The cell-cycle checkpoint kinase Chk1 is required for mammalian homologous recombination repair.

The essential checkpoint kinase Chk1 is required for cell-cycle delays after DNA damage or blocked DNA replication. However, it is unclear whether Chk1 is involved in the repair of damaged DNA. Here we establish that Chk1 is a key regulator of genome maintenance by the homologous recombination repair (HRR) system. Abrogation of Chk1 function with small interfering RNA or chemical antagonists inhibits HRR, leading to persistent unrepaired DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and cell death after replication inhibition with hydroxyurea or DNA-damage caused by camptothecin. After hydroxyurea treatment, the essential recombination repair protein RAD51 is recruited to DNA repair foci performing a vital role in correct HRR. We demonstrate that Chk1 interacts with RAD51, and that RAD51 is phosphorylated on Thr 309 in a Chk1-dependent manner. Consistent with a functional interplay between Chk1 and RAD51, Chk1-depleted cells failed to form RAD51 nuclear foci after exposure to hydroxyurea, and cells expressing a phosphorylation-deficient mutant RAD51(T309A) were hypersensitive to hydroxyurea. These results highlight a crucial role for the Chk1 signalling pathway in protecting cells against lethal DNA lesions through regulation of HRR.

Multivariate evaluation of pharmacological responses in early clinical trials - a study of rIL-21 in the treatment of patients with metastatic melanoma.

AIMS: Evaluation of the utility of multivariate data analysis in early clinical drug development. METHODS: A multivariate chemometric approach was developed and applied for evaluating clinical laboratory parameters and biomarkers obtained from two clinical trials investigating recombinant human interleukin-21 (rIL-21) in the treatment of patients with malignant melanoma. The Phase I trial was an open-label, first-human dose escalation safety and tolerability trial with two separate dosing regimens; six cycles of thrice weekly (3/w) vs. three cycles of daily dosing for 5 days followed by 9 days of rest (5+9) in a total of 29 patients. The Phase II trial investigated efficacy and safety of the '5+9' regimen in 24 patients. RESULTS: From the Phase I trial, separate pharmacological patterns were observed for each regimen, clearly reflecting distinct properties of the two regimens. Relations between individual laboratory parameters were visualized and shown to be responsive to rIL-21 dosing. In particular, novel systematic pharmacological effects on liver function parameters as well as a bell-shaped dose-response relationship of the overall pharmacological effects were depicted. In validation of the method, multivariate pharmacological patterns discovered in the Phase I trial could be reproduced by the dataset from the Phase II trial, but not from univariate exploration of the Phase I trial. CONCLUSIONS: The new data analytical approach visualized novel correlations between laboratory parameters that points to specific pharmacological properties. This multivariate chemometric data analysis offers a novel robust, comprehensive and intuitive tool to reveal early pharmacological responses and guide selection of dose regimens.

Clinical and biological efficacy of recombinant human interleukin-21 in patients with stage IV malignant melanoma without prior treatment: a phase IIa trial.

PURPOSE: Human interleukin-21 (IL-21) is a class I cytokine that mediates activation of CD8(+) T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, and other cell types. We report final clinical and biological results of a phase II study of recombinant human IL-21 (rIL-21) in patients with metastatic melanoma. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Open-label, single-arm, two-stage trial. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: unresectable metastatic melanoma, measurable disease by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, no prior systemic therapy (adjuvant IFN permitted), adequate major organ function, good performance status, no significant autoimmune disease, and life expectancy at least 4 months. PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: antitumor efficacy (response rate). SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: safety, blood biomarkers, and generation of anti-rIL-21 antibodies. rIL-21 (30 microg/kg/dose) was administered by intravenous bolus injection in 8-week cycles (5 dosing days followed by 9 days of rest for 6 weeks and then 2 weeks off treatment). RESULTS: Stage I of the study comprised 14 patients. One confirmed complete response (CR) was observed, and as per protocol, 10 more patients were accrued to stage II (total n = 24: 10 female and 14 male). Best tumor response included one confirmed CR and one confirmed partial response, both with lung metastases. Treatment was overall well tolerated. Biomarker analyses showed increases in serum soluble CD25, frequencies of CD25(+) NK and CD8(+) T cells, and mRNA for IFN-gamma, perforin, and granzyme B in CD8(+) T and NK cells. CONCLUSIONS: rIL-21 administered at 30 microg/kg/d in 5-day cycles every second week is biologically active and well tolerated in patients with metastatic melanoma. Confirmed responses, including one CR, were observed.

Immune activation in advanced cancer patients treated with recombinant IL-21: multianalyte profiling of serum proteins.

PURPOSE: Recombinant interleukin-21 (rIL-21) is an immune stimulating cytokine recently tested in two Phase 1 trials for immune responsive cancers. A secondary objective of these trials was to characterize pharmacodynamic responses to rIL-21 in patients. Here, we report the effects of systemic rIL-21 on serum markers of immune stimulation. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Recombinant IL-21 was administered by intravenous bolus injection at dose levels from 1 to 100 microg/kg using two distinct treatment regimens: thrice weekly ('3/w') for 6 weeks; or once daily for five consecutive days followed by nine dose-free days ('5 + 9'). In the absence of dose limiting toxicity, additional cycles of dosing were initiated immediately following the nine dose-free days. An array of 70 different proteins was profiled in subject serum samples from several time points during the course of the study. Hierarchical clustering analysis was performed on a normalized subset of these data. RESULTS: Systemic administration of rIL-21 affected the serum levels of several cytokines, chemokines, acute-phase proteins and cell adhesion proteins. The magnitude and duration of response were dose dependent for a subset of these biomarkers. The 5 + 9 dosing regimen generally produced cyclic changes that were of greater magnitude, as compared to a more chronic stimulation with the 3/w dosing regimen. Despite these differences, rIL-21 effects on many analytes were similar between regimens when averaged over the time of treatment. Based on similar temporal, between-subject and dose response changes, groups of analytes were identified that exhibited distinct components of the rIL-21-mediated immune activation. Biomarkers indicative of lymphocyte activation (increased IL-16, decreased RANTES), acute phase response (increased CRP, ferritin), myeloid activation (increased MDC, MIP-1 alpha), and leukocyte chemotaxis/trafficking (increased sCAMs, MCP-1) were strongly modulated in subjects treated with rIL-21. CONCLUSIONS: Administration of rIL-21 resulted in activation of multiple cell types and immune response pathways. The changes observed in serum proteins were consistent with coincident processes of lymphoid and myeloid cell activation and trafficking, and acute phase response.

Thymidine selectively enhances growth suppressive effects of camptothecin/irinotecan in MSI+ cells and tumors containing a mutation of MRE11.

PURPOSE: DNA synthesis inhibitors and damaging agents are widely used in cancer therapy; however, sensitivity of tumors to such agents is highly variable. The response of tumor cells in culture to these agents is strongly influenced by the status of DNA damage response pathways. Here, we attempt to exploit the altered response of mismatch repair (MMR)-deficient colon cancer cells and tumors to camptothecin or irinotecan and thymidine by combining them to improve therapeutic response. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: A panel of colon cancer cell lines was assayed for response to camptothecin-thymidine combinations by measuring colony formation, cell cycle distribution, and senescence. Cell strains defective in p53, p21, or Mre11 were used in these assays to investigate the role of these cell cycle regulators. The in vivo antitumor response of xenografts to irinotecan and thymidine combinations was assessed in nude mice. RESULTS: Camptothecin-thymidine combinations suppress colony formation of MMR-deficient tumor cells 10- to 3,000-fold relative to that obtained with camptothecin alone and significantly reduce the concentrations of the agents required to induce late S/G(2) arrest and senescence. Sensitivity is not a direct result of MMR, p53, or p21 status. However MMR-deficient cell lines containing an intronic frameshift mutation of MRE11 show greatest sensitivity to these agents. Increased sensitivity to this combination is also evident in vivo as thymidine enhances irinotecan-induced growth suppression of MMR-deficient tumors carrying the MRE11 mutation in mouse xenografts. CONCLUSION: Irinotecan-thymidine combinations may be particularly effective when targeted to MSI+ tumors containing this readily detectable MRE11 mutation.

Inhibition of human Chk1 causes increased initiation of DNA replication, phosphorylation of ATR targets, and DNA breakage.

Human checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) is an essential kinase required to preserve genome stability. Here, we show that Chk1 inhibition by two distinct drugs, UCN-01 and CEP-3891, or by Chk1 small interfering RNA (siRNA) leads to phosphorylation of ATR targets. Chk1-inhibition triggered rapid, pan-nuclear phosphorylation of histone H2AX, p53, Smc1, replication protein A, and Chk1 itself in human S-phase cells. These phosphorylations were inhibited by ATR siRNA and caffeine, but they occurred independently of ATM. Chk1 inhibition also caused an increased initiation of DNA replication, which was accompanied by increased amounts of nonextractable RPA protein, formation of single-stranded DNA, and induction of DNA strand breaks. Moreover, these responses were prevented by siRNA-mediated downregulation of Cdk2 or the replication initiation protein Cdc45, or by addition of the CDK inhibitor roscovitine. We propose that Chk1 is required during normal S phase to avoid aberrantly increased initiation of DNA replication, thereby protecting against DNA breakage. These results may help explain why Chk1 is an essential kinase and should be taken into account when drugs to inhibit this kinase are considered for use in cancer treatment.

RAD51 is involved in repair of damage associated with DNA replication in mammalian cells.

The RAD51 protein, a eukaryotic homologue of the Escherichia coli RecA protein, plays an important role in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by homologous recombination (HR) in mammalian cells. Recent findings suggest that HR may be important in repair following replication arrest in mammalian cells. Here, we have investigated the role of RAD51 in the repair of different types of damage induced during DNA replication with etoposide, hydroxyurea or thymidine. We show that etoposide induces DSBs at newly replicated DNA more frequently than gamma-rays, and that these DSBs are different from those induced by hydroxyurea. No DSB was found following treatment with thymidine. Although these compounds appear to induce different DNA lesions during DNA replication, we show that a cell line overexpressing RAD51 is resistant to all of them, indicating that RAD51 is involved in repair of a wide range of DNA lesions during DNA replication. We observe fewer etoposide-induced DSBs in RAD51-overexpressing cells and that HR repair of etoposide-induced DSBs is faster. Finally, we show that induced long-tract HR in the hprt gene is suppressed in RAD51-overexpressing cells, although global HR appears not to be suppressed. This suggests that overexpression of RAD51 prevents long-tract HR occurring during DNA replication. We discuss our results in light of recent models suggested for HR at stalled replication forks.

DNA repair rate and etoposide (VP16) resistance of tumor cell subpopulations derived from a single human small cell lung cancer.

Two human small cell lung cancer (SCLC) subpopulations, CPH 54A, and CPH 54B, established from the same patient tumor by in vitro cloning, were investigated. The tumor was classified as intermediate-type SCLC. The cellular sensitivity to ionizing radiation (IR) was previously determined in the two sublines both in vivo and in vitro. Here we measured the etoposide (VP16) sensitivity together with the induction and repair of VP16- and IR-induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). The two subpopulations were found to differ significantly in sensitivity to VP16, with the radioresistant 54B subline also being VP16 resistant. In order to explain the VP16 resistant phenotype several mechanisms where considered. The p53 status, P-glycoprotein, MRP, topoisomerase IIalpha, and Mre11 protein levels, as well as growth kinetics, provided no explanations of the observed VP16 resistance. In contrast, a significant difference in repair of both VP16- and IR-induced DSBs, together with a difference in the levels of the DSB repair proteins DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK(cs)) and RAD51 was observed. The VP16- and radioresistant 54B subline exhibited a pronounced higher repair rate of DSBs and higher protein levels of both DNA-PK(cs) and RAD51 compared with the sensitive 54A subline. We suggest, that different DSB repair rates among tumor cell subpopulations of individual SCLC tumors may be a major determinant for the variation in clinical treatment effect observed in human SCLC tumors of identical histological subtype.

The role of RAD51 in etoposide (VP16) resistance in small cell lung cancer.

Etoposide (VP16) is a potent inducer of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and is efficiently used in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) therapy. However, acquired VP16 resistance remains an important barrier to effective treatment. To understand the underlying mechanisms for VP16 resistance in SCLC, we investigated DSB repair and cellular VP16 sensitivity of SCLC cells. VP16 sensitivity and RAD51, DNA-PK(cs), topoisomerase IIalpha and P-glycoprotein protein levels were determined in 17 SCLC cell lines. In order to unravel the role of RAD51 in VP16 resistance, we cloned the human RAD51 gene, transfected SCLC cells with RAD51 sense or antisense constructs and measured the VP16 resistance. Finally, we measured VP16-induced DSBs in the 17 SCLC cell lines. Two cell lines exhibited a multidrug-resistant phenotype. In the other SCLC cell lines, the cellular VP16 resistance was positively correlated with the RAD51 protein level. In addition, downregulation or overexpression of the RAD51 gene altered the VP16 sensitivity. Furthermore, the levels of the RAD51 and DNA-PK(cs) proteins were related to VP16-induced DSBs. The results suggest that repair of VP16-induced DSBs is mediated through both RAD51-dependent homologous recombination and DNA-PK(cs)-dependent nonhomologous end-joining and may be a determinant of the variation in clinical treatment effect observed in human SCLC tumors of identical histologic subtype. Finally, we propose RAD51 as a potential target to improve VP16 efficacy and predict tumor resistance in the treatment of SCLC patients.