-
Cancer Immunology Research Jul 2020Immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as anti-PD-1/PD-L1, have emerged as promising therapies for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, approximately 80% of...
Immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as anti-PD-1/PD-L1, have emerged as promising therapies for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, approximately 80% of patients do not respond to immunotherapy given alone because of intrinsic or acquired resistance. Radiotherapy (XRT) can overcome PD-1 resistance and improve treatment outcomes, but its efficacy remains suboptimal. The tyrosine phosphatase SHP-2, expressed in some cancers and in immune cells, has been shown to negatively affect antitumor immunity. Our hypothesis was that SHP-2 inhibition in combination with anti-PD-L1 would enhance immune-mediated responses to XRT and synergistically boost antitumor effects in an anti-PD-1-resistant mouse model. We treated 129Sv/Ev mice with anti-PD-1-resistant 344SQ NSCLC adenocarcinoma with oral SHP099 (a SHP-2 inhibitor) combined with XRT and intraperitoneal anti-PD-L1. Primary tumors were treated with XRT (three fractions of 12 Gy each), whereas abscopal (out-of-field) tumors were observed but not treated. XRT in combination with SHP099 and anti-PD-L1 promoted local and abscopal responses, reduced lung metastases, and improved mouse survival. XRT also increased SHP-2 M1 tumor-associated macrophages in abscopal tumors ( = 0.019). The addition of SHP099 also associated with a higher M1/M2 ratio, greater numbers of CD8 T cells, and fewer regulatory T cells. This triple-combination therapy had strong antitumor effects in a mouse model of anti-PD-1-resistant NSCLC and may be a novel therapeutic approach for anti-PD-1-resistant NSCLC in patients.
Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological; B7-H1 Antigen; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; Cell Line, Tumor; Chemoradiotherapy; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; Female; Lung Neoplasms; Mice; Mice, 129 Strain; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Piperidines; Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 6; Pyrimidines
PubMed: 32299915
DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-19-0744 -
Microbiology Spectrum Jun 2023Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). SARS-CoV-2 propagation is mediated by the...
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). SARS-CoV-2 propagation is mediated by the protein interaction between viral proteins and host cells. Tyrosine kinase has been implicated in viral replication, and hence, it has become a target for developing antiviral drugs. We have previously reported that receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor blocks the replication of hepatitis C virus (HCV). In the present study, we investigated two receptor tyrosine kinase-specific inhibitors, amuvatinib and imatinib, for their potential antiviral efficacies against SARS-CoV-2. Treatment with either amuvatinib or imatinib displays an effective inhibitory activity against SARS-CoV-2 propagation without an obvious cytopathic effect in Vero E6 cells. Notably, amuvatinib exerts a stronger antiviral activity than imatinib against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Amuvatinib blocks SARS-CoV-2 infection with a 50% effective concentration (EC) value ranging from ~0.36 to 0.45 μM in Vero E6 cells. We further demonstrate that amuvatinib inhibits SARS-CoV-2 propagation in human lung Calu-3 cells. Using pseudoparticle infection assay, we verify that amuvatinib blocks SARS-CoV-2 at the entry step of the viral life cycle. More specifically, amuvatinib inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infection at the binding-attachment step. Moreover, amuvatinib exhibits highly efficient antiviral activity against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. Importantly, we demonstrate that amuvatinib inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infection by blocking ACE2 cleavage. Taken together, our data suggest that amuvatinib may provide a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of COVID-19. Tyrosine kinase has been implicated in viral replication and has become an antiviral drug target. Here, we chose two well-known receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors, amuvatinib and imatinib, and evaluated their drug potencies against SARS-CoV-2. Surprisingly, amuvatinib displays a stronger antiviral activity than imatinib against SARS-CoV-2. Amuvatinib blocks SARS-CoV-2 infection by inhibiting ACE2 cleavage and the subsequent soluble ACE2 receptor. All these data suggest that amuvatinib may be a potential therapeutic agent in SARS-CoV-2 prevention for those experiencing vaccine breakthroughs.
Topics: Animals; Humans; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Imatinib Mesylate; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2; Antiviral Agents; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; Life Cycle Stages
PubMed: 36995225
DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.05105-22 -
Translational Lung Cancer Research Dec 2012MET and its ligand hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF) influence cell motility and lead to tumor growth, invasion, and angiogenesis. Alterations in MET have... (Review)
Review
MET and its ligand hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF) influence cell motility and lead to tumor growth, invasion, and angiogenesis. Alterations in MET have been observed in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumors, with increased expression associated with more aggressive cancer, as well as acquired resistance to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). MET inhibitors act via two basic mechanisms. Small molecule inhibitors antagonize ATP in the intracellular tyrosine kinase domain of MET, with studies on the following agents reviewed here: tivantinib (ARQ-197), cabozantinib (XL-184), crizotinib (PF-02341066), amuvatinib (MP470), MGCD265, foretinib (EXEL-2880), MK2461, SGX523, PHA665752, JNJ-38877605, SU11274, and K252A. The monoclonal monovalent antibody fragment onartuzumab (MetMAb) is also discussed here, which binds to and prevents the extracellular activation of the receptor by ligand. MET inhibition may both overcome the negative prognostic effect of MET tumor expression as well as antagonize MET-dependent acquired resistance to EGFR inhibitors. Here we discuss MET inhibitors in combination with other therapies in lung cancer.
PubMed: 25806189
DOI: 10.3978/j.issn.2218-6751.2012.10.08 -
International Journal of Molecular... Feb 2020Glucose levels inside solid tumors are low as compared with normal surrounding tissue, forcing tumor cells to reprogram their metabolism to adapt to such low glucose...
The Amuvatinib Derivative, N-(2H-1,3-Benzodioxol-5-yl)-4-{thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4-yl}piperazine-1-carboxamide, Inhibits Mitochondria and Kills Tumor Cells under Glucose Starvation.
Glucose levels inside solid tumors are low as compared with normal surrounding tissue, forcing tumor cells to reprogram their metabolism to adapt to such low glucose conditions. Unlike normal tissue, tumor cells experience glucose starvation, making the targeting of pathways supporting survival during glucose starvation an interesting therapeutic strategy in oncology. Using high-throughput screening, we previously identified small molecules that selectively kill cells exposed to glucose starvation. One of the identified compounds was the kinase inhibitor amuvatinib. To identify new molecules with potential antineoplastic activity, we procured 12 amuvatinib derivatives and tested their selective toxicity towards glucose-starved tumor cells. One of the amuvatinib derivatives, -(2H-1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-4-{thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4-yl}piperazine-1-carboxamide, termed compound 6, was found to be efficacious in tumor cells experiencing glucose starvation. In line with the known dependence of glucose-starved cells on the mitochondria, compound 6 inhibits mitochondrial membrane potential. These findings support the concept that tumor cells are dependent on mitochondria under glucose starvation, and bring forth compound 6 as a new molecule with potential antitumor activity for the treatment of glucose-starved tumors.
Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Cell Line, Tumor; Glucose; Humans; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial; Mitochondria; Neoplasms; Piperazines; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Pyrimidines; Thiourea
PubMed: 32033217
DOI: 10.3390/ijms21031041 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2022CD47-SIRPα interaction acts as a "don't eat me" signal and is exploited by cancer to downregulate innate and adaptive immune surveillance. There has been intense... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
CD47-SIRPα interaction acts as a "don't eat me" signal and is exploited by cancer to downregulate innate and adaptive immune surveillance. There has been intense interest to develop a mechanism of blockade, and we aimed to analyze the emerging data from early clinical trials. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of relevant databases and conference abstracts including clinical trials using CD47 and/or SIRPα inhibitors in cancer treatment. Nonlinear mixed models were applied for comparison of response and toxicity. We retrieved 317 articles, 24 of which were eligible. These included 771 response-evaluable patients with hematologic (47.1%) and solid tumors (52.9%). Of these, 6.4% experienced complete response, 10.4% partial response, and 26.1% stable disease for a 16.7% objective response rate (ORR), 42.8% disease control rate, and 4.8-month median duration of response. ORR was significantly higher for hematologic cancers (25.3%) than solid cancers (9.1%, p=0.042). Comparing by mechanism, seven CD47 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and six selective SIRPα blockers were given alone or combined with checkpoint inhibitors, targeted therapy, and/or chemotherapy. In solid cancers, selective SIRPα blockade showed a higher ORR (16.2%) than anti-CD47 mAbs (2.8%, p=0.079), which was significant for combination therapies (ORR 28.3% vs 3.0%, respectively, p=0.010). Responses were seen in head and neck, colorectal, endometrial, ovarian, hepatocellular, non-small cell lung, and HER2+gastroesophageal cancers. Dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) was seen in 3.3% of patients (5.4% anti-CD47 mAbs, 1.4% selective SIRPα blockers; p=0.01). The frequency of treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) ≥grade 3 was 18.0%, similar between the two groups (p=0.082), and mostly laboratory abnormalities. For anti-CD47 mAbs, the most common toxicities included grade 1-2 fatigue (27.2%), headache (21.0%), and anemia (20.5%). For selective SIRPα blockers, these included grade 1-2 infusion reaction (23.1%) and fatigue (15.8%). Anti-CD47 mAbs were significantly more likely than selective SIRPα blockers to cause grade 1-2 fever, chills, nausea/vomiting, headache, and anemia. In conclusion, combination therapies using selective SIRPα blockade had higher response rates in solid tumors than anti-CD47 mAb combinations. Hematologic changes were the main TRAEs, and selective SIRPα blockers seemed to have a better grade 1-2 toxicity profile. Treatment was well-tolerated with minimal DLTs.
Topics: Humans; Protein Binding; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Fatigue; Headache; Neoplasms; CD47 Antigen
PubMed: 36439116
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1027235 -
Journal of Hematology & Oncology Dec 2013MET is a receptor tyrosine kinase that is activated by the ligand HGF and this pathway promotes cell survival, migration, and motility. In accordance with its oncogenic...
BACKGROUND
MET is a receptor tyrosine kinase that is activated by the ligand HGF and this pathway promotes cell survival, migration, and motility. In accordance with its oncogenic role, MET is constitutively active, mutated, or over-expressed in many cancers. Corollary to its impact, inhibition of MET kinase activity causes reduction of the downstream signaling and demise of cells. In myeloma, a B-cell plasma malignancy, MET is neither mutated nor over-expressed, however, HGF is increased in plasma or serum obtained from myeloma patients and this was associated with poor prognosis. The small-molecule, amuvatinib, inhibits MET receptor tyrosine kinase. Based on this background, we hypothesized that targeting the HGF/MET signaling pathway is a rational approach to myeloma therapy and that myeloma cells would be sensitive to amuvatinib.
METHODS
Expression of MET and HGF mRNAs in normal versus malignant plasma cells was compared during disease progression. Cell death and growth as well as MET signaling pathway were assessed in amuvatinib treated primary myeloma cells and cell lines.
RESULTS
There was a progressive increase in the transcript levels of HGF (but not MET) from normal plasma cells to refractory malignant plasma cells. Amuvatinib readily inhibited MET phosphorylation in primary CD138+ cells from myeloma patients and in concordance, increased cell death. A 48-hr amuvatinib treatment in high HGF-expressing myeloma cell line, U266, resulted in growth inhibition. Levels of cytotoxicity were time-dependent; at 24, 48, and 72 h, amuvatinib (25 μM) resulted in 28%, 40%, and 55% cell death. Consistent with these data, there was an amuvatinib-mediated decrease in MET phosphorylation in the cell line. Amuvatinib at concentrations of 5, 10, or 25 μM readily inhibited HGF-dependent MET, AKT, ERK and GSK-3-beta phosphorylation. MET-mediated effects were not observed in myeloma cell line that has low MET and/or HGF expression.
CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that at the cellular level MET/HGF pathway inclines with myeloma disease progression. Amuvatinib, a small molecule MET kinase inhibitor, is effective in inducing growth inhibition and cell death in myeloma cell lines as well as primary malignant plasma cells. These cytostatic and cytotoxic effects were associated with an impact on MET/HGF pathway.
Topics: Aged; Apoptosis; Cell Line, Tumor; Disease Progression; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Multiple Myeloma; Piperazines; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met; Pyrimidines; Signal Transduction; Thiourea
PubMed: 24326130
DOI: 10.1186/1756-8722-6-92 -
Journal For Immunotherapy of Cancer Jul 2023Up to 20% of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) develop brain metastasis (BM), for which the current standard of care is radiation therapy with or without...
Nivolumab and ipilimumab with concurrent stereotactic radiosurgery for intracranial metastases from non-small cell lung cancer: analysis of the safety cohort for non-randomized, open-label, phase I/II trial.
BACKGROUND
Up to 20% of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) develop brain metastasis (BM), for which the current standard of care is radiation therapy with or without surgery. There are no prospective data on the safety of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) concurrent with immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy for BM. This is the safety cohort of the phase I/II investigator-initiated trial of SRS with nivolumab and ipilimumab for patients with BM from NSCLC.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
This single-institution study included patients with NSCLC with active BM amenable to SRS. Brain SRS and systemic therapy with nivolumab and ipilimumab were delivered concurrently (within 7 days). The endpoints were safety and 4-month intracranial progression-free survival (PFS).
RESULTS
Thirteen patients were enrolled in the safety cohort, 10 of whom were evaluable for dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs). Median follow-up was 23 months (range 9.7-24.3 months). The median interval between systemic therapy and radiation therapy was 3 days. Only one patient had a DLT; hence, predefined stopping criteria were not met. In addition to the patient with DLT, three patients had treatment-related grade ≥3 adverse events, including elevated liver function tests, fatigue, nausea, adrenal insufficiency, and myocarditis. One patient had a confirmed influenza infection 7 months after initiation of protocol treatment (outside the DLT assessment window), leading to pneumonia and subsequent death from hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. The estimated 4-month intracranial PFS rate was 70.7%.
CONCLUSION
Concurrent brain SRS with nivolumab/ipilimumab was safe for patients with active NSCLC BM. Preliminary analyses of treatment efficacy were encouraging for intracranial treatment response.
Topics: Humans; Brain Neoplasms; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; Ipilimumab; Lung Neoplasms; Nivolumab; Radiosurgery; Combined Modality Therapy
PubMed: 37402581
DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-006871 -
Melanoma Research Oct 2014Effective targeted therapy strategies are still lacking for the 15-20% of melanoma patients whose melanomas are driven by oncogenic NRAS. Here, we report on the...
Effective targeted therapy strategies are still lacking for the 15-20% of melanoma patients whose melanomas are driven by oncogenic NRAS. Here, we report on the NRAS-specific behavior of amuvatinib, a kinase inhibitor with activity against c-KIT, Axl, PDGFRα, and Rad51. An analysis of BRAF-mutant and NRAS-mutant melanoma cell lines showed the NRAS-mutant cohort to be enriched for targets of amuvatinib, including Axl, c-KIT, and the Axl ligand Gas6. Increasing concentrations of amuvatinib selectively inhibited the growth of NRAS-mutant, but not BRAF-mutant melanoma cell lines, an effect associated with induction of S-phase and G2/M-phase cell cycle arrest and induction of apoptosis. Mechanistically, amuvatinib was noted to either inhibit Axl, AKT, and MAPK signaling or Axl and AKT signaling and to induce a DNA damage response. In three-dimensional cell culture experiments, amuvatinib was cytotoxic against NRAS-mutant melanoma cell lines. Thus, we show for the first time that amuvatinib has proapoptotic activity against melanoma cell lines, with selectivity observed for those harboring oncogenic NRAS.
Topics: Apoptosis; Cell Culture Techniques; Cell Cycle; Cell Line, Tumor; Cohort Studies; DNA Damage; Genes, ras; Humans; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Ligands; Melanoma; Mutation; Piperazines; Proteomics; Proto-Oncogene Proteins; Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; Pyrimidines; Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; Signal Transduction; Skin Neoplasms; Thiourea; Axl Receptor Tyrosine Kinase
PubMed: 24950457
DOI: 10.1097/CMR.0000000000000103 -
JCI Insight Jun 2023The combination of radiation therapy (RT) and immunotherapy has emerged as a promising treatment option in oncology. Historically, x-ray radiation (XRT) has been the...
The combination of radiation therapy (RT) and immunotherapy has emerged as a promising treatment option in oncology. Historically, x-ray radiation (XRT) has been the most commonly used form of RT. However, proton beam therapy (PBT) is gaining recognition as a viable alternative, as it has been shown to produce similar outcomes to XRT while minimizing off-target effects. The effects of PBT on the antitumor immune response have only just begun to be described, and to our knowledge no studies to date have examined the effect of PBT as part of a combinatorial immunoradiotherapeutic strategy. Here, using a 2-tumor model of lung cancer in mice, we show that PBT in tandem with an anti-PD1 antibody substantially reduced growth in both irradiated and unirradiated tumors. This was accompanied by robust activation of the immune response, as evidenced by whole-tumor and single-cell RNA sequencing showing upregulation of a multitude of immune-related transcripts. This response was further significantly enhanced by the injection of the tumor to be irradiated with NBTXR3 nanoparticles. Tumors of mice treated with the triple combination exhibited increased infiltration and activation of cytotoxic immune cells. This triple combination eradicated both tumors in 37.5% of the treated mice and showed robust long-term immunity to cancer.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Radioimmunotherapy; Protons; Lung Neoplasms; Immunotherapy; Nanoparticles
PubMed: 37345658
DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.167749 -
Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy : CII Sep 2023Radiotherapy (XRT), a well-known activator of the inflammasome and immune priming, is in part capable of reversing resistance to anti-PD1 treatment. The NLRP3...
Radiotherapy (XRT), a well-known activator of the inflammasome and immune priming, is in part capable of reversing resistance to anti-PD1 treatment. The NLRP3 inflammasome is a pattern recognition receptor which is activated by both exogenous and endogenous stimuli, leading to a downstream inflammatory response. Although NLRP3 is typically recognized for its role in exacerbating XRT-induced tissue damage, the NLRP3 inflammasome can also yield an effective antitumor response when used in proper dosing and sequencing with XRT. However, whether NLRP3 agonist boosts radiation-induced immune priming and promote abscopal responses in anti-PD1 resistant model is still unknown. Therefore, in this study, we paired intratumoral injection of an NLRP3 agonist with XRT to stimulate the immune system in both wild type (344SQ-P) and anti-PD1 resistant (344SQ-R) murine-implanted lung adenocarcinoma models. We found that the combination of XRT + NLPR3 agonist enhanced the control of implanted lung adenocarcinoma primary as well as secondary tumors in a radiological dose-dependent manner, in which 12Gyx3 fractions of stereotactic XRT was better than 5Gyx3, while 1Gyx2 did not improve the NLRP3 effect. Survival and tumor growth data also showed significant abscopal response with the triple therapy (12Gyx3 + NLRP3 agonist + α-PD1) in both 344SQ-P and 344SQ-R aggressively growing models. Multiple pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1b, IL-4, IL-12, IL-17, IFN-γ and GM-CSF) were elevated in the serum of mice treated with XRT + NLRP3 or triple therapy. The Nanostring results showed that NLRP3 agonist is capable of increasing antigen presentation, innate function, and T-cell priming. This study can be of particular importance to treat patients with immunologically-cold solid tumors whom are also refractory to prior checkpoint treatments.
Topics: Mice; Animals; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein; Inflammasomes; Antigen Presentation; Cytokines; Adenocarcinoma of Lung
PubMed: 37289257
DOI: 10.1007/s00262-023-03471-x