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Zwirner S, Abu Rmilah AA, Klotz S, Pfaffenroth B, Kloevekorn P, Moschopoulou AA, Schuette S, Haag M, Selig R, Li K, Zhou W, Nelson E, Poso A, Chen H, Amiot B, Jia Y, Minshew A, Michalak G, Cui W, Rist E, Longerich T, Jung B, Felgendreff P, Trompak O, Premsrirut PK, Gries K, Muerdter TE, Heinkele G, Wuestefeld T, Shapiro D, Weissbach M, Koenigsrainer A, Sipos B, Ab E, Zacarias MO, Theisgen S, Gruenheit N, Biskup S, Schwab M, Albrecht W, Laufer S, Nyberg S, Zender L. First-in-class MKK4 inhibitors enhance liver regeneration and prevent liver failure. Cell 2024; 187:1666-1684.e26. [PMID: 38490194 PMCID: PMC11011246 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.02.023] [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: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Diminished hepatocyte regeneration is a key feature of acute and chronic liver diseases and after extended liver resections, resulting in the inability to maintain or restore a sufficient functional liver mass. Therapies to restore hepatocyte regeneration are lacking, making liver transplantation the only curative option for end-stage liver disease. Here, we report on the structure-based development and characterization (nuclear magnetic resonance [NMR] spectroscopy) of first-in-class small molecule inhibitors of the dual-specificity kinase MKK4 (MKK4i). MKK4i increased liver regeneration upon hepatectomy in murine and porcine models, allowed for survival of pigs in a lethal 85% hepatectomy model, and showed antisteatotic and antifibrotic effects in liver disease mouse models. A first-in-human phase I trial (European Union Drug Regulating Authorities Clinical Trials [EudraCT] 2021-000193-28) with the clinical candidate HRX215 was conducted and revealed excellent safety and pharmacokinetics. Clinical trials to probe HRX215 for prevention/treatment of liver failure after extensive oncological liver resections or after transplantation of small grafts are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Zwirner
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany; HepaRegeniX GmbH, Tübingen 72072, Germany
| | - Anan A Abu Rmilah
- William J. von Liebig Center for Transplantation and Clinical Regeneration, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Sabrina Klotz
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Bent Pfaffenroth
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Philip Kloevekorn
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Athina A Moschopoulou
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Svenja Schuette
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Mathias Haag
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart 70376, Germany
| | - Roland Selig
- HepaRegeniX GmbH, Tübingen 72072, Germany; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Kewei Li
- William J. von Liebig Center for Transplantation and Clinical Regeneration, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Wei Zhou
- William J. von Liebig Center for Transplantation and Clinical Regeneration, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Erek Nelson
- William J. von Liebig Center for Transplantation and Clinical Regeneration, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Antti Poso
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany; School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio 70211, Finland; iFIT Cluster of Excellence (EXC 2180) "Image-guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Harvey Chen
- William J. von Liebig Center for Transplantation and Clinical Regeneration, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Bruce Amiot
- William J. von Liebig Center for Transplantation and Clinical Regeneration, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Yao Jia
- William J. von Liebig Center for Transplantation and Clinical Regeneration, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Anna Minshew
- William J. von Liebig Center for Transplantation and Clinical Regeneration, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Gregory Michalak
- William J. von Liebig Center for Transplantation and Clinical Regeneration, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Wei Cui
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Elke Rist
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Thomas Longerich
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | | | - Philipp Felgendreff
- William J. von Liebig Center for Transplantation and Clinical Regeneration, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Omelyan Trompak
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | | | - Katharina Gries
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Thomas E Muerdter
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart 70376, Germany
| | - Georg Heinkele
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart 70376, Germany
| | - Torsten Wuestefeld
- Laboratory for In Vivo Genetics & Gene Therapy, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A(∗)STAR), Singapore 138672, Singapore; School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University of Singapore, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | | | | | - Alfred Koenigsrainer
- iFIT Cluster of Excellence (EXC 2180) "Image-guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany; German Cancer Research Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg 69120, Germany; Department of General-, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Bence Sipos
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Eiso Ab
- ZoBio B.V., Leiden 2333 CH, the Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | - Matthias Schwab
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart 70376, Germany; iFIT Cluster of Excellence (EXC 2180) "Image-guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany; Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | | | - Stefan Laufer
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany; Tübingen Center for Academic Drug Discovery & Development (TüCAD(2)), Tübingen 72076, Germany.
| | - Scott Nyberg
- William J. von Liebig Center for Transplantation and Clinical Regeneration, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
| | - Lars Zender
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany; iFIT Cluster of Excellence (EXC 2180) "Image-guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany; German Cancer Research Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg 69120, Germany; Tübingen Center for Academic Drug Discovery & Development (TüCAD(2)), Tübingen 72076, Germany.
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Felgendreff P, Hosseiniasl SM, Felgendreff L, Amiot BP, Minshew A, Ahmadzada B, Qu Z, Wilken S, Arribas Gomez I, Nyberg SL, Cook CN. Comprehensive analysis of brain injury parameters in a preclinical porcine model of acute liver failure. Front Med (Lausanne) 2024; 11:1363979. [PMID: 38606159 PMCID: PMC11007081 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1363979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Acute liver failure (ALF) is defined as acute loss of liver function leading to hepatic encephalopathy associated with a high risk of patient death. Brain injury markers in serum and tissue can help detect and monitor ALF-associated brain injury. This study compares different brain injury parameters in plasma and tissue along with the progression of ALF. Method ALF was induced by performing an 85% liver resection. Following the resection, animals were recovered and monitored for up to 48 h or until reaching the predefined endpoint of receiving standard medical therapy (SMT). Blood and serum samples were taken at Tbaseline, T24, and upon reaching the endpoint (Tend). Control animals were euthanized by exsanguination following plasma sampling. Postmortem brain tissue samples were collected from the frontal cortex (FCTx) and cerebellum (Cb) of all animals. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and tau protein and mRNA levels were quantified using ELISA and qRT-PCR in all plasma and brain samples. Plasma neurofilament light (NFL) was also measured using ELISA. Results All ALF animals (n = 4) were euthanized upon showing signs of brain herniation. Evaluation of brain injury biomarkers revealed that GFAP was elevated in ALF animals at T24h and Tend, while Tau and NFL concentrations were unchanged. Moreover, plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) levels were negatively correlated with total protein and positively correlated with both aspartate transaminase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (AP). Additionally, lower GFAP and tau RNA expressions were observed in the FCTx of the ALF group but not in the CB tissue. Conclusion The current large animal study has identified a strong correlation between GFAP concentration in the blood and markers of ALF. Additionally, the protein and gene expression analyses in the FCTx revealed that this area appears to be susceptible, while the CB is protected from the detrimental impacts of ALF-associated brain swelling. These results warrant further studies to investigate the mechanisms behind this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Felgendreff
- Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplantation Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Lisa Felgendreff
- Department of Journalism and Communication Research, Hannover University of Music, Drama, and Media, Hanover, Germany
| | - Bruce P. Amiot
- Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Anna Minshew
- Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | | | - Zhi Qu
- Transplant Center, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Silvana Wilken
- Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Ines Arribas Gomez
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States
| | - Scott L. Nyberg
- Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
- William J. von Liebig Center for Transplantation and Clinical Regeneration, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Casey N. Cook
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States
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Felgendreff P, Lawrence JM, Hosseiniasl SM, Jacobs JF, Amiot BP, Felgendreff L, Minshew A, Sultan A, Ahmadzada B, Rahe MC, Nyberg SL. Clinical characterization of a hypersensitivity mixed bacterial and fungal dermatitis in a translational model of porcine NASH. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 13:1277045. [PMID: 38327680 PMCID: PMC10847572 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1277045] [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] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The development of animal models of chronic liver disease via diet modification is a promising avenue for translational research but can lead to unexpected side effects that impact model adoption. While these side effects are well characterized in rodent models of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), limited knowledge of these effects exists for novel porcine models of NASH. To close this gap, the present study investigates the side effects of diet-based NASH induction in pigs, with a systematic analysis of the pathologic mechanisms underlying dermatitis development and evaluation of treatment approaches. Method Twelve pigs (10 large domestic pigs, 2 Goettingen minipigs) were fed a methionine- and choline-deficient, high-fat diet for 8 weeks to induce NASH. A retrospective review of each animal's clinical record was performed to identify the side effects of the diet. Following the identification of diet-associated dermatitis, severity was judged by using a novel gradation system that characterized the individual lesions and body regions resulting in a cumulative evaluation. In addition to this clinical assessment, the etiology of the dermatitis was investigated via histopathologic and microbiologic testing. Furthermore, the success of prophylactic and therapeutic treatment approaches was evaluated by considering dermatitis development and clinical course. Results All study animals demonstrated unexpected side effects of the methionine- and choline-deficient, high fat diet. In addition to marked dermatitis, study pigs showed impaired weight gain and developed steatorrhea and anemia. Based on the skin gradation system, five animals developed severe dermatitis, four animals moderate dermatitis, and three animals mild diet-associated dermatitis. Histological and microbiological evaluation of the affected skin showed signs of a hypersensitivity reaction with secondary infection by bacteria and fungi. The analysis showed that preemptive bathing extended the lesion-free duration by nearly 20 days. Furthermore, bathing in combination with a targeted antibiotic treatment represented a helpful treatment approach for diet-associated dermatitis. Conclusion The provision of a methionine- and choline-deficient, high fat diet represents an effective approach for inducing NASH liver disease in pigs but predisposes study animals to multiple side effects. These side effects are universal to animals on study but can be adequately managed and do not represent a significant limitation of this model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Felgendreff
- Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplantation Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | | | | | - Julie F. Jacobs
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Bruce P. Amiot
- Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Lisa Felgendreff
- Center for Empirical Research in Economics and Behavioral Sciences, Media and Communication Science, University of Erfurt, Erfurt, Germany
| | - Anna Minshew
- Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Ahmer Sultan
- Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | | | - Michael C. Rahe
- Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
- Population Health and Pathobiology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - Scott L. Nyberg
- Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
- William J. von Liebig Center for Transplantation and Clinical Regeneration, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
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Nelson ED, Larson E, Joo DJ, Mao S, Glorioso J, Abu Rmilah A, Zhou W, Jia Y, Mounajjed T, Shi M, Bois M, Wood A, Jin F, Whitworth K, Wells K, Spate A, Samuel M, Minshew A, Walters E, Rinaldo P, Lillegard J, Johnson A, Amiot B, Hickey R, Prather R, Platt JL, Nyberg SL. Limited Expansion of Human Hepatocytes in FAH/RAG2-Deficient Swine. Tissue Eng Part A 2021; 28:150-160. [PMID: 34309416 PMCID: PMC8892989 DOI: 10.1089/ten.tea.2021.0057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [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] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The mammalian liver's regenerative ability has led researchers to engineer animals as incubators for expansion of human hepatocytes. The expansion properties of human hepatocytes in immunodeficient mice are well known. However, little has been reported about larger animals that are more scalable and practical for clinical purposes. Therefore, we engineered immunodeficient swine to support expansion of human hepatocytes and identify barriers to their clinical application. METHODS Immunodeficient swine were engineered by knockout of recombinase activating gene 2 (RAG2) and fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase (FAH). Immature human hepatocytes (ihHCs) were injected into fetal swine by intrauterine cell transplantation (IUCT) at day 40 of gestation. Human albumin was measured as a marker of engraftment. Cytotoxicity against ihHCs was measured in transplanted piglets and control swine. RESULTS Higher levels of human albumin were detected in cord blood of newborn FAH/RAG2-deficient (FR) pigs compared to immunocompetent controls (196.26 ng/dL vs 39.29 ng/dL, p = 0.008), indicating successful engraftment of ihHC after IUCT and adaptive immunity in the fetus. Although rare hepatocytes staining positively for human albumin were observed, levels of human albumin did not rise after birth but declined suggesting rejection of xenografted ihHCs. Cytotoxicity against ihHCs increased after birth 3.8% (95% CI: [2.1%, 5.4%], p < 0.001) and correlated inversely to declining levels of human albumin (p = 2.1 x 10-5, R2 = 0.17). Circulating numbers of T-cells and B-cells were negligible in FR pigs. However, circulating natural killer (NK) cells exerted cytotoxicity against ihHCs. NK cell activity was lower in immunodeficient piglets after IUCT than naive controls (30.4% vs 40.1% (p = 0.011, 95% CI for difference [2.7%, 16.7%]). CONCLUSION Immature human hepatocytes successfully engrafted in FR swine after IUCT. NK cells were a significant barrier to expansion of hepatocytes. New approaches are needed to overcome this hurdle and allow large scale expansion of human hepatocytes in immunodeficient swine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erek David Nelson
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Surgery, 100 First St NW, Rochester, Rochester, Minnesota, United States, 55905-0002;
| | - Ellen Larson
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Surgery, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Dong Jin Joo
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Surgery, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Shennen Mao
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Surgery, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Jaime Glorioso
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Surgery, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Anan Abu Rmilah
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Surgery, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Wei Zhou
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Surgery, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Yao Jia
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Surgery, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Taofic Mounajjed
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Min Shi
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Melanie Bois
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Adam Wood
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Fang Jin
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Immunology, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Kristin Whitworth
- University of Missouri, 14716, National Swine Resource and Research Center, Division of Animal Sciences, Columbia, Missouri, United States;
| | - Kevin Wells
- University of Missouri, 14716, National Swine Resource and Research Center, Division of Animal Sciences, Columbia, Missouri, United States;
| | - Anna Spate
- University of Missouri, 14716, National Swine Resource and Research Center, Division of Animal Sciences, Columbia, Missouri, United States;
| | - Melissa Samuel
- University of Missouri, 14716, National Swine Resource and Research Center, Division of Animal Sciences, Columbia, Missouri, United States;
| | - Anna Minshew
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Surgery, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Eric Walters
- University of Missouri, 14716, National Swine Resource and Research Center, Division of Animal Sciences, Columbia, Missouri, United States;
| | - Piero Rinaldo
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Joeseph Lillegard
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Surgery, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Aaron Johnson
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Immunology, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Bruce Amiot
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Surgery, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Raymond Hickey
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Surgery, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Randall Prather
- University of Missouri, 14716, National Swine Resource and Research Center, Division of Animal Sciences, Columbia, Missouri, United States;
| | - Jeffrey L Platt
- University of Michigan Michigan Medicine, 21614, Surgery, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States;
| | - Scott Lyle Nyberg
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Surgery, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
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