Population pharmacokinetics of trabectedin in adolescent patients with cancer

Specific Effects of Trabectedin and Lurbinectedin on Human Macrophage Function and Fate-Novel Insights

BACKGROUND

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play a crucial role in suppressing the immunosurveillance function of the immune system that prevents tumor growth. Indeed, macrophages can also be targeted by different chemotherapeutic agents improving the action over immune checkpoints to fight cancer. Here we describe the effect of trabectedin and lurbinectedin on human macrophage cell viability and function.

METHODS

Blood monocytes from healthy donors were differentiated into macrophages and exposed to different stimuli promoting functional polarization and differentiation into tumor-associated macrophages. Cells were challenged with the chemotherapeutic drugs and the effects on cell viability and function were analyzed.

RESULTS

Human macrophages exhibit at least two different profiles in response to these drugs. One-fourth of the blood donors assayed (164 individuals) were extremely sensitive to trabectedin and lurbinectedin, which promoted apoptotic cell death. Macrophages from other individuals retained viability but responded to the drugs increasing reactive oxygen production and showing a rapid intracellular calcium rise and a loss of mitochondrial oxygen consumption. Cell-membrane exposure of programmed-death ligand 1 (PD-L1) significantly decreased after treatment with therapeutic doses of these drugs, including changes in the gene expression profile of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α)-dependent genes, among other.

CONCLUSIONS

The results provide evidence of additional onco-therapeutic actions for these drugs.

Novel method for fast trabectedin quantification using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry for human pharmacokinetic studies

Few time-consuming bioanalytical methods are currently available for trabectedin quantification in clinical investigations. Here we present a novel, fast and sensitive method for trabectedin determination in human plasma based on hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (HILIC-MS/MS). Plasma samples are treated with acetonitrile-0.1 % formic acid and the solvent extract is directly injected into an Acquity BEH Amide column (2.1 × 100 mm, 1.7 μm) operating in HILIC mode at 0.2 mL/min with 80:20 acetonitrile-0.1 % formic acid in water. The analyte is separated by an organic solvent gradient and quantified by an Agilent Ultivo triple quadrupole mass spectrometer operating in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The quantitative MRM transitions were m/z 762→234 and m/z 765→234 for trabectedin and its d₃-labeled derivative, respectively. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 0.01 ng/mL and the assay was linear up to 2.5 ng/mL. The intra- and inter-day relative error ranged from 1.19 % to 8.52 %, while the relative standard deviation was less than 12.35 %. The method was used to determine the pharmacokinetic profiles of trabectedin in 26 patients with soft tissue sarcoma, showing that this new HILIC-MS/MS method is suitable for use in clinical research.