Abstract 225: Computational analysis of 5-fluorouracil antitumor activity in colon cancer using a mechanistic pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic model
Authors: Ma Chenhui , Almasan Alexandru , Gurkan-Cavusoglu Evren 
Published: July 2021

The purpose of this study is to develop a mechanistic pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) model to quantitatively analyze the treatment outcome of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in colon cancer. Predicting the outcome of chemotherapeutic agents plays an essential role in improving dose strategies. To that end, we have developed an integrated mechanistic PK/PD model to analyze the kinetics of tumor response to 5-FU treatment. Compared to the existing PK/PD models, our model is novel in the way it incorporates the 5-FU metabolism pathway and downstream antiproliferative events to provide a comprehensive model of treatment outcome.

5-FU has been widely used to treat cancers, including colon cancer. 5-FU metabolites can be incorporated into RNA, DNA and also interfere with thymidylate synthase (TS) catalytic activity, which is the main mechanism of 5-FU cytotoxicity. TS activity has been shown to be the predictor for treatment efficacy. The conversion of deoxyuridine monophosphate (dUMP) to deoxythymidine monophosphate catalyzed by TS is the sole intracellular de novo source of thymidylate. The formation of a ternary complex between fluorodeoxyuridylate (FdUMP) and TS obstructs the access of dUMP to the TS nucleotide-binding site. Resultant thymidine deprivation and dUMP accumulation give rise to the deoxynucleotide triphosphate (dNTP) pool imbalance, which could trigger S-phase specific DNA fragmentation, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.

In our PK model, compartmental analysis is developed to track the distribution of 5-FU from its entry into body to interstitial fluid outside the tumor cells and to its cellular uptake. In the cell model, the connection of TS inhibition and dNTP pool imbalance is implemented. In addition to the central plasma and peripheral tissue compartments, our model includes compartments for: 5-FU concentration in the extracellular fluids; intracellular 5-FU; 5-FU anabolites; genomic 5-FU in RNA, and in DNA; and, TS - FdUMP complex. Posttreatment free TS level is used to compute the perturbed TS catalytic activity. Using the model outcome on TS inhibition, we modeled the kinetics of dNTP pool perturbation. The dNTP pool imbalance leads to double strand break (DSB) formation that initiates DNA damage repair response, kinetics of which are also modeled. Our model uses the law of mass action and Michaelian kinetics and each molecular reaction is expressed as a nonlinear differential equation. Time course data from the literature are used in parameter estimation. Our simulation results successfully captured the kinetics of treatment outcome from the administration of the 5-FU to downstream effects in the tumor. The next step in our effort is to expand the model to include the tumor growth kinetics.

Citation Format: Chenhui Ma, Alexandru Almasan, Evren Gurkan-Cavusoglu. Computational analysis of 5-fluorouracil antitumor activity in colon cancer using a mechanistic pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic model [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 225.