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Baretti M, Murphy AG, Zahurak M, Gianino N, Parkinson R, Walker R, Lopez-Vidal TY, Zheng L, Rosner G, Ahuja N, Kurt S, Azad NS. A study of using epigenetic modulators to enhance response to pembrolizumab (MK-3475) in microsatellite stable advanced colorectal cancer. Clin Epigenetics 2023; 15:74. [PMID: 37120591 PMCID: PMC10149019 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-023-01485-x] [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: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Approximately 95% of advanced colorectal cancer patients (CRC) have mismatch repair MMR-proficient (MMRp) tumors, which do not respond to PD1 blockade alone. Preclinical studies have shown that combined histone deacetylases (HDAC) and/or DNA methyltransferases (DNMT) inhibition can induce susceptibility to immune checkpoint therapy and inhibit tumor growth. We conducted a pilot trial evaluating PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in combination with DNMT and HDAC inhibitors in MMRp CRC. The study was designed with a biological endpoint of change in immune cell infiltration, to determine the optimal epigenetic combination that optimizes the tumor microenvironment. This trial was designed to test that hypothesis. RESULTS From January 2016 to November 2018, 27 patients were enrolled with median age of 57 (range 40-69) years. Median progression-free survival and overall survival were 2.79 months and 9.17, respectively. One patient in Arm C achieved a durable partial response by RECIST criteria, lasting for approximately 19 months. The most common treatment-related hematological adverse events in all arms were anemia (62%), lymphopenia (54%) and thrombocytopenia (35%), and non-hematological AEs were anorexia (65%), nausea (77%), and vomiting (73%). CONCLUSIONS The combination of 5-azacitidine and romidepsin with pembrolizumab was safe and tolerable in patients with advanced MMRp CRC, but with a minimal activity. Further mechanistic investigations are needed to understand epigenetic-induced immunologic shift and to expand the potential applicability of checkpoint inhibitors in this setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Baretti
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Adrian G Murphy
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Marianna Zahurak
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Rose Parkinson
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Rosalind Walker
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tamara Y Lopez-Vidal
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Lei Zheng
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Gary Rosner
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Nita Ahuja
- Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Nilofer S Azad
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Nowak EM, Poczęta M, Bieg D, Bednarek I. DNA methyltransferase inhibitors influence on the DIRAS3 and STAT3 expression and in vitro migration of ovarian and breast cancer cells. Ginekol Pol 2018; 88:543-551. [PMID: 29192415 DOI: 10.5603/gp.a2017.0099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Downregulation of DIRAS3 (DIRAS family, GTP-binding Ras-like 3) is related to ovarian and breast cancer progression. A possible mechanism that silences this gene is the promoter region DNA methylation. The potential reversibility of this epigenetic mechanism makes it more attractive candidate for new mode of cancer treatment. DIRAS3 regulates cell cycle, tumor dormancy and inhibits cancer cell growth and motility, all of which may indirectly depend on interaction with STAT3 (Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3) classified as a potential oncogene. The restoration of DIRAS3 expression could inhibit cell proliferation and invasiveness. MATERIAL AND METHODS Human ovarian carcinoma cell line (A2780) and human breast cancer cell line (MCF7) were exposed to two DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTi): decitabine (5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine) [25 μM and 12.5 μM] and RG108 [150 μM and 100 μM]. In vitro migration changes of cancer cells were examined with wound healing assay. After 7 days of DNMTi treatment cells were harvested and DNA and RNA was isolated. The methylation status of the promoter sequences of DIRAS3 and STAT3 genes was determined using methylation specific PCR (MS-PCR). Level of target genes' expression was quantified using quantitative reverse transcription PCR (QRT-PCR). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS The in vitro wound healing assay showed changes in the migration rate of both adherent cell lines after DNMTi treatment compared to the untreated cells. Relative balance between methylated and unmethylated variants of DIRAS3 after MS-PCR was shifted towards unmethylated version after DNMTi treatment in A2780 cells. Statistically significant dose dependent effect of decitabine and RG108 on DIRAS3 expression in A2780 cells was observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Maria Nowak
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, School of Pharmacy with the Division of Laboratory Medicine in Sosnowiec, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, ul. Jedności 8, 41-200, Sosnowiec, Poland.
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Azad NS, El-Khoueiry A, Yin J, Oberg AL, Flynn P, Adkins D, Sharma A, Weisenberger DJ, Brown T, Medvari P, Jones PA, Easwaran H, Kamel I, Bahary N, Kim G, Picus J, Pitot HC, Erlichman C, Donehower R, Shen H, Laird PW, Piekarz R, Baylin S, Ahuja N. Combination epigenetic therapy in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) with subcutaneous 5-azacitidine and entinostat: a phase 2 consortium/stand up 2 cancer study. Oncotarget 2018; 8:35326-35338. [PMID: 28186961 PMCID: PMC5471058 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.15108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [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: 08/11/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Therapy with demethylating agent 5-azacitidine and histone deacetylase inhibitor entinostat shows synergistic re-expression of tumor-suppressor genes and growth inhibition in colorectal (CRC) cell lines and in vivo studies. Experimental Design We conducted a phase II, multi-institutional study of the combination in metastatic CRC patients. Subcutaneous azacitidine was administered at 40 mg/m2 days 1-5 and 8-10 and entinostat was given 7 mg orally on days 3 and 10. An interim analysis indicated toxicity crossed the pre-specified safety boundary but was secondary to disease. A 2nd cohort with added eligibility restrictions was accrued: prior therapies were limited to no more than 2 or 3 (KRAS-mutated and KRAS-wildtype cancers, respectively) and <30% of liver involvement. The primary endpoint was RECIST response. Serial biopsies were performed at baseline and after 2 cycles of therapy. Results Forty-seven patients were enrolled (24:Cohort 1, 23:Cohort 2). Patients were heavily pre-treated (median prior therapies 4: Cohort 1 and 2.5: cohort 2). No responses were observed. Median progression-free survival was 1.9 months; overall survival was 5.6 and 8.3 months in Cohorts 1 and 2, respectively. Toxicity was tolerable and as expected. Unsupervised cluster analysis of serial tumor biopsies suggested greater DNA demethylation in patients with PFS above the median. Conclusion In this first trial of CRC patients with combination epigenetic therapy, we show tolerable therapy without significant clinical activity as determined by RECIST responses. Reversal of hypermethylation was seen in a subset of patients and correlated with improved PFS.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jun Yin
- Mayo Clinic, Rochestor, MN, USA
| | | | | | | | - Anup Sharma
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Ihab Kamel
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | | | - Joel Picus
- Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | | | | | | | - Hui Shen
- Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | | | | | | | - Nita Ahuja
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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