1
|
Andrews JS, Boonyaratanakornkit JB, Krusinska E, Allen S, Posada JA. Assessment of the Impact of RNase in Patients With Severe Fatigue Related to Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection (PASC): A Randomized Phase 2 Trial of RSLV-132. Clin Infect Dis 2024:ciae205. [PMID: 38728385 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciae205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA and RNA debris persist in viral reservoirs for weeks to months following infection, potentially triggering interferon production and chronic inflammation. RSLV-132 is a biologic drug composed of catalytically active human RNase1 fused to human IgG1 Fc and is designed to remain in circulation and digest extracellular RNA. We hypothesized that removal of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA from latent reservoirs may improve inflammation, neuroinflammation, and fatigue associated with post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC). METHODS This was a phase 2, double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial in participants with a 24-week history of PASC and severe fatigue. The primary endpoint of the trial assessed the impact of 6 intravenous doses of RSLV-132 on the mean change from baseline at day 71 in the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Fatigue Short Form 7a (PROMIS Fatigue SF 7a). RESULTS A statistically significant difference on day 71 was not observed with respect to the primary or secondary endpoints. This was likely due to a placebo response that increased during the trial. Statistically significant improvement in fatigue as measured by the PROMIS Fatigue SF 7a, Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-Fatigue), and Physicians Global Assessment (PGA) instruments were observed earlier in the trial, with women demonstrating greater responses to RSLV-132 than men. CONCLUSION While fatigue was not statistically significantly improved at Day 71, earlier timepoints revealed statistically significant improvement in fatigue and physician global assessment. The data suggest eliminating latent viral RNA by increasing serum RNase activity may improve fatigue in PASC patients. Women may respond better to this approach than men. Future studies will aim to confirm these findings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James S Andrews
- Department of Rheumatology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Jim B Boonyaratanakornkit
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Infectious Disease, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Burge DJ, Eisenman J, Byrnes-Blake K, Smolak P, Lau K, Cohen SB, Kivitz AJ, Levin R, Martin RW, Sherrer Y, Posada JA. Safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of RSLV-132, an RNase-Fc fusion protein in systemic lupus erythematosus: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Lupus 2016; 26:825-834. [DOI: 10.1177/0961203316678675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Blood-borne RNA circulating in association with autoantibodies is a potent stimulator of interferon production and immune system activation. RSLV-132 is a novel fully human biologic Fc fusion protein that is comprised of human RNase fused to the Fc domain of human IgG1. The drug is designed to remain in circulation and digest extracellular RNA with the aim of preventing activation of the immune system via Toll-like receptors and the interferon pathway. The present study describes the first clinical study of nuclease therapy in 32 subjects with systemic lupus erythematosus. The drug was well tolerated with a very favorable safety profile. The approximately 19-day serum half-life potentially supports once monthly dosing. There were no subjects in the study that developed anti-RSLV-132 antibodies. Decreases in B-cell activating factor correlated with decreases in disease activity in a subset of patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D J Burge
- Resolve Therapeutics, LLC, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - J Eisenman
- Resolve Therapeutics, LLC, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - P Smolak
- Resolve Therapeutics, LLC, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - K Lau
- Resolve Therapeutics, LLC, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - S B Cohen
- Metroplex Clinical Research Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - A J Kivitz
- Altoona Center for Clinical Research, Duncansville, PA, USA
| | - R Levin
- Clinical Research of West Florida, Clearwater, FL, USA
| | - R W Martin
- Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Y Sherrer
- Center for Rheumatology, Immunology, and Arthritis, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
| | - J A Posada
- Resolve Therapeutics, LLC, Seattle, WA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Doedens JR, Jones WD, Hill K, Mason MJ, Gersuk VH, Mease PJ, Dall'Era M, Aranow C, Martin RW, Cohen SB, Fleischmann RM, Kivitz AJ, Burge DJ, Chaussabel D, Elkon KB, Posada JA. Blood-Borne RNA Correlates with Disease Activity and IFN-Stimulated Gene Expression in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. J Immunol 2016; 197:2854-63. [PMID: 27534558 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1601142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The loss of tolerance and the presence of circulating autoantibodies directed against nuclear Ags is the hallmark of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Many of these Ags are complexed with short, noncoding RNAs, such as U1 and Y1. The amount of U1 and Y1 RNA complexed with SLE patient Abs and immune complexes was measured in a cross-section of 228 SLE patients to evaluate the role of these RNA molecules within the known biochemical framework of SLE. The study revealed that SLE patients had significantly elevated levels of circulating U1 and/or Y1 RNA compared with healthy volunteers. In addition, the blood-borne RNA molecules were correlated with SLE disease activity and increased expression of IFN-inducible genes. To our knowledge, this study provides the first systematic examination of the role of circulating RNA in a large group of SLE patients and provides an important link with IFN dysregulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kay Hill
- PlasmaLab International, Everett, WA 98201
| | | | | | - Philip J Mease
- Swedish Medical Center and University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98122
| | - Maria Dall'Era
- University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143
| | - Cynthia Aranow
- The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY 11030
| | - Richard W Martin
- College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824
| | | | | | - Alan J Kivitz
- Altoona Center for Clinical Research, Duncansville, PA 16635
| | | | - Damien Chaussabel
- Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101; Sidra Medical and Research Center, Doha, Qatar; and
| | - Keith B Elkon
- Department of Rheumatology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109
| | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Wilson DJ, Fortner KA, Lynch DH, Mattingly RR, Macara IG, Posada JA, Budd RC. JNK, but not MAPK, activation is associated with Fas-mediated apoptosis in human T cells. Eur J Immunol 1996; 26:989-94. [PMID: 8647190 DOI: 10.1002/eji.1830260505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [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] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Fas is a cell surface molecule that is expressed on a wide array of cell types and triggers apoptosis. While in most situations Fas ligation activates programmed cell death, on resting T lymphocytes it can co-stimulate proliferation with the T cell receptor (TCR)/CD3 complex. This incongruity suggests that Fas may elicit signaling events that overlap with those used by proliferation cues. We observe that in the human T cell line Jurkat and in human peripheral blood lymphocytes, Fas stimulation does not signal by the Ras/Raf-1/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway or by increased intracellular calcium. Rather, Fas ligation strongly activates Jun kinase (JNK). This activity, as well as Fas-induced apoptosis, is blocked by increased levels of cAMP. The balance between proliferation and apoptosis by Fas triggering of T lymphocytes may therefore reflect a signaling ratio between TCR activation of the Ras/Raf-1/MAPK pathway versus JNK activation by Fas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D J Wilson
- Department of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington 05405, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Shapiro PS, Evans JN, Davis RJ, Posada JA. The seven-transmembrane-spanning receptors for endothelin and thrombin cause proliferation of airway smooth muscle cells and activation of the extracellular regulated kinase and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase groups of mitogen-activated protein kinases. J Biol Chem 1996; 271:5750-4. [PMID: 8621441 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.271.10.5750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [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] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
In airway smooth muscle cells ligand binding to the seven-transmembrane endothelin and thrombin receptors stimulates cell growth. Rapid activation of the extracellular regulated kinase 2 and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase groups of mitogen-activated protein kinases was also observed. The results demonstrate a novel mechanism of seven-transmembrane receptor signaling involving activation of the Jun kinase pathway. Receptor coupling to Jun kinase activation may involve heterotrimeric G proteins since the kinase was enzymatically activated in cells treated with aluminum fluoride. The activity of Raf-1, measured by immune complex kinase assay, revealed that platelet-derived growth factor and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate both stimulated Raf-1 activity, while thrombin and endothelin did not appreciably stimulate Raf-1. The data suggest that endothelin and thrombin stimulate Raf-1-independent mechanisms of mitogen-activated protein kinase activation. Endothelin- or thrombin-induced activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases was significantly inhibited by activation of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase by forskolin. Proliferation of airway smooth muscle cells, measured by incorporation of [3H]thymidine into DNA, was also greatly attenuated by forskolin.
Collapse
MESH Headings
- Animals
- Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases/metabolism
- Cells, Cultured
- Colforsin/pharmacology
- Cyclic AMP/metabolism
- DNA/biosynthesis
- DNA/drug effects
- Endothelins/pharmacology
- Enzyme Activation
- JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
- Kinetics
- Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1
- Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
- Muscle, Smooth/cytology
- Muscle, Smooth/enzymology
- Muscle, Smooth/physiology
- Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins/metabolism
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-raf
- Rats
- Receptors, Cell Surface/drug effects
- Receptors, Cell Surface/physiology
- Receptors, Endothelin/drug effects
- Receptors, Endothelin/physiology
- Receptors, Thrombin/drug effects
- Receptors, Thrombin/physiology
- Recombinant Fusion Proteins/metabolism
- Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate/pharmacology
- Thrombin/pharmacology
- Thymidine/metabolism
- Trachea/cytology
- Trachea/enzymology
- Trachea/physiology
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- P S Shapiro
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05405, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Posada JA, McKeegan EM, Worthington KF, Morin MJ, Jaken S, Tritton TR. Human multidrug resistant KB cells overexpress protein kinase C: involvement in drug resistance. Cancer Commun (Lond) 1989; 1:285-92. [PMID: 2577153 DOI: 10.3727/095535489820874922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Among the many phenotypic characteristics of multidrug resistance (MDR), the presence of P-glycoprotein is nearly always observed, and it appears that the plasma membrane of the multidrug resistant cell is integrally involved in controlling drug resistance. Another membrane-associated protein kinase, protein kinase C (PKC), has been shown to regulate the flow of information to the cell interior and to control the efflux of a number of different compounds. We therefore initiated a study of PKC and MDR. We found that multidrug resistant sublines from both mouse sarcoma 180 and human KB lines exhibited 80-90% increases in basal PKC activity. The mechanism of the increase appears to be quite different in the two cell lines. The human KB cells overexpress the alpha isozyme of PKC, commensurate with the increase in alpha-PKC protein, whereas the mouse cells do not overexpress alpha-mRNA but increase alpha-PKC protein. Furthermore, it appears that PKC activity plays a functional role in drug resistance, since inhibition of endogenous PKC activity by staurosporine resulted in decreased resistance to Adriamycin. We also found that phosphorylation of MDR cell membrane vesicles by purified PKC, followed by immunoprecipitation of P-glycoprotein with monoclonal antibody C219, resulted in a level of phosphorylation of P-glycoprotein that was greater than the endogenous phosphorylation level. The data presented indicate that MDR cells of diverse species exhibited enhanced PKC activity but that the mechanisms were different. The increased kinase activity may have biological relevance to MDR since PKC appears to be coupled to P-glycoprotein function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J A Posada
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Vermont, Burlington 05405
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|