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Buckbinder L, St. Jean DJ, Tieu T, Ladd B, Hilbert B, Wang W, Alltucker JT, Manimala S, Kryukov GV, Brooijmans N, Dowdell G, Jonsson P, Huff M, Guzman-Perez A, Jackson EL, Goncalves MD, Stuart DD. STX-478, a Mutant-Selective, Allosteric PI3Kα Inhibitor Spares Metabolic Dysfunction and Improves Therapeutic Response in PI3Kα-Mutant Xenografts. Cancer Discov 2023; 13:2432-2447. [PMID: 37623743 PMCID: PMC10618743 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-23-0396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [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] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Phosphoinositide 3-kinase α (PIK3CA) is one of the most mutated genes across cancers, especially breast, gynecologic, and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma tumors. Mutations occur throughout the gene, but hotspot mutations in the helical and kinase domains predominate. The therapeutic benefit of isoform-selective PI3Kα inhibition was established with alpelisib, which displays equipotent activity against the wild-type and mutant enzyme. Inhibition of wild-type PI3Kα is associated with severe hyperglycemia and rash, which limits alpelisib use and suggests that selectively targeting mutant PI3Kα could reduce toxicity and improve efficacy. Here we describe STX-478, an allosteric PI3Kα inhibitor that selectively targets prevalent PI3Kα helical- and kinase-domain mutant tumors. STX-478 demonstrated robust efficacy in human tumor xenografts without causing the metabolic dysfunction observed with alpelisib. Combining STX-478 with fulvestrant and/or cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors was well tolerated and provided robust and durable tumor regression in ER+HER2- xenograft tumor models. SIGNIFICANCE These preclinical data demonstrate that the mutant-selective, allosteric PI3Kα inhibitor STX-478 provides robust efficacy while avoiding the metabolic dysfunction associated with the nonselective inhibitor alpelisib. Our results support the ongoing clinical evaluation of STX-478 in PI3Kα-mutated cancers, which is expected to expand the therapeutic window and mitigate counterregulatory insulin release. See related commentary by Kearney and Vasan, p. 2313. This article is featured in Selected Articles from This Issue, p. 2293.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David J. St. Jean
- Research and Development, Scorpion Therapeutics, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Trang Tieu
- Research and Development, Scorpion Therapeutics, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Brendon Ladd
- Research and Development, Scorpion Therapeutics, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Brendan Hilbert
- Research and Development, Scorpion Therapeutics, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Weixue Wang
- Research and Development, Scorpion Therapeutics, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Samantha Manimala
- Research and Development, Scorpion Therapeutics, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | | | - Gregory Dowdell
- Research and Development, Scorpion Therapeutics, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Philip Jonsson
- Research and Development, Scorpion Therapeutics, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Michael Huff
- Research and Development, Scorpion Therapeutics, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Erica L. Jackson
- Department of Biology, Scorpion Therapeutics, South San Francisco, California
| | - Marcus D. Goncalves
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Darrin D. Stuart
- Research and Development, Scorpion Therapeutics, Boston, Massachusetts
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Stuart DD, Guzman-Perez A, Brooijmans N, Jackson EL, Kryukov GV, Friedman AA, Hoos A. Precision Oncology Comes of Age: Designing Best-in-Class Small Molecules by Integrating Two Decades of Advances in Chemistry, Target Biology, and Data Science. Cancer Discov 2023; 13:2131-2149. [PMID: 37712571 PMCID: PMC10551669 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-23-0280] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Small-molecule drugs have enabled the practice of precision oncology for genetically defined patient populations since the first approval of imatinib in 2001. Scientific and technology advances over this 20-year period have driven the evolution of cancer biology, medicinal chemistry, and data science. Collectively, these advances provide tools to more consistently design best-in-class small-molecule drugs against known, previously undruggable, and novel cancer targets. The integration of these tools and their customization in the hands of skilled drug hunters will be necessary to enable the discovery of transformational therapies for patients across a wider spectrum of cancers. SIGNIFICANCE Target-centric small-molecule drug discovery necessitates the consideration of multiple approaches to identify chemical matter that can be optimized into drug candidates. To do this successfully and consistently, drug hunters require a comprehensive toolbox to avoid following the "law of instrument" or Maslow's hammer concept where only one tool is applied regardless of the requirements of the task. Combining our ever-increasing understanding of cancer and cancer targets with the technological advances in drug discovery described below will accelerate the next generation of small-molecule drugs in oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Axel Hoos
- Scorpion Therapeutics, Boston, Massachusetts
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3
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Buckbinder L, St. Jean DJ, Ladd B, Tieu T, Jonsson P, Alltucker J, Manimala S, Wang W, Guzman-Perez A, Stuart DD, Dowdell G. Abstract P4-07-04: STX-478, a mutant-selective PI3Kα H1047X inhibitor clinical candidate with a best-in-class profile: Pharmacology and therapeutic activity as monotherapy and in combination in breast cancer xenograft models. Cancer Res 2023. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.sabcs22-p4-07-04] [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: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
PI3Kα is highly mutated in cancer resulting in hyperactivation of lipid kinase activity and downstream AKT signaling. H1047 is the most common site of oncogenic mutation and occurs in ~14% of all breast cancers. Initial therapeutic benefit of targeting PI3Kα was established with alpelisib, an alpha-selective PI3K inhibitor that is equipotent against wild-type and mutant forms. However, wild-type PI3Kα inhibition results in frequent dose-limiting toxicities including hyperglycemia, restricting the full potential of this drug. Selective targeting of H1047X-mutant PI3Kα is expected to both improve anti-tumor activity and reduce toxicity. STX-478 is an allosteric, CNS-penetrant, selective PI3Kα H1047X inhibitor, having excellent drug-like properties and exceptional kinome selectivity. STX-478 demonstrated minimal inhibition of CYP enzymes in vitro, supporting the potential for combinations with a wide range of therapeutics in breast cancer and a variety of other tumor types. STX-478 selectivity extended to the inhibition of other activating kinase domain mutations in biochemical assays. In a diverse panel of PI3Kα H1047X mutant cell lines, STX-478 selectively reduced the cellular levels of pAKT (S473) with a strong correlation between pAKT inhibition and cell viability (R = 0.8). In a high-throughput viability screen of 467 cancer cell lines, the presence of PIK3CA H1047X and other kinase domain mutations were the single strongest predictor of STX-478 sensitivity with potency superior to alpelisib. STX-478 also selectively inhibited the proliferation of cell lines with PI3Kα helical domain mutations, potentially due to the selective dependency of these cells on mutant PI3Kα. When combined with fulvestrant, lapatinib, or abemaciclib, STX-478 demonstrated synergistic anti-proliferative activity in cell lines with relevant ER/HER2 status. Unlike alpelisib, STX-478 did not impair glucose metabolism or cause insulin resistance at efficacious doses. In the T47D (PI3Kα H1047R) breast cancer model, STX-478 (100 mg/kg) monotherapy caused tumor regression whereas alpelisib caused only stasis. STX-478 combination with fulvestrant was well-tolerated, with more consistent and deeper tumor regression. Similar results were observed in a PI3Kα H1047R mutant ER+/HER2- PDX model, where fulvestrant monotherapy showed minimal activity, while combination with STX-478 yielded tumor regressions. In an ER+/HER2+ PDX model (PI3Kα H1047R/R108H), palbociclib and STX-478 (100 mg/kg) monotherapy resulted in similar efficacy while the combination was well tolerated and yielded tumor regression. Together these data indicate robust STX-478 monotherapy activity that was well tolerated and improved when dosed in combination with fulvestrant or CDK4/6 inhibitors. Finally, we investigated the effect of STX-478 treatment in an ER+ PDX model carrying a helical domain mutation. STX-478 treatment resulted in tumor growth inhibition at doses that did not result in metabolic dysfunction, suggesting that STX-478 may also be efficacious in treating PIK3CA mutant tumors with helical domain mutations. In summary, STX-478 efficacy was superior to alpelisib at a dose level that exceeds the clinically relevant exposure in mice without causing metabolic dysfunction. STX- 478 has a predicted low human dose, CNS exposure, low risk of DDI, and a predicted long half-life with minimal variation in peak-to-trough plasma concentrations which further supports a favorable therapeutic index. STX-478 has the potential to provide a best-in-class profile to improve outcomes in patients harboring tumors with prevalent PI3Kα H1047X mutations as well as other kinase and helical domain mutant tumors. The significant CNS exposure of STX-478 is expected to enable this treatment for patients with brain tumors and brain metastases not afforded by existing options. STX-478 is currently in IND enabling studies and is expected to enter human clinical trials in 2023.
Citation Format: Leonard Buckbinder, David J. St. Jean, Brendon Ladd, Trang Tieu, Philip Jonsson, Jacob Alltucker, Samantha Manimala, Weixue Wang, Angel Guzman-Perez, Darrin D. Stuart, Gregory Dowdell. STX-478, a mutant-selective PI3Kα H1047X inhibitor clinical candidate with a best-in-class profile: Pharmacology and therapeutic activity as monotherapy and in combination in breast cancer xenograft models [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-07-04.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Weixue Wang
- 8Scorpion Therapeutics, Boston, Massachusetts
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4
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Crowe MS, Zavorotinskaya T, Voliva CF, Shirley MD, Wang Y, Ruddy DA, Rakiec DP, Engelman JA, Stuart DD, Freeman AK. RAF-Mutant Melanomas Differentially Depend on ERK2 Over ERK1 to Support Aberrant MAPK Pathway Activation and Cell Proliferation. Mol Cancer Res 2021; 19:1063-1075. [PMID: 33707308 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-20-1022] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Half of advanced human melanomas are driven by mutant BRAF and dependent on MAPK signaling. Interestingly, the results of three independent genetic screens highlight a dependency of BRAF-mutant melanoma cell lines on BRAF and ERK2, but not ERK1. ERK2 is expressed higher in melanoma compared with other cancer types and higher than ERK1 within melanoma. However, ERK1 and ERK2 are similarly required in primary human melanocytes transformed with mutant BRAF and are expressed at a similar, lower amount compared with established cancer cell lines. ERK1 can compensate for ERK2 loss as seen by expression of ERK1 rescuing the proliferation arrest mediated by ERK2 loss (both by shRNA or inhibition by an ERK inhibitor). ERK2 knockdown, as opposed to ERK1 knockdown, led to more robust suppression of MAPK signaling as seen by RNA-sequencing, qRT-PCR, and Western blot analysis. In addition, treatment with MAPK pathway inhibitors led to gene expression changes that closely resembled those seen upon knockdown of ERK2 but not ERK1. Together, these data demonstrate that ERK2 drives BRAF-mutant melanoma gene expression and proliferation as a function of its higher expression compared with ERK1. Selective inhibition of ERK2 for the treatment of melanomas may spare the toxicity associated with pan-ERK inhibition in normal tissues. IMPLICATIONS: BRAF-mutant melanomas overexpress and depend on ERK2 but not ERK1, suggesting that ERK2-selective inhibition may be toxicity sparing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S Crowe
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | - Charles F Voliva
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Emeryville, California
| | - Matthew D Shirley
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Yanqun Wang
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - David A Ruddy
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Daniel P Rakiec
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Jeffery A Engelman
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Darrin D Stuart
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Alyson K Freeman
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
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5
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Monaco KA, Delach S, Yuan J, Mishina Y, Fordjour P, Labrot E, McKay D, Guo R, Higgins S, Wang HQ, Liang J, Bui K, Green J, Aspesi P, Ambrose J, Mapa F, Griner L, Jaskelioff M, Fuller J, Crawford K, Pardee G, Widger S, Hammerman PS, Engelman JA, Stuart DD, Cooke VG, Caponigro G. LXH254, a Potent and Selective ARAF-Sparing Inhibitor of BRAF and CRAF for the Treatment of MAPK-Driven Tumors. Clin Cancer Res 2020; 27:2061-2073. [DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-20-2563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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6
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Feng T, Golji J, Li A, Zhang X, Ruddy DA, Rakiec DP, Geyer FC, Gu J, Gao H, Williams JA, Stuart DD, Meyer MJ. Distinct Transcriptional Programming Drive Response to MAPK Inhibition in BRAF V600-Mutant Melanoma Patient-Derived Xenografts. Mol Cancer Ther 2019; 18:2421-2432. [PMID: 31527224 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-19-0028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2019] [Revised: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Inhibitors targeting BRAF and its downstream kinase MEK produce robust response in patients with advanced BRAF V600-mutant melanoma. However, the duration and depth of response vary significantly between patients; therefore, predicting response a priori remains a significant challenge. Here, we utilized the Novartis collection of patient-derived xenografts to characterize transcriptional alterations elicited by BRAF and MEK inhibitors in vivo, in an effort to identify mechanisms governing differential response to MAPK inhibition. We show that the expression of an MITF-high, "epithelial-like" transcriptional program is associated with reduced sensitivity and adaptive response to BRAF and MEK inhibitor treatment. On the other hand, xenograft models that express an MAPK-driven "mesenchymal-like" transcriptional program are preferentially sensitive to MAPK inhibition. These gene-expression programs are somewhat similar to the MITF-high and -low phenotypes described in cancer cell lines, but demonstrate an inverse relationship with drug response. This suggests a discrepancy between in vitro and in vivo experimental systems that warrants future investigations. Finally, BRAF V600-mutant melanoma relies on either MAPK or alternative pathways for survival under BRAF and MEK inhibition in vivo, which in turn predicts their response to further pathway suppression using a combination of BRAF, MEK, and ERK inhibitors. Our findings highlight the intertumor heterogeneity in BRAF V600-mutant melanoma, and the need for precision medicine strategies to target this aggressive cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianshu Feng
- Oncology Drug Discovery, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR), Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Javad Golji
- Oncology Drug Discovery, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR), Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Ailing Li
- Oncology Drug Discovery, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR), Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Xiamei Zhang
- Oncology Drug Discovery, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR), Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - David A Ruddy
- Oncology Drug Discovery, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR), Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Daniel P Rakiec
- Oncology Drug Discovery, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR), Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Felipe C Geyer
- Oncology Drug Discovery, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR), Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Jane Gu
- Oncology Drug Discovery, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR), Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Hui Gao
- Oncology Drug Discovery, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR), Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Juliet A Williams
- Oncology Drug Discovery, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR), Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Darrin D Stuart
- Oncology Drug Discovery, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR), Cambridge, Massachusetts.
| | - Matthew J Meyer
- Oncology Drug Discovery, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR), Cambridge, Massachusetts.
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Hao HX, Wang H, Liu C, Kovats S, Velazquez R, Lu H, Pant B, Shirley M, Meyer MJ, Pu M, Lim J, Fleming M, Alexander L, Farsidjani A, LaMarche MJ, Moody S, Silver SJ, Caponigro G, Stuart DD, Abrams TJ, Hammerman PS, Williams J, Engelman JA, Goldoni S, Mohseni M. Tumor Intrinsic Efficacy by SHP2 and RTK Inhibitors in KRAS-Mutant Cancers. Mol Cancer Ther 2019; 18:2368-2380. [DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-19-0170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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8
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Ramurthy S, Taft BR, Aversa RJ, Barsanti PA, Burger MT, Lou Y, Nishiguchi GA, Rico A, Setti L, Smith A, Subramanian S, Tamez V, Tanner H, Wan L, Hu C, Appleton BA, Mamo M, Tandeske L, Tellew JE, Huang S, Yue Q, Chaudhary A, Tian H, Iyer R, Hassan AQ, Mathews Griner LA, La Bonte LR, Cooke VG, Van Abbema A, Merritt H, Gampa K, Feng F, Yuan J, Mishina Y, Wang Y, Haling JR, Vaziri S, Hekmat-Nejad M, Polyakov V, Zang R, Sethuraman V, Amiri P, Singh M, Sellers WR, Lees E, Shao W, Dillon MP, Stuart DD. Design and Discovery of N-(3-(2-(2-Hydroxyethoxy)-6-morpholinopyridin-4-yl)-4-methylphenyl)-2-(trifluoromethyl)isonicotinamide, a Selective, Efficacious, and Well-Tolerated RAF Inhibitor Targeting RAS Mutant Cancers: The Path to the Clinic. J Med Chem 2019; 63:2013-2027. [PMID: 31059256 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b00161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Direct pharmacological inhibition of RAS has remained elusive, and efforts to target CRAF have been challenging due to the complex nature of RAF signaling, downstream of activated RAS, and the poor overall kinase selectivity of putative RAF inhibitors. Herein, we describe 15 (LXH254, Aversa, R.; et al. Int. Patent WO2014151616A1, 2014), a selective B/C RAF inhibitor, which was developed by focusing on drug-like properties and selectivity. Our previous tool compound, 3 (RAF709; Nishiguchi, G. A.; et al. J. Med. Chem. 2017, 60, 4969), was potent, selective, efficacious, and well tolerated in preclinical models, but the high human intrinsic clearance precluded further development and prompted further investigation of close analogues. A structure-based approach led to a pyridine series with an alcohol side chain that could interact with the DFG loop and significantly improved cell potency. Further mitigation of human intrinsic clearance and time-dependent inhibition led to the discovery of 15. Due to its excellent properties, it was progressed through toxicology studies and is being tested in phase 1 clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savithri Ramurthy
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Benjamin R Taft
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Robert J Aversa
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Paul A Barsanti
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Matthew T Burger
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Yan Lou
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Gisele A Nishiguchi
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Alice Rico
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Lina Setti
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Aaron Smith
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Sharadha Subramanian
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Victoriano Tamez
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Huw Tanner
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Lifeng Wan
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Cheng Hu
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Brent A Appleton
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Mulugeta Mamo
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Laura Tandeske
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - John E Tellew
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - Shenlin Huang
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - Qin Yue
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Apurva Chaudhary
- Process Research and Development, Chemical and Analytical Development, Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research, One Health Plaza, East Hanover, New Jersey 07936, United States
| | - Hung Tian
- Technical Research & Development, Global Drug Development, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp., One Health Plaza, East Hanover, New Jersey 07936, United States
| | - Raman Iyer
- Technical Research & Development, Global Drug Development, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp., One Health Plaza, East Hanover, New Jersey 07936, United States
| | - A Quamrul Hassan
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Lesley A Mathews Griner
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Laura R La Bonte
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Vesselina G Cooke
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Anne Van Abbema
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Hanne Merritt
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Kalyani Gampa
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Fei Feng
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Jing Yuan
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Yuji Mishina
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Yingyun Wang
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Jacob R Haling
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - Sepideh Vaziri
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - Mohammad Hekmat-Nejad
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Valery Polyakov
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Richard Zang
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Vijay Sethuraman
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Payman Amiri
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Mallika Singh
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - William R Sellers
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Emma Lees
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Wenlin Shao
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Michael P Dillon
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Darrin D Stuart
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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9
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Leung GP, Feng T, Sigoillot FD, Geyer FC, Shirley MD, Ruddy DA, Rakiec DP, Freeman AK, Engelman JA, Jaskelioff M, Stuart DD. Hyperactivation of MAPK Signaling Is Deleterious to RAS/RAF-mutant Melanoma. Mol Cancer Res 2018; 17:199-211. [DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-18-0327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Revised: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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10
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Stuart DD, Shao W, Mishina Y, Feng Y, Caponigro G, Cooke VG, Rivera S, Shen F, Korn J, Griner LAM, Nishiguchi G, Taft B, Wan L, Subramanian S, Lou Y, Setti L, Burger M, Tamez V, Rico A, Aversa R, Tellew J, Haling JR, Polyakov V, Lambert A, Zang R, Abbema AV, Hekmat-Nejad M, Amiri P, Singh M, Keen N, Dillon MP, Lees E, Sellers WR, Ramurthy S. Abstract DDT01-04: Pharmacological profile and anti-tumor properties of LXH254, a highly selective RAF kinase inhibitor. Cancer Res 2018. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2018-ddt01-04] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway is frequently activated in human cancers due to genetic alterations that can occur at multiple nodes, the most prevalent of which are mutations in RAS or BRAF. While BRAFV600 mutant tumors are responsive to RAF inhibitors such as dabrafenib and vemurafenib, these drugs are ineffective in RAS mutant cancers and tumors expressing other RAF mutations. CRAF kinase functions as a critical effector in mutant RAS and Class II/III BRAF mutant tumors and plays a role in feedback-mediated pathway reactivation following MEK inhibition. Thus, selective inhibitors that potently inhibit the activity of CRAF could be both effective in blocking mutant RAS and BRAF signaling and in inhibiting feedback-mediated activation in combination with a MEK inhibitor. LXH254 is a type II ATP-competitive inhibitor that inhibits both B- and CRAF kinase activities at picomolar concentrations with a high degree of selectivity against a panel of 456 human kinases and in cell-based assays. LXH254 not only inhibits MAPK signaling activity in tumor models harboring BRAFV600 mutation, but also inhibits mutant N- and KRAS-driven signaling due to its ability to inhibit both RAF monomers and dimers with similar potencies. LXH254 is orally bioavailable, demonstrates a direct PK/PD relationship and causes tumor regression in multiple cell line and primary human tumor derived xenograft models at well-tolerated doses. LXH254 represents a next generation RAF inhibitor that is differentiated from other RAF inhibitors in this class due to the high degree of selectivity. In preclinical efficacy and toxicology studies, LXH254 demonstrated a relatively wide therapeutic index which should enable effective interrogation of RAF inhibition in patients with decreased risk for off-target toxicity. LXH254 is currently in a Phase I trial in patients with solid tumors expressing MAPK pathway mutations.
Citation Format: Darrin D. Stuart, Wenlin Shao, Yuji Mishina, Yun Feng, Giordano Caponigro, Vesselina G. Cooke, Stacey Rivera, Fang Shen, Joshua Korn, Lesley A. Mathews Griner, Giselle Nishiguchi, Benjamin Taft, Lifeng Wan, Sharadha Subramanian, Yan Lou, Lina Setti, Matthew Burger, Victor Tamez, Alice Rico, Robert Aversa, John Tellew, Jacob R. Haling, Valery Polyakov, Amy Lambert, Richard Zang, Ann Van Abbema, Mohamad Hekmat-Nejad, Payman Amiri, Mallika Singh, Nicholas Keen, Michael P. Dillon, Emma Lees, William R. Sellers, Savithri Ramurthy. Pharmacological profile and anti-tumor properties of LXH254, a highly selective RAF kinase inhibitor [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr DDT01-04.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wenlin Shao
- 1Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA
| | - Yuji Mishina
- 1Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA
| | - Yun Feng
- 1Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA
| | | | | | - Stacey Rivera
- 1Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA
| | - Fang Shen
- 1Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA
| | - Joshua Korn
- 1Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA
| | | | | | - Benjamin Taft
- 2Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Emveryville, CA
| | - Lifeng Wan
- 3Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Emeryville, CA
| | | | - Yan Lou
- 3Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Emeryville, CA
| | - Lina Setti
- 3Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Emeryville, CA
| | - Matthew Burger
- 1Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA
| | - Victor Tamez
- 1Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA
| | - Alice Rico
- 3Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Emeryville, CA
| | - Robert Aversa
- 1Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA
| | - John Tellew
- 4The Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, CA
| | - Jacob R. Haling
- 4The Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, CA
| | - Valery Polyakov
- 2Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Emveryville, CA
| | - Amy Lambert
- 1Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA
| | - Richard Zang
- 3Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Emeryville, CA
| | - Ann Van Abbema
- 3Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Emeryville, CA
| | | | - Payman Amiri
- 3Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Emeryville, CA
| | - Mallika Singh
- 3Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Emeryville, CA
| | - Nicholas Keen
- 1Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA
| | | | - Emma Lees
- 1Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA
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11
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Shao W, Mishina YM, Feng Y, Caponigro G, Cooke VG, Rivera S, Wang Y, Shen F, Korn JM, Mathews Griner LA, Nishiguchi G, Rico A, Tellew J, Haling JR, Aversa R, Polyakov V, Zang R, Hekmat-Nejad M, Amiri P, Singh M, Keen N, Dillon MP, Lees E, Ramurthy S, Sellers WR, Stuart DD. Antitumor Properties of RAF709, a Highly Selective and Potent Inhibitor of RAF Kinase Dimers, in Tumors Driven by Mutant RAS or BRAF. Cancer Res 2018; 78:1537-1548. [PMID: 29343524 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-17-2033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [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] [Received: 07/07/2017] [Revised: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Resistance to the RAF inhibitor vemurafenib arises commonly in melanomas driven by the activated BRAF oncogene. Here, we report antitumor properties of RAF709, a novel ATP-competitive kinase inhibitor with high potency and selectivity against RAF kinases. RAF709 exhibited a mode of RAF inhibition distinct from RAF monomer inhibitors such as vemurafenib, showing equal activity against both RAF monomers and dimers. As a result, RAF709 inhibited MAPK signaling activity in tumor models harboring either BRAFV600 alterations or mutant N- and KRAS-driven signaling, with minimal paradoxical activation of wild-type RAF. In cell lines and murine xenograft models, RAF709 demonstrated selective antitumor activity in tumor cells harboring BRAF or RAS mutations compared with cells with wild-type BRAF and RAS genes. RAF709 demonstrated a direct pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic relationship in in vivo tumor models harboring KRAS mutation. Furthermore, RAF709 elicited regression of primary human tumor-derived xenograft models with BRAF, NRAS, or KRAS mutations with excellent tolerability. Our results support further development of inhibitors like RAF709, which represents a next-generation RAF inhibitor with unique biochemical and cellular properties that enables antitumor activities in RAS-mutant tumors.Significance: In an effort to develop RAF inhibitors with the appropriate pharmacological properties to treat RAS mutant tumors, RAF709, a compound with potency, selectivity, and in vivo properties, was developed that will allow preclinical therapeutic hypothesis testing, but also provide an excellent probe to further unravel the complexities of RAF kinase signaling. Cancer Res; 78(6); 1537-48. ©2018 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenlin Shao
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Yuji M Mishina
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Yun Feng
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Giordano Caponigro
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Vesselina G Cooke
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Stacy Rivera
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Yingyun Wang
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Fang Shen
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Joshua M Korn
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | - Gisele Nishiguchi
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Alice Rico
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Emeryville, California
| | - John Tellew
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, California
| | - Jacob R Haling
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, California
| | - Robert Aversa
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Valery Polyakov
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Emeryville, California
| | - Richard Zang
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Emeryville, California
| | - Mohammad Hekmat-Nejad
- Infectious Diseases, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Emeryville, California
| | - Payman Amiri
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Emeryville, California
| | - Mallika Singh
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Emeryville, California
| | - Nicholas Keen
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Michael P Dillon
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Emeryville, California
| | - Emma Lees
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Savithri Ramurthy
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Emeryville, California
| | - William R Sellers
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Darrin D Stuart
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
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12
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Delord JP, Robert C, Nyakas M, McArthur GA, Kudchakar R, Mahipal A, Yamada Y, Sullivan R, Arance A, Kefford RF, Carlino MS, Hidalgo M, Gomez-Roca C, Michel D, Seroutou A, Aslanis V, Caponigro G, Stuart DD, Moutouh-de Parseval L, Demuth T, Dummer R. Phase I Dose-Escalation and -Expansion Study of the BRAF Inhibitor Encorafenib (LGX818) in Metastatic BRAF-Mutant Melanoma. Clin Cancer Res 2017; 23:5339-5348. [PMID: 28611198 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-16-2923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Revised: 04/07/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Purpose: Encorafenib, a selective BRAF inhibitor (BRAFi), has a pharmacologic profile that is distinct from that of other clinically active BRAFis. We evaluated encorafenib in a phase I study in patients with BRAFi treatment-naïve and pretreated BRAF-mutant melanoma.Experimental Design: The pharmacologic activity of encorafenib was first characterized preclinically. Encorafenib monotherapy was then tested across a range of once-daily (50-700 mg) or twice-daily (75-150 mg) regimens in a phase I, open-label, dose-escalation and -expansion study in adult patients with histologically confirmed advanced/metastatic BRAF-mutant melanoma. Study objectives were to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and/or recommended phase II dose (RP2D), characterize the safety and tolerability and pharmacokinetic profile, and assess the preliminary antitumor activity of encorafenib.Results: Preclinical data demonstrated that encorafenib inhibited BRAF V600E kinase activity with a prolonged off-rate and suppressed proliferation and tumor growth of BRAF V600E-mutant melanoma models. In the dose-escalation phase, 54 patients (29 BRAFi-pretreated and 25 BRAFi-naïve) were enrolled. Seven patients in the dose-determining set experienced dose-limiting toxicities. Encorafenib at a dose of 300 mg once daily was declared the RP2D. In the expansion phase, the most common all-cause adverse events were nausea (66%), myalgia (63%), and palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia (54%). In BRAFi-naïve patients, the overall response rate (ORR) and median progression-free survival (mPFS) were 60% and 12.4 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 7.4-not reached (NR)]. In BRAFi-pretreated patients, the ORR and mPFS were 22% and 1.9 months (95% CI, 0.9-3.7).Conclusions: Once-daily dosing of single-agent encorafenib had a distinct tolerability profile and showed varying antitumor activity across BRAFi-pretreated and BRAFi-naïve patients with advanced/metastatic melanoma. Clin Cancer Res; 23(18); 5339-48. ©2017 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Grant A McArthur
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and the University of Melbourne, Australia
| | | | - Amit Mahipal
- Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida
| | | | - Ryan Sullivan
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ana Arance
- Department of Medical Oncology and Translational Genomics and Targeted Therapeutics in Solid Tumors, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Richard F Kefford
- Crown Princess Mary Cancer Centre Westmead Hospital, Melanoma Institute Australia, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Matteo S Carlino
- Crown Princess Mary Cancer Centre Westmead Hospital, Melanoma Institute Australia, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Manuel Hidalgo
- Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) and Centro Integral Oncologico Clara Campal, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Darrin D Stuart
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
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13
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Nishiguchi GA, Rico A, Tanner H, Aversa RJ, Taft BR, Subramanian S, Setti L, Burger MT, Wan L, Tamez V, Smith A, Lou Y, Barsanti PA, Appleton BA, Mamo M, Tandeske L, Dix I, Tellew JE, Huang S, Mathews Griner LA, Cooke VG, Van Abbema A, Merritt H, Ma S, Gampa K, Feng F, Yuan J, Wang Y, Haling JR, Vaziri S, Hekmat-Nejad M, Jansen JM, Polyakov V, Zang R, Sethuraman V, Amiri P, Singh M, Lees E, Shao W, Stuart DD, Dillon MP, Ramurthy S. Design and Discovery of N-(2-Methyl-5′-morpholino-6′-((tetrahydro-2H-pyran-4-yl)oxy)-[3,3′-bipyridin]-5-yl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)benzamide (RAF709): A Potent, Selective, and Efficacious RAF Inhibitor Targeting RAS Mutant Cancers. J Med Chem 2017; 60:4869-4881. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.6b01862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gisele A. Nishiguchi
- Global
Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Alice Rico
- Global
Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Huw Tanner
- Global
Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Robert J. Aversa
- Global
Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Benjamin R. Taft
- Global
Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Sharadha Subramanian
- Global
Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Lina Setti
- Global
Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Matthew T. Burger
- Global
Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Lifeng Wan
- Global
Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Victoriano Tamez
- Global
Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Aaron Smith
- Global
Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Yan Lou
- Global
Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Paul A. Barsanti
- Global
Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Brent A. Appleton
- Global
Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Mulugeta Mamo
- Global
Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Laura Tandeske
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Ina Dix
- Global
Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, Werk Klybeck, Postfach, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland
| | - John E. Tellew
- Genomics
Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - Shenlin Huang
- Genomics
Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - Lesley A. Mathews Griner
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Vesselina G. Cooke
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Anne Van Abbema
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Hanne Merritt
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Sylvia Ma
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Kalyani Gampa
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Fei Feng
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Jing Yuan
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Yingyun Wang
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Jacob R. Haling
- Genomics
Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - Sepideh Vaziri
- Genomics
Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - Mohammad Hekmat-Nejad
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Johanna M. Jansen
- Global
Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Valery Polyakov
- Global
Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Richard Zang
- Global
Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Vijay Sethuraman
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Payman Amiri
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Mallika Singh
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Emma Lees
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Wenlin Shao
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Darrin D. Stuart
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Michael P. Dillon
- Global
Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Savithri Ramurthy
- Global
Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
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14
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Han W, Ding Y, Xu Y, Pfister K, Zhu S, Warne B, Doyle M, Aikawa M, Amiri P, Appleton B, Stuart DD, Fanidi A, Shafer CM. Discovery of a Selective and Potent Inhibitor of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase-Interacting Kinases 1 and 2 (MNK1/2) Utilizing Structure-Based Drug Design. J Med Chem 2016; 59:3034-45. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b01657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wooseok Han
- Global
Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 4560 Horton Street, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Yu Ding
- Global
Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 4560 Horton Street, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Yongjin Xu
- Global
Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 4560 Horton Street, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Keith Pfister
- Global
Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 4560 Horton Street, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Shejin Zhu
- Global
Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 4560 Horton Street, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Bob Warne
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 4560 Horton Street, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Mike Doyle
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 4560 Horton Street, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Mina Aikawa
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 4560 Horton Street, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Payman Amiri
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 4560 Horton Street, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Brent Appleton
- Global
Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 4560 Horton Street, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Darrin D. Stuart
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 4560 Horton Street, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Abdallah Fanidi
- Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 4560 Horton Street, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Cynthia M. Shafer
- Global
Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 4560 Horton Street, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
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15
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Holderfield M, Nagel TE, Stuart DD. Mechanism and consequences of RAF kinase activation by small-molecule inhibitors. Br J Cancer 2014; 111:640-5. [PMID: 24642617 PMCID: PMC4134487 DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2014.139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [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] [Received: 11/19/2013] [Revised: 02/18/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the clinical success of RAF inhibitors in BRAF-mutated melanomas, attempts to target RAF kinases in the context of RAS-driven or otherwise RAF wild-type tumours have not only been ineffective, but RAF inhibitors appear to aggravate tumorigenesis in these settings. Subsequent preclinical investigation has revealed several regulatory mechanisms, feedback pathways and unexpected enzymatic quirks in the MAPK pathway, which may explain this paradox. In this review, we cover the various proposed molecular mechanisms for the RAF paradox, the clinical consequences and strategies to overcome it.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Holderfield
- UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Research, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0128, USA
| | - T E Nagel
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Emeryville, CA 94523, USA
| | - D D Stuart
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Emeryville, CA 94523, USA
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16
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Abstract
The RAS-RAF-MEK (MAP-ERK kinase)-ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase) pathway plays a central role in driving proliferation, survival, and metastasis signals in tumor cells, and the prevalence of oncogenic mutations in RAS and BRAF and upstream nodes makes this pathway the focus of significant oncology drug development efforts. This focus has been justified by the recent success of BRAF and MEK inhibitors in prolonging the lives of patients with BRAF(V600E/K)-mutant melanoma. Although it is disappointing that cures are relatively rare, this should not detract from the value of these agents to patients with cancer and the opportunity they provide in allowing us to gain a deeper understanding of drug response and resistance. These insights have already provided the basis for the evaluation of alternative dosing regimens and combination therapies in patients with melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghna Das Thakur
- Authors' Affiliation: Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Emeryville, California
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17
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Liu X, Ide JL, Norton I, Marchionni MA, Ebling MC, Wang LY, Davis E, Sauvageot CM, Kesari S, Kellersberger KA, Easterling ML, Santagata S, Stuart DD, Alberta J, Agar JN, Stiles CD, Agar NYR. Molecular imaging of drug transit through the blood-brain barrier with MALDI mass spectrometry imaging. Sci Rep 2013; 3:2859. [PMID: 24091529 PMCID: PMC3790202 DOI: 10.1038/srep02859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [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: 07/01/2013] [Accepted: 08/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug transit through the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is essential for therapeutic responses in malignant glioma. Conventional methods for assessment of BBB penetrance require synthesis of isotopically labeled drug derivatives. Here, we report a new methodology using matrix assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI MSI) to visualize drug penetration in brain tissue without molecular labeling. In studies summarized here, we first validate heme as a simple and robust MALDI MSI marker for the lumen of blood vessels in the brain. We go on to provide three examples of how MALDI MSI can provide chemical and biological insights into BBB penetrance and metabolism of small molecule signal transduction inhibitors in the brain - insights that would be difficult or impossible to extract by use of radiolabeled compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA
| | - Jennifer L. Ide
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA
| | - Isaiah Norton
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA
| | - Mark A. Marchionni
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Maritza C. Ebling
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA
| | - Lan Y. Wang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Erin Davis
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Claire M. Sauvageot
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | | | | | | | - Sandro Santagata
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA
| | | | - John Alberta
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | | | - Charles D. Stiles
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Nathalie Y. R. Agar
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA
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Abstract
The RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK pathway is a key driver of proliferation and survival signals in tumor cells and has been the focus of intense drug development efforts over the past 20 years. The recent regulatory approval of RAF inhibitors and a MAP-ERK kinase (MEK) inhibitor for metastatic melanoma provides clinical validation of tumor dependency on this pathway. Unfortunately, the therapeutic benefit of these agents is often short lived and resistance develops within a matter of months. Preclinical models of resistance to vemurafenib have provided critical insights into predicting, validating, and characterizing potential mechanisms. A key observation has been that vemurafenib-resistant tumor cells suffer a fitness deficit in the absence of drug treatment and this led to the predication that modulating the selective pressure of drug treatment through intermittent dosing could delay or prevent the emergence of resistant tumors. Most importantly, the preclinical data are supported by observations in vemurafenib-treated patients with melanoma providing a strong rationale for clinical testing of alternative dosing regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghna Das Thakur
- Authors' Affiliation: Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Emeryville, California
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19
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Affiliation(s)
- Darrin D Stuart
- Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research, Emeryville, California, USA.
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Holderfield M, Merritt H, Chan J, Wallroth M, Tandeske L, Zhai H, Tellew J, Hardy S, Hekmat-Nejad M, Stuart DD, McCormick F, Nagel TE. RAF inhibitors activate the MAPK pathway by relieving inhibitory autophosphorylation. Cancer Cell 2013; 23:594-602. [PMID: 23680146 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2013.03.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [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: 09/29/2012] [Revised: 02/11/2013] [Accepted: 03/29/2013] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
ATP competitive inhibitors of the BRAF(V600E) oncogene paradoxically activate downstream signaling in cells bearing wild-type BRAF (BRAF(WT)). In this study, we investigate the biochemical mechanism of wild-type RAF (RAF(WT)) activation by multiple catalytic inhibitors using kinetic analysis of purified BRAF(V600E) and RAF(WT) enzymes. We show that activation of RAF(WT) is ATP dependent and directly linked to RAF kinase activity. These data support a mechanism involving inhibitory autophosphorylation of RAF's phosphate-binding loop that, when disrupted either through pharmacologic or genetic alterations, results in activation of RAF and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. This mechanism accounts not only for compound-mediated activation of the MAPK pathway in BRAF(WT) cells but also offers a biochemical mechanism for BRAF oncogenesis.
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21
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Caponigro G, Cao ZA, Zhang X, Wang HQ, Fritsch CM, Stuart DD. Abstract 2337: Efficacy of the RAF/PI3Kα/anti-EGFR triple combination LGX818 + BYL719 + cetuximab in BRAFV600E colorectal tumor models. Cancer Res 2013. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2013-2337] [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
Selective RAF inhibitors have a significant role in the treatment of patients with metastatic melanoma whose tumors express BRAFV600E with the majority of patients experiencing significant tumor regression. However in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) whose tumors express BRAFV600E, response-rates appear to be much lower, with only a few patients reported to experience a partial tumor response to vemurafenib (Kopetz et al., 2010) or the combination of dabrafenib plus trametinib (Corcoran et al., 2012).
LGX818 is a highly potent RAF inhibitor with selective anti-proliferative activity in cells expressing BRAFV600E. A distinguishing feature of LGX818 is its very long dissociation half-life from BRAFV600E which leads to strong and sustained target inhibition even following drug wash-out. In addition, LGX818 has a very wide therapeutic index, with tumor regression observed at doses as low as 3 mg/kg bid and excellent tolerability up to 300 mg/kg bid in melanoma xenograft models. In the CRC cell line Colo205 (BRAFV600E), LGX818 inhibits proliferation with an EC50 = 0.005 μM and in vivo leads to significant tumor regression at doses as low as 20 mg/kg. However, other BRAFV600E CRC cell lines do not appear to be as sensitive (EC50 = 0.018 to >2.7 μM) and this intrinsic resistance translates in vivo in xenograft models generated from these cell lines.
Based on clinical and preclinical data, it is clear that combination strategies will be required if RAF inhibitors are going to play a significant role in the treatment of CRC. Recent publications have implicated feedback-mediated activation of EGFR in BRAFV600E CRC cells treated with RAF and MEK inhibitors and this led us to test combinations of LGX818 with anti-EGFR therapies such as cetuximab and erlotinib. In vitro and in vivo studies indicated that the combination of LGX818 with cetuximab or erlotinib can be highly synergistic, leading to enhanced cell killing. In vivo the combination of LGX818 + cetuximab led to complete inhibition of tumor growth at doses where no single-agent activity was observed. Since PIK3CA mutations often co-occur with BRAFV600E in CRC tumors, we also tested the alpha-selective PI3K inhibitor BYL719 in combination with LGX818 and cetuximab as a triple combination. In vitro, this triple combination produced synergistic anti-proliferative effects and in vivo resulted in tumor regression.
These preclinical data led to the initiation of an ongoing Phase I/II trial to evaluate the triple combination of LGX818, cetuximab and BYL719 in BRAFV600E CRC. Based on the preclinical results described above it is anticipated that the combination of a RAF inhibitor with anti-EGFR therapy and a PI3K inhibitor will have superior efficacy to single-agent RAF inhibitor in BRAFV600E CRC.
Citation Format: Giordano Caponigro, Z A. Cao, Xiaobin Zhang, Hui Q. Wang, Christine M. Fritsch, Darrin D. Stuart. Efficacy of the RAF/PI3Kα/anti-EGFR triple combination LGX818 + BYL719 + cetuximab in BRAFV600E colorectal tumor models. [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 2337. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2337
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Z A. Cao
- 1Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA
| | - Xiaobin Zhang
- 1Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA
| | - Hui Q. Wang
- 1Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA
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22
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Das Thakur M, Salangsang F, Landman AS, Sellers WR, Pryer NK, Levesque MP, Dummer R, McMahon M, Stuart DD. Modelling vemurafenib resistance in melanoma reveals a strategy to forestall drug resistance. Nature 2013; 494:251-5. [PMID: 23302800 DOI: 10.1038/nature11814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 561] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2012] [Accepted: 11/29/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Mutational activation of BRAF is the most prevalent genetic alteration in human melanoma, with ≥50% of tumours expressing the BRAF(V600E) oncoprotein. Moreover, the marked tumour regression and improved survival of late-stage BRAF-mutated melanoma patients in response to treatment with vemurafenib demonstrates the essential role of oncogenic BRAF in melanoma maintenance. However, as most patients relapse with lethal drug-resistant disease, understanding and preventing mechanism(s) of resistance is critical to providing improved therapy. Here we investigate the cause and consequences of vemurafenib resistance using two independently derived primary human melanoma xenograft models in which drug resistance is selected by continuous vemurafenib administration. In one of these models, resistant tumours show continued dependency on BRAF(V600E)→MEK→ERK signalling owing to elevated BRAF(V600E) expression. Most importantly, we demonstrate that vemurafenib-resistant melanomas become drug dependent for their continued proliferation, such that cessation of drug administration leads to regression of established drug-resistant tumours. We further demonstrate that a discontinuous dosing strategy, which exploits the fitness disadvantage displayed by drug-resistant cells in the absence of the drug, forestalls the onset of lethal drug-resistant disease. These data highlight the concept that drug-resistant cells may also display drug dependency, such that altered dosing may prevent the emergence of lethal drug resistance. Such observations may contribute to sustaining the durability of the vemurafenib response with the ultimate goal of curative therapy for the subset of melanoma patients with BRAF mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghna Das Thakur
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Emeryville, California 94608, USA
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23
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Su Y, Vilgelm AE, Kelley MC, Hawkins OE, Liu Y, Boyd KL, Kantrow S, Splittgerber RC, Short SP, Sobolik T, Zaja-Milatovic S, Dahlman KB, Amiri KI, Jiang A, Lu P, Shyr Y, Stuart DD, Levy S, Sosman JA, Richmond A. RAF265 inhibits the growth of advanced human melanoma tumors. Clin Cancer Res 2012; 18:2184-98. [PMID: 22351689 PMCID: PMC3724517 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-11-1122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [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: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this preclinical study was to determine the effectiveness of RAF265, a multikinase inhibitor, for treatment of human metastatic melanoma and to characterize traits associated with drug response. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Advanced metastatic melanoma tumors from 34 patients were orthotopically implanted to nude mice. Tumors that grew in mice (17 of 34) were evaluated for response to RAF265 (40 mg/kg, every day) over 30 days. The relation between patient characteristics, gene mutation profile, global gene expression profile, and RAF265 effects on tumor growth, mitogen-activated protein/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation, proliferation, and apoptosis markers was evaluated. RESULTS Nine of the 17 tumors that successfully implanted (53%) were mutant BRAF (BRAF(V600E/K)), whereas eight of 17 (47%) tumors were BRAF wild type (BRAF(WT)). Tumor implants from 7 of 17 patients (41%) responded to RAF265 treatment with more than 50% reduction in tumor growth. Five of the 7 (71%) responders were BRAF(WT), of which 1 carried c-KIT(L576P) and another N-RAS(Q61R) mutation, while only 2 (29%) of the responding tumors were BRAF(V600E/K). Gene expression microarray data from nonimplanted tumors revealed that responders exhibited enriched expression of genes involved in cell growth, proliferation, development, cell signaling, gene expression, and cancer pathways. Although response to RAF265 did not correlate with pERK1/2 reduction, RAF265 responders did exhibit reduced pMEK1, reduced proliferation based upon reduced Ki-67, cyclin D1 and polo-like kinase1 levels, and induction of the apoptosis mediator BCL2-like 11. CONCLUSIONS Orthotopic implants of patient tumors in mice may predict prognosis and treatment response for melanoma patients. A subpopulation of human melanoma tumors responds to RAF265 and can be characterized by gene mutation and gene expression profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingjun Su
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
| | - Anna E. Vilgelm
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
| | | | - Oriana E. Hawkins
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
| | - Yan Liu
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
| | - Kelli L. Boyd
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
| | | | | | - Sarah P. Short
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
| | - Tammy Sobolik
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
| | - Snjezana Zaja-Milatovic
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
| | - Kimberly Brown Dahlman
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
| | - Katayoun I. Amiri
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
| | - Aixiang Jiang
- Division of Cancer Biostatistics, Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
| | - Pengcheng Lu
- Division of Cancer Biostatistics, Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
| | - Yu Shyr
- Division of Cancer Biostatistics, Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
| | - Darrin D. Stuart
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Emeryville, California
| | - Shawn Levy
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
| | - Jeffrey A. Sosman
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Ann Richmond
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
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24
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Affiliation(s)
- Darrin D Stuart
- Chiron Corporation, Cancer Pharmacology, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA
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25
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Stuart DD, Kao GY, Allen TM. A novel, long-circulating, and functional liposomal formulation of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides targeted against MDR1. Cancer Gene Ther 2000; 7:466-75. [PMID: 10766353 DOI: 10.1038/sj.cgt.7700145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [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: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The goal of this study was to develop a small, stable liposomal carrier for antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (asODN) that would have high trapping efficiencies and long circulation times in vivo. Traditional cationic liposomes aggregate to large complexes and, when injected intravenously, rapidly accumulate in the liver and lung. We produced charge-neutralized liposome-asODN particles by optimizing the charge interaction between a cationic lipid and negatively charged asODN, followed by a procedure in which a layer of neutral lipids coated the exterior of the cationic lipid-asODN particle. The coated cationic liposomes had an average diameter of 188 nm and entrapped 85-95% of the asODN. The biodistribution and pharmacokinetics of an 18-mer 125I-labeled phosphorothioate ODN formulated by this method were determined after tail vein injection in mice. The majority of the asODN was cleared from blood, with a half-life of >10 hours compared with <1 hour for free asODN. When coupled with an anti-CD19 targeted antibody, this formulation was also effective at delivering an MDR1 asODN to a multidrug-resistant human B-lymphoma cell line in vitro, decreasing the activity of P-glycoprotein. No inhibition was found for nontargeted formulations or for free asODN. A number of therapeutic opportunities exist for the use of small, stable, long-circulating, and targetable liposomal carriers such as this, with high trapping efficiencies for asODN.
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Affiliation(s)
- D D Stuart
- Medical Uniersity of South Carolina, Hollings Cancer Center, Charleston, 29425, USA
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26
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Stuart DD, Allen TM. A new liposomal formulation for antisense oligodeoxynucleotides with small size, high incorporation efficiency and good stability. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Biomembranes 2000; 1463:219-29. [PMID: 10675501 DOI: 10.1016/s0005-2736(99)00209-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (asODN) are therapeutic agents that are designed to inhibit the expression of disease-related genes. However, their therapeutic use may be hindered due to their rapid clearance from blood and their inefficiency at crossing cell membranes. Cationic liposome complexes have been used to enhance the intracellular delivery of asODN in vitro; however, this type of carrier has unfavorable pharmacokinetics for most in vivo applications. Significant therapeutic activity of cationic liposomal asODN following systemic administration has not been demonstrated. In an effort to develop improved liposomal carriers for asODN for in vivo applications, we have evaluated the physical characteristics of two formulations which represent alternatives to cationic liposome-asODN complexes: asODN passively entrapped within neutral liposomes (PELA) and asODN formulated in a novel coated cationic liposomal formulation (CCL). Our results confirm that PELA can be extruded to small diameters that are suitable for intravenous administration. PELA are stable in human plasma; however, the incorporation efficiency is relatively low ( approximately 20%). The CCL formulation can also be extruded to small diameters (<200 nm), with significantly higher (80-100%) incorporation efficiency and are stable in 50% human plasma at 37 degrees C. A liposomal carrier for asODN with these characteristics may provide a significant therapeutic advantage over free asODN for some therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- D D Stuart
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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27
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Pagnan G, Stuart DD, Pastorino F, Raffaghello L, Montaldo PG, Allen TM, Calabretta B, Ponzoni M. Delivery of c-myb antisense oligodeoxynucleotides to human neuroblastoma cells via disialoganglioside GD(2)-targeted immunoliposomes: antitumor effects. J Natl Cancer Inst 2000; 92:253-61. [PMID: 10655443 DOI: 10.1093/jnci/92.3.253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [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: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Advanced-stage neuroblastoma resists conventional treatment; hence, novel therapeutic approaches are required. We evaluated the use of c-myb antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (asODNs) delivered to cells via targeted immunoliposomes to inhibit c-Myb protein expression and neuroblastoma cell proliferation in vitro. METHODS Phosphorothioate asODNs and control sequences were encapsulated in cationic lipid, and the resulting particles were coated with neutral lipids to produce coated cationic liposomes (CCLs). Monoclonal antibodies directed against the disialoganglioside GD(2) were covalently coupled to the CCLs. (3)H-labeled liposomes were used to measure cellular binding, and cellular uptake of asODNs was evaluated by dot-blot analysis. Growth inhibition was quantified by counting trypan blue dye-stained cells. Expression of c-Myb protein was examined by western blot analysis. RESULTS Our methods produced GD(2)-targeted liposomes that stably entrapped 80%-90% of added c-myb asODNs. These liposomes showed concentration-dependent binding to GD(2)-positive neuroblastoma cells that could be blocked by soluble anti-GD(2) monoclonal antibodies. GD(2)-targeted liposomes increased the uptake of asODNs by neuroblastoma cells by a factor of fourfold to 10-fold over that obtained with free asODNs. Neuroblastoma cell proliferation was inhibited to a greater extent by GD(2)-targeted liposomes containing c-myb asODNs than by nontargeted liposomes or free asODNs. GD(2)-targeted liposomes containing c-myb asODNs specifically reduced expression of c-Myb protein by neuroblastoma cells. Enhanced liposome binding and asODN uptake, as well as the antiproliferative effect, were not evident in GD(2)-negative cells. CONCLUSIONS Encapsulation of asODNs into immunoliposomes appears to enhance their toxicity toward targeted cells while shielding nontargeted cells from antisense effects and may be efficacious for the delivery of drugs with broad therapeutic applications to tumor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Pagnan
- Laboratory of Oncology, G. Gaslini Children's Hospital, Genoa, Italy
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28
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Stuart DD, Doughty MJ. In vitro UVB irradiation of bovine crystalline lens causes cell damage and reduction in leucine aminopeptidase activity in lens epithelium. J Photochem Photobiol B 1996; 32:81-7. [PMID: 8725056 DOI: 10.1016/1011-1344(95)07193-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Past studies in our laboratory have shown that low levels of UVB can cause changes in the optical properties of organ cultured ocular lenses, while other research has shown that in vitro UV radiation causes decreases in leucine aminopeptidase activity in homogenates of crystalline lens material. Therefore we have investigated whether there is a relationship between such decreases in enzyme activity and changes in lens optics and structure. Organ cultured bovine lenses were irradiated with low doses of UVB, and lens optics, histology and leucine aminopeptidase activity (leucine beta-naphthylamide hydrolysis at pH 7.5) were assessed daily. Lenses irradiated with 0.1 J cm-2 UVB showed a decrease of about 30% in leucine aminopeptidase activity 1 h after irradiation, while changes in lens optics were not observed until at least 24 h after irradiation. Histological examination of the lens anterior epithelium revealed changes in epithelial cells ranging from pyknotic nuclei to large areas of cell fragmentation. The results of this study suggest that a decrease in soluble aminopeptidase activity in lens epithelial cells may be a direct result of the epithelial cell damage rather than an effect of UVB on the enzyme per se.
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Affiliation(s)
- D D Stuart
- University of Waterloo, School of Optometry, Ont., Canada
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29
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Abstract
The effects of repeated exposures to UV-A (335 nm) and UV-B (305 nm) radiation on the crystalline lens were studied by treating cultured bovine lenses daily or weekly. The effects of irradiation on lens optical quality were monitored using an automated scanning laser system that records both relative transmittance and focal length across the lens. Relatively low radiant exposures of UV-B were used (0.06, 0.03, 0.01 J/cm2) compared to UV-A (1.44 J/cm2). In total, 38 treated lenses and 32 controls were cultured for times ranging from 400-1000 hours. Results indicate that this range of UV-B exposure may represent the threshold for in vitro UV-B induced opacification. Lenses treated weekly with 0.06 J/cm2 UV-B showed a significant decrease in transmittance compared to controls 69 hours after the first treatment and an increase in focal length variability. The ability of the lens to repair itself, as found in a previous single dose study, was absent after repeated doses. Lenses exposed daily to 0.03 and 0.01 J/cm2 UV-B showed no significant change in transmittance or focal length variability compared to controls. Daily exposure to 1.44 J/cm2 UV-A resulted in no significant change in transmittance or focal length variability compared to controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- D D Stuart
- School of Optometry, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
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Abstract
Cold cataracts were induced in ten bovine lenses and then removed by warming. Cataracts first appeared at an average temperature of 11.7 degrees C. The cataracts appeared to be densest at an average temperature of 1.2 degrees C, while warming caused them to disappear completely at an average temperature of 16.4 degrees C. A computer-operated scanning laser system was used to measure the equivalent focal length and changes in relative transmittance before, during, and after the cataract was induced. In general the focal length profile (spherical aberration) that existed before cooling was recaptured on warming. Scatter values indicate that transmittance is not affected by the temporary cold cataract. Thus the optical performance of the bovine lens appears to be identical before and after cold cataracts are induced. We believe that these results indicate that the cataract has a supramolecular origin.
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Cowey CB, Cho CY, Sivak JG, Weerheim JA, Stuart DD. Methionine intake in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), relationship to cataract formation and the metabolism of methionine. J Nutr 1992; 122:1154-63. [PMID: 1564569 DOI: 10.1093/jn/122.5.1154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [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: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Young rainbow trout were given diets containing graded levels of methionine for 16 wk. Analysis of the weight gain and food efficiency data showed the methionine requirement to be not more than 0.76% of the diet (1.9% of dietary protein). Activities of regulatory enzymes of the transulfuration pathway, methionine adenosyltransferase and cystathionine synthase in trout liver were not altered by changes in methionine intake. Concentrations of free serine in liver and plasma of the trout were high at low levels of methionine intake but fell as dietary methionine increased. This implied decreased flux through cystathionine synthase at low methionine intakes. Large increases in liver and plasma taurine occurred at high methionine intakes, implying enhanced transulfuration activity. Liver ornithine decarboxylase activity was reduced at the lowest level of dietary methionine used but the activity of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase was unchanged. Eye lenses of the trout given these diets were examined by a scanning lens monitor. Analysis of focal length variability with this equipment demonstrated that, if abnormality of the lens is to be avoided, a higher concentration of dietary methionine (0.96% or 0.6% methionine + 0.36% cystine) is needed than that required to maximize growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- C B Cowey
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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Abstract
The effect of UV-B radiation on the crystalline lens was examined by subjecting bovine lenses in culture to varying low exposures at 300 nm. Lens optical quality was monitored on a long-term basis (to 1000 hrs.) with an automated scanning laser system that recorded both change in relative scatter and focal length across each lens. Data were collected for 20 lens positions at each scan. Radiant exposure levels consisted of 0.5, 0.25, 0.125, 0.06 and 0.03 Jcm-2. Twenty irradiated lenses were compared to twelve untreated controls. All of the irradiated lenses showed changes in scatter and focal length relative to the controls. Most (about 75%) of the treated lenses showed significant increases in scatter (200-400%) and focal length (10-20%) at 40 to 60 hours after exposure. A similar time frame for lens damage was noted by visual inspection. Exposure to UV-B at the above doses did not affect culture longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- D D Stuart
- School of Optometry, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
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Sirr SA, Johnson TK, Stuart DD, Stanchfield WR, Cardella JF, duCret RP, Boudreau RJ. An improved radiolabeling technique of ivalon and its use for dynamic monitoring of complications during therapeutic transcatheter embolization. J Nucl Med 1989; 30:1399-404. [PMID: 2754493] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcatheter embolization by Ivalon particles for treatment of arteriovenous malformations has been an accepted therapeutic technique for many years. We describe a new and efficient radiolabeling technique of Ivalon particles using [99mTc]sulfur colloid. Continuous and dynamic monitoring of injected radiolabeled Ivalon particles is made possible by viewing the persistence scope of a portable gamma camera whose head is positioned over the patient undergoing therapeutic embolization. Therefore, if inadvertent pulmonary embolism or reflux migration of radiolabeled Ivalon particles has occurred, the angiographer is immediately aware of this potentially serious or fatal complication and can take corrective action. We describe two patients, each with an arteriovenous malformation, who had therapeutic embolization with radiolabeled Ivalon particles, one resulting in reflux migration and the other resulting in inadvertent pulmonary embolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- S A Sirr
- Department of Radiology, Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN 55415
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