Biology subjects

Ewald, J. T.

Publications and source records attributed to Ewald, J. T..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Targeting CXCR4 with -Pentixather Significantly Increases Overall Survival in Small Cell Lung Cancer

IntroductionSmall cell lung cancer (SCLC) has a 7% 5-year overall survival. C-X-C chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4), an attractive target for theranostic agents, is highly expressed in SCLCs, and can be targeted with pentixather using the theranostic pair 212Pb/203Pb. The hypothesis that [212Pb/203Pb]-pentixather can be used safely and effectively for imaging and therapy in SCLC in xenograft models was tested. ResultsSPECT/CT imaging and biodistribution studies of tumor bearing mice injected with [203Pb]-pentixather demonstrated CXCR4-dependent uptake in tumors and accumulation of radioligand in kidneys and livers. Dosimetry calculations estimated [212Pb]-pentixather uptake in tumor and normal tissue. [212Pb]-pentixather treatment (37-111 kBq/g) of SCLC xenografts (DMS273 and H69AR) significantly prolonged survival and delayed tumor growth. When NSG mice grafted with human hCD34+ bone marrow were treated with [212Pb]-pentixather (37-111 kBq/g), significant cytopenias were observed in peripheral blood complete blood counts (CBCs) at 13-18 days post treatment which resolved by day 28-31. Flow cytometry of bone marrow hematopeotic stem cells in these animals at day 28-31 demonstrated a significantly reduced frequency of the human hematopoietic marker CD45 (hCD45+) and reconstitution of the bone marrow with murine CD45+ (mCD45+) lineages. Conclusions[203Pb]-pentixather can be used to image CXCR4 expressing SCLC xenografts and treatment with alpha emitter [212Pb]-pentixather significantly prolongs SCLC xenograft median overall survival. Significantly greater mCD45+ bone marrow repopulation was detected in NSG mice engrafted with human bone marrow 28-31 days following [212Pb]-pentixather treatment, relative to hCD45+ bone marrow.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Auranofin Inhibition of Thioredoxin Reductase in a Preclinical Model of Small Cell Lung Cancer

Thioredoxin Reductase (TrxR) is a key enzyme in hydroperoxide detoxification through peroxiredoxin enzymes and in thiol-mediated redox regulation of cell signaling. Because cancer cells produce increased steady-state levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS; i.e., superoxide and hydrogen peroxide), TrxR is currently being targeted in clinical trials using the anti-rheumatic drug, auranofin (AF). AF treatment decreased TrxR activity and clonogenic survival in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cell lines (DMS273 and DMS53) as well as the lung atypical (neuroendocrine tumor) NET cell line H727. AF treatment also significantly sensitized DMS273 and H727 cell lines in vitro to sorafenib, a multi-kinase inhibitor that was shown to decrease intracellular glutathione. The pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of AF treatment in a mouse SCLC xenograft model was examined to maximize inhibition of TrxR activity without causing toxicity. AF was administered intraperitoneally at 2 mg/kg or 4 mg/kg (IP) once (QD) or twice daily (BID) for 1 to 5 days in mice with DMS273 xenografts. Plasma levels of AF were 10-20 M (determined by mass spectrometry of gold) and the optimal inhibition of TrxR (50 %) was obtained at 4 mg/kg once daily, with no effect on glutathione peroxidase 1 activity. When this daily AF treatment was extended for 14 days a significant prolongation of median survival from 19 to 23 days (p=0.04, N=30 controls, 28 AF) was observed without causing changes in animal bodyweight, CBCs, bone marrow toxicity, blood urea nitrogen, or creatinine. These results show that AF is an effective inhibitor of TrxR both in vitro and in vivo in SCLC, capable of sensitizing NETs and SCLC to sorafenib, and supports the hypothesis that AF could be used as an adjuvant therapy with agents known to induce disruptions in thiol metabolism to enhance therapeutic efficacy.

cancer biology↗