cell lineage is critical for neointima formation in vivo in mice. Here we demonstrate that heterozygous inactivation of Nf1 in BMDCs alone was necessary and sufficient for neointima formation after vascular injury and provide evidence of vascular inflammation in Nf1+/- mice. Further, analysis of peripheral blood from NF1 patients without overt vascular disease revealed increased concentrations of inflammatory cells and cytokines previously linked to vascular inflammation and vasoocclusive disease. These data provide genetic and cellular evidence of vascular inflammation in NF1 patients and Nf1+/- mice and provide a framework for understanding the pathogenesis of NF1 vasculopathy and potential therapeutic and diagnostic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth A Lasater
- Herman B. Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, 46202, USA
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Lasater EA, Bessler WK, Mead LE, Horn WE, Clapp DW, Conway SJ, Ingram DA, Li F. Nf1+/- mice have increased neointima formation via hyperactivation of a Gleevec sensitive molecular pathway. Hum Mol Genet 2008; 17:2336-44. [PMID: 18442999 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddn134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurofibromatosis type I (NF1) is a genetic disorder caused by mutations in the NF1 tumor suppressor gene. Neurofibromin is encoded by NF1 and functions as a negative regulator of Ras activity. Somatic mutations in the residual normal NF1 allele within cancers of NF1 patients is consistent with NF1 functioning as a tumor-suppressor. However, the prevalent non-malignant manifestations of NF1, including learning and bone disorders emphasize the importance of dissecting the cellular and biochemical effects of NF1 haploinsufficiency in multiple cell lineages. One of the least studied complications of NF1 involves cardiovascular disorders, including arterial occlusions that result in cerebral and visceral infarcts. NF1 vasculopathy is characterized by vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) accumulation in the intima area of vessels resulting in lumen occlusion. We recently showed that Nf1 haploinsufficiency increases VSMC proliferation and migration via hyperactivation of the Ras-Erk pathway, which is a signaling axis directly linked to neointima formation in diverse animal models of vasculopathy. Given this observation, we tested whether heterozygosity of Nf1 would lead to vaso-occlusive disease in genetically engineered mice in vivo. Strikingly, Nf1+/- mice have increased neointima formation, excessive vessel wall cell proliferation and Erk activation after vascular injury in vivo. Further, this effect is directly dependent on a Gleevec sensitive molecular pathway. Therefore, these studies establish an Nf1 model of vasculopathy, which mirrors features of human NF1 vaso-occlusive disease, identifies a potential therapeutic target and provides a platform to further dissect the effect of Nf1 haploinsufficiency in cardiovascular disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth A Lasater
- Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
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