Intravitreal thalidomide reduces experimental preretinal neovascularisation without induction of retinal toxicity

Role of thalidomide, senicapoc, and sodium butyrate in choroidal neovascularization

Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is the hallmark of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of irreversible blindness in the modern world. The objective for this study was to investigate the therapeutic potential of known antiangiogenic agents: thalidomide, senicapoc, and sodium butyrate. Dose-dependent effect of the agents on growth of ARPE-19 cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was investigated with cell counting assays. Half-maximal inhibitory concentrations of thalidomide (765 μM and 1520 μM), senicapoc (50 μM and 79 μM), and sodium butyrate (933 μM and 557 μM) were determined for HUVECs and ARPE-19 cells, respectively. Immunofluorescence analysis showed decrease of VEGFA expression in both ARPE-19 cells and HUVECs after treatment only with thalidomide but not with senicapoc or sodium butyrate. Efficacy of the agents was studied in vivo with laser-induced CNV in C57BL/6 mice. Thalidomide (24 μg), senicapoc (4 μg), or sodium butyrate (100 μg) was intravitreally injected the day after CNV induction. Thalidomide, senicapoc, and sodium butyrate inhibited CNV size by 56%, 24%, and 21% respectively on day 7 post-laser. Thalidomide also reduced cobalt chloride induced increase of VEGFA mRNA in ARPE-19 (-33%) and protein in culture medium (-20%). Our results suggest that thalidomide may have more therapeutic potential than senicapoc or sodium butyrate for treatment of CNV or wet AMD.

Efficacy of Polytetrafluoroethylene/Polylactide-co-glycolide (PTFE/PLGA) Laminate and PTFE/PLGA Laminate Containing Slow-Releasing Thalidomide in Delayed Adjustable Strabismus Surgery in a Rabbit Model

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of polytetrafluoroethylene/polylactide-co-glycolide (PTFE/PLGA) laminate containing sustained-release thalidomide for delayed adjustable strabismus surgery. Methods: This is a prospective, masked-observer, controlled study using 50 eyes of 25 rabbits. After superior rectus muscle (SRM) recession, a PTFE/PLGA laminate containing thalidomide (group PT, 20 eyes), PTFE/PLGA laminate alone (group P, 20 eyes), or no barrier (group C, 10 eyes) were applied around the SRM. Delayed adjustment was performed at postoperative 3 or 5 weeks. Adjustability, adjustment lengths, adjustment forces, and degrees of adhesion were evaluated. Results: Both groups PT and P showed significantly better adjustability compared to group C at both 3 weeks (100%, 80%, and 0%, respectively) and 5 weeks (100%, 90%, and 0%, respectively). Between groups PT and P, adjustability, adjustment lengths, and forces were not significantly different at 3 and 5 weeks. Group PT showed a significantly lower grade of adhesion between SRM and sclera (SRM/S) compared to group C at both 3 weeks (p = 0.007) and 5 weeks (p = 0.001, respectively). Group P showed no significant difference in adhesion between SRM/S compared to group C at 3 weeks (p= 0.302) but had a lower grade of adhesion after 5 weeks (p = 0.007). There was no significant difference between groups PT and P at 3 weeks (p= 0.143) and 5 weeks (p= 0.716). Conclusions: PTFE/PLGA laminate containing sustained-release thalidomide was effective in reducing adhesion and allowed delayed adjustment in all eyes. However, PTFE/PLGA laminate alone was also equally effective in reducing adhesion compared to controls.

Biological evaluation of both enantiomers of fluoro-thalidomide using human myeloma cell line H929 and others

Over the last few years, thalidomide has become one of the most important anti-tumour drugs for the treatment of relapsed-refractory multiple myeloma. However, besides its undesirable teratogenic side effect, its configurational instability critically limits any further therapeutic improvements of this drug. In 1999, we developed fluoro-thalidomide which is a bioisostere of thalidomide, but, in sharp contrast to the latter, it is configurationally stable and readily available in both enantiomeric forms. The biological activity of fluoro-thalidomide however, still remains virtually unstudied, with the exception that fluoro-thalidomide is not teratogenic. Herein, we report the first biological evaluation of fluoro-thalidomide in racemic and in both (R)- and (S)-enantiomerically pure forms against (in vitro) H929 cells of multiple myeloma (MM) using an annexin V assay. We demonstrate that all fluoro-thalidomides inhibited the growth of H929 MM cells without any in-vivo activation. Furthermore, we report that the enantiomeric forms of fluoro-thalidomide display different anti-tumour activities, with the (S)-enantiomer being noticeably more potent. The angiogenesis of fluoro-thalidomides is also investigated and compared to thalidomide. The data obtained in this study paves the way towards novel pharmaceutical research on fluoro-thalidomides.