Repurposing Atovaquone as a Therapeutic against Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML): Combination with Conventional Chemotherapy Is Feasible and Well Tolerated.

Survival of pediatric AML remains poor despite maximized myelosuppressive therapy. The pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PJP)-treating medication atovaquone (AQ) suppresses oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and reduces AML burden in patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse models, making it an ideal concomitant AML therapy. Poor palatability and limited product formulations have historically limited routine use of AQ in pediatric AML patients. Patients with de novo AML were enrolled at two hospitals. Daily AQ at established PJP dosing was combined with standard AML therapy, based on the Medical Research Council backbone. AQ compliance, adverse events (AEs), ease of administration score (scale: 1 (very difficult)-5 (very easy)) and blood/marrow pharmacokinetics (PK) were collected during Induction 1. Correlative studies assessed AQ-induced apoptosis and effects on OXPHOS. PDX models were treated with AQ. A total of 26 patients enrolled (ages 7.2 months-19.7 years, median 12 years); 24 were evaluable. A total of 14 (58%) and 19 (79%) evaluable patients achieved plasma concentrations above the known anti-leukemia concentration (>10 µM) by day 11 and at the end of Induction, respectively. Seven (29%) patients achieved adequate concentrations for PJP prophylaxis (>40 µM). Mean ease of administration score was 3.8. Correlative studies with AQ in patient samples demonstrated robust apoptosis, OXPHOS suppression, and prolonged survival in PDX models. Combining AQ with chemotherapy for AML appears feasible and safe in pediatric patients during Induction 1 and shows single-agent anti-leukemic effects in PDX models. AQ appears to be an ideal concomitant AML therapeutic but may require intra-patient dose adjustment to achieve concentrations sufficient for PJP prophylaxis.

Outcomes After Nonresponse and Relapse Post-Tisagenlecleucel in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults With B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

PURPOSE: Nonresponse and relapse after CD19-chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy continue to challenge survival outcomes. Phase II landmark data from the ELIANA trial demonstrated nonresponse and relapse rates of 14.5% and 28%, respectively, whereas use in the real-world setting showed nonresponse and relapse rates of 15% and 37%. Outcome analyses describing fate after post-CAR nonresponse and relapse remain limited. Here, we aim to establish survival outcomes after nonresponse and both CD19+ and CD19- relapses and explore treatment variables associated with inferior survival. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective multi-institutional study of 80 children and young adults with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia experiencing nonresponse (n = 23) or relapse (n = 57) after tisagenlecleucel. We analyze associations between baseline characteristics and these outcomes and establish survival rates and salvage approaches. RESULTS: The overall survival (OS) at 12 months was 19% across nonresponders (n = 23; 95% CI, 7 to 50). Ninety-five percent of patients with nonresponse had high preinfusion disease burden. Among 156 morphologic responders, the cumulative incidence of relapse was 37% (95% CI, 30 to 47) at 12 months (CD19+; 21% [15 to 29], CD19-; 16% [11 to 24], median follow-up; 380 days). Across 57 patients experiencing relapse, the OS was 52% (95% CI, 38 to 71) at 12 months after time of relapse. Notably, CD19- relapse was associated with significantly decreased OS as compared with patients who relapsed with conserved CD19 expression (CD19- 12-month OS; 30% [14 to 66], CD19+ 12-month OS; 68% [49 to 92], P = .0068). Inotuzumab, CAR reinfusion, and chemotherapy were used as postrelapse salvage therapy with greatest frequency, yet high variability in treatment sequencing and responses limits efficacy analysis across salvage approaches. CONCLUSION: We describe poor survival across patients experiencing nonresponse to tisagenlecleucel. In the post-tisagenlecleucel relapse setting, patients can be salvaged; however, CD19- relapse is distinctly associated with decreased survival outcomes.

Higher doses of tisagenlecleucel are associated with improved outcomes: a report from the pediatric real-world CAR consortium.

Remarkable complete response rates have been shown with tisagenlecleucel, a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy targeting CD19, in patients up to age 26 years with refractory/relapsed B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia; it is US Food and Drug Administration approved for this indication. Currently, patients receive a single dose of tisagenlecleucel across a wide dose range of 0.2 to 5.0 × 106 and 0.1 to 2.5 × 108 CAR T cells per kg for patients ≤50 and >50 kg, respectively. The effect of cell dose on survival and remission is not yet well established. Our primary goal was to determine if CAR T-cell dose affects overall survival (OS), event-free survival (EFS), or relapse-free-survival (RFS) in tisagenlecleucel recipients. Retrospective data were collected from Pediatric Real World CAR Consortium member institutions and included 185 patients infused with commercial tisagenlecleucel. The median dose of viable transduced CAR T cells was 1.7 × 106 CAR T cells per kg. To assess the impact of cell dose, we divided responders into dose quartiles: 0.134 to 1.300 × 106 (n = 48 [27%]), 1.301 to 1.700 × 106 (n = 46 [26%]), 1.701 to 2.400 × 106 (n = 43 [24%]), and 2.401 to 5.100 × 106 (n = 43 [24%]). OS, EFS, and RFS were improved in patients who received higher doses of tisagenlecleucel (P = .031, .0079, and .0045, respectively). Higher doses of tisagenlecleucel were not associated with increased toxicity. Because the current tisagenlecleucel package insert dose range remains broad, this work has implications in regard to targeting higher cell doses, within the approved dose range, to optimize patients' potential for long-standing remission.

Real-world use of tisagenlecleucel in infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Infants with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) have poor outcomes because of chemotherapy resistance leading to high relapse rates. Tisagenlecleucel, a CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CART) therapy, is US Food and Drug Administration approved for relapsed or refractory B-ALL in patients ≤25 years; however, the safety and efficacy of this therapy in young patients is largely unknown because children <3 years of age were excluded from licensing studies. We retrospectively evaluated data from the Pediatric Real-World CAR Consortium to examine outcomes of patients with infant B-ALL who received tisagenlecleucel between 2017 and 2020 (n = 14). Sixty-four percent of patients (n = 9) achieved minimal residual disease-negative remission after CART and 50% of patients remain in remission at last follow-up. All patients with high disease burden at time of CART infusion (>M1 marrow) were refractory to this therapy (n = 5). Overall, tisagenlecleucel was tolerable in this population, with only 3 patients experiencing ≥grade 3 cytokine release syndrome. No neurotoxicity was reported. This is the largest report of tisagenlecleucel use in infant B-ALL and shows that this therapy is safe and can be effective in this population. Incorporating this novel immunotherapy into the treatment of infant B-ALL offers a promising therapy for a highly aggressive leukemia.

Optimal fludarabine lymphodepletion is associated with improved outcomes after CAR T-cell therapy.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells provide a therapeutic option in hematologic malignancies. However, treatment failure after initial response approaches 50%. In allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation, optimal fludarabine exposure improves immune reconstitution, resulting in lower nonrelapse mortality and increased survival. We hypothesized that optimal fludarabine exposure in lymphodepleting chemotherapy before CAR T-cell therapy would improve outcomes. In a retrospective analysis of patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia undergoing CAR T-cell (tisagenlecleucel) infusion after cyclophosphamide/fludarabine lymphodepleting chemotherapy, we estimated fludarabine exposure as area under the curve (AUC; mg × h/L) using a validated population pharmacokinetic (PK) model. Fludarabine exposure was related to overall survival (OS), cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR), and a composite end point (loss of B-cell aplasia [BCA] or relapse). Eligible patients (n = 152) had a median age of 12.5 years (range, <1 to 26), response rate of 86% (n = 131 of 152), 12-month OS of 75.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 67.6% to 82.6%), and 12-month CIR of 36.4% (95% CI, 27.5% to 45.2%). Optimal fludarabine exposure was determined as AUC ≥13.8 mg × h/L. In multivariable analyses, patients with AUC <13.8 mg × h/L had a 2.5-fold higher CIR (hazard ratio [HR], 2.45; 95% CI, 1.34-4.48; P = .005) and twofold higher risk of relapse or loss of BCA (HR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.19-3.23; P = .01) compared with those with optimal fludarabine exposure. High preinfusion disease burden was also associated with increased risk of relapse (HR, 2.66; 95% CI, 1.45-4.87; P = .001) and death (HR, 4.77; 95% CI, 2.10-10.9; P < .001). Personalized PK-directed dosing to achieve optimal fludarabine exposure should be tested in prospective trials and, based on this analysis, may reduce disease relapse after CAR T-cell therapy.

Tisagenlecleucel outcomes in relapsed/refractory extramedullary ALL: a Pediatric Real World CAR Consortium Report.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have transformed the therapeutic options for relapsed/refractory (R/R) B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Data for CAR therapy in extramedullary (EM) involvement are limited. Retrospective data were abstracted from the Pediatric Real World CAR Consortium (PRWCC) of 184 infused patients from 15 US institutions. Response (complete response) rate, overall survival (OS), relapse-free survival (RFS), and duration of B-cell aplasia (BCA) in patients referred for tisagenlecleucel with EM disease (both central nervous system (CNS)3 and non-CNS EM) were compared with bone marrow (BM) only. Patients with CNS disease were further stratified for comparison. Outcomes are reported on 55 patients with EM disease before CAR therapy (CNS3, n = 40; non-CNS EM, n = 15). The median age at infusion in the CNS cohort was 10 years (range, <1-25 years), and in the non-CNS EM cohort it was 13 years (range, 2-26 years). In patients with CNS disease, 88% (35 of 40) achieved a complete response vs only 66% (10 of 15) with non-CNS EM disease. Patients with CNS disease (both with and without BM involvement) had 24-month OS outcomes comparable to those of non-CNS EM or BM only (P = .41). There was no difference in 12-month RFS between CNS, non-CNS EM, or BM-only patients (P = .92). No increased toxicity was seen with CNS or non-CNS EM disease (P = .3). Active CNS disease at time of infusion did not affect outcomes. Isolated CNS disease trended toward improved OS compared with combined CNS and BM (P = .12). R/R EM disease can be effectively treated with tisagenlecleucel; toxicity, relapse, and survival rates are comparable to those of patients with BM-only disease. Outcomes for isolated CNS relapse are encouraging.

Disease Burden Affects Outcomes in Pediatric and Young Adult B-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia After Commercial Tisagenlecleucel: A Pediatric Real-World Chimeric Antigen Receptor Consortium Report.

PURPOSE: Tisagenlecleucel is a CD19-specific chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, US Food and Drug Administration-approved for children, adolescents, and young adults (CAYA) with relapsed and/or refractory (RR) B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). The US Food and Drug Administration registration for tisagenlecleucel was based on a complete response (CR) rate of 81%, 12-month overall survival (OS) of 76%, and event-free survival (EFS) of 50%. We report clinical outcomes and analyze covariates of outcomes after commercial tisagenlecleucel. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective, multi-institutional study of CAYA with RR B-ALL across 15 US institutions, who underwent leukapheresis shipment to Novartis for commercial tisagenlecleucel. A total of 200 patients were included in an intent-to-treat response analysis, and 185 infused patients were analyzed for survival and toxicity. RESULTS: Intent-to-treat analysis demonstrates a 79% morphologic CR rate (95% CI, 72 to 84). The infused cohort had an 85% CR (95% CI, 79 to 89) and 12-month OS of 72% and EFS of 50%, with 335 days of median follow-up. Notably, 48% of patients had low-disease burden (< 5% bone marrow lymphoblasts, no CNS3, or other extramedullary disease), or undetectable disease, pretisagenlecleucel. Univariate and multivariate analyses associate high-disease burden (HB, ≥ 5% bone marrow lymphoblasts, CNS3, or non-CNS extramedullary) with inferior outcomes, with a 12-month OS of 58% and EFS of 31% compared with low-disease burden (OS; 85%, EFS; 70%) and undetectable disease (OS; 95%, EFS; 72%; P < .0001 for OS and EFS). Grade ≥ 3 cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity rates were 21% and 7% overall and 35% and 9% in patients with HB, respectively. CONCLUSION: Commercial tisagenlecleucel in CAYA RR B-ALL demonstrates efficacy and tolerability. This first analysis of commercial tisagenlecleucel stratified by disease burden identifies HB preinfusion to associate with inferior OS and EFS and increased toxicity.

Investigational treatment options in phase I and phase II trials for relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia in pediatric patients.

Introduction: Upfront treatment of pediatric patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) results in cure rates of 60-95%, depending on risk factors. However, patients with refractory or relapsed B-ALL or T-ALL have much worse outcomes with conventional chemotherapy, hence treatment of these cohorts with novel agents is a priority.Areas Covered: This paper reviews early phase clinical trials in pediatric leukemia. Investigational antibody therapy, chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T), and other targeted therapies are examined. The authors discuss the mechanisms of action, side effects, trial designs, and outcomes and reflect on potential research directions. PubMed and Clinicaltrials.gov were searched from 2010 to present, using keywords 'lymphoblastic leukemia' with filters for pediatric age, Phase 1 clinical trial and Phase 2 clinical trial.Expert Opinion: Pediatric patients with relapsed or refractory leukemia often do not derive additional benefit from intensified conventional chemotherapy approaches which have arguably been maximized in the upfront setting. Therefore, novel approaches, such as immunotherapy and targeted agents should be prioritized. Progress will require commitment from pharmaceutical companies regarding these orphan diagnoses and acknowledgment from regulatory bodies that outcomes are suboptimal with conventional chemotherapy.

Decitabine and Vorinostat with Chemotherapy in Relapsed Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A TACL Pilot Study.

PURPOSE: Treatment failure from drug resistance is the primary reason for relapse in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Improving outcomes by targeting mechanisms of drug resistance is a potential solution. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We report results investigating the epigenetic modulators decitabine and vorinostat with vincristine, dexamethasone, mitoxantrone, and PEG-asparaginase for pediatric patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell ALL (B-ALL). Twenty-three patients, median age 12 years (range, 1-21) were treated in this trial. RESULTS: The most common grade 3-4 toxicities included hypokalemia (65%), anemia (78%), febrile neutropenia (57%), hypophosphatemia (43%), leukopenia (61%), hyperbilirubinemia (39%), thrombocytopenia (87%), neutropenia (91%), and hypocalcemia (39%). Three subjects experienced dose-limiting toxicities, which included cholestasis, steatosis, and hyperbilirubinemia (n = 1); seizure, somnolence, and delirium (n = 1); and pneumonitis, hypoxia, and hyperbilirubinemia (n = 1). Infectious complications were common with 17 of 23 (74%) subjects experiencing grade ≥3 infections including invasive fungal infections in 35% (8/23). Nine subjects (39%) achieved a complete response (CR + CR without platelet recovery + CR without neutrophil recovery) and five had stable disease (22%). Nine (39%) subjects were not evaluable for response, primarily due to treatment-related toxicities. Correlative pharmacodynamics demonstrated potent in vivo modulation of epigenetic marks, and modulation of biologic pathways associated with functional antileukemic effects. CONCLUSIONS: Despite encouraging response rates and pharmacodynamics, the combination of decitabine and vorinostat on this intensive chemotherapy backbone was determined not feasible in B-ALL due to the high incidence of significant infectious toxicities. This study is registered at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01483690.

Knock-in of the Wt1 R394W mutation causes MDS and cooperates with Flt3/ITD to drive aggressive myeloid neoplasms in mice.

Wilms tumor 1 (WT1) is a zinc finger transcriptional regulator, and has been implicated as both a tumor suppressor and oncogene in various malignancies. Mutations in the DNA-binding domain of the WT1 gene are described in 10-15% of normal-karyotype AML (NK-AML) in pediatric and adult patients. Similar WT1 mutations have been reported in adult patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). WT1 mutations have been independently associated with treatment failure and poor prognosis in NK-AML. Internal tandem duplication (ITD) mutations of FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) commonly co-occur with WT1-mutant AML, suggesting a cooperative role in leukemogenesis. The functional role of WT1 mutations in hematologic malignancies appears to be complex and is not yet fully elucidated. Here, we describe the hematologic phenotype of a knock-in mouse model of a Wt1 mutation (R394W), described in cases of human leukemia. We show that Wt1 +/R394W mice develop MDS which becomes 100% penetrant in a transplant model, exhibit an aberrant expansion of myeloid progenitor cells, and demonstrate enhanced self-renewal of hematopoietic progenitor cells in vitro. We crossbred Wt1 +/R394W mice with knock-in Flt3 +/ITD mice, and show that mice with both mutations (Flt3 +/ITD/Wt1 +/R394W) develop a transplantable MDS/MPN, with more aggressive features compared to either single mutant mouse model.

Treatment of an acquired Factor XIII inhibitor in an adolescent with systemic lupus erythematosus and renal failure.

BACKGROUND: Factor (F)XIII deficiency is a rare inherited bleeding disorder, but can also be acquired due to the development of inhibitors. CASE REPORT: A 17-year-old female with systemic lupus erythematosus and end-stage kidney disease secondary to Class IV lupus nephritis developed spontaneous subcutaneous and muscular hematomas and delayed major bleeding after invasive procedures. She had abnormal kaolin thromboelastography (kTEG; decreased maximal amplitude, representative of clot strength) initially attributed to thrombocytopenia and uremic platelet dysfunction, but her FXIII activity was undetectable, and a high-titer antibody against FXIII was identified. She had improvement in clinical bleeding and in kaolin thromboelastogram result and transient improvement in FXIII activity after each dose of plasma-derived FXIII concentrate (Corifact) or cryoprecipitate. Her inhibitor titers gradually improved with multiple immunosuppressive therapies and plasma exchange. While her FXIII activity level remained mildly decreased, she has not had additional significant bleeding. CONCLUSION: Treatment with either plasma-derived FXIII or cryoprecipitate is an effective treatment to normalize the kTEG variables and clinical bleeding diatheses associated with acquired FXIII inhibitors. Higher doses may be needed in patients with high-titer inhibitor.

Role of copper transporters in resistance to platinating agents.

Copper transporters have been proposed to be involved in cellular import and export of platinating agents. Expression of the human copper transporter 1 (hCtr1) is thought to result in increased sensitivity to cisplatin, whereas expression of ATP7A and ATP7B are thought to be involved in resistance to cisplatin either by sequestering drug away from its targets (ATP7A) or by exporting the drug from the cell (ATP7B). In this study, we evaluated the sensitivity of cells expressing copper transporters to cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin. We also examined whether O (6)-benzylguanine, a modulator of platinating agent cytotoxicity, enhanced sensitivity of cells with or without the transporters to cisplatin. Overexpression of hCtr1 in the HEK293 cell line did not result in increased sensitivity to cisplatin, either alone or following treatment with O (6)-benzylguanine. In contrast, overexpression of ATP7A and ATP7B in Me32a fibroblasts resulted in increased resistance to cisplatin, but not to carboplatin or oxaliplatin. ATP7A-expressing cells (MeMNK) showed a significant enhancement of cisplatin cytotoxicity following O (6)-benzylguanine treatment, but ATP7B-expressing cells (MeWND) did not. Notably, expression of either ATP7A or ATP7B did not result in a change in total cytoplasmic platinum levels following treatment with BG plus cisplatin. The mechanism of BG enhancement of cisplatin cytotoxicity is not likely through regulation of copper transporters.

Enhancement of cisplatin [cis-diammine dichloroplatinum (II)] cytotoxicity by O6-benzylguanine involves endoplasmic reticulum stress.

O6-Benzylguanine (BG) enhances cisplatin [cis-diammine dichloroplatinum (II)]-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis in head and neck cancer cell lines by an unknown mechanism. We investigated the effect of cisplatin with and without BG on two targets of damage: DNA and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). We chose three cancer cell lines to ascertain the mechanism of BG-enhanced cytotoxicity: SQ20b head and neck and SKOV-3x ovarian cancer cell lines, where BG enhanced cisplatin cytotoxicity, and A549 nonsmall cell lung cancer line, where BG did not enhance cisplatin cytotoxicity. All three lines had an increase in DNA damage when BG was added to cisplatin treatment, as evidenced by increased platination and phosphorylated histone H2AX formation. The increase in cisplatin-induced DNA damage after treatment with BG plus cisplatin is not sufficient to increase cytotoxicity or apoptosis in A549 cells. We evaluated the effect of cisplatin on the ER and observed increased caspase 12 cleavage in SQ20b and SKOV-3x cells, but not in A549 cells, after treatment with BG plus cisplatin versus cisplatin alone. Growth arrest and DNA damage inducible (GADD) 153, an ER stress-response gene, is up-regulated after treatment with BG plus cisplatin compared with cisplatin alone in SQ20b and SKOV-3x cells, but not in A549 cells. ER stress-induced apoptosis is an integral part of the mechanism by which BG enhances cisplatin. Inhibition of ER stress in the SQ20b cell line by salubrinal, an inhibitor of eIF2alpha dephosphorylation, or GADD153 small interfering RNA, abrogated BG-enhancement of cisplatin cytotoxicity and apoptosis through caspase 3 and 12 cleavage. These data indicate GADD153 up-regulation plays an important role in BG-enhanced cisplatin cytotoxicity and apoptosis.

Molecular mechanisms of resistance and toxicity associated with platinating agents.

Platinating agents, including cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin, have been used clinically for nearly 30years as part of the treatment of many types of cancers, including head and neck, testicular, ovarian, cervical, lung, colorectal and relapsed lymphoma. The cytotoxic lesion of platinating agents is thought to be the platinum intrastrand crosslink that forms on DNA, although treatment activates a number of signal transduction pathways. Treatment with these agents is characterized by resistance, both acquired and intrinsic. This resistance can be caused by a number of cellular adaptations, including reduced uptake, inactivation by glutathione and other anti-oxidants, and increased levels of DNA repair or DNA tolerance. Here we investigate the pathways that treatment with platinating agents activate, the mechanisms of resistance, potential candidate genes involved in the development of resistance, and associated clinical toxicities. Although the purpose of this review is to provide an overview of cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin, we have focused primarily on preclinical data that has clinical relevance generated over the past five years.

Identification of differentially expressed genes in scarless wound healing utilizing polymerase chain reaction-suppression subtractive hybridization.

Wound healing in fetal skin is well known to proceed without scarring, whereas adult (postnatal) skin wound healing is accompanied by scar formation. To identify differentially expressed genes during fetal wound (FW) healing, we have used polymerase chain reaction-suppression subtractive hybridization. This technique allows for a comparative analysis across the entire transcriptome of FW vs. unwounded fetal control tissue, including even potentially novel sequences. Our subtractive hybridization protocol identified 15 clones that are overexpressed in healing FWs, and 20 clones that are underexpressed. These include genes with both known and unknown functions. We have confirmed the differential pattern of expression for four of these candidate genes: elongation factor 1 alpha, elongation initiation factor 4e, and two transcripts thus far known only as an expressed sequence tags. With this approach, we have also identified novel genes potentially involved in scarless wound healing.

Inactivation of O6-alkylguanine DNA alkyltransferase as a means to enhance chemotherapy.

DNA adducts at the O6-position of guanine are a result of the carcinogenic, mutagenic and cytotoxic actions of methylating and chloroethylating agents. The presence of the DNA repair protein O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) renders cells resistant to the biological effects induced by agents that attack at this position. O6-Benzylguanine (O6-BG) is a low molecular weight substrate of AGT and therefore, results in sensitizing cells and tumors to alkylating agent-induced cytotoxicity and antitumor activity. Presently, chemotherapy regimens of O6-BG in combination with BCNU, temozolomide and Gliadel are in clinical development. Other ongoing clinical trials include expression of mutant AGT proteins that confer resistance to O6-BG in bone marrow stem cells, in an effort to reduce the potential enhanced toxicity and mutagenicity of alkylating agents in the bone marrow. O6-BG has also been found to enhance the cytotoxicity of agents that do not form adducts at the O6-position of DNA, including platinating agents. O6-BG's mechanism of action with these agents is not fully understood; however, it is independent of AGT activity or AGT inactivation. A better understanding of the effects of this agent will contribute to its clinical usefulness and the design of better analogs to further improve cancer chemotherapy.

Role of GADD34 in modulation of cisplatin cytotoxicity.

Cisplatin and carboplatin are widely used clinical chemotherapeutic agents, especially against testicular, ovarian, and head and neck cancers. O(6)-Benzylguanine (BG) has been shown to result in enhanced cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and DNA platination when used in conjunction with cisplatin and carboplatin in head and neck cancer cell lines. Microarray expression data indicated overexpression of 19 genes and underexpression of 22 genes specific to treatment with the combination of BG+/-cisplatin compared to cisplatin alone treatment in SQ20b head and neck cancer cells (p<0.05) using the Affymetrix HG-U133A GeneChip((R)). Among the overexpressed probe sets were genes involved in DNA damage and apoptosis, including GADD34, DDIT4, ATF4, and PTHLH. A similarly structured analog, 9-CH(3)-BG, does not enhance cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity or apoptosis nor is there enhanced expression of GADD34 in cisplatin or 9-CH(3)-BG+/-cisplatin-treated cells compared to control cells. Analysis of cells exposed to 9-CH(3)-BG+/-cisplatin allowed us to focus our array list on 32 probe sets specific to BG+cisplatin versus cisplatin, ruling out differentially expressed probe sets common to 9-CH(3)-BG+cisplatin versus cisplatin. Similarly, 14 probe sets were specific to BG+/-cisplatin versus BG, ruling out differentially expressed probe sets common to 9-CH(3)-BG+/-cisplatin versus 9-CH(3)-BG. Quantitative real-time PCR demonstrated a dose dependent increase in GADD34 expression in cells exposed to BG+/-cisplatin with levels approximately >2-fold for cells exposed to BG+cisplatin compared to cisplatin alone. Levels of GADD34 transcripts were determined with both cisplatin and BG+cisplatin at several different time points concomitant with and following drug treatment. At all timepoints, GADD34 transcript levels are approximately two-fold elevated in cells treated with BG+cisplatin compared to cisplatin alone. Furthermore, significant changes in GADD34 expression levels in SQ20b, SCC35, and SCC61 cells, with approximately three-fold, two-fold, and 3.5-fold increases in expression, respectively, upon treatment with BG+/-cisplatin compared with control. Elucidation of these molecular pathways will aid in our goal of synthesizing more powerful modulators to increase efficacy of platinum agents.