Abstract P243: The IRAK4 inhibitor CA-4948 demonstrates antitumor activity in a preclinical model of CNS lymphoma
Authors: von Roemeling Christina A. , Doonan Bently P. , Hoang-Minh Lan , Tun Han W. , Martinez Elizabeth , Soikes Raul , von Roemeling Reinhard , Mitchell Duane A. 
Published: December 2021

Background: Central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma, both primary and secondary disease, carries the worst prognosis of all Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma with a 5 year survival of less than 30% with current therapeutic options. Recent studies have shown constitutive activation of both NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways in the maintenance and progression of CNS lymphoma. This often coincides with mutations in MYD88. IRAK4 is a serine/threonine kinase that mediates interleukin 1 receptor (IL-1R) and Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling downstream of MYD88, and is a novel therapeutic target for this disease. CA-4948 is an oral first-in-class small molecule inhibitor of IRAK4 that has demonstrated clinical activity in patients with systemic Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Our study goal was to evaluate CA-4948 efficacy in a syngeneic preclinical model of primary CNS B cell lymphoma (A20), supporting future clinical investigation of this agent in this difficult to treat disease. Materials and Methods: Plasma, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and brain tissue (both naïve and tumor bearing) were assessed for CA-4948 drug concentration following single high-dose oral administration using UPLC-MS/MS. Biomarker expression, including NF-κB and MAPK, was measured in control and CA-4948 treated brain tissue resected from tumor-bearing animals using multi-parameter immunohistochemistry and 3D modeling of cleared tissue. Dose-dependent survival responses were also measured using the A20 preclinical model of primary CNS lymphoma. Results: While brain concentrations of CA-4948 remained low with respect to plasma (~4-5%), therapeutic dose levels were attained in both CSF and brain tissue (&gt;502 nM). No significant difference between naïve and A20 tumor bearing brain tissue was observed, indicating the blood brain barrier remained intact in this model. Biomarker analyses revealed significant downregulation of both MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways in response to CA-4948, as evidenced by reduced protein levels of phospho-p38Thr180/Tyr182, phospho-ERK1/2Thr202/Tyr204, and phospho-p65Ser536 in both the tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment. Finally, CA-4948 treatment produced a dose-dependent survival response in syngeneic animals harboring CNS A20 tumors. Conclusions: CA-4948 is able to reach therapeutic dose levels in the CNS in a preclinical murine model of CNS lymphoma, producing significant and dose-dependent anti-tumor activity and survival advantage. These data support further evaluation of CA-4948 in clinical investigation and treatment of patients with CNS lymphoma.

Citation Format: Christina A. von Roemeling, Bently P. Doonan, Lan Hoang-Minh, Han W. Tun, Elizabeth Martinez, Raul Soikes, Reinhard von Roemeling, Duane A. Mitchell. The IRAK4 inhibitor CA-4948 demonstrates antitumor activity in a preclinical model of CNS lymphoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC Virtual International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2021 Oct 7-10. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2021;20(12 Suppl):Abstract nr P243.