Development of a Brigatinib degrader (SIAIS117) as a potential treatment for ALK positive cancer resistance

EML4-ALK and NPM-ALK fusion proteins possess constitutively activated ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase) activity, which in turn leads to the development of non-small cell lung cancer and anaplastic large-cell lymphomas (ALCLs). FDA-approved ALK inhibitor drugs cause significant cancer regression. However, drug resistance eventually occurs and it becomes a big obstacle in clinic. Novel proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology platform provides a potential therapeutic strategy for drug resistance. Herein, we designed and synthesized a series of ALK PROTACs based on Brigatinib and VHL-1 conjunction, and screened SIAIS117 as the best degrader which not only blocked the growth of SR and H2228 cancer cell lines, but also degraded ALK protein. In addition, SIAIS117 also showed much better growth inhibition effect than Brigatinib on 293T cell line that exogenously expressed G1202R-resistant ALK proteins. Furthermore, it also degraded G1202R mutant ALK protein in vitro. At last, it has ..... READ ARTICLE

European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry DOI:10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112190

Authors: Ning Sun, Chaowei Ren, Ying Kong, Hui Zhong, Jinju Chen, Yan Li, Jianshui Zhang, Yuedong Zhou, Xing Qiu, Haifan Lin, Xiaoling Song, Xiaobao Yang, Biao Jiang

Pre-ClinicalKirk SmithMay 1, 2020ALK, Brigatinib, Degrader, VHL, PROTAC, NSCLC, ALCL, Resistance

Revealing acquired resistance mechanisms of kinase-targeted drugs using an on-the-fly, function-site interaction fingerprint approach

Although kinase-targeted drugs have achieved significant clinical success, they are frequently subject to the limitations of drug resistance, which has become a primary vulnerability to targeted drug therapy. Therefore, deciphering resistance mechanisms is an important step in designing more efficacious, anti-resistant, drugs. Here we studied two FDA-approved kinase drugs: Crizotinib and Ceritinib, which are first- and second-generation anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) targeted inhibitors, to unravel drug-resistance mechanisms. We used an on-the-fly, function-site interaction fingerprint (on-the-fly Fs-IFP) approach by combining binding free energy surface calculations with the Fs-IFPs. Establishing the potentials of mean force and monitoring the atomic-scale protein-ligand interactions, before and after the L1196M-induced drug resistance, revealed insights into drug-resistance/anti-resistant mechanisms. Crizotinib prefers to bind the wild type ALK kinase domain, whereas Ceritinib bind..... READ ARTICLE

Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation DOI:10.1021/acs.jctc.9b01134

Authors: Zheng Zhao, Philip E. Bourne

Inhibition of MEK alone and in combination with ALK inhibition suppresses tumor growth in a mouse model of ALK positive lung cancer

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive non-small cell lung cancer most commonly arises through EML4-ALK chromosomal fusion. We have previously demonstrated that combination of the ALK inhibitor crizotinib with the MEK inhibitor selumetinib was highly effective at reducing cell viability of ALK-positive NSCLC (H3122) cells. In this study, we further investigated the efficacy of crizotinib and selumetinib combination therapy in an in vivo xenograft model of ALK-positive lung cancer. Crizotinib decreased tumor volume by 52% compared to control, and the drug combination reduced tumor growth compared to crizotinib. In addition, MEK inhibition alone reduced tumor growth by 59% compared to control. Crizotinib, selumetinib, alone and in combination were non-toxic at the dose of 25 mg/kg with values for ALT (< 80 U/L) and creatinine (<2 mg/dL) within the normal range. Our results support the combined use of crizotinib with selumetinib in ALK-positive lung cancer but raise the possibility tha..... READ ARTICLE

Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics DOI:10.1124/jpet.120.266049

Authors: Nensi Shrestha, Abigail R Bland, Rebecca L Bower, Rhonda Rosengren, John Ashton

Pre-ClinicalKirk SmithApril 13, 2020ALK, MEK, Crizotinib, cancer, chemotherapy, receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs)

Monomerization of ALK Fusion Proteins as a Therapeutic Strategy in ALK-Rearranged Non-small Cell Lung Cancers

Objective: Oncogenic echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 (EML4)-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) (EML4-ALK) fusion proteins found in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) are constitutively phosphorylated and activated by dimerization via the coiled-coil domain (cc) within EML4. Here, we investigated whether disruption of ALK fusion protein oligomerization via competitive cc mimetic compounds could be a therapeutic strategy for EML4-ALK NSCLC.Methods: A Ba/F3 cell model was created that expressed an ALK intracellular domain in which the dimer/monomer state is ligand-regulated. This novel cell model was used to investigate the effect of disrupting ALK fusion protein oligomerization on tumor cell growth in vitro and in vivo using nude mice. Subsequently, the antiproliferative effects of endogenous cc domain co-expression and mimetic cc peptides were assayed in EML4-ALK cancer cell lines.Results: Cells induced to express monomeric ALK in vitro did not survive. When transplanted..... READ ARTICLE

Frontiers in Oncology DOI:10.3389/fonc.2020.00419

Authors: Hirai Noriko, Sasaki Takaaki, Okumura Shunsuke, Minami Yoshinori, Chiba Shinichi, Ohsaki Yoshinobu

Alteration in the sensitivity to crizotinib by Na+/H+ exchanger regulatory factor 1 is dependent to its subcellular localization in ALK-positive lung cancers

Background Na+/H+ exchanger regulatory factor 1 (NHERF1) is an important scaffold protein participates in the modulation of a variety of intracellular signal pathways. NHERF1 was able to enhance the effects of chemo-drugs in breast and cervical cancer cells. Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) fusion mutations are validated molecules targeted therapy in lung cancers, where crizotinib can be used as the specific inhibitor to suppress tumor progression. However, due to the less frequent occurrence of ALK mutations and the complexity for factors to determine drug responses, the genes that could alter crizotinib sensitivity are unclear. Results The expression level of NHERF1 in ALK-translocated NSCLC was significantly higher than that in other lung cancer tissues. NHERF1 expression in ALK positive lung cancer cells was regulated by ALK activities, and was in return able to alter the sensitivity to crizotinib. The function of NHERF1 to influence crizotinib sensitivity was depending on its subc..... READ ARTICLE

BMC Cancer DOI:10.1186/s12885-020-6687-9

Authors: Yang, F., Hu, M., Chang, S. et al.

Pre-ClinicalKirk SmithMarch 12, 2020NHERF1, Crizotinib, ALK, Lung cancer, PDZ protein

Structure-based design of 2,4-diaminopyrimidine derivatives bearing a pyrrolyl group as ALK and ROS1 inhibitors

In order to develop potent ALK and ROS1 dual inhibitors, twenty-eight 2,4-diaminopyrimidine derivatives (9a–9n and 10a–10n) bearing a pyrrolyl moiety were designed and synthesized based on the co-crystal structure of ceritinib with ALKwt protein. Most compounds displayed considerable activity against ALK and ROS1 addicted cells; meanwhile, compound 10d showed excellent activity against Karpas299, H2228 and HCC78 with IC50 values of 0.01, 0.08 and 0.042 μM. Subsequently, seven compounds were selected for kinase studies in vitro, resulting in the discovery of 10d with IC50 values of 1.8, 4.3 and 3.6 nM against ALK, ALKL1196M and ROS1, respectively. Furthermore, the biological assays revealed that compound 10d induced cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Ultimately, molecular docking studies presented reasonable and optimal binding interactions with ALKwt and ROS1. READ ARTICLE

New Journal of Chemistry DOI:10.1039/C9NJ05980F

Authors: Jie Wang, Shangfei Wei, Tong Li, Lingyun Xing, Meng Cao, Nan Jiang, Ming Guo, Daiying Zuo, Xin Zhai

Pre-ClinicalKirk SmithMarch 11, 2020Design, ALK and ROS1 inhibitors

Metformin reduces HGF-induced resistance to alectinib via the inhibition of Gab1

Alectinib is a second-generation anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitor that has sufficient clinical efficacy and satisfactory safety in ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with or without brain metastasis. Alectinib has now become an important drug in the first-line treatment of advanced ALK-positive NSCLC; however, resistance is almost inevitable. The increased expression of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and its physiological receptor tyrosine kinase MET have been shown to be linked to acquired resistance to various tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), and this phenomenon has been observed in some ALK-positive NSCLC tumour tissues. In this study, we found that HGF levels in the culture supernatant of an ALK-positive cell line tended to increase with time and could be further increased by alectinib in a time-dependent manner. Exogenous or endogenous HGF did not cause resistance to the ALK/MET double-targeted small molecule inhibitor crizotinib, but it was an im..... READ ARTICLE

Cell Death & Disease DOI:10.1038/s41419-020-2307-5

Authors: Chen, H., Lin, C., Peng, T. et al.

Pre-ClinicalKirk SmithFebruary 10, 2020Metformin, HGF-induced resistance, alectinib, Gab1

Clinicopathological and Prognostic Significance of EML4-ALK Rearrangement in Patients with Surgically Resected Lung Adenocarcinoma: A Propensity Score Matching Study

Objective The echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (EML4-ALK) fusion gene is a key oncogenic driver in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study analyzed the clinicopathological characteristics and prognostic significance of EML4-ALK fusion gene in patients with surgically resected adenocarcinoma. Methods The clinicopathological characteristics of 1056 consecutive patients with surgically resected stage I–IIIA adenocarcinoma were collected from February 2014 to October 2014, and EML4-ALK rearrangement was detected using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technology. To compare the imaging and pathological features, a propensity score matching (PSM) method was performed. The follow-up information was collected to evaluate the long-term outcomes of patients with EML4-ALK rearrangement. Results The prevalence of EML4-ALK rearrangement was 6.6% in 1056 consecutive patients. A total of 70 EML4-ALK-positive and 210 EML4-ALK-negative patie..... READ ARTICLE

Cancer management and research DOI:10.2147/CMAR.S229217

Authors: Shi J, Gu W, Zhao Y, Zhu J, Jiang G, Bao M, Shi J.

Tyrosine phosphorylation is critical for ACLY activity in lipid metabolism and cancer

A fundamental requirement for growth of rapidly proliferating cells is metabolic adaptation to promote synthesis of biomass1. ATP citrate lyase (ACLY) is a critical enzyme responsible for synthesis of cytosolic acetyl-CoA, the key building component for de novo fatty acid synthesis and links vital pathways such as carbohydrate and lipid metabolism2. The mechanisms of ACLY regulation are not completely understood and the regulation of ACLY function by tyrosine phosphorylation is unknown... Our results reveal a novel mechanism for direct ACLY regulation that is subverted by multiple oncogenically-activated tyrosine kinases in diverse human cancers. These findings have significant implications for novel therapies targeting ACLY in cancer and metabolism. READ ARTICLE

BioRxiv DOI:10.1101/2020.01.20.910752

Authors: Johnvesly Basappa, Mahmoud A. ElAzzouny, Delphine C.M. Rolland, Anagh A. Sahasrabuddhe, Kaiyu Ma, Gleb A. Bazilevsky, Steven R. Hwang, Venkatesha Basrur, Kevin P. Conlon, Nathanael G. Bailey, John K. Frederiksen, Santiago Schnell, Yeqiao Zhou, David Cookmeyer, Jan M. Pawlicki, Amit Dipak Amin, James L. Riley, Robert B. Faryabi, Jonathan H Schatz, Kathryn E. Wellen, Ronen Marmorstein, Charles F. Burant, Kojo S.J. Elenitoba-Johnson, Megan S. Lim

Osimertinib Overcomes Alectinib Resistance Caused by Amphiregulin in a Leptomeningeal Carcinomatosis Model of ALK-Rearranged Lung Cancer

Introduction: Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LMC) occurs frequently in anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)–rearranged NSCLC and develops acquired resistance to ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors (ALK TKIs). This study aimed to clarify the resistance mechanism to alectinib, a second-generation ALK TKI, in LMC and test a novel therapeutic strategy. Conclusions: These findings indicate the potential of novel therapies targeting both ALK and EGFR for the treatment of ALK TKI–resistant LMC in ALK-rearranged NSCLC. READ ARTICLE

Journal of Thoracic Oncology DOI:10.1016/j.jtho.2020.01.001

Authors: Sachiko Arai, Shinji Takeuchi, Koji Fukuda, Hirokazu Taniguchi, Akihiro Nishiyama, Azusa Tanimoto, Miyako Satouchi, Kaname Yamashita, Koshiro Ohtsubo, Shigeki Nanjo, Toru Kumagai, Ryohei Katayama, Makoto Nishio, Mei-mei Zheng, Yi-Long Wu, Hiroshi Nishihara, Takushi Yamamoto M.Eng, Mitsutoshi Nakada, Seiji Yano

Pre-ClinicalKirk SmithJanuary 20, 2020Leptomeningeal metastasis, EML4-ALK, Alectinib resistance, Osimertinib

Drug-drug interaction between crizotinib and entecavir via renal secretory transporter OCT2

Both entecavir and crizotinib are substrates of organic cation transporter 2 (OCT2). The aim of present study was to investigate the mechanisms of drug interactions between these two drugs. Kinetic analysis of entecavir on crizotinib uptake was conduct. Plasma concentration of crizotinib in rats and lung cancer patients, uptake of crizotinib in kidney slices and OCT2 transfected cells, were determined by LC-MS/MS. The clinical pharmacokinetic interactions and impact on adverse reaction of crizotinib in lung cancer patients were investigated. Steady-state through concentration of crizotinib was measured. The crizotinib-related adverse reactions were recorded in lung cancer patients with and without entecavir. Entecavir and 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium iodide significantly inhibited the uptake of crizotinib in kidney slices. Kinetic constants for crizotinib uptake by OCT2 were Km 1.16 ± 0.26 µM, Vmax 12.05 ± 0.53 µmol/min mg-1 protein and Ki 9.711 nM. Entecavir can inhibit crizotinib tran..... READ ARTICLE

European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences DOI:10.1016/j.ejps.2019.105153

Authors: Wenying Shu, Lei Ma, Xiaoye Hu, Meimei Zhang, Wensheng Chen, Wen Ma, Jianing Huang, JiaLi

Targeted degradation of anaplastic lymphoma kinase by gold nanoparticle-based multi-headed proteolysis targeting chimeras

Proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) are molecules that comprise a ligand for binding a protein of interest (POI), a connecting linker and a ligand for recruiting E3 ligase, and cause degradation of the target POI. Here, the first multi-headed PROTAC, as a proof of concept, is developed as a gold nanoparticle (GNP)-based drug delivery system for delivering PROTACs to target ALK. Pegylated GNPs loaded with both ceritinib and pomalidomide molecules, termed Cer/Pom-PEG@GNPs, showed good stability in several media. The GNP conjugates potently decreased the levels of ALK fusion proteins in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and specifically inhibited the proliferation of NCI-H2228 cells. READ ARTICLE

Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2020.110795

Authors: Yingming Wang, Lingfei Han, Fulei Liu, FubaiYang, Xueyang Jiang, Haopeng Sun, FengFeng, Jingwei Xue, Wenyuan Liu

Overcoming resistance by ALK compound mutation (I1171S + G1269A) after sequential treatment of multiple ALK inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer

Background: Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) fusion genes are found in 3%–5% of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). ALK inhibitors show a very high response rate to ALK-positive NSCLCs. However, the emergence of acquired resistance is inevitable. In this study, we investigated the drugs for overcoming resistance especially compound mutations after sequential treatment with crizotinib, alectinib, and lorlatinib. Conclusions: With the sequential ALK inhibitors treatment, cancer cells accumulate new mutations in addition to mutations acquired previously. The identified compound mutation (I1171S + G1269A) was found to be sensitive to ceritinib and brigatinib, and indeed the patient's tumor partially responded to ceritinib. READ ARTICLE

Thoracic Cancer DOI:10.1111/1759-7714.13299

Authors: Ken Takahashi, Yosuke Seto, Koutaroh Okada, Shinya Uematsu, Ken Uchibori, Mika Tsukahara, Tomoko Oh-hara, Naoya Fujita, Noriko Yanagitani, Makoto Nishio, Kenichi Okubo, Ryohei Katayama

High-Throughput Label-Free Isolation of Heterogeneous Circulating Tumor Cells and CTC Clusters from Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients

(1) Background: Circulating tumor cell (CTC) clusters are emerging as clinically significant harbingers of metastases in solid organ cancers. Prior to engaging these CTC clusters in animal models of metastases, it is imperative for technology to identify them with high sensitivity. These clusters often present heterogeneous surface markers and current methods for isolation of clusters may fall short. (2) Methods: We applied an inertial microfluidic Labyrinth device for high-throughput, biomarker-independent, size-based isolation of CTCs/CTC clusters from patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). (3) Results: Using Labyrinth, CTCs (PanCK+/DAPI+/CD45−) were isolated from patients (n = 25). Heterogeneous CTC populations, including CTCs expressing epithelial (EpCAM), mesenchymal (Vimentin) or both markers were detected. CTCs were isolated from 100% of patients (417 ± 1023 CTCs/mL). EpCAM− CTCs were significantly greater than EpCAM+ CTCs. Cell clusters of ≥2 CTCs were obs..... READ ARTICLE

Cancers DOI:10.3390/cancers12010127

Authors: Mina Zeinali, Maggie Lee, Arthi Nadhan, Anvya Mathur, Casey Hedman, Eric Lin, Ramdane Harouaka, Max S. Wicha, Lili Zhao, Nallasivam Palanisamy, Mathias Hafner, Rishindra Reddy, Gregory P. Kalemkerian, Bryan J. Schneider, Khaled A. Hassan, Nithya Ramnath, Sunitha Nagrath

Diverse Resistance Mechanisms to the Third-Generation ALK Inhibitor Lorlatinib in ALK-Rearranged Lung Cancer

Lorlatinib is a third-generation anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) tyrosine kinase inhibitor with proven efficacy in patients with ALK-rearranged lung cancer previously treated with first- and second-generation ALK inhibitors. Beside compound mutations in the ALK kinase domain, other resistance mechanisms driving lorlatinib resistance remain unknown. We aimed to characterize the mechanisms of resistance to lorlatinib occurring in patients with ALK-rearranged lung cancer and design new therapeutic strategies in this setting. Resistance mechanisms were investigated in 5 patients resistant to lorlatinib. Longitudinal tumor biopsies were studied using high-throughput next-generation sequencing. Patient-derived models were developed to characterize the acquired resistance mechanisms, and Ba/F3 cell mutants were generated to study the effect of novel ALK compound mutations. Drug combinatory strategies were evaluated in vitro and in vivo to overcome lorlatinib resistance. This study shows that..... READ ARTICLE

Clinical Cancer Research DOI:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-19-1104

Authors: Recondo G, Mezquita L, Facchinetti F, Planchard D, Gazzah A, Bigot L, Rizvi AZ, Frias RL, Thiery JP, Scoazec JY, Sourisseau T, Howarth K, Deas O, Samofalova D, Galissant J, Tesson P, Braye F, Naltet C, Lavaud P, Mahjoubi L, Abou Lovergne A, Vassal G, Bahleda R, Hollebecque A, Nicotra C, Ngo-Camus M, Michiels S, Lacroix L, Richon C, Auger N, De Baere T, Tselikas L, Solary E, Angevin E, Eggermont AM, Andre F, Massard C, Olaussen KA, Soria JC, Besse B, Friboulet L.

Pre-ClinicalKirk SmithJanuary 1, 2020Lorlatinib, resistance mechanisms

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of 2-arylaminopyrimidine derivatives bearing 1,3,8-triazaspiro[4,5]decan-4-one or piperidine-3-carboxamide moiety as novel Type-I1/2 ALK inhibitors

Aiming to develop novel Type-I1/2 inhibitors of ALK to overcome extensive resistance mutations, especially the L1196M mutation surrounding the ATP pocket, two series of 2-arylaminopyrimidine derivatives (11a-f and 22a-t) were designed based on scaffold hopping. The extensive structural elaboration discovered compound 22o which possessed excellent IC50 values of 0.06 and 0.23 μM against ALK-positive Karpas299 and H2228 cell lines, respectively. Meanwhile, 22o displayed encouraging inhibitory potency in the ALKWT (2.5 nM) and ALKL1196M (6.5 nM) enzymatic assays. Furthermore, the AO/EB and Hoechst 33258 assays illustrated 22o could induce cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Eventually, the molecular docking of 22o with ALK clearly presented the vital interactions within the active site, which was in accordance with Type-I1/2 inhibitor binding mode. READ ARTICLE

Bioorganic Chemistry DOI:10.1016/j.bioorg.2019.103456

Authors: Xiuqi Miao, Lingyun Xing, Ming Guo, Hong Zhang, Sicong Liu, Shiliang Yin, Ping Gong, Dajun Zhang, Xin Zhai

JuLI: accurate detection of DNA fusions in clinical sequencing for precision oncology

Accurate detection of genomic fusions by high-throughput sequencing in clinical samples with inadequate tumor purity and formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue is an essential task in precise oncology. We developed the fusion detection algorithm Junction Location Identifier (JuLI) for optimization of high-depth clinical sequencing. We implemented novel filtering steps to minimize false positives and a joint calling function to increase sensitivity in clinical setting. We comprehensively validated the algorithm using high-depth sequencing data from cancer cell lines and clinical samples and whole genome sequencing data from NA12878. We showed that JuLI outperformed state-of-the-art fusion callers in cases with high-depth clinical sequencing and rescued a driver fusion from false negative in plasma cell-free DNA. JuLI is freely available via GitHub (https://github.com/sgilab/JuLI). READ ARTICLE

The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics DOI:10.1016/j.jmoldx.2019.10.015

Authors: Hyun-Tae Shin, Nayoung K. D. Kim, Jae Won Yun, Boram Lee, Sungkyu Kyung, Ki-Wook Lee, Daeun Ryu, Jinho Kim, Joon Seol Bae, Donghyun Park, Yoon-La Choi, Se-Hoon Lee, Myung-Ju Ahn, Keunchil Park, Woong-Yang Park

Pre-ClinicalKirk SmithDecember 24, 2019JuLI, DNA fusions, clinical sequencing, precision oncology

Cytotoxicity of curcumin derivatives in ALK positive non-small cell lung cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer with ALK rearrangements can be targeted effectively with ALK inhibitors such as crizotinib. However, cancer progression typically occurs within a year as drug resistance develops. One strategy to overcome this drug resistance is to determine if novel cytotoxic agents retain the ability to kill lung cancer cells that have developed ALK inhibitor resistance. We therefore examined curcumin, a drug with anticancer properties, and 2 s-generation curcumin derivatives (1-methyl-3,5-bis[(E)-4-pyridyl) methylidene]-4-piperidone (RL66) and 1-isopropyl-3,5-bis[(pyridine-3-yl) methylene]piperidin-4-one (RL118)) in lung cancer cell lines. The cytotoxicity of curcumin, RL66, and RL118 were tested in both ALK+ lung cancer cells (H3122), crizotinib resistant ALK+ cells (CR-H3122) and ALK- lung cancer cells (A549), both alone and in combination with crizotinib. ALK+ cells were 2-3x more sensitive to RL66 and RL118 than ALK- cells, with the drugs' eliciting IC50 values in the ..... READ ARTICLE

European Journal of Pharmacology DOI:10.1016/j.ejphar.2019.172749

Authors: Abigail R Bland, Rebekah L Bower, Mhairi Nimick, Bill C Hawkins, Rhonda J Rosengren, John C Ashton

Pre-ClinicalKirk SmithDecember 15, 2019ALK, Curcumin, Derivatives, Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

Mechanisms of suppression of cell growth by dual inhibition of ALK and MEK in ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangement, a key oncogenic driver in a small subset of non-small cell lung cancers, confers sensitivity to ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Crizotinib, a first generation ALK-TKI, has superiority to standard chemotherapy with longer progression-free survival and higher objective response rate. However, clinical benefit is limited by development of resistance, typically within a year of therapy. In this study the combined effect of crizotinib and the MEK inhibitor selumetinib was investigated in both crizotinib naïve (H3122) and crizotinib resistant (CR-H3122) ALK-positive lung cancer cells. Results showed that combination treatment potently inhibited the growth of both H3122 and CR-H3122 cells, resulting from increased apoptosis and decreased cell proliferation as a consequence of suppressed downstream RAS/MAPK signalling. The drug combination also elicited a greater than 3-fold increase in Bim, a mediator of apoptosis, and p27, a cyclin depen..... READ ARTICLE

Scientific Reports DOI:10.1038/s41598-019-55376-4

Authors: N. Shrestha, M. Nimick, P. Dass, R. J. Rosengren, J. C. Ashton

Pre-ClinicalKirk SmithDecember 11, 2019ALK, MEK, Crizotinib

ALK-rearranged renal cell carcinomas in Polish population

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) is a receptor tyrosine kinase, the activation of which is considered an important event in the pathogenesis of several neoplasms and a predictive factor for the targeted therapy with ALK inhibitors. Thus far, ALK rearrangements have been identified in 22 renal cell carcinomas in both pediatric and adult patients. We evaluated the incidence of ALK rearrangement-associated RCC in adult Central European population. An immunohistochemical evaluation of 1019 kidney tumors was performed with use of three different clones of anti-ALK antibodies. None of the tested samples showed positive staining, which suggests that the incidence of ALK rearrangement-associated renal cell carcinomas is significantly lower in the Polish population, and indicates a potential association between ethnicity and occurrence of these rare neoplasms. READ ARTICLE

Pathology - Research and Practice DOI:10.1016/j.prp.2019.152669

Authors: Adam Gorczynski, Piotr Czapiewski, Aleksandra Korwat, Lukasz Budynko, Monika Prelowska, Krzysztof Okon, Wojciech Biernat