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Roca Suarez AA, Plissonnier ML, Grand X, Michelet M, Giraud G, Saez-Palma M, Dubois A, Heintz S, Diederichs A, Van Renne N, Vanwolleghem T, Daffis S, Li L, Kolhatkar N, Hsu YC, Wallin JJ, Lau AH, Fletcher SP, Rivoire M, Levrero M, Testoni B, Zoulim F. TLR8 agonist selgantolimod regulates Kupffer cell differentiation status and impairs HBV entry into hepatocytes via an IL-6-dependent mechanism. Gut 2024:gutjnl-2023-331396. [PMID: 38697771 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2023-331396] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Achieving HBV cure will require novel combination therapies of direct-acting antivirals and immunomodulatory agents. In this context, the toll-like receptor 8 (TLR8) agonist selgantolimod (SLGN) has been investigated in preclinical models and clinical trials for chronic hepatitis B (CHB). However, little is known regarding its action on immune effectors within the liver. Our aim was to characterise the transcriptomic changes and intercellular communication events induced by SLGN in the hepatic microenvironment. DESIGN We identified TLR8-expressing cell types in the human liver using publicly available single-cell RNA-seq data and established a method to isolate Kupffer cells (KCs). We characterised transcriptomic and cytokine KC profiles in response to SLGN. SLGN's indirect effect was evaluated by RNA-seq in hepatocytes treated with SLGN-conditioned media (CM) and quantification of HBV parameters following infection. Pathways mediating SLGN's effect were validated using transcriptomic data from HBV-infected patients. RESULTS Hepatic TLR8 expression takes place in the myeloid compartment. SLGN treatment of KCs upregulated monocyte markers (eg, S100A12) and downregulated genes associated with the KC identity (eg, SPIC). Treatment of hepatocytes with SLGN-CM downregulated NTCP and impaired HBV entry. Cotreatment with an interleukin 6-neutralising antibody reverted the HBV entry inhibition. CONCLUSION Our transcriptomic characterisation of SLGN sheds light into the programmes regulating KC activation. Furthermore, in addition to its previously described effect on established HBV infection and adaptive immunity, we show that SLGN impairs HBV entry. Altogether, SLGN may contribute through KCs to remodelling the intrahepatic immune microenvironment and may thus represent an important component of future combinations to cure HBV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armando Andres Roca Suarez
- INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR-5286, Cancer Research Center of Lyon (CRCL), Lyon, France
- University of Lyon, Université Claude-Bernard (UCBL), Lyon, France
- The Lyon Hepatology Institute EVEREST, Lyon, France
| | - Marie-Laure Plissonnier
- INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR-5286, Cancer Research Center of Lyon (CRCL), Lyon, France
- University of Lyon, Université Claude-Bernard (UCBL), Lyon, France
- The Lyon Hepatology Institute EVEREST, Lyon, France
| | - Xavier Grand
- INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR-5286, Cancer Research Center of Lyon (CRCL), Lyon, France
- University of Lyon, Université Claude-Bernard (UCBL), Lyon, France
- The Lyon Hepatology Institute EVEREST, Lyon, France
| | - Maud Michelet
- INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR-5286, Cancer Research Center of Lyon (CRCL), Lyon, France
- University of Lyon, Université Claude-Bernard (UCBL), Lyon, France
- The Lyon Hepatology Institute EVEREST, Lyon, France
| | - Guillaume Giraud
- INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR-5286, Cancer Research Center of Lyon (CRCL), Lyon, France
- University of Lyon, Université Claude-Bernard (UCBL), Lyon, France
- The Lyon Hepatology Institute EVEREST, Lyon, France
| | - Maria Saez-Palma
- INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR-5286, Cancer Research Center of Lyon (CRCL), Lyon, France
- University of Lyon, Université Claude-Bernard (UCBL), Lyon, France
- The Lyon Hepatology Institute EVEREST, Lyon, France
| | - Anaëlle Dubois
- INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR-5286, Cancer Research Center of Lyon (CRCL), Lyon, France
- University of Lyon, Université Claude-Bernard (UCBL), Lyon, France
- The Lyon Hepatology Institute EVEREST, Lyon, France
| | - Sarah Heintz
- INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR-5286, Cancer Research Center of Lyon (CRCL), Lyon, France
- University of Lyon, Université Claude-Bernard (UCBL), Lyon, France
- The Lyon Hepatology Institute EVEREST, Lyon, France
| | - Audrey Diederichs
- INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR-5286, Cancer Research Center of Lyon (CRCL), Lyon, France
- University of Lyon, Université Claude-Bernard (UCBL), Lyon, France
- The Lyon Hepatology Institute EVEREST, Lyon, France
| | - Nicolaas Van Renne
- Viral Hepatitis Research Group, Laboratory of Experimental Medicine and Pediatrics, Antwerp University, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Thomas Vanwolleghem
- Viral Hepatitis Research Group, Laboratory of Experimental Medicine and Pediatrics, Antwerp University, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | - Li Li
- Gilead Sciences Inc, 324 Lakeside Dr, Foster City, CA, USA
| | | | - Yao-Chun Hsu
- Center for Liver Diseases, E-Da Hospital/I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | | | - Audrey H Lau
- Gilead Sciences Inc, 324 Lakeside Dr, Foster City, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Massimo Levrero
- INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR-5286, Cancer Research Center of Lyon (CRCL), Lyon, France
- University of Lyon, Université Claude-Bernard (UCBL), Lyon, France
- The Lyon Hepatology Institute EVEREST, Lyon, France
- Department of Hepatology, Croix Rousse hospital, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France
- Department of Internal Medicine - DMISM and the IIT Center for Life Nanoscience (CLNS), Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Barbara Testoni
- INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR-5286, Cancer Research Center of Lyon (CRCL), Lyon, France
- University of Lyon, Université Claude-Bernard (UCBL), Lyon, France
- The Lyon Hepatology Institute EVEREST, Lyon, France
| | - Fabien Zoulim
- INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR-5286, Cancer Research Center of Lyon (CRCL), Lyon, France
- University of Lyon, Université Claude-Bernard (UCBL), Lyon, France
- The Lyon Hepatology Institute EVEREST, Lyon, France
- Department of Hepatology, Croix Rousse hospital, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France
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Sandmann L, Degasperi E, Port K, Aleman S, Wallin JJ, Manuilov D, Da BL, Cornberg M, Lampertico P, Maasoumy B, Wedemeyer H, Deterding K. Liver stiffness measurement as a noninvasive method for the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis D virus infection. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2024; 59:752-761. [PMID: 38212890 DOI: 10.1111/apt.17878] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Noninvasive tests (NITs) have been proposed as an alternative to liver biopsy for diagnosing liver cirrhosis. The evidence of NIT performance in patients with chronic hepatitis D (CHD) is limited. AIMS To evaluate the diagnostic performance of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and other NITs in CHD patients. METHODS We evaluated the diagnostic performance of LSM by transient elastography for the detection of liver cirrhosis in a retrospective, multicentre cohort of 144 CHD patients with paired (±6 months) LSM and liver biopsies. RESULTS Cirrhosis was diagnosed histologically in 22 patients (15.3%). Mean LSM was significantly higher in patients with cirrhosis compared to those without fibrosis (23.4 vs 10.2 kPa, p < 0.0001) or with intermediate fibrosis (23.4 vs 13.5 kPa, p < 0.0001). In the detection of liver cirrhosis, LSM was superior to other NITs (AUROCs: 0.89 [LSM], 0.87 [D4FS], 0.74 [APRI], 0.73 [FIB-4], and 0.69 [AAR]). The optimal cut-off for identifying patients with liver cirrhosis was ≥15.2 kPa (Se 91%, Sp 84%, PPV 50%, NPV 98%). The ideal cut-off for diagnosing non-advanced liver fibrosis (Metavir ≤2) was <10.2 kPa (Se 55%, Sp 86%, PPV 90%, NPV 45%), correctly identifying 90% of patients. Data were validated in an independent cohort of 132 CHD patients. CONCLUSIONS LSM is a useful tool for identifying patients at risk for liver cirrhosis and is superior to other NITs. The cut-offs of <10.2 and < 15.2 kPa reliably diagnose non-advanced liver fibrosis and exclude cirrhosis in the majority of patients. However, LSM cannot completely replace liver biopsy in CHD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Sandmann
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- D-SOLVE Consortium, an EU Horizon Europe Funded Project (no. 101057917)
| | - Elisabetta Degasperi
- D-SOLVE Consortium, an EU Horizon Europe Funded Project (no. 101057917)
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, CRC "A. M. and A. Migliavacca" Center for Liver Disease, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Kerstin Port
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Soo Aleman
- D-SOLVE Consortium, an EU Horizon Europe Funded Project (no. 101057917)
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Medicine Huddinge, Infectious Diseases, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | | | - Ben L Da
- Gilead Sciences, Inc., Foster City, California, USA
| | - Markus Cornberg
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- D-SOLVE Consortium, an EU Horizon Europe Funded Project (no. 101057917)
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hannover/Braunschweig, Germany
- Centre for Individualised Infection Medicine, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research/Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Pietro Lampertico
- D-SOLVE Consortium, an EU Horizon Europe Funded Project (no. 101057917)
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, CRC "A. M. and A. Migliavacca" Center for Liver Disease, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Benjamin Maasoumy
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hannover/Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Heiner Wedemeyer
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- D-SOLVE Consortium, an EU Horizon Europe Funded Project (no. 101057917)
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hannover/Braunschweig, Germany
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Katja Deterding
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
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3
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Allweiss L, Volmari A, Suri V, Wallin JJ, Flaherty JF, Manuilov D, Downie B, Lütgehetmann M, Bockmann JH, Urban S, Wedemeyer H, Dandri M. Blocking viral entry with bulevirtide reduces the number of HDV-infected hepatocytes in human liver biopsies. J Hepatol 2024:S0168-8278(24)00114-4. [PMID: 38340811 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2024.01.035] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Bulevirtide (BLV) is a first-in-class entry inhibitor and the only approved treatment for patients chronically infected with HDV in Europe. We aimed to investigate the efficacy of BLV treatment in paired liver biopsies obtained at baseline and after 24 or 48 weeks of treatment. METHODS We performed a combined analysis of 126 paired liver biopsies derived from three clinical trials. In the phase II clinical trial MYR202, patients with chronic hepatitis D were randomised to receive 24 weeks of BLV at 2 mg, 5 mg or 10 mg/day. Patients in MYR203 (phase II) and MYR301 (phase III) received 48 weeks of BLV at 2 mg or 10 mg/day. Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate monotherapy or delayed treatment served as comparators. Virological parameters and infection-related host genes were assessed by qPCR and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS At week 24, median intrahepatic HDV RNA decline from baseline was 0.9Log10 with 2 mg (n = 7), 1.1Log10 with 5 mg (n = 5) and 1.4 Log10 with 10 mg (n = 7) of BLV. At week 48, median reductions were 2.2Log10 with 2 mg (n = 27) and 2.7Log10 with 10 mg (n = 37) of BLV, while HDV RNA levels did not change in the comparator arms. Notably, a drastic decline in the number of hepatitis delta antigen-positive hepatocytes and a concomitant decrease in transcriptional levels of inflammatory chemokines and interferon-stimulated genes was determined in all BLV-treatment arms. Despite the abundance of HBsAg-positive hepatocytes, replication and covalently closed circular DNA levels of the helper virus HBV were low and remained unaffected by BLV treatment. CONCLUSION Blocking viral entry diminishes signs of liver inflammation and promotes a strong reduction of HDV infection within the liver, thus suggesting that some patients may achieve HDV cure with long-term treatment. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS Chronic infection with HDV causes the most severe form of viral hepatitis, affecting approximately 12 million people worldwide. The entry inhibitor bulevirtide (BLV) is the only recently approved anti-HDV drug, which has proven efficacious and safe in clinical trials and real-word data. Here, we investigated paired liver biopsies at baseline and after 24 or 48 weeks of treatment from three clinical trials to understand the effect of the drug on viral and host parameters in the liver, the site of viral replication. We found that BLV treatment strongly reduces the number of HDV-infected cells and signs of liver inflammation. This data implies that blocking viral entry ameliorates liver inflammation and that prolonged treatment regimens might lead to HDV cure in some patients. This concept will guide the further development of therapeutic strategies and combination treatments for patients with CHD. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBERS NCT03546621, NCT02888106, NCT03852719.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Allweiss
- I. Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hannover, Heidelberg and Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems Partner Sites, Germany
| | - Annika Volmari
- I. Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Marc Lütgehetmann
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hannover, Heidelberg and Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems Partner Sites, Germany
| | - Jan-Hendrik Bockmann
- I. Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hannover, Heidelberg and Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems Partner Sites, Germany
| | - Stephan Urban
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hannover, Heidelberg and Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems Partner Sites, Germany
| | - Heiner Wedemeyer
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hannover, Heidelberg and Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems Partner Sites, Germany
| | - Maura Dandri
- I. Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hannover, Heidelberg and Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems Partner Sites, Germany.
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4
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Janssen HL, Lim YS, Kim HJ, Sowah L, Tseng CH, Coffin CS, Elkhashab M, Ahn SH, Nguyen AH, Chen D, Wallin JJ, Fletcher SP, McDonald C, Yang JC, Gaggar A, Brainard DM, Fung S, Kim YJ, Kao JH, Chuang WL, Brooks AE, Dunbar PR. Safety, pharmacodynamics, and antiviral activity of selgantolimod in viremic patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection. JHEP Rep 2024; 6:100975. [PMID: 38274492 PMCID: PMC10808922 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhepr.2023.100975] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Background & Aims Novel finite therapies for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) are needed, since lifelong treatment is usually required with current available oral antivirals. This phase II study (NCT03615066) evaluated the safety, pharmacodynamics, and antiviral activity of selgantolimod (a Toll-like receptor 8 agonist [TLR8]) with tenofovir alafenamide (TAF). Methods Viremic patients with CHB not receiving treatment were stratified by HBeAg status and randomized 2:2:1 to TAF 25 mg/day with selgantolimod 3 mg orally once weekly (QW), selgantolimod 1.5 mg QW, or placebo. Combination therapy continued until week (W)24, followed by TAF monotherapy until W48; patients then discontinued TAF and were followed until W96 (treatment-free follow-up [TFFU] period). The primary efficacy endpoint was the proportion with ≥1 log10 IU/ml HBsAg decline at W24. Results Sixty-seven patients received study drug; 27 were followed during TFFU. Nausea, headache, vomiting, fatigue, and dizziness were the most common adverse events. Most adverse events were grade 1. Alanine aminotransferase flares were not observed up to W48. Four patients experienced alanine aminotransferase and hepatitis flares during TFFU; all had HBV DNA increases. Selgantolimod increased serum cytokines and chemokines and redistributed several circulating immune cell subsets. No patients achieved the primary efficacy endpoint. Mean HBsAg changes were -0.12, -0.16, and -0.12 log10 IU/ml in the selgantolimod 3 mg, selgantolimod 1.5 mg, and placebo groups, respectively, at W48; HBV DNA declined in all groups by ≥2 log10 IU/ml as early as W2, with all groups rebounding to baseline during TFFU. No HBsAg or HBeAg loss or seroconversion was observed throughout TFFU. Conclusions Selgantolimod up to 3 mg was safe and well tolerated. Pharmacodynamics and antiviral activity in viremic patients support continued study of selgantolimod in combination CHB therapies. Impact and implications Novel therapeutics for chronic HBV infection are needed to achieve a functional cure. In this study, we confirmed the safety and tolerability of selgantolimod (formerly GS-9688, a TLR8) when administered with tenofovir alafenamide over 24 weeks in viremic patients with chronic HBV infection. Overall, declines in HBsAg levels with selgantolimod treatment were modest; subgroup analysis indicated that patients with alanine aminotransferase levels greater than the upper limit of normal had significantly greater declines compared to those with normal alanine aminotransferase levels (-0.20 vs. -0.03 log10 IU/ml; p <0.001). These findings suggest a potential differential response to selgantolimod based on patients' baseline HBV-specific immune response, which should be considered in future investigations characterizing the underlying mechanisms of selgantolimod treatment and in HBV cure studies using similar immunomodulatory pathways. Clinical trial number NCT03615066 be found at https://www.gileadclinicaltrials.com/transparency-policy/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry L. Janssen
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Toronto General Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Young-Suk Lim
- Asan Medical Centre, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hyung Joon Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | | | - Cheng-Hao Tseng
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, E-Da Cancer Hospital/I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Carla S. Coffin
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Sang Hoon Ahn
- Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Gastroenterology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | | | - Diana Chen
- Gilead Sciences, Inc., Foster City, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Scott Fung
- Toronto General Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yoon Jun Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine and Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jia-Horng Kao
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Wan-Long Chuang
- Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Anna E. Brooks
- School of Biological Sciences, and Maurice Wilkins Centre, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - P. Rod Dunbar
- School of Biological Sciences, and Maurice Wilkins Centre, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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5
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Kuley R, Duvvuri B, Wallin JJ, Bui N, Adona MV, O’Connor NG, Sahi SK, Stanaway IB, Wurfel MM, Morrell ED, Liles WC, Bhatraju PK, Lood C. Mitochondrial N-formyl methionine peptides contribute to exaggerated neutrophil activation in patients with COVID-19. Virulence 2023; 14:2218077. [PMID: 37248708 PMCID: PMC10231045 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2023.2218077] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Neutrophil dysregulation is well established in COVID-19. However, factors contributing to neutrophil activation in COVID-19 are not clear. We assessed if N-formyl methionine (fMet) contributes to neutrophil activation in COVID-19. Elevated levels of calprotectin, neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and fMet were observed in COVID-19 patients (n = 68), particularly in critically ill patients, as compared to HC (n = 19, p < 0.0001). Of note, the levels of NETs were higher in ICU patients with COVID-19 than in ICU patients without COVID-19 (p < 0.05), suggesting a prominent contribution of NETs in COVID-19. Additionally, plasma from COVID-19 patients with mild and moderate/severe symptoms induced in vitro neutrophil activation through fMet/FPR1 (formyl peptide receptor-1) dependent mechanisms (p < 0.0001). fMet levels correlated with calprotectin levels validating fMet-mediated neutrophil activation in COVID-19 patients (r = 0.60, p = 0.0007). Our data indicate that fMet is an important factor contributing to neutrophil activation in COVID-19 disease and may represent a potential target for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Runa Kuley
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Center for Life Sciences, Mahindra University, Hyderabad, India
| | - Bhargavi Duvvuri
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Nam Bui
- Biomarker Sciences, Gilead Sciences Inc, Foster City, CA, USA
| | - Mary Vic Adona
- Biomarker Sciences, Gilead Sciences Inc, Foster City, CA, USA
| | - Nicholas G. O’Connor
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sharon K. Sahi
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ian B. Stanaway
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Mark M. Wurfel
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Eric D. Morrell
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - W. Conrad Liles
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Sepsis Center of Research Excellence-UW (SCORE-UW), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Pavan K. Bhatraju
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Sepsis Center of Research Excellence-UW (SCORE-UW), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Christian Lood
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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6
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Kim SC, Wallin JJ, Ghosheh Y, Zahoor MA, Sanchez Vasquez JD, Nkongolo S, Fung S, Mendez P, Feld JJ, Janssen HL, Gehring AJ. Efficacy of antiviral therapy and host-virus interactions visualised using serial liver sampling with fine-needle aspirates. JHEP Rep 2023; 5:100817. [PMID: 37600958 PMCID: PMC10432215 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhepr.2023.100817] [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] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background & Aims Novel therapies for chronic hepatitis B (CHB), such as RNA interference, target all viral RNAs for degradation, whereas nucleoside analogues are thought to block reverse transcription with minimal impact on viral transcripts. However, limitations in technology and sampling frequency have been obstacles to measuring actual changes in HBV transcription in the liver of patients starting therapy. Methods We used elective liver sampling with fine-needle aspirates (FNAs) to investigate the impact of treatment on viral replication in patients with CHB. Liver FNAs were collected from patients with CHB at baseline and 12 and 24 weeks after starting tenofovir alafenamide treatment. Liver FNAs were subjected to single-cell RNA sequencing and analysed using the Viral-Track method. Results HBV was the only viral genome detected and was enriched within hepatocytes. The 5' sequencing technology identified protein-specific HBV transcripts and showed that tenofovir alafenamide therapy specifically reduced pre-genomic RNA transcripts with little impact on HBsAg or HBx transcripts. Infected hepatocytes displayed unique gene signatures associated with an immunological response to viral infection. Conclusions Longitudinal liver sampling, combined with single-cell RNA sequencing, captured the dynamic impact of antiviral therapy on the replication status of HBV and revealed host-pathogen interactions at the transcriptional level in infected hepatocytes. This sequencing-based approach is applicable to early-stage clinical studies, enabling mechanistic studies of immunopathology and the effect of novel therapeutic interventions. Impact and Implications Infection-dependent transcriptional changes and the impact of antiviral therapy on viral replication can be measured in longitudinal human liver biopsies using single-cell RNA sequencing data.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yanal Ghosheh
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Muhammad Atif Zahoor
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Juan Diego Sanchez Vasquez
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Shirin Nkongolo
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Internal Medicine IV (Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases), University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Scott Fung
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Jordan J. Feld
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Harry L.A. Janssen
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Erasmus Medical Center, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Adam J. Gehring
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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7
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Bauer RN, Teterina A, Shivram H, McBride J, Rosenberger CM, Cai F, Bao M, Tsai L, Gordon O, Lee IT, Wallin JJ, Porter D, Juneja K, Camus G, Rosas IO, Wildum S. Prognostic value of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 viral load and antibodies in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Clin Transl Sci 2023. [PMID: 36929625 DOI: 10.1111/cts.13511] [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] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Observational studies have identified potential prognostic value for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral load and anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in COVID-19. However, viral load in nasopharyngeal swabs produced inconsistent results in prognostic analyses, and the prognostic value of viral load or antibodies has not been confirmed in large clinical trials. COVACTA and REMDACTA were double-blind, randomized controlled trials with a combined enrollment of 1078 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 treated with tocilizumab or placebo in COVACTA or tocilizumab plus remdesivir or placebo plus remdesivir in REMDACTA. We assessed the potential prognostic value of nasopharyngeal and serum SARS-CoV-2 viral load and serum anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies at baseline as biomarkers for clinical outcomes in patients enrolled in these trials. In adjusted Cox proportional hazard models, serum viral load was a more reliable predictor of clinical outcomes than nasopharyngeal viral load; high serum viral load was associated with higher risk for death and mechanical ventilation/death and lower likelihood of hospital discharge (high versus negative viral load hazard ratios [95% CI] were 2.87 [1.57-5.25], 3.86 [2.23-6.68], and 0.23 [0.14-0.36], respectively, in COVACTA and 8.11 [2.95-22.26], 10.29 [4.5-23.55], and 0.21 [0.15-0.29], respectively, in REMDACTA) and high serum viral load correlated with levels of inflammatory cytokines and lung damage biomarkers. High anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike protein antibody (ACOV2S) levels were associated with higher likelihood of hospital discharge (high versus below limit of quantification hazard ratios [95% CI] were 2.55 [1.59-4.08] for COVACTA and 1.54 [1.13-2.09] for REMDACTA). These results support the role of baseline SARS-CoV-2 serum viral load and ACOV2S antibody titers in predicting clinical outcomes for patients hospitalized with COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Fang Cai
- Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Min Bao
- Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
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8
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Gane EJ, Dunbar PR, Brooks AE, Zhang F, Chen D, Wallin JJ, van Buuren N, Arora P, Fletcher SP, Tan SK, Yang JC, Gaggar A, Kottilil S, Tang L. Safety and efficacy of the oral TLR8 agonist selgantolimod in individuals with chronic hepatitis B under viral suppression. J Hepatol 2023; 78:513-523. [PMID: 38133554 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2022.09.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Selgantolimod (GS-9688) is a Toll-like receptor 8 (TLR8) agonist that suppresses HBV in vitro. In a phase II study, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of weekly selgantolimod treatment in virally suppressed individuals with chronic HBV taking oral antiviral treatment. METHODS Forty-eight patients were randomized into two cohorts (hepatitis B e antigen [HBeAg]-positive and -negative [n = 24 each]) to receive oral selgantolimod 3 mg, 1.5 mg, or placebo (2:2:1) once weekly for 24 weeks while maintaining oral antivirals. The primary efficacy endpoint was the percentage of patients with a ≥1 log10 IU/ml decline in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) from baseline to week 24. Post-treatment, patients continued on oral antivirals for 24 weeks. RESULTS The primary endpoint was reached by one participant, who was HBeAg-negative and received selgantolimod 1.5 mg. In contrast with placebo-treated patients (n = 9), only selgantolimod-treated patients (n = 39 total) had HBsAg declines greater than 0.1 log10 IU/ml at weeks 24 (18%, 7/39) and 48 (26%, 10/39), HBsAg loss (5%, 2/39 through 48 weeks), or HBeAg loss (16%, 3/19 through 48 weeks). The most common adverse events in selgantolimod-treated groups were nausea (46%), upper respiratory tract infection (23%), and vomiting (23%). Gastrointestinal disorders were mostly mild and transient. Selgantolimod induced transient dose-dependent increases in serum cytokines, including IL-12p40, IFN-γ, and IL-1RA, as well as rapid redistribution of some circulating immune cell subsets. CONCLUSION Oral selgantolimod up to 3 mg once weekly for 24 weeks was generally safe and well tolerated and led to serologic changes associated with progression to durable cure in two individuals by week 48. CLINICALTRIALS GOV IDENTIFIER NCT03491553. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS The only robust criterion for stopping treatment in chronic hepatitis B is loss of hepatitis B surface antigen (known as functional cure), which is rare during nucleos(t)ide analogue therapy. It is likely that novel antiviral and immunomodulatory therapies will be needed to achieve finite functional cure. Selgantolimod is an oral Toll-like receptor 8 agonist that has shown antiviral activity in vitro as well as safety in a phase I clinical trial with weekly dosing. In this phase II study, selgantolimod therapy was associated with transient increases in serum cytokines, rapid redistribution of circulating immune cell subsets, modest reductions in HBsAg and HBeAg levels, and occasional loss of HBsAg (5%) and HBeAg (16%) among participants with chronic hepatitis B on nucleos(t)ide analogue therapy with viral suppression. Our results support continued development of selgantolimod as a component of a future hepatitis B cure regimen.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - P Rod Dunbar
- School of Biological Sciences, Maurice Wilkins Centre, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Anna E Brooks
- School of Biological Sciences, Maurice Wilkins Centre, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | - Diana Chen
- Gilead Sciences, Inc., Foster City, California, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Jenny C Yang
- Gilead Sciences, Inc., Foster City, California, USA
| | - Anuj Gaggar
- Gilead Sciences, Inc., Foster City, California, USA
| | - Shyamasundaran Kottilil
- Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Program in Oncology, University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, USA
| | - Lydia Tang
- Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Program in Oncology, University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, USA
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9
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Nkongolo S, Mahamed D, Kuipery A, Sanchez Vasquez JD, Kim SC, Mehrotra A, Patel A, Hu C, McGilvray I, Feld JJ, Fung S, Chen D, Wallin JJ, Gaggar A, Janssen HL, Gehring AJ. Longitudinal liver sampling in patients with chronic hepatitis B starting antiviral therapy reveals hepatotoxic CD8+ T cells. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:158903. [PMID: 36594467 PMCID: PMC9797343 DOI: 10.1172/jci158903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulation of activated immune cells results in nonspecific hepatocyte killing in chronic hepatitis B (CHB), leading to fibrosis and cirrhosis. This study aims to understand the underlying mechanisms in humans and to define whether these are driven by widespread activation or a subpopulation of immune cells. We enrolled CHB patients with active liver damage to receive antiviral therapy and performed longitudinal liver sampling using fine-needle aspiration to investigate mechanisms of CHB pathogenesis in the human liver. Single-cell sequencing of total liver cells revealed a distinct liver-resident, polyclonal CD8+ T cell population that was enriched at baseline and displayed a highly activated immune signature during liver damage. Cytokine combinations, identified by in silico prediction of ligand-receptor interaction, induced the activated phenotype in healthy liver CD8+ T cells, resulting in nonspecific Fas ligand-mediated killing of target cells. These results define a CD8+ T cell population in the human liver that can drive pathogenesis and a key pathway involved in their function in CHB patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shirin Nkongolo
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Deeqa Mahamed
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Adrian Kuipery
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Juan D. Sanchez Vasquez
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Aman Mehrotra
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anjali Patel
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christine Hu
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ian McGilvray
- Multi-Organ Transplant Program, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jordan J. Feld
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Scott Fung
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Diana Chen
- Gilead Sciences, Foster City, California, USA
| | | | - Anuj Gaggar
- Gilead Sciences, Foster City, California, USA
| | - Harry L.A. Janssen
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Adam J. Gehring
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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10
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Pan DZ, Odorizzi PM, Schoenichen A, Abdelghany M, Chen S, Osinusi A, Patterson SD, Downie B, Juneja K, Wallin JJ. Remdesivir improves biomarkers associated with disease severity in COVID-19 patients treated in an outpatient setting. Commun Med (Lond) 2023; 3:2. [PMID: 36596885 PMCID: PMC9809529 DOI: 10.1038/s43856-022-00232-2] [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] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Remdesivir (RDV) is an intravenous antiviral with activity against SARS-CoV-2 for treatment of hospitalized COVID-19 patients with moderate-to-severe disease. Biomarkers associated with clinical outcomes have been identified for COVID-19, but few evaluated in context of antiviral treatment. Here, we assessed baseline (day 1, prior to first RDV dose) biomarkers and the impact of RDV treatment on longitudinal biomarker readouts. METHODS Recently, RDV was evaluated in high-risk, non-hospitalized patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and was highly effective at preventing disease progression. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 study included 562 participants who received at least 1 dose of study drug, of which 312 consented for longitudinal biomarker assessments at baseline, day 3, and day 14. We assessed sixteen baseline biomarkers and the impact of RDV treatment on longitudinal biomarker readouts. RESULTS Six well-known, inflammation-associated biomarkers are elevated at baseline in participants meeting the primary endpoint of hospitalization or death by day 28. Moreover, in comparison to placebo, biomarkers in RDV-treated participants show accelerated improvement, including reduction of soluble angiopoietin-2, D-dimer, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, as well as an increase in lymphocyte counts. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the findings in this study suggest that RDV treatment may accelerate the improvement of multiple biomarkers of COVID-19 severity, which are associated with better clinical outcomes during infection. These findings have implications for better understanding the activity of antiviral treatments in COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Z. Pan
- grid.418227.a0000 0004 0402 1634Gilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA 94404 USA
| | - Pamela M. Odorizzi
- grid.418227.a0000 0004 0402 1634Gilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA 94404 USA
| | - Andre Schoenichen
- grid.418227.a0000 0004 0402 1634Gilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA 94404 USA
| | - Mazin Abdelghany
- grid.418227.a0000 0004 0402 1634Gilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA 94404 USA
| | - Shuguang Chen
- grid.418227.a0000 0004 0402 1634Gilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA 94404 USA
| | - Anu Osinusi
- grid.418227.a0000 0004 0402 1634Gilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA 94404 USA
| | - Scott D. Patterson
- grid.418227.a0000 0004 0402 1634Gilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA 94404 USA
| | - Bryan Downie
- grid.418227.a0000 0004 0402 1634Gilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA 94404 USA
| | - Kavita Juneja
- grid.418227.a0000 0004 0402 1634Gilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA 94404 USA
| | - Jeffrey J. Wallin
- grid.418227.a0000 0004 0402 1634Gilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA 94404 USA
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11
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Yadav R, Sukumaran S, Zabka TS, Li J, Oldendorp A, Morrow G, Reyes A, Cheu M, Li J, Wallin JJ, Tsai S, Sun L, Wang P, Ellerman D, Spiess C, Polson A, Stefanich EG, Kamath AV, Ovacik MA. Nonclinical Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics Characterization of Anti-CD79b/CD3 T Cell-Dependent Bispecific Antibody Using a Surrogate Molecule: A Potential Therapeutic Agent for B Cell Malignancies. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14050970. [PMID: 35631556 PMCID: PMC9147001 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14050970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The T cell-dependent bispecific (TDB) antibody, anti-CD79b/CD3, targets CD79b and CD3 cell-surface receptors expressed on B cells and T cells, respectively. Since the anti-CD79b arm of this TDB binds only to human CD79b, a surrogate TDB that binds to cynomolgus monkey CD79b (cyCD79b) was used for preclinical characterization. To evaluate the impact of CD3 binding affinity on the TDB pharmacokinetics (PK), we utilized non-tumor-targeting bispecific anti-gD/CD3 antibodies composed of a low/high CD3 affinity arm along with a monospecific anti-gD arm as controls in monkeys and mice. An integrated PKPD model was developed to characterize PK and pharmacodynamics (PD). This study revealed the impact of CD3 binding affinity on anti-cyCD79b/CD3 PK. The surrogate anti-cyCD79b/CD3 TDB was highly effective in killing CD79b-expressing B cells and exhibited nonlinear PK in monkeys, consistent with target-mediated clearance. A dose-dependent decrease in B cell counts in peripheral blood was observed, as expected. Modeling indicated that anti-cyCD79b/CD3 TDB’s rapid and target-mediated clearance may be attributed to faster internalization of CD79b, in addition to enhanced CD3 binding. The model yielded unbiased and precise curve fits. These findings highlight the complex interaction between TDBs and their targets and may be applicable to the development of other biotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajbharan Yadav
- Preclinical and Translational Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA; (S.S.); (A.R.); (E.G.S.); (A.V.K.)
- Correspondence: (R.Y.); (M.A.O.); Tel.: +1-650-467-1723 (R.Y.); +1-650-467-3645 (M.A.O.)
| | - Siddharth Sukumaran
- Preclinical and Translational Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA; (S.S.); (A.R.); (E.G.S.); (A.V.K.)
| | - Tanja S. Zabka
- Safety Assessment, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA; (T.S.Z.); (J.L.); (A.O.); (G.M.)
| | - Jinze Li
- Safety Assessment, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA; (T.S.Z.); (J.L.); (A.O.); (G.M.)
| | - Amy Oldendorp
- Safety Assessment, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA; (T.S.Z.); (J.L.); (A.O.); (G.M.)
| | - Gary Morrow
- Safety Assessment, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA; (T.S.Z.); (J.L.); (A.O.); (G.M.)
| | - Arthur Reyes
- Preclinical and Translational Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA; (S.S.); (A.R.); (E.G.S.); (A.V.K.)
| | - Melissa Cheu
- BioAnalytical Sciences, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA;
| | - Jessica Li
- Oncology Biomarker Development (OBD), Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA; (J.L.); (J.J.W.)
| | - Jeffrey J. Wallin
- Oncology Biomarker Development (OBD), Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA; (J.L.); (J.J.W.)
| | - Siao Tsai
- Biochemical and Cellular Pharmacology, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA;
| | - Laura Sun
- Translational Oncology Department, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA; (L.S.); (P.W.); (A.P.)
| | - Peiyin Wang
- Translational Oncology Department, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA; (L.S.); (P.W.); (A.P.)
| | - Diego Ellerman
- Antibody Engineering, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA; (D.E.); (C.S.)
| | - Christoph Spiess
- Antibody Engineering, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA; (D.E.); (C.S.)
| | - Andy Polson
- Translational Oncology Department, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA; (L.S.); (P.W.); (A.P.)
| | - Eric G. Stefanich
- Preclinical and Translational Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA; (S.S.); (A.R.); (E.G.S.); (A.V.K.)
| | - Amrita V. Kamath
- Preclinical and Translational Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA; (S.S.); (A.R.); (E.G.S.); (A.V.K.)
| | - Meric A. Ovacik
- Preclinical and Translational Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA; (S.S.); (A.R.); (E.G.S.); (A.V.K.)
- Correspondence: (R.Y.); (M.A.O.); Tel.: +1-650-467-1723 (R.Y.); +1-650-467-3645 (M.A.O.)
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12
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Song KW, Edgar KA, Hanan EJ, Hafner M, Oeh J, Merchant M, Sampath D, Nannini MA, Hong R, Phu L, Forrest WF, Stawiski E, Schmidt S, Endres N, Guan J, Wallin JJ, Cheong J, Plise EG, Lewis Phillips GD, Salphati L, Heffron TP, Olivero AG, Malek S, Staben ST, Kirkpatrick DS, Dey A, Friedman LS. RTK-Dependent Inducible Degradation of Mutant PI3Kα Drives GDC-0077 (Inavolisib) Efficacy. Cancer Discov 2022; 12:204-219. [PMID: 34544753 PMCID: PMC9762331 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-21-0072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2021] [Revised: 07/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
PIK3CA is one of the most frequently mutated oncogenes; the p110a protein it encodes plays a central role in tumor cell proliferation. Small-molecule inhibitors targeting the PI3K p110a catalytic subunit have entered clinical trials, with early-phase GDC-0077 studies showing antitumor activity and a manageable safety profile in patients with PIK3CA-mutant breast cancer. However, preclinical studies have shown that PI3K pathway inhibition releases negative feedback and activates receptor tyrosine kinase signaling, reengaging the pathway and attenuating drug activity. Here we discover that GDC-0077 and taselisib more potently inhibit mutant PI3K pathway signaling and cell viability through unique HER2-dependent mutant p110a degradation. Both are more effective than other PI3K inhibitors at maintaining prolonged pathway suppression. This study establishes a new strategy for identifying inhibitors that specifically target mutant tumors by selective degradation of the mutant oncoprotein and provide a strong rationale for pursuing PI3Kα degraders in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer. SIGNIFICANCE: The PI3K inhibitors GDC-0077 and taselisib have a unique mechanism of action; both inhibitors lead to degradation of mutant p110a protein. The inhibitors that have the ability to trigger specific degradation of mutant p110a without significant change in wild-type p110a protein may result in improved therapeutic index in PIK3CA-mutant tumors.See related commentary by Vanhaesebroeck et al., p. 20.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyung W Song
- Department of Discovery Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Kyle A Edgar
- Department of Discovery Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Emily J Hanan
- Department of Discovery Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Marc Hafner
- Department of Oncology Bioinformatics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Jason Oeh
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Mark Merchant
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Deepak Sampath
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Michelle A Nannini
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Rebecca Hong
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Lilian Phu
- Department of Microchemistry, Proteomics & Lipidomics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - William F Forrest
- Department of Oncology Bioinformatics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Eric Stawiski
- Department of Oncology Bioinformatics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Stephen Schmidt
- Department of Biochemical and Cell Pharmacology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Nicholas Endres
- Department of Biochemical and Cell Pharmacology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Jane Guan
- Department of Discovery Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Jeffrey J Wallin
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Jonathan Cheong
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Emile G Plise
- Department of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | | | - Laurent Salphati
- Department of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Timothy P Heffron
- Department of Discovery Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Alan G Olivero
- Department of Discovery Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Shiva Malek
- Department of Discovery Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Steven T Staben
- Department of Discovery Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Donald S Kirkpatrick
- Department of Microchemistry, Proteomics & Lipidomics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Anwesha Dey
- Department of Discovery Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California.
| | - Lori S Friedman
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California.
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13
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Ayithan N, Ghosh A, Dwivedi A, Wallin JJ, Tan SK, Chen D, Kottilil S, Poonia B. Oral Selective TLR8 Agonist Selgantolimod Induces Multiple Immune Cell Responses in Humans. Viruses 2021; 13:v13122400. [PMID: 34960669 PMCID: PMC8706304 DOI: 10.3390/v13122400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
TLR8 agonists have the potential for use as immunomodulatory components in therapeutic modalities for viral infections such as chronic HBV (CHB) and HIV. In this study, using peripheral blood samples from a phase 1a clinical trial, we examined the acute effects of a single oral administration of a selective TLR8 agonist on immune cell phenotypes. Administration of the TLR8 agonist selgantolimod (SLGN) in healthy individuals resulted in alteration in frequencies of peripheral blood monocytes, pDCs, mDCs and MAIT cells. Frequencies of mDCs and lymphoid cells significantly reduced after 8 h of SLGN administration, whereas pDC frequencies significantly increased, with changes possibly reflecting migration of different cell types between peripheral and tissue compartments in response to the agonist. Myeloid cell activation was evident by an upregulated expression of co-stimulatory molecules CD40 and CD86 accompanied by the production of IL-6 and IL-18 from these cells. Concomitantly, there was induction of the early activation marker CD69 on innate and adaptive lymphoid cells, including MAIT and NK cell subsets. Further, these activated lymphoid cells had enhanced expression of the effector molecules granzyme B and perforin. Microarray analysis of isolated lymphocytes and monocytes from baseline and post-SLGN treatment revealed changes in expression of genes involved in cellular response to cytokine stimulus, innate immune response, myeloid cell differentiation and antigen receptor-mediated signaling pathway. In a preliminary analysis of samples from CHB patients treated with selgantolimod, activation of innate and adaptive lymphocytes was evident. In conclusion, this first in-human study shows that selgantolimod administration in humans results in activation of multiple immune cell responses with antiviral potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natarajan Ayithan
- Division of Clinical Care and Research, Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (N.A.); (A.G.); (S.K.)
| | - Alip Ghosh
- Division of Clinical Care and Research, Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (N.A.); (A.G.); (S.K.)
| | - Ankit Dwivedi
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA;
| | - Jeffrey J. Wallin
- Gilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA 94404, USA; (J.J.W.); (S.K.T.); (D.C.)
| | - Susanna K. Tan
- Gilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA 94404, USA; (J.J.W.); (S.K.T.); (D.C.)
| | - Diana Chen
- Gilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA 94404, USA; (J.J.W.); (S.K.T.); (D.C.)
| | - Shyam Kottilil
- Division of Clinical Care and Research, Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (N.A.); (A.G.); (S.K.)
| | - Bhawna Poonia
- Division of Clinical Care and Research, Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (N.A.); (A.G.); (S.K.)
- Correspondence:
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14
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Gane EJ, Kim HJ, Visvanathan K, Kim YJ, Nguyen AH, Wallin JJ, Chen DY, McDonald C, Arora P, Tan SK, Gaggar A, Roberts SK, Lim YS. Safety, Pharmacokinetics, and Pharmacodynamics of the Oral TLR8 Agonist Selgantolimod in Chronic Hepatitis B. Hepatology 2021; 74:1737-1749. [PMID: 33704806 DOI: 10.1002/hep.31795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS In patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection, activation of toll-like receptor 8 may induce antiviral immunity and drive functional cure. Selgantolimod, a toll-like receptor 8 agonist, was evaluated in patients with CHB who were virally suppressed on oral antiviral treatment or viremic and not on oral antiviral treatment. APPROACH AND RESULTS In this phase 1b study, patients were randomized 4:1 to receive either selgantolimod or placebo once weekly. Virally suppressed patients received either 1.5 mg (for 2 weeks) or 3 mg (for 2 weeks or 4 weeks). Viremic patients received 3 mg for 2 weeks. The primary endpoint was safety, as assessed by adverse events (AEs), laboratory abnormalities, and vital sign examination. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters were assessed by plasma analysis. A total of 38 patients (28 virally suppressed, 10 viremic) were enrolled from six sites in Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea. Twenty patients (53%) experienced an AE and 32 (84%) had laboratory abnormalities, all of which were mild or moderate in severity. The most common AEs were headache (32%), nausea (24%), and dizziness (13%). With a half-life of 5 hours, no accumulation of selgantolimod was observed with multiple dosing. Selgantolimod induced transient dose-dependent increases in serum cytokines, including IL-12p40 and IL-1RA, which are important for the expansion and activity of multiple T- cell subsets and innate immunity. CONCLUSION Selgantolimod was safe and well-tolerated in virally suppressed and viremic patients with CHB and elicited cytokine responses consistent with target engagement. Further studies with longer durations of selgantolimod treatment are required to evaluate efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward J Gane
- New Zealand Liver Transplant Unit, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | - Kumar Visvanathan
- St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne and University of Melbourne, Fitzroy, VIC, Australia
| | - Yoon Jun Kim
- Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Stuart K Roberts
- Alfred Hospital and Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Young-Suk Lim
- Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
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15
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Ayithan N, Tang L, Tan SK, Chen D, Wallin JJ, Fletcher SP, Kottilil S, Poonia B. Follicular Helper T (T FH) Cell Targeting by TLR8 Signaling For Improving HBsAg-Specific B Cell Response In Chronic Hepatitis B Patients. Front Immunol 2021; 12:735913. [PMID: 34512670 PMCID: PMC8428528 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.735913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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] [Received: 07/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying signaling pathways that induce B cell response can aid functional cure strategies for chronic hepatitis B infection (CHB). TLR8 activation with ssRNA was shown to enhance follicular helper T cell (TFH) function leading to improved B cell responses in vitro. We investigated whether this mechanism can rescue an exhausted immune response in CHB infection. Effect of TLR8 agonism on supporting cytokines and TFH and B cells were evaluated using ex vivo and in vitro assays. The ability of an oral TLR8 agonist to promote TFH and B cell response was tested in samples from phase 1b clinical trial. TLR8 agonism induced TFH polarizing cytokine IL-12 in monocytes. Treatment of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from CHB patients with TLR8 agonists induced cytokine IL-21 by TFH cells with enhanced IL-21+BCL-6+ and ICOS+BCL-6+ co-expression. Mechanistically, incubation of isolated naïve CD4+ T cells with TLR8 triggered monocytes resulted in their differentiation into IL-21+ICOS+BCL-6+ TFH in an IL-12 dependent manner. Furthermore, co-culture of these IL-21 producing TFH with autologous naïve B cells led to enhanced memory (CD19+CD27+) and plasma B cell generation (CD19+CD27++CD38+) and IgG production. Importantly, in TFH from CHB patients treated with an oral TLR8 agonist, HBsAg-specific BCL-6, ICOS, IL-21 and CD40L expression and rescue of defective activation induced marker (AIM) response along with partial restoration of HBsAg-specific B cell ELISPOT response was evident. TLR8 agonism can thus enhance HBV-specific B cell responses in CHB patients by improving monocyte-mediated TFH function and may play a role in achieving HBV functional cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natarajan Ayithan
- Division of Clinical Care and Research, Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Lydia Tang
- Division of Clinical Care and Research, Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Susanna K Tan
- Clinical Research, Gilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA, United States
| | - Diana Chen
- Clinical Research, Gilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA, United States
| | - Jeffrey J Wallin
- Clinical Research, Gilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA, United States
| | - Simon P Fletcher
- Clinical Research, Gilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA, United States
| | - Shyam Kottilil
- Division of Clinical Care and Research, Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Bhawna Poonia
- Division of Clinical Care and Research, Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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16
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SenGupta D, Brinson C, DeJesus E, Mills A, Shalit P, Guo S, Cai Y, Wallin JJ, Zhang L, Humeniuk R, Begley R, Geleziunas R, Mellors J, Wrin T, Jones N, Milush J, Ferre AL, Shacklett BL, Laird GM, Moldt B, Vendrame E, Brainard DM, Ramgopal M, Deeks SG. The TLR7 agonist vesatolimod induced a modest delay in viral rebound in HIV controllers after cessation of antiretroviral therapy. Sci Transl Med 2021; 13:13/599/eabg3071. [PMID: 34162752 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abg3071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonists, in combination with other therapies, can induce sustained control of simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) or simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) in nonhuman primates. Here, we report the results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 1b clinical trial of an oral TLR7 agonist, vesatolimod, in HIV-1-infected controllers on antiretroviral therapy (ART). We randomized participants 2:1 to receive vesatolimod (n = 17) or placebo (n = 8) once every other week for a total of 10 doses while continuing on ART. ART was then interrupted, and the time to viral rebound was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Vesatolimod was associated with induction of immune cell activation, decreases in intact proviral DNA during ART, and a modest increase in time to rebound after ART was interrupted. The delayed viral rebound was predicted by the lower intact proviral DNA at the end of vesatolimod treatment (13 days after the final dose). Inferred pathway analysis suggested increased dendritic cell and natural killer cell cross-talk and an increase in cytotoxicity potential after vesatolimod dosing. Larger clinical studies will be necessary to assess the efficacy of vesatolimod-based combination therapies aimed at long-term control of HIV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Peter Shalit
- Peter Shalit MD and Associates, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Susan Guo
- Gilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA, USA
| | - Yanhui Cai
- Gilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA, USA
| | | | - Liao Zhang
- Gilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Terri Wrin
- Monogram Biosciences, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Norman Jones
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey Milush
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Steven G Deeks
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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17
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Hegde PS, Wallin JJ, Mancao C. Predictive markers of anti-VEGF and emerging role of angiogenesis inhibitors as immunotherapeutics. Semin Cancer Biol 2017; 52:117-124. [PMID: 29229461 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2017.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 279] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Revised: 12/02/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The critical role of angiogenesis in promoting tumor growth and metastasis has been well established scientifically, and consequently blocking this pathway as a therapeutic strategy has demonstrated great clinical success for the treatment of cancer. The holy grail however, has been the identification of patients who derive significant survival benefit from this class of agents. Here we attempt to delineate the diverse mechanisms related to anti-VEGF including its role as an anti-vascular, anti-angiogenic or an anti-permeability factor and review the most promising predictive biomarkers interrogated in large clinical trials, that identify patients who may derive significant survival advantage with VEGF inhibition. Lastly, we describe the function of VEGF as an immunomodulator and illustrate the evidence for anti-VEGF in reprogramming the tumor milieu from an immunosuppressive to an immune permissive microenvironment in human cancers, thus elucidating the role of anti-VEGF as an optimal combination partner for immune checkpoint inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priti S Hegde
- Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA.
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18
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Wallin JJ, Bendell JC, Funke R, Sznol M, Korski K, Jones S, Hernandez G, Mier J, He X, Hodi FS, Denker M, Leveque V, Cañamero M, Babitski G, Koeppen H, Ziai J, Sharma N, Gaire F, Chen DS, Waterkamp D, Hegde PS, McDermott DF. Atezolizumab in combination with bevacizumab enhances antigen-specific T-cell migration in metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Nat Commun 2016; 7:12624. [PMID: 27571927 PMCID: PMC5013615 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 494] [Impact Index Per Article: 61.8] [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: 02/01/2016] [Accepted: 07/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Anti-tumour immune activation by checkpoint inhibitors leads to durable responses in a variety of cancers, but combination approaches are required to extend this benefit beyond a subset of patients. In preclinical models tumour-derived VEGF limits immune cell activity while anti-VEGF augments intra-tumoral T-cell infiltration, potentially through vascular normalization and endothelial cell activation. This study investigates how VEGF blockade with bevacizumab could potentiate PD-L1 checkpoint inhibition with atezolizumab in mRCC. Tissue collections are before treatment, after bevacizumab and after the addition of atezolizumab. We discover that intra-tumoral CD8+ T cells increase following combination treatment. A related increase is found in intra-tumoral MHC-I, Th1 and T-effector markers, and chemokines, most notably CX3CL1 (fractalkine). We also discover that the fractalkine receptor increases on peripheral CD8+ T cells with treatment. Furthermore, trafficking lymphocyte increases are observed in tumors following bevacizumab and combination treatment. These data suggest that the anti-VEGF and anti-PD-L1 combination improves antigen-specific T-cell migration. Cancer immunotherapy can be used in combination with other therapies for a better response. Here, the authors conduct a phase Ib clinical study and report the clinical activity and the immune response of the anti-PDL1 agent, atezolizumab, in combination with bevacizumab in ten patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey J Wallin
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, USA
| | - Johanna C Bendell
- GI Oncology Research, Drug Development Unit, Sarah Cannon Research Institute, 250 25th Avenue North, Suite 100, Nashville, Tennessee, 37203, USA
| | - Roel Funke
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, USA
| | - Mario Sznol
- Department of Internal Medicine and Melanoma Unit, Yale Cancer Center, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA
| | | | - Suzanne Jones
- GI Oncology Research, Drug Development Unit, Sarah Cannon Research Institute, 250 25th Avenue North, Suite 100, Nashville, Tennessee, 37203, USA
| | | | - James Mier
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, Massachusets 02215, USA
| | - Xian He
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, USA
| | - F Stephen Hodi
- Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, Massachusets 02215, USA
| | - Mitchell Denker
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, USA
| | - Vincent Leveque
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, USA
| | - Marta Cañamero
- Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Nonnenwald 2, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
| | - Galina Babitski
- Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Nonnenwald 2, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
| | - Hartmut Koeppen
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, USA
| | - James Ziai
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, USA
| | - Neeraj Sharma
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, USA
| | - Fabien Gaire
- Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Nonnenwald 2, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
| | - Daniel S Chen
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, USA
| | - Daniel Waterkamp
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, USA
| | - Priti S Hegde
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, USA
| | - David F McDermott
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, Massachusets 02215, USA
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19
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Osswald M, Blaes J, Liao Y, Solecki G, Gömmel M, Berghoff AS, Salphati L, Wallin JJ, Phillips HS, Wick W, Winkler F. Impact of Blood-Brain Barrier Integrity on Tumor Growth and Therapy Response in Brain Metastases. Clin Cancer Res 2016; 22:6078-6087. [PMID: 27521448 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-16-1327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Revised: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The role of blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity for brain tumor biology and therapy is a matter of debate. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We developed a new experimental approach using in vivo two-photon imaging of mouse brain metastases originating from a melanoma cell line to investigate the growth kinetics of individual tumor cells in response to systemic delivery of two PI3K/mTOR inhibitors over time, and to study the impact of microregional vascular permeability. The two drugs are closely related but differ regarding a minor chemical modification that greatly increases brain penetration of one drug. RESULTS Both inhibitors demonstrated a comparable inhibition of downstream targets and melanoma growth in vitro In vivo, increased BBB permeability to sodium fluorescein was associated with accelerated growth of individual brain metastases. Melanoma metastases with permeable microvessels responded similarly to equivalent doses of both inhibitors. In contrast, metastases with an intact BBB showed an exclusive response to the brain-penetrating inhibitor. The latter was true for macro- and micrometastases, and even single dormant melanoma cells. Nuclear morphology changes and single-cell regression patterns implied that both inhibitors, if extravasated, target not only perivascular melanoma cells but also those distant to blood vessels. CONCLUSIONS Our study provides the first direct evidence that nonpermeable brain micro- and macrometastases can effectively be targeted by a drug designed to cross the BBB. Small-molecule inhibitors with these optimized properties are promising agents in preventing or treating brain metastases in patients. Clin Cancer Res; 22(24); 6078-87. ©2016 AACRSee related commentary by Steeg et al., p. 5953.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Osswald
- Neurology Clinic and National Center for Tumor Diseases, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,Clinical Cooperation Unit Neurooncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jonas Blaes
- Neurology Clinic and National Center for Tumor Diseases, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,Clinical Cooperation Unit Neurooncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Yunxiang Liao
- Neurology Clinic and National Center for Tumor Diseases, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,Clinical Cooperation Unit Neurooncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Gergely Solecki
- Neurology Clinic and National Center for Tumor Diseases, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,Clinical Cooperation Unit Neurooncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Miriam Gömmel
- Neurology Clinic and National Center for Tumor Diseases, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,Clinical Cooperation Unit Neurooncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anna S Berghoff
- Neurology Clinic and National Center for Tumor Diseases, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,Clinical Cooperation Unit Neurooncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Laurent Salphati
- Department of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Jeffrey J Wallin
- Department of Cancer Signaling and Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Heidi S Phillips
- Department of Cancer Signaling and Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Wolfgang Wick
- Neurology Clinic and National Center for Tumor Diseases, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,Clinical Cooperation Unit Neurooncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Frank Winkler
- Neurology Clinic and National Center for Tumor Diseases, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany. .,Clinical Cooperation Unit Neurooncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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20
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Hoeflich KP, Guan J, Edgar KA, O'Brien C, Savage H, Wilson TR, Neve RM, Friedman LS, Wallin JJ. The PI3K inhibitor taselisib overcomes letrozole resistance in a breast cancer model expressing aromatase. Genes Cancer 2016; 7:73-85. [PMID: 27382432 PMCID: PMC4918946 DOI: 10.18632/genesandcancer.100] [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] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Letrozole is a commonly used treatment option for metastatic hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer, but many patients ultimately relapse. Due to the importance of phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K) in breast cancer, PI3K inhibitors such as taselisib are attractive for combination with endocrine therapies such as letrozole. Taselisib was evaluated as a single agent and in combination with letrozole in a breast cancer cell line engineered to express aromatase. The combination of taselisib and letrozole decreased cellular viability and increased apoptosis relative to either single agent. Signaling cross-talk between the PI3K and ER pathways was associated with efficacy for the combination. In a secreted factor screen, multiple soluble factors, including members of the epidermal and fibroblast growth factor families, rendered breast cancer cells non-responsive to letrozole. It was discovered that many of these factors signal through the PI3K pathway and cells remained sensitive to taselisib in the presence of the soluble factors. We also found that letrozole resistant lines have elevated PI3K pathway signaling due to an increased level of p110α, but are still sensitive to taselisib. These data provide rationale for clinical evaluation of PI3K inhibitors to overcome resistance to endocrine therapies in ER+ breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaus P Hoeflich
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jane Guan
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kyle A Edgar
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Carol O'Brien
- Department of Oncology Biomarker Development, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Heidi Savage
- Department of Oncology Biomarker Development, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Timothy R Wilson
- Department of Oncology Biomarker Development, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Richard M Neve
- Department of Molecular Biology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Lori S Friedman
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey J Wallin
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
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21
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Edgar KA, Nannini M, Hong R, Eigenbrot C, Schmidt S, Young A, Sampath D, Wallin JJ, Friedman LS. Abstract 2672: Characterization of the enhanced potency of PI3K inhibitor taselisib (GDC-0032) in PI3K mutant cell lines and models. Cancer Res 2015. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2015-2672] [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
Alterations of the phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway occur broadly in cancer via multiple mechanisms including mutation of the PIK3CA gene or loss of the tumor suppressor PTEN. The dysregulation of this pathway has been implicated in tumor initiation, cell growth and survival, invasion and angiogenesis; thus PI3K is a promising therapeutic target with multiple inhibitors in clinical trials. The current study investigates preclinical mechanism of action of taselisib (GDC-0032), a novel, oral, selective inhibitor of PI3K alpha sparing inhibition of PI3K beta. In preclinical studies, taselisib demonstrates greater potency in cancer cell lines harboring activating PI3K alpha mutations vs wild-type lines. Taselisib induces tumor growth arrest and regressions at tolerated doses in xenograft and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumor models bearing PI3K alpha mutations. Notably, taselisib is distinguished from other PI3K inhibitors by enhanced potency in PI3K alpha mutant isogenic cells compared to parental cells. Pathway inhibition and apoptosis are associated with the enhanced activity of taselisib in PI3K alpha mutant cells. Other PI3K inhibitors, including PI3K alpha selective and pan-PI3K inhibitors, do not achieve the same level of activity in PI3K alpha mutant cell lines. Taselisib is more effective at maintaining suppression of the signaling pathway upon activation of Receptor Tyrosine Kinases (RTKs), such as after alleviation of negative feedback within the pathway. Additionally, a screen to evaluate secreted factors contributing to pan-PI3K inhibitor resistance was carried out in SW48 parental and PI3Kα H1047R isogenic cells. Growth factor ligands for the EGFR family were found to reduce the activity of PI3K inhibitors. Taken together, taselisib offers greater preclinical activity in PI3K alpha mutant cells when compared to other PI3K inhibitors, which may indicate a wider therapeutic index.
Citation Format: Kyle A. Edgar, Michelle Nannini, Rebecca Hong, Charlie Eigenbrot, Stephen Schmidt, Amy Young, Deepak Sampath, Jeffrey J. Wallin, Lori S. Friedman. Characterization of the enhanced potency of PI3K inhibitor taselisib (GDC-0032) in PI3K mutant cell lines and models. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 2672. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-2672
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Amy Young
- Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA
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22
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Edgar KA, Hwu L, Walter K, Lackner M, Friedman LS, Wallin JJ. Abstract B37: Mechanisms of acquired resistance to the PI3K inhibitor GDC-0941 in breast cancer cell lines. Mol Cancer Ther 2015. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-8514.pi3k14-b37] [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
Alterations of the phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway occur broadly in cancer via multiple mechanisms including mutation of the PIK3CA gene or loss of the tumor suppressor PTEN. The dysregulation of this pathway has been implicated in tumor initiation, cell growth and survival, invasion and angiogenesis, thus, PI3K is a promising therapeutic target for cancer. There are several PI3K inhibitors in clinical trials and the current study was intended to investigate preclinical mechanisms of acquired resistance to GDC-0941, a class I selective PI3K inhibitor. GDC-0941 resistant pools and clones were generated in both EVSA-T and HCC-1954 breast cancer cell lines by treating cells with increasing concentrations of drug. We found that resistant clones from both lines demonstrated marked increase of downstream PI3K pathway signaling and upregulation of the MAPK pathway, through two different mechanisms. In HCC-1954, autocrine signaling to EGFR was observed in the resistant clones and resulted in increased dependency on the downstream factor c-Myc. EVSA-T clones with acquired resistance to GDC-0941 had elevated HER2 copy number and protein expression levels. A corresponding increase in phosphorylation of HER2 binding partner ErbB3 was also discovered in the EVSA-T resistance cells. In both cases sensitivity to PI3K inhibition was restored by blocking the activated upstream receptor tyrosine kinase, EGFR for HCC-1954 and HER2 for EVSA-T. Additionally both models were re-sensitized to GDC-0941 by blocking downstream signaling of the MAPK pathway. These preclinical data may provide rationale for combination therapy with PI3K inhibitors in the clinic.
Citation Format: Kyle A. Edgar, Ling Hwu, Kimberly Walter, Mark Lackner, Lori S. Friedman, Jeffrey J. Wallin. Mechanisms of acquired resistance to the PI3K inhibitor GDC-0941 in breast cancer cell lines. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Targeting the PI3K-mTOR Network in Cancer; Sep 14-17, 2014; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2015;14(7 Suppl):Abstract nr B37.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ling Hwu
- Genentech,Inc., South San Francisco, CA
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23
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Edgar KA, Crocker L, Cheng E, Wagle MC, Wongchenko M, Yan Y, Wilson TR, Dompe N, Neve RM, Belvin M, Sampath D, Friedman LS, Wallin JJ. Amphiregulin and PTEN evoke a multimodal mechanism of acquired resistance to PI3K inhibition. Genes Cancer 2014; 5:113-26. [PMID: 25053989 PMCID: PMC4091530 DOI: 10.18632/genesandcancer.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [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: 05/03/2014] [Accepted: 05/16/2014] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway alterations occur broadly in cancer and PI3K is a promising therapeutic target. Here, we investigated acquired resistance to GDC-0941, a PI3K inhibitor in clinical trials. Colorectal cancer (CRC) cells made to be resistant to GDC-0941 were discovered to secrete amphiregulin, which resulted in increased EGFR/MAPK signaling. Moreover, prolonged PI3K pathway inhibition in cultured cells over a period of months led to a secondary loss of PTEN in 40% of the CRC lines with acquired resistance to PI3K inhibition. In the absence of PI3K inhibitor, these PTEN-null PI3K inhibitor-resistant clones had elevated PI3K pathway signaling and decreased sensitivity to MAPK pathway inhibitors. Importantly, PTEN loss was not able to induce resistance to PI3K inhibitors in the absence of amphiregulin, indicating a multimodal mechanism of acquired resistance. The combination of PI3K and MAPK pathway inhibitors overcame acquired resistance in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle A Edgar
- Departments of Translational Oncology, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Lisa Crocker
- Departments of Translational Oncology, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Eric Cheng
- Departments of Translational Oncology, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Yibing Yan
- Department of Oncology Biomarkers, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Nicholas Dompe
- Department of Molecular Biology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Richard M Neve
- Department of Molecular Biology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Marcia Belvin
- Departments of Translational Oncology, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Deepak Sampath
- Departments of Translational Oncology, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Lori S Friedman
- Departments of Translational Oncology, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey J Wallin
- Departments of Translational Oncology, South San Francisco, CA, USA
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Wallin JJ, Guan J, Hong R, O'Brien C, Wilson T, Nannini M, Sampath D, Belvin M, Friedman LS. Abstract 546: GDC-0032 PI3K inhibitor enhances the efficacy of endocrine therapies in breast cancer cells by differentially regulating the expression of ER-targeted genes and increasing apoptosis. Cancer Res 2013. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2013-546] [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
Endocrine therapies such as letrozole or fulvestrant are commonly used treatment options for metastatic Hormone Receptor positive (HR+) breast cancer but patients ultimately relapse. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases (PI3K) regulate breast tumor cell growth, migration and survival. The alpha isoform of PI3K is frequently mutated and activated in HR+ breast cancer and has been implicated in resistance to endocrine therapies. PI3K inhibitors are therefore attractive for combination with endocrine therapies. GDC 0032 is an orally bioavailable, potent, and selective inhibitor of Class I PI3K alpha, delta, and gamma isoforms, with 30 fold less inhibition of the PI3K beta isoform relative to the PI3K alpha isoform. Preclinical data show that GDC-0032 has increased activity against PI3K alpha isoform (PIK3CA) mutant and HER2-amplified cancer cell lines. Single agent and combination studies were carried out to determine if GDC-0032 enhances the anti-tumor activity of endocrine therapies in human breast cancer models. MCF7 cells (Estrogen Receptor positive (ER+), PI3K alpha E545K mutant) were transfected with the aromatase gene and stable clones (MCF7-ARO) were selected that are capable of converting androstenedione to estrogen in culture. When grown in the presence of androstenedione, MCF7-ARO cells were more reliant on estrogen for growth. Under these conditions the cells were treated with GDC-0032 in combination with endocrine therapies and assayed for cellular viability, modulation of PI3K pathway and ER pathway markers and apoptosis induction. The combination of GDC-0032 and endocrine therapies decreased the cellular viability of MCF7-ARO cells and increased apoptosis relative to either single agent. We observed cross-talk between the PI3K and ER pathways that suggests a mechanism of action for the combination. The data provide rationale for evaluating GDC-0032 in combination with endocrine therapies for HR+ breast cancer treatment in the clinic.
Citation Format: Jeffrey J. Wallin, Jane Guan, Rebecca Hong, Carol O'Brien, Timothy Wilson, Michelle Nannini, Deepak Sampath, Marcia Belvin, Lori S. Friedman. GDC-0032 PI3K inhibitor enhances the efficacy of endocrine therapies in breast cancer cells by differentially regulating the expression of ER-targeted genes and increasing apoptosis. [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 546. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-546
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jane Guan
- Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA
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Lin J, Sampath D, Nannini MA, Lee BB, Degtyarev M, Oeh J, Savage H, Guan Z, Hong R, Kassees R, Lee LB, Risom T, Gross S, Liederer BM, Koeppen H, Skelton NJ, Wallin JJ, Belvin M, Punnoose E, Friedman LS, Lin K. Targeting activated Akt with GDC-0068, a novel selective Akt inhibitor that is efficacious in multiple tumor models. Clin Cancer Res 2013; 19:1760-72. [PMID: 23287563 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-12-3072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 194] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.6] [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
PURPOSE We describe the preclinical pharmacology and antitumor activity of GDC-0068, a novel highly selective ATP-competitive pan-Akt inhibitor currently in clinical trials for the treatment of human cancers. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN The effect of GDC-0068 on Akt signaling was characterized using specific biomarkers of the Akt pathway, and response to GDC-0068 was evaluated in human cancer cell lines and xenograft models with various genetic backgrounds, either as a single agent or in combination with chemotherapeutic agents. RESULTS GDC-0068 blocked Akt signaling both in cultured human cancer cell lines and in tumor xenograft models as evidenced by dose-dependent decrease in phosphorylation of downstream targets. Inhibition of Akt activity by GDC-0068 resulted in blockade of cell-cycle progression and reduced viability of cancer cell lines. Markers of Akt activation, including high-basal phospho-Akt levels, PTEN loss, and PIK3CA kinase domain mutations, correlate with sensitivity to GDC-0068. Isogenic PTEN knockout also sensitized MCF10A cells to GDC-0068. In multiple tumor xenograft models, oral administration of GDC-0068 resulted in antitumor activity ranging from tumor growth delay to regression. Consistent with the role of Akt in a survival pathway, GDC-0068 also enhanced antitumor activity of classic chemotherapeutic agents. CONCLUSIONS GDC-0068 is a highly selective, orally bioavailable Akt kinase inhibitor that shows pharmacodynamic inhibition of Akt signaling and robust antitumor activity in human cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Our preclinical data provide a strong mechanistic rationale to evaluate GDC-0068 in cancers with activated Akt signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Lin
- Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
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Wallin JJ, Guan J, Prior WW, Lee LB, Ross L, Belmont LD, Koeppen H, Belvin M, Sampath D, Friedman LS. Abstract P4-07-01: The Class I Selective PI3K Inhibitor GDC-0941 Enhances the Efficacy of Docetaxel in Human Breast Cancer Models by Increasing the Rate of Apoptosis. Cancer Res 2012. [DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.sabcs12-p4-07-01] [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
Docetaxel (DTX) is commonly used as a front-line treatment option for breast cancer but many patients ultimately relapse and succumb to disease progression. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases (PI3K) are lipid kinases that regulate breast tumor cell growth, migration and survival. Given that phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) is frequently activated in breast cancer and induces chemo-resistance, it is an attractive target for combination therapy with standard of care drugs such as DTX. The current study was intended to determine if GDC-0941, an orally bioavailable class I selective PI3K inhibitor, enhances the anti-tumor activity of DTX in human breast cancer models in vitro and in vivo. A panel of 25 breast tumor cell lines representing luminal, HER2+ and basal sub-types were treated with GDC-0941, DTX or the combination of both drugs and assayed for cellular viability, modulation of PI3K pathway markers and apoptosis induction. The combination of GDC-0941 and DTX decreased the cellular viability of breast tumor cell lines in vitro but with variable drug synergy. The addition of both drugs resulted in stronger synergistic effects in a sub-set of tumor cell lines that was not predicted by breast cancer sub-type or mutations within the PI3K pathway. Human xenografts of breast cancer cell lines and patient-derived tumors were utilized to assess efficacy of GDC-0941 and DTX in vivo. In these models, the best combination efficacy was detected when the two drugs were dosed within 1 hour of each other. We also observed that GDC-0941 increased the rate of apoptosis in cells arrested in mitosis upon co-treatment with DTX. Our data provides a preclinical rationale for evaluating GDC-0941 in combination with DTX for breast cancer treatment.
Citation Information: Cancer Res 2012;72(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-07-01.
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Affiliation(s)
- JJ Wallin
- Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA
| | - J Guan
- Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA
| | - WW Prior
- Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA
| | - LB Lee
- Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA
| | - L Ross
- Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA
| | - LD Belmont
- Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA
| | - H Koeppen
- Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA
| | - M Belvin
- Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA
| | - D Sampath
- Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA
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Salphati L, Heffron TP, Alicke B, Nishimura M, Barck K, Carano RA, Cheong J, Edgar KA, Greve J, Kharbanda S, Koeppen H, Lau S, Lee LB, Pang J, Plise EG, Pokorny JL, Reslan HB, Sarkaria JN, Wallin JJ, Zhang X, Gould SE, Olivero AG, Phillips HS. Targeting the PI3K pathway in the brain--efficacy of a PI3K inhibitor optimized to cross the blood-brain barrier. Clin Cancer Res 2012; 18:6239-48. [PMID: 22992516 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-12-0720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Glioblastoma (GBM), the most common primary brain tumor in adults, presents a high frequency of alteration in the PI3K pathway. Our objectives were to identify a dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor optimized to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and characterize its brain penetration, pathway modulation in the brain and efficacy in orthotopic xenograft models of GBM. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Physicochemical properties of PI3K inhibitors were optimized using in silico tools, leading to the identification of GNE-317. This compound was tested in cells overexpressing P-glycoprotein (P-gp) or breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP). Following administration to mice, GNE-317 plasma and brain concentrations were determined, and phosphorylated biomarkers (pAkt, p4EBP1, and pS6) were measured to assess PI3K pathway suppression in the brain. GNE-317 efficacy was evaluated in the U87, GS2, and GBM10 orthotopic models of GBM. RESULTS GNE-317 was identified as having physicochemical properties predictive of low efflux by P-gp and BCRP. Studies in transfected MDCK cells showed that GNE-317 was not a substrate of either transporter. GNE-317 markedly inhibited the PI3K pathway in mouse brain, causing 40% to 90% suppression of the pAkt and pS6 signals up to 6-hour postdose. GNE-317 was efficacious in the U87, GS2, and GBM10 orthotopic models, achieving tumor growth inhibition of 90% and 50%, and survival benefit, respectively. CONCLUSIONS These results indicated that specific optimization of PI3K inhibitors to cross the BBB led to potent suppression of the PI3K pathway in healthy brain. The efficacy of GNE-317 in 3 intracranial models of GBM suggested that this compound could be effective in the treatment of GBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Salphati
- Department of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Genentech Inc, South San Francisco, California 94080, USA.
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Wallin JJ, Guan J, Prior WW, Lee LB, Berry L, Belmont LD, Koeppen H, Belvin M, Friedman LS, Sampath D. GDC-0941, a novel class I selective PI3K inhibitor, enhances the efficacy of docetaxel in human breast cancer models by increasing cell death in vitro and in vivo. Clin Cancer Res 2012; 18:3901-11. [PMID: 22586300 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-11-2088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Docetaxel is a front-line standard-of-care chemotherapeutic drug for the treatment of breast cancer. Phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3K) are lipid kinases that regulate breast tumor cell growth, migration, and survival. The current study was intended to determine whether GDC-0941, an orally bioavailable class I selective PI3K inhibitor, enhances the antitumor activity of docetaxel in human breast cancer models in vitro and in vivo. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN A panel of 25 breast tumor cell lines representing HER2+, luminal, and basal subtypes were treated with GDC-0941, docetaxel, or the combination of both drugs and assayed for cellular viability, modulation of PI3K pathway markers, and apoptosis induction. Drug combination effects on cellular viability were also assessed in nontransformed MCF10A human mammary epithelial cells. Human xenografts of breast cancer cell lines and patient-derived tumors were used to assess efficacy of GDC-0941 and docetaxel in vivo. RESULTS Combination of GDC-0941 and docetaxel decreased the cellular viability of breast tumor cell lines in vitro but to variable degrees of drug synergy. Compared with nontransformed MCF10A cells, the addition of both drugs resulted in stronger synergistic effects in a subset of tumor cell lines that were not predicted by breast cancer subtype. In xenograft models, GDC-0941 enhanced the antitumor activity of docetaxel with maximum combination efficacy observed within 1 hour of administering both drugs. GDC-0941 increased the rate of apoptosis in cells arrested in mitosis upon cotreatment with docetaxel. CONCLUSION GDC-0941 augments the efficacy of docetaxel by increasing drug-induced apoptosis in breast cancer models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey J Wallin
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., San Francisco, CA, USA
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Wallin JJ, Guan J, Edgar KA, Zhou W, Francis R, Torres AC, Haverty PM, Eastham-Anderson J, Arena S, Bardelli A, Griffin S, Goodall JE, Grimshaw KM, Hoeflich KP, Torrance C, Belvin M, Friedman LS. Active PI3K pathway causes an invasive phenotype which can be reversed or promoted by blocking the pathway at divergent nodes. PLoS One 2012; 7:e36402. [PMID: 22570710 PMCID: PMC3343052 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0036402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2012] [Accepted: 04/02/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The PTEN/PI3K pathway is commonly mutated in cancer and therefore represents an attractive target for therapeutic intervention. To investigate the primary phenotypes mediated by increased pathway signaling in a clean, patient-relevant context, an activating PIK3CA mutation (H1047R) was knocked-in to an endogenous allele of the MCF10A non-tumorigenic human breast epithelial cell line. Introduction of an endogenously mutated PIK3CA allele resulted in a marked epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and invasive phenotype, compared to isogenic wild-type cells. The invasive phenotype was linked to enhanced PIP3 production via a S6K-IRS positive feedback mechanism. Moreover, potent and selective inhibitors of PI3K were highly effective in reversing this phenotype, which is optimally revealed in 3-dimensional cell culture. In contrast, inhibition of Akt or mTOR exacerbated the invasive phenotype. Our results suggest that invasion is a core phenotype mediated by increased PTEN/PI3K pathway activity and that therapeutic agents targeting different nodes of the PI3K pathway may have dramatic differences in their ability to reverse or promote cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey J Wallin
- Department of Cancer Signaling and Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA.
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Wallin JJ, Edgar KA, Guan J, Berry M, Prior WW, Lee L, Lesnick JD, Lewis C, Nonomiya J, Pang J, Salphati L, Olivero AG, Sutherlin DP, O'Brien C, Spoerke JM, Patel S, Lensun L, Kassees R, Ross L, Lackner MR, Sampath D, Belvin M, Friedman LS. GDC-0980 is a novel class I PI3K/mTOR kinase inhibitor with robust activity in cancer models driven by the PI3K pathway. Mol Cancer Ther 2011; 10:2426-36. [PMID: 21998291 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-11-0446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 172] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Alterations of the phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway occur broadly in cancer via multiple mechanisms including mutation of the PIK3CA gene, loss or mutation of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), and deregulation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complexes. The dysregulation of this pathway has been implicated in tumor initiation, cell growth and survival, invasion and angiogenesis, thus, PI3K and mTOR are promising therapeutic targets for cancer. We discovered GDC-0980, a selective, potent, orally bioavailable inhibitor of Class I PI3 kinase and mTOR kinase (TORC1/2) with excellent pharmacokinetic and pharmaceutical properties. GDC-0980 potently inhibits signal transduction downstream of both PI3K and mTOR, as measured by pharmacodynamic (PD) biomarkers, thereby acting upon two key pathway nodes to produce the strongest attainable inhibition of signaling in the pathway. Correspondingly, GDC-0980 was potent across a broad panel of cancer cell lines, with the greatest potency in breast, prostate, and lung cancers and less activity in melanoma and pancreatic cancers, consistent with KRAS and BRAF acting as resistance markers. Treatment of cancer cell lines with GDC-0980 resulted in G1 cell-cycle arrest, and in contrast to mTOR inhibitors, GDC-0980 induced apoptosis in certain cancer cell lines, including those with direct pathway activation via PI3K and PTEN. Low doses of GDC-0980 potently inhibited tumor growth in xenograft models including those with activated PI3K, loss of LKB1 or PTEN, and elicited an exposure-related decrease in PD biomarkers. These preclinical data show that GDC-0980 is a potent and effective dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor with promise for the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey J Wallin
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080, USA
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Wallin JJ, Guan J, Prior WW, Edgar KA, Kassees R, Sampath D, Belvin M, Friedman LS. Nuclear phospho-Akt increase predicts synergy of PI3K inhibition and doxorubicin in breast and ovarian cancer. Sci Transl Med 2010; 2:48ra66. [PMID: 20826841 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3000630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [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 phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt signaling pathway is frequently disrupted in cancer and implicated in multiple aspects of tumor growth and survival. In addition, increased activity of this pathway in cancer is associated with resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. Therefore, it has been hypothesized that PI3K inhibitors could help to overcome resistance to chemotherapies. We used preclinical cancer models to determine the effects of combining the DNA-damaging drug doxorubicin with GDC-0941, a class I PI3K inhibitor that is currently being tested in early-stage clinical trials. We found that PI3K inhibition significantly increased apoptosis and enhanced the antitumor effects of doxorubicin in a defined set of breast and ovarian cancer models. Doxorubicin treatment caused an increase in the amount of nuclear phospho-Akt(Ser473) in cancer cells that rely on the PI3K pathway for survival. This increased phospho-Akt(Ser473) response to doxorubicin correlates with the strength of GDC-0941's effect to augment doxorubicin action. These studies predict that clinical use of combination therapies with GDC-0941 in addition to DNA-damaging agents will be effective in tumors that rely on the PI3K pathway for survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey J Wallin
- Cancer Signaling, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA.
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Salphati L, Wong H, Belvin M, Bradford D, Edgar KA, Prior WW, Sampath D, Wallin JJ. Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling of tumor growth inhibition and biomarker modulation by the novel phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor GDC-0941. Drug Metab Dispos 2010; 38:1436-42. [PMID: 20538720 DOI: 10.1124/dmd.110.032912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway is a major determinant of cell cycling and proliferation. Its deregulation, by activation or transforming mutations of the p110alpha subunit, is associated with the development of many cancers. 2-(1H-Indazol-4-yl)-6-(4-methanesulfonyl-piperazin-1-ylmethyl)-4-morpholin-4-yl-thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidine (GDC-0941) is a novel small molecule inhibitor of PI3K currently being evaluated in the clinic as an anticancer agent. The objectives of these studies were to characterize the relationships between GDC-0941 plasma concentrations and tumor reduction in MCF7.1 breast cancer xenografts and to evaluate the association between the tumor pharmacodynamic biomarker [phosphorylated (p) Akt and phosphorylated proline-rich Akt substrate of 40 kDa (pPRAS40)] responses and antitumor efficacy. MCF7.1 tumor-bearing mice were treated for up to 3 weeks with GDC-0941 at various doses (12.5-200 mg/kg) and dosing schedules (daily to weekly). An indirect response model fitted to tumor growth data indicated that the GDC-0941 plasma concentration required for tumor stasis was approximately 0.3 muM. The relationship between GDC-0941 plasma concentrations and inhibition of pAkt and pPRAS40 in tumor was also investigated after a single oral dose of 12.5, 50, or 150 mg/kg. An indirect response model was fitted to the inhibition of Akt and PRAS40 phosphorylation data and provided IC(50) estimates of 0.36 and 0.29 muM for pAkt and pPRAS40, respectively. The relationship between pAkt inhibition and tumor volume was further explored using an integrated pharmacokinetic biomarker tumor growth model, which showed that a pAkt inhibition of at least 30% was required to achieve stasis after GDC-0941 treatment of the MCF7.1 xenograft.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Salphati
- Departments of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA.
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O'Brien C, Wallin JJ, Sampath D, GuhaThakurta D, Savage H, Punnoose EA, Guan J, Berry L, Prior WW, Amler LC, Belvin M, Friedman LS, Lackner MR. Predictive biomarkers of sensitivity to the phosphatidylinositol 3' kinase inhibitor GDC-0941 in breast cancer preclinical models. Clin Cancer Res 2010; 16:3670-83. [PMID: 20453058 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-09-2828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 210] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [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
PURPOSE The class I phosphatidylinositol 3' kinase (PI3K) plays a major role in proliferation and survival in a wide variety of human cancers. A key factor in successful development of drugs targeting this pathway is likely to be the identification of responsive patient populations with predictive diagnostic biomarkers. This study sought to identify candidate biomarkers of response to the selective PI3K inhibitor GDC-0941. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We used a large panel of breast cancer cell lines and in vivo xenograft models to identify candidate predictive biomarkers for a selective inhibitor of class I PI3K that is currently in clinical development. The approach involved pharmacogenomic profiling as well as analysis of gene expression data sets from cells profiled at baseline or after GDC-0941 treatment. RESULTS We found that models harboring mutations in PIK3CA, amplification of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, or dual alterations in two pathway components were exquisitely sensitive to the antitumor effects of GDC-0941. We found that several models that do not harbor these alterations also showed sensitivity, suggesting a need for additional diagnostic markers. Gene expression studies identified a collection of genes whose expression was associated with in vitro sensitivity to GDC-0941, and expression of a subset of these genes was found to be intimately linked to signaling through the pathway. CONCLUSION Pathway focused biomarkers and the gene expression signature described in this study may have utility in the identification of patients likely to benefit from therapy with a selective PI3K inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol O'Brien
- Department of Development Oncology Diagnostics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080, USA
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Wallin JJ, Guan J, Xiao Y, O'Brien T, Belvin M, Friedman LS. Abstract 298: Mutant PIK3CA increases the expression of individual tubulin isoforms and promotes resistance to anti-mitotic chemotherapy drugs. Cancer Res 2010. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am10-298] [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
Resistance to many anti-cancer agents has been attributed to increased PI3K/PTEN pathway signaling. Hence, inhibitors of the pathway have potential utility in combination with these therapies. To investigate chemotherapy drug sensitivities downstream of mutant PIK3CA in a controlled and patient-relevant context we utilized human non-tumorigenic MCF10A parental and isogenic knock-in cell lines that harbor a common activating PIK3CA kinase domain mutation (H1047R). We found the mutant cells to be least sensitive to anti-mitotic drugs, but the resistance could be overcome in combination with GDC-0941, a Class I PI3K inhibitor currently being evaluated in clinical trials. To understand the mechanism of resistance we analyzed microarray data for expression of known anti-mitotic resistance genes. We found that a subset of tubulin isoforms were increased with PI3K pathway signaling, but were reduced with GDC-0941 treatment. The changes in mRNA expression were confirmed at the protein level and were extended to additional cell lines. RNAi knockdown of TUBB2, the isoform we found to be most influenced by PI3K pathway signaling, increased the sensitivity of both parental and H1047R clones to anti-mitotic drugs, but did not influence GDC-0941 potency. Thus, reduced expression of the target increases the potency of the anti-mitotic drug. Overall, these findings suggest a mechanism of action for anti-mitotic drugs in combination with inhibitors of PI3K.
Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 298.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jane Guan
- 1Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA
| | - Yang Xiao
- 1Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA
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Chen R, Nishimura MC, Bumbaca SM, Kharbanda S, Forrest WF, Kasman IM, Greve JM, Soriano RH, Gilmour LL, Rivers CS, Modrusan Z, Nacu S, Guerrero S, Edgar KA, Wallin JJ, Lamszus K, Westphal M, Heim S, James CD, VandenBerg SR, Costello JF, Moorefield S, Cowdrey CJ, Prados M, Phillips HS. A hierarchy of self-renewing tumor-initiating cell types in glioblastoma. Cancer Cell 2010; 17:362-75. [PMID: 20385361 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2009.12.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 384] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2009] [Revised: 09/30/2009] [Accepted: 02/08/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The neural stem cell marker CD133 is reported to identify cells within glioblastoma (GBM) that can initiate neurosphere growth and tumor formation; however, instances of CD133(-) cells exhibiting similar properties have also been reported. Here, we show that some PTEN-deficient GBM tumors produce a series of CD133(+) and CD133(-) self-renewing tumor-initiating cell types and provide evidence that these cell types constitute a lineage hierarchy. Our results show that the capacities for self-renewal and tumor initiation in GBM need not be restricted to a uniform population of stemlike cells, but can be shared by a lineage of self-renewing cell types expressing a range of markers of forebrain lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruihuan Chen
- Department of Tumor Biology and Angiogenesis, Genentech Inc., San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
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36
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Edgar KA, Wallin JJ, Berry M, Lee LB, Prior WW, Sampath D, Friedman LS, Belvin M. Isoform-Specific Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase Inhibitors Exert Distinct Effects in Solid Tumors. Cancer Res 2010; 70:1164-72. [DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-09-2525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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37
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Wallin JJ, Guan J, Haverty P, Modrusan Z, Arena S, Yao E, Hoeflich KP, Bardelli A, Torrance C, Belvin M, Friedman LS. Abstract C68: Endogenous expression of an oncogenic PI3K mutation leads to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and invasiveness. Mol Cancer Ther 2009. [DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.targ-09-c68] [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 PTEN/PI3K pathway is commonly mutated in cancer and therefore represents a therapeutic target. In order to investigate the primary phenotypes mediated by mutant PIK3CA in a controlled and patient-relevant context, we utilized human non-tumorigenic MCF10A parental and isogenic knock-in cell lines that harbor a common activating PIK3CA mutation (H1047R). We found that endogenous introduction of a mutated PIK3CA allele results in a marked epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and invasive phenotype compared to isogenic wild-type cells. Moreover, a potent and selective inhibitor of PIK3CA (GDC-0941) was highly effective in reversing this phenotype in 3D cell culture. Our results suggest that invasion assays and biomarkers should be used to reveal PIK3CA ‘oncogeneaddiction’ responses of pathway-targeted agents.
Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(12 Suppl):C68.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jane Guan
- 1 Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA
| | | | | | - Sabrina Arena
- 2 Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment, University of Torino Medical School, Candiolo, Italy
| | - Evelyn Yao
- 1 Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA
| | | | - Alberto Bardelli
- 2 Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment, University of Torino Medical School, Candiolo, Italy
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38
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Abstract
Although the recently identified ICOS/B7h costimulatory counterreceptors are critical regulators of CD4(+) T cell responses, their ability to regulate CD8(+) responses is unclear. Here we report using a tumor-rejection model that ectopic B7h expression can costimulate rejection by CD8(+) T cells in the absence of CD4(+) T cells. Although responses of naive T cells were significantly augmented by priming with B7h, B7h was surprisingly effective in mobilizing recall responses of adoptively transferred T cells. To explore why secondary responses of CD8(+) T cells were particularly enhanced by B7h, kinetics of ICOS up-regulation, proliferative responses, and cytokine production were compared from both naive and rechallenged 2C-transgenic T cells costimulated in vitro. Although B7h costimulated proliferative responses from both CD8(+) populations, rechallenged cells were preferentially costimulated for IL-2 and IFN-gamma production. These results indicate that ICOS/B7h counterreceptors likely function in vivo to enhance secondary responses by CD8(+) T cells.
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MESH Headings
- Adjuvants, Immunologic/physiology
- Animals
- Antigens, CD
- Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte/physiology
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- Cell Division/immunology
- Cell Line
- Cytotoxicity, Immunologic/immunology
- Female
- Fibrosarcoma/immunology
- Fibrosarcoma/pathology
- Fibrosarcoma/prevention & control
- Graft Rejection/immunology
- Humans
- Immunologic Memory/immunology
- Inducible T-Cell Co-Stimulator Ligand
- Inducible T-Cell Co-Stimulator Protein
- Interphase/immunology
- Lymphocyte Activation
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred A
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Nude
- Mice, Transgenic
- Neoplasm Transplantation
- Proteins/physiology
- Tumor Cells, Cultured
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Affiliation(s)
- J J Wallin
- Immunology Division, Cancer Research Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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39
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Abstract
In a screen to identify genes induced by NF-kappaB/Rel transcription factors, we cloned a novel gene, b7h, that is a close homolog of B7 costimulatory ligands expressed on antigen-presenting cells. B7h can costimulate proliferation of purified T cells through a receptor on T cells distinct from CD28 or CTLA-4. Surprisingly, although B7h is expressed in unstimulated B cells, its expression is induced in both 3T3 cells and embryonic fibroblasts treated with TNFalpha, and it is upregulated in nonlymphoid tissues of mice treated with LPS, a potent activator of TNFalpha. These data define a novel costimulatory ligand for T cells and suggest that induction of B7h by TNFalpha may function as a mechanism to directly augment recognition of self during inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- M M Swallow
- Molecular and Cell Biology Department, University of California, Berkeley 94720, USA
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40
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Wallin JJ, Rinkenberger JL, Rao S, Gackstetter ER, Koshland ME, Zwollo P. B cell-specific activator protein prevents two activator factors from binding to the immunoglobulin J chain promoter until the antigen-driven stages of B cell development. J Biol Chem 1999; 274:15959-65. [PMID: 10336503 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.274.22.15959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [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: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The immunoglobulin J chain gene is inducibly transcribed in mature B cells upon antigen recognition and a signal from interleukin-2 (IL-2). B cell-specific activator protein (BSAP), a transcription factor that silences J chain transcription, has been identified as a nuclear target of the IL-2 signal. The levels of BSAP progressively decrease in response to IL-2 and this change correlates with the differentiation of B cells into antibody secreting plasma cells. Here we report the binding of the upstream stimulatory factor (USF) to an E-box motif immediately upstream from the BSAP site on the J chain promoter. Mutations in the USF binding motif significantly decrease J chain promoter activity in J chain expressing B cell lines. We also show that a functional relationship exists between USF and a second J chain positive-regulating factor, B-MEF2, using co-immunoprecipitation assays and transfections. Finally, we provide evidence that the binding of BSAP prevents USF and B-MEF2 from interacting with the J chain promoter during the antigen-independent stages of B cell development. It is not until the levels of BSAP decrease during the antigen-driven stages of B cell development that both USF and B-MEF2 are able to bind to their respective promoter elements and activate J chain transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- J J Wallin
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
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41
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Zwollo P, Rao S, Wallin JJ, Gackstetter ER, Koshland ME. The transcription factor NF-kappaB/p50 interacts with the blk gene during B cell activation. J Biol Chem 1998; 273:18647-55. [PMID: 9660839 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.273.29.18647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The B cell-specific transcription factor Pax-5 has been shown previously to interact with the promoter of the blk gene in vitro. blk encodes a tyrosine kinase associated with the B cell receptor, which is expressed during the early but not the final stages of B cell development. To investigate whether Pax-5 regulates expression of the blk gene in vivo during B cell development and/or activation, Pax-5a was overexpressed in B cell lines. Increases in blk promoter activity using a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene system suggested a role for Pax-5a as a transcriptional activator. Subsequent site-specific mutagenesis studies showed that mutations of the Pax-5 binding site on blk significantly alter promoter activity, although results suggested that other factors could bind to this region as well. Using mobility shift assays, we detected an inducible transcription factor that interacts strongly with a sequence overlapping the Pax-5 site on the blk promoter and identified this as a homodimer of NF-kappaB/p50, a member of the NF-kappaB/Rel family of transcription factors. This factor was present at high levels in lipopolysaccharide-activated normal B cells and in plasma cell lines but either at low levels or undetectable levels in resting normal B cells or pre-B or mature B cell lines. In contrast, lipopolysaccharide induction of a pre-B cell line (703/Z) induced a complex that contained both NF-kappaB/p50 and p65. These studies suggest that different NF-kappaB complexes are able to interact with a sequence overlapping the Pax-5 site on the blk promoter and that the relative levels of "bound" factor influence levels of blk expression. Since p50 homodimers and p50/p65 heterodimers of the NF-kappaB complex should have opposing effects on blk transcription, this could provide a mechanism to differentially regulate blk expression during B cell development and activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Zwollo
- Department of Biology, The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia 23187, USA.
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42
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Abstract
During a B cell immune response, the transcription factor BSAP maintains its activator functions but is relieved of its repressor functions. This selective targeting of BSAP activities was shown to be regulated by a concentration-dependent mechanism whereby activator motifs for BSAP had a 20-fold higher binding affinity than repressor motifs. An exchange of activator and repressor motifs, however, showed that the context of the motif, rather than the affinity, determined whether BSAP operated as an activator or repressor.
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Affiliation(s)
- J J Wallin
- Immunology Division, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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43
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Abstract
Cytokine regulation of B cell development was analyzed using interleukin-2 (IL-2)-induced transcription of the J chain gene as a model system. A nuclear target of the IL-2 signal was identified as the Pax5 transcription factor, BSAP, which recognizes a negative regulatory motif in the J chain promoter. Functional assays showed that BSAP mediates the silencing of the J chain gene during the early stages of B cell development, but repression is relieved during the antigen-driven stages in a concentration-dependent manner by an IL-2-induced down-regulation of BSAP RNA expression. At the low levels present in J chain-expressing plasma cells, BSAP repression could be overridden by positive-acting factors binding to down-stream J chain promoter elements. Overexpression of BSAP in these cells reversed the positive regulation and inhibited J chain gene transcription. Thus, IL-2 regulation of BSAP concentration may provide a mechanism for controlling both repressor and activator functions of BSAP during a B cell immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- J L Rinkenberger
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley 94720, USA
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44
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Weinberg AD, Bourdette DN, Sullivan TJ, Lemon M, Wallin JJ, Maziarz R, Davey M, Palida F, Godfrey W, Engleman E, Fulton RJ, Offner H, Vandenbark AA. Selective depletion of myelin-reactive T cells with the anti-OX-40 antibody ameliorates autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Nat Med 1996; 2:183-9. [PMID: 8574963 DOI: 10.1038/nm0296-183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The OX-40 protein was selectively upregulated on encephalitogenic myelin basic protein (MBP)-specific T cells at the site of inflammation during the onset of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). An OX-40 immunotoxin was used to target and eliminate MBP-specific T cells within the central nervous system without affecting peripheral T cells. When injected in vivo, the OX-40 immunotoxin bound exclusively to myelin-reactive T cells isolated from the CNS, which resulted in amelioration of EAE. Expression of the human OX-40 antigen was also found in peripheral blood of patients with acute graft-versus-host disease and the synovia of patients with rheumatoid arthritis during active disease. The unique expression of the OX-40 molecule may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for eliminating autoreactive CD4+T cells that does not require prior knowledge of the pathogenic autoantigen.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Arthritis, Rheumatoid/blood
- Arthritis, Rheumatoid/immunology
- CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/pathology
- Cell Separation
- Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental/immunology
- Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental/metabolism
- Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental/pathology
- Humans
- Immunotoxins/administration & dosage
- Myelin Basic Protein/immunology
- Rats
- Rats, Inbred Lew
- Receptors, OX40
- Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor
- Ricin/administration & dosage
- T-Lymphocyte Subsets/immunology
- Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7/blood
- Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
- A D Weinberg
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Portland, Oregon 97207, USA
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45
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Weinberg AD, Wallin JJ, Jones RE, Sullivan TJ, Bourdette DN, Vandenbark AA, Offner H. Target organ-specific up-regulation of the MRC OX-40 marker and selective production of Th1 lymphokine mRNA by encephalitogenic T helper cells isolated from the spinal cord of rats with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. J Immunol 1994; 152:4712-21. [PMID: 7512604] [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] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Lewis x Buffalo F1 rat lymphocytes express both forms of the allelic marker RT7.1 (Lewis) and RT7.2 (Buffalo). We generated myelin basic protein (MBP)-specific encephalitogenic F1 T helper cell lines and adoptively transferred them into naive irradiated Lewis recipients, which enabled us to detect and isolate donor T cells (with RT7.2) within the recipients. The spinal cord and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were highly enriched for the donor T cells compared with the blood and spleen. The donor cell number peaked on the first day of disease in the spinal cord and CSF and decreased as the disease progressed. A high percentage of the donor T cells isolated from the spinal cord were positive for the T helper cell activation marker OX-40, whereas a (lower) percentage of CSF donor cells expressed OX-40. Donor cells isolated from blood or spleen were negative for OX-40 expression. In contrast, the IL-2 receptor (CD25) was positive on all the transferred T cells in all tissue sites examined. Cell-sorting experiments showed that the MBP-specific donor cells were enriched for IFN-gamma, IL-2, TNF-alpha, and IL-3 mRNA when compared with the host-recruited spinal cord cells, whereas similar amounts of IL-10 mRNA were produced by both populations. Lymphokine mRNA production was also enriched in donor T cells isolated from the spinal cord compared with donor T cells isolated from the spleen. The spinal cord donor cells produced higher levels of IL-2, IFN-gamma, and IL-3 mRNA, whereas similar amounts of IL-10 and TNF-alpha mRNA were produced from donor cells isolated from the spleen and the spinal cord. Our data suggest that the amount/percentage, activation state, and enhanced lymphokine production at the site of inflammation are all important factors in determining the autoimmune potential of Ag-specific effector T helper cells.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte/genetics
- Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte/metabolism
- Base Sequence
- DNA Primers/genetics
- Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental/genetics
- Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental/immunology
- Female
- Gene Expression
- Lymphokines/biosynthesis
- Lymphokines/genetics
- Male
- Membrane Proteins/immunology
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Myelin Basic Protein/immunology
- RNA, Messenger/biosynthesis
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- Rats
- Rats, Inbred BUF
- Rats, Inbred Lew
- Spinal Cord/immunology
- Spleen/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer/immunology
- Up-Regulation
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Affiliation(s)
- A D Weinberg
- Department of Neuroimmunology 151-D, VA Medical Center/Research, Portland, OR 97201
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46
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Weinberg AD, Wallin JJ, Jones RE, Sullivan TJ, Bourdette DN, Vandenbark AA, Offner H. Target organ-specific up-regulation of the MRC OX-40 marker and selective production of Th1 lymphokine mRNA by encephalitogenic T helper cells isolated from the spinal cord of rats with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. The Journal of Immunology 1994. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.152.9.4712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Lewis x Buffalo F1 rat lymphocytes express both forms of the allelic marker RT7.1 (Lewis) and RT7.2 (Buffalo). We generated myelin basic protein (MBP)-specific encephalitogenic F1 T helper cell lines and adoptively transferred them into naive irradiated Lewis recipients, which enabled us to detect and isolate donor T cells (with RT7.2) within the recipients. The spinal cord and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were highly enriched for the donor T cells compared with the blood and spleen. The donor cell number peaked on the first day of disease in the spinal cord and CSF and decreased as the disease progressed. A high percentage of the donor T cells isolated from the spinal cord were positive for the T helper cell activation marker OX-40, whereas a (lower) percentage of CSF donor cells expressed OX-40. Donor cells isolated from blood or spleen were negative for OX-40 expression. In contrast, the IL-2 receptor (CD25) was positive on all the transferred T cells in all tissue sites examined. Cell-sorting experiments showed that the MBP-specific donor cells were enriched for IFN-gamma, IL-2, TNF-alpha, and IL-3 mRNA when compared with the host-recruited spinal cord cells, whereas similar amounts of IL-10 mRNA were produced by both populations. Lymphokine mRNA production was also enriched in donor T cells isolated from the spinal cord compared with donor T cells isolated from the spleen. The spinal cord donor cells produced higher levels of IL-2, IFN-gamma, and IL-3 mRNA, whereas similar amounts of IL-10 and TNF-alpha mRNA were produced from donor cells isolated from the spleen and the spinal cord. Our data suggest that the amount/percentage, activation state, and enhanced lymphokine production at the site of inflammation are all important factors in determining the autoimmune potential of Ag-specific effector T helper cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- A D Weinberg
- Department of Neuroimmunology 151-D, VA Medical Center/Research, Portland, OR 97201
| | - J J Wallin
- Department of Neuroimmunology 151-D, VA Medical Center/Research, Portland, OR 97201
| | - R E Jones
- Department of Neuroimmunology 151-D, VA Medical Center/Research, Portland, OR 97201
| | - T J Sullivan
- Department of Neuroimmunology 151-D, VA Medical Center/Research, Portland, OR 97201
| | - D N Bourdette
- Department of Neuroimmunology 151-D, VA Medical Center/Research, Portland, OR 97201
| | - A A Vandenbark
- Department of Neuroimmunology 151-D, VA Medical Center/Research, Portland, OR 97201
| | - H Offner
- Department of Neuroimmunology 151-D, VA Medical Center/Research, Portland, OR 97201
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