Abstract 3223: Embryonic ectoderm development (EED) inhibitor APG-5918 (EEDi-5273) and MDM2 inhibitor alrizomadlin (APG-115) synergistically inhibit tumor growth in preclinical models of prostate cancer (PCa)
Authors: Yin Yan , Yang Yun , Liang Eric , Li Baisong , Wang Hengbang , Yang Dajun , Zhai Yifan 
Published: March 2024

Advanced PCa, especially castration-resistant PCa, represents an urgent unmet treatment need. Dysregulation of the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), which mediates trimethylation of histone H3 at lysine 27 (H3K27me3) and leads to gene silencing, is common in PCa and correlates with poor prognosis. EED, a core PRC2 component, is crucial for histone methyltransferase activity. MDM2, a negative regulator of p53, is often amplified or overexpressed in PCa and associated with metastasis and poor clinical outcomes. We evaluated antitumor activity and molecular mechanisms of EED inhibitor APG-5918/EEDi-5273 and MDM2 selective inhibitor alrizomadlin in preclinical PCa models. Human castration-resistant (22Rv1) and androgen-dependent (LNCaP) PCa cell lines were used in antiproliferation assays. Cell viability was determined by CellTiter-Glo luminescent assays. Western blotting was used to explore mechanisms of action. Subcutaneous 22Rv1 and LNCaP cell line-derived xenograft (CDX) models were established to evaluate antitumor effects of APG-5918 and alrizomadlin in vivo. Single-agent APG-5918 or alrizomadlin had limited inhibition on PCa cell growth; combined, they demonstrated synergistic antitumor activity. In the 22Rv1 CDX model, single-agent alrizomadlin (100 mg/kg) or APG-5918 (100 mg/kg) administered for 26 days exerted no/limited antitumor activity, with treatment-to-control (T/C) values of 93.39% and 49.89%, respectively. In contrast, the doublet enhanced antitumor activity (T/C value, 33.22%), with a synergistic index of 1.40. In the LNCaP CDX model, APG-5918 (100 mg/kg) administered for 28 days exhibited minimal antitumor effects (T/C value on last day of dosing, 80.32%). Alrizomadlin (100 or 50 mg/kg) showed limited antitumor activity (T/C value, 47.61%). Combined treatment significantly enhanced antitumor activity (T/C value, 15.69%), with a synergistic index of 2.44. Regarding putative mechanisms, western blot analyses showed that APG-5918 downregulated oncogenic drivers and DNA methylation factors (UHRF1, DNMT1) and on-target-related pharmacodynamic markers (H3K27me3, EED, EZH2). Alrizomadlin markedly downregulated UHRF1 and DNMT1, and upregulated p53 and p21 expression. Combined treatment further enhanced downregulation of DNMT1, UHRF1, cell cycle pathway proteins (pRb, CDK6), antiapoptotic protein MCL-1, and synergistically increased cleavage of PARP-1, a marker of apoptosis. In summary, we show that targeting EED and MDM2 synergistically enhances antitumor activity in PCa cell lines and CDX models. Mechanistically, this combination likely modulated pathways related to DNA methylation, cell cycle, and apoptosis. The findings provide a scientific rationale for future clinical development of APG-5918 and alrizomadlin for PCa patients.

Citation Format: Yan Yin, Yun Yang, Eric Liang, Baisong Li, Hengbang Wang, Dajun Yang, Yifan Zhai. Embryonic ectoderm development (EED) inhibitor APG-5918 (EEDi-5273) and MDM2 inhibitor alrizomadlin (APG-115) synergistically inhibit tumor growth in preclinical models of prostate cancer (PCa) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 3223.