Abstract 3775: Pharmacokinetic (PK) / pharmacodynamic (PD) and efficacy relationship of selective inhibitors of nuclear export (KPT-SINE)
Authors: Yosef Landesman, William Senapedis, Jean-Richard Saint-Martin, Trinayan Kashyap, Louis Plamondon, Vincent Sandanayaka, Sharon Shechter, Doriana Froim, Dilara McCauley, Michael Kauffman, Sharon Shacham
Journal: Cancer Research (2012)

Abstract Chromosomal Maintenance Protein 1/Exportin 1 (CRM1/XPO1) is a key nuclear export protein whose inhibition leads to the nuclear accumulation of Tumor Suppressor Proteins (TSPs) such as p53, FOXO, PTEN, pRB and I-κB. Small molecule, KPT-SINE that block CRM1-dependent nuclear export can force the nuclear retention of TSPs, thus render cancer cells more susceptible to apoptosis and more responsive to other chemotherapies. KPT-SINE display significant in vitro and in vivo activity over a broad range of tumor cell lines and xenografts. To optimize the design of future clinical trials, we developed a pharmacodynamics assay and tested it in cell lines, leukocytes in vitro and leukocytes from animal models. Methods: We used quantitative PCR and immunoblotting to study patterns of gene expression of CRM1, Macrophage Inhibitory Cytokine 1 (MIC1), p53 and p21 in human, mouse, rat and monkey leukocytes. The selection and the validation of the four PD markers included 1. In vitro studies where expression of PD markers was determined in tumor cell lines. 2. In vitro studies where expression of PD markers was determined in purified leukocytes. 3. In vivo studies where expression of PD markers was determined in leukocytes isolated from mice, rats and monkeys that were treated with KPT-SINE in pharmacokinetic studies. Drug levels were determined in the plasma of all animals. Results: KPT-SINE treatment at 75 mg/kg QDX5 each week for 4 weeks inhibited tumor growth by more than 80% in Molt-4, Z-138, Hep3b and U87 xenograft models. In separate PK and TK studies, expression levels of the four PD markers were investigated and were found to correlate well with KPT-SINE exposure and duration. In addition, we found that the full induction of those markers was p53-dependent. However, we also observed partial p53-independent induction of CRM1 and MIC1. PK analysis in treated rats and monkeys indicated that KPT-SINE plasma concentrations above 250 nM were sufficient to induce significant changes in the mRNA expression levels of the PD markers. Those concentrations were higher than the individual cytotoxicity indexes (EC50), of each of the above cancer cell lines, that we measured in vitro by cell proliferation assay. Conclusions: The results from our studies suggest that KPT-SINE display potent in vivo efficacy in various xenograft models. We were able to identify PD markers that correlated well with in vitro and in vivo levels of KPT-SINE. Further studies investigating CRM1, p53, p21 and MIC1 as biomarkers of target inhibition and response to KPT-SINE treatment are on-going. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3775. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-3775