Abstract PR05: In vivo antitumor activity of the PARP inhibitor niraparib (MK-4827) in homologous recombination deficient and proficient ovarian cancer
Authors: Hilli Mariam Al , Weroha S. John , Becker Marc , Hou Xiaonan , Harrington Sean , McKinstrey Sarah , Kalli Kimberly , Goodman Karin , Wilcoxen Keith , Swisher Elizabeth , Kaufmann Scott , Haluska Paul 
Published: August 2014

Purpose: The therapeutic potential of PARP inhibitors is predicted to extend beyond BRCA mutant phenotypes to homologous recombination (HR)-deficient cancers. Response of individual ovarian cancers to niraparib was characterized using treatment naïve, patient-derived tumorgraft models and correlated with predicted HR status and gene expression profile.

Methods: Utilizing a living tumor bank of patient-derived ovarian xenografts (PDXs), niraparib (MK-4827) was evaluated in five high-grade ovarian cancer tumorgrafts (PDX077, PDX087, PDX039, PDX080 and PDX95) as monotherapy, combination with carboplatin ± paclitaxel and maintenance therapy. Intraperitoneal tumorgrafts were monitored for tumor growth with twice-weekly transabdominal ultrasound imaging. In vivo response to niraparib was correlated to massively parallel sequencing data (BROCA) for HR genes and with each source patient's platinum response. Tumorgrafts were accordingly classified into predicted HR-proficient and HR-deficient phenotypes. PARP1 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymer (pADPr) expression as well as gene expression by DNA microarray were compared between treatment and control tumor replicates, and HR-deficient vs. HR-proficient tumors.

Results: PDX077 (verified to harbor a somatic BRCA2 mutation (predicted HR deficient)) and PDX039 without any HR mutations detected by BROCA (predicted HR proficient) both responded to niraparib monotherapy and combination therapy in vivo (p=0.002 and 0.009 for treated vs. control groups, respectively). Significant growth attenuation, but not regression, in response to single agent treatment was demonstrated in PDX080 (CDK12 mutation; predicted HR-deficient; p=0.02 vs. control). In comparison, a BRCA2-mutant model (PDX095) failed to respond to niraparib monotherapy (p=0.97). As predicted, niraparib was not active as a single agent or in combination with chemotherapy in a BRCA wild-type, predicted HR-proficient tumorgraft (PDX087; p=not significant). Niraparib enhanced tumor regression with carboplatin but not with paclitaxel/carboplatin in an HR-deficient tumorgraft (PDX077), and maintenance niraparib therapy was effective in prolonging recurrence-free survival.

pADPr inhibition was demonstrated in all niraparib-treated tumorgrafts, while PARP1 degrada-tion was evident in tumorgrafts responsive to single agent niraparib. Differential gene expression was seen in niraparib treated vs. control tumors in HR-deficient tumorgrafts in comparison to HR-proficient tumors at the end of 4 weeks of treatment. Clustering of 6 most/least differentially expressed genes was predictive of response to niraparib. Furthermore, RAD51C and PTEN gene expression were diminished in PDX039 (HR proficient by BROCA; niraparib responsive), suggesting a possible mechanism for its sensitivity to niraparib.

Conclusion: Response to niraparib was seen in both BRCA-mutant and BRCA-wildtype xenografts. Thus, BRCA or HR gene mutational status alone was not sufficient to predict response to niraparib. Low RAD51C, PTEN and loss of PARP1 expression following treatment were most characteristic of tumors responding to niraparib. Paclitaxel may be detrimental to the sensitizing effects of PARP inhibition on carboplatin, which may have clinical implications for the incorporation of PARP inhibitors in front-line treatment. Our data are supportive of the phase III study of niraparib as maintenance therapy in patients with platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer.

This abstract is also presented as Poster A30.

Citation Format: Mariam Al Hilli, S. John Weroha, Marc Becker, Xiaonan Hou, Sean Harrington, Sarah McKinstrey, Kimberly Kalli, Karin Goodman, Keith Wilcoxen, Elizabeth Swisher, Scott Kaufmann, Paul Haluska. In vivo antitumor activity of the PARP inhibitor niraparib (MK-4827) in homologous recombination deficient and proficient ovarian cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Ovarian Cancer Research: From Concept to Clinic; Sep 18-21, 2013; Miami, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2013;19(19 Suppl):Abstract nr PR05.