Characterization of a full-length infectious cDNA clone and a GFP reporter derivative of the oncolytic picornavirus SVV-001.

Seneca Valley virus (SVV-001) is an oncolytic picornavirus with selective tropism for a subset of human cancers with neuroendocrine differentiation. To characterize further the specificity of SVV-001 and its patterns and kinetics of intratumoral spread, bacterial plasmids encoding a cDNA clone of the full-length wild-type virus and a derivative virus expressing GFP were generated. The full-length cDNA of the SVV-001 RNA genome was cloned into a bacterial plasmid under the control of the T7 core promoter sequence to create an infectious cDNA clone, pNTX-09. A GFP reporter virus cDNA clone, pNTX-11, was then generated by cloning a fusion protein of GFP and the 2A protein from foot-and-mouth disease virus immediately following the native SVV-001 2A sequence. Recombinant GFP-expressing reporter virus, SVV-GFP, was rescued from cells transfected with in vitro RNA transcripts from pNTX-11 and propagated in cell culture. The proliferation kinetics of SVV-001 and SVV-GFP were indistinguishable. The SVV-GFP reporter virus was used to determine that a subpopulation of permissive cells is present in small-cell lung cancer cell lines previously thought to lack permissivity to SVV-001. Finally, it was shown that SVV-GFP administered to tumour-bearing animals homes in to and infects tumours whilst having no detectable tropism for normal mouse tissues at 1×10(11) viral particles kg(-1), a dose equivalent to that administered in ongoing clinical trials. These infectious clones will be of substantial value in further characterizing the biology of this virus and as a backbone for the generation of additional oncolytic derivatives.

Structural features of the Seneca Valley virus internal ribosome entry site (IRES) element: a picornavirus with a pestivirus-like IRES.

The RNA genome of Seneca Valley virus (SVV), a recently identified picornavirus, contains an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) element which has structural and functional similarity to that from classical swine fever virus (CSFV) and hepatitis C virus, members of the Flaviviridae. The SVV IRES has an absolute requirement for the presence of a short region of virus-coding sequence to allow it to function either in cells or in rabbit reticulocyte lysate. The IRES activity does not require the translation initiation factor eIF4A or intact eIF4G. The predicted secondary structure indicates that the SVV IRES is more closely related to the CSFV IRES, including the presence of a bipartite IIId domain. Mutagenesis of the SVV IRES, coupled to functional assays, support the core elements of the IRES structure model, but surprisingly, deletion of the conserved IIId(2) domain had no effect on IRES activity, including 40S and eIF3 binding. This is the first example of a picornavirus IRES that is most closely related to the CSFV IRES and suggests the possibility of multiple, independent recombination events between the genomes of the Picornaviridae and Flaviviridae to give rise to similar IRES elements.

Phase I clinical study of Seneca Valley Virus (SVV-001), a replication-competent picornavirus, in advanced solid tumors with neuroendocrine features.

PURPOSE: Seneca Valley Virus (SVV-001) is a novel naturally occurring replication-competent picornavirus with potent and selective tropism for neuroendocrine cancer cell types, including small cell lung cancer. We conducted a first-in-human, first-in-class phase I clinical trial of this agent in patients with cancers with neuroendocrine features, including small cell lung cancer. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Clinical evaluation of single intravenous doses in patients with cancers with neuroendocrine features was performed across five log-increments from 10(7) to 10(11) vp/kg. Toxicity, viral titers and clearance, neutralizing antibody development, and tumor response were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 30 patients were treated with SVV-001, including six with small cell carcinoma at the lowest dose of 10(7) vp/kg. SVV-001 was well tolerated, with no dose-limiting toxicities observed in any dose cohort. Viral clearance was documented in all subjects and correlated temporally with development of antiviral antibodies. Evidence of in vivo intratumoral viral replication was observed among patients with small cell carcinoma, with peak viral titers estimated to be >10(3)-fold higher than the administered dose. One patient with previously progressive chemorefractory small cell lung cancer remained progression-free for 10 months after SVV-001 administration, and is alive over 3 years after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Intravenous SVV-001 administration in patients is well tolerated at doses up to 10(11) vp/kg, with predictable viral clearance kinetics, intratumoral viral replication, and evidence of antitumor activity in patients with small cell lung cancer. Phase II clinical evaluation in small cell lung cancer is warranted, and has been initiated.

Heterocyclic cycloalkanol ethylamines as norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors.

A series of heterocyclic cycloalkanol ethylamines have been prepared to expand our norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (NRI) program. Synthesis of a variety of heterocycles identified (+)-S-21, a potent NRI efficacious in an animal model for thermoregulatory dysfunction.

Discovery of WAY-260022, a Potent and Selective Inhibitor of the Norepinephrine Transporter.

The potency and selectivity of a series of 1-{(1S)-2-[amino]-1-[3-(trifluoromethoxy)phenyl]ethyl}cyclohexanol analogues are described. These compounds were prepared to improve in vitro metabolic stability and achieve brain penetration. Compound 13 (WAY-260022, NRI-022) was found to be a potent inhibitor of norepinephrine reuptake and demonstrated excellent selectivity over the serotonin and dopamine transporters. Additionally, 13 exhibited oral efficacy in a rat model of thermoregulatory dysfunction.

Structure-activity relationships of the 1-amino-3-(1H-indol-1-yl)-3-phenylpropan-2-ol series of monoamine reuptake inhibitors.

The SAR of a series of 1-amino-3-(1H-indol-1-yl)-3-phenylpropan-2-ols as monoamine reuptake inhibitors, with a goal to improve both potency toward inhibiting the norepinephrine transporter and selectivity over the serotonin transporter, is reported. The effect of specific substitution on both the 3-phenyl group and the indole moiety were explored. This study led to the discovery of compound 20 which inhibited the norepinephrine transporter with an IC50 value of 4 nM while exhibiting 86-fold selectivity over the serotonin transporter.

Structure-activity relationships of the cycloalkanol ethylamine scaffold: discovery of selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors.

Further exploration of the cycloalkanol ethylamine scaffold, of which venlafaxine ( 1) is a member, was undertaken to develop novel and selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (NRIs) for evaluation in a variety of predictive animal models. These efforts led to the discovery of a piperazine-containing analogue, 17g (WY-46824), that exhibited potent norepinephrine reuptake inhibition, excellent selectivity over the serotonin transporter, but no selectivity over the dopamine transporter. Synthesis and testing of a series of cyclohexanol ethylpiperazines identified ( S)-(-)- 17i (WAY-256805), a potent norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (IC 50 = 82 nM, K i = 50 nM) that exhibited excellent selectivity over both the serotonin and dopamine transporters and was efficacious in animal models of depression, pain, and thermoregulatory dysfunction.

Seneca Valley virus, a systemically deliverable oncolytic picornavirus, and the treatment of neuroendocrine cancers.

BACKGROUND: Numerous clinical trials have demonstrated that oncolytic viruses can elicit antitumor responses when they are administered directly into localized cancers. However, the treatment of metastatic disease with oncolytic viruses has been challenging due to the inactivation of viruses by components of human blood and/or to inadequate tumor selectivity. METHODS: We determined the cytolytic potential and selectivity of Seneca Valley Virus-001 (SVV-001), a newly discovered native picornavirus, in neuroendocrine and pediatric tumor cell lines and normal cells. Suitability of the virus for intravenous delivery in humans was assessed by blood inactivation assays. Safety was evaluated in vivo using an immune-competent mouse model, and efficacy was evaluated in vivo in athymic mice bearing tumors derived from human small-cell lung cancer and retinoblastoma cell lines. RESULTS: Cell lines derived from small-cell lung cancers and solid pediatric cancers were at least 10,000-fold more sensitive to the cytolytic activity of SVV-001 than were any of the adult normal human cells tested. Viral infectivity was not inhibited by human blood components. Intravenous doses up to 1 x 10(14) virus particles (vp) per kg were well tolerated, and no dose-limiting toxicity was observed in immune-competent mice. A single intravenous dose of 1 x 10(8) vp per kg into athymic mice bearing preestablished small-cell lung or retinoblastoma tumors resulted in complete, durable responses in ten of ten and five of eight mice, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: SVV-001 has potent cytolytic activity and high selectivity for tumor cell lines having neuroendocrine properties versus adult normal cells. Systemically administered SVV-001 has potential for the treatment of metastatic neuroendocrine cancers.

Serotonin 2A receptors modulate tail-skin temperature in two rodent models of estrogen deficiency-related thermoregulatory dysfunction.

Menopause-associated thermoregulatory dysfunction, including hot flushes and night sweats, is effectively treated by hormonal therapies that include estrogens. Evidence suggests that estrogen regulates serotonin 2A (5-HT(2A)) receptor expression and that 5-HT(2A) receptors are involved in thermoregulation. Therefore, the role of 5-HT(2A) receptors in thermoregulation was assessed in two rat models of ovariectomy-induced thermoregulatory dysfunction. The first model is based on measurement of the tail-skin temperature (TST) increase following naloxone-induced withdrawal in morphine-dependent ovariectomized (OVX) rats (MD model), while the second model relies on telemetric assessment of diurnal TST changes in ovariectomized rats (telemetry model). Treatment with a 5-HT(2A/2C) receptor agonist, (-)-2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine hydrochloride (DOI), prevented the naloxone-induced TST increase in the MD model and restored normal active-phase TST in the telemetry model. The selective 5-HT(2A) receptor antagonist, MDL-100907, had no effect on the naloxone-induced flush when administered alone in the MD model, but it decreased DOI's ability to abate the flush. In the telemetry model, MDL-100907 attenuated the DOI-induced decrease in active-phase TST. Interestingly, MDL-100907 increased TST in both models when given alone, with the TST increase occurring prior to the naloxone-induced flush in the MD model. To evaluate the role of central nervous system (CNS) 5-HT(2A) receptors in TST regulation, DOI was administered in combination with a known peripheral 5-HT(2A/2C) receptor antagonist, xylamidine, in the MD model. Xylamidine had no effect on DOI's ability to abate the naloxone-induced flush. These results indicate that activation of central 5-HT(2A) receptors restores temperature regulation in two rodent models of ovariectomy-induced thermoregulatory dysfunction.

Potentiation of oncolytic adenoviral vector efficacy with gutless vectors encoding GMCSF or TRAIL.

Oncolytic adenoviral vectors selectively replicate in and lyse human tumor cells, providing a promising means for targeted tumor destruction. However, oncolytic vectors have limited capacity for incorporation of additional genetic material that could encode therapeutic transgenes and/or transcriptional regulatory control elements to augment the efficacy and/or safety of the vector. Therefore, we hypothesized that coadministration of an oncolytic vector with a replication-defective, gutless adenoviral vector encoding a therapeutic transgene would result in replication of both vectors within a tumor and potentiate antitumor efficacy relative to the use of either vector alone. We constructed gutless vectors encoding the murine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (AGVmGMF) or human tumor necrosis factor alpha-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (AGVhTRAIL) gene and tested the ability of these vectors to augment the efficacy of an oncolytic vector (Ar6pAE2fE3F) in a potentiating vector strategy. In Hep3B cells in vitro, cotreatment with Ar6pAE2fE3F increased transgene expression from AGVhTRAIL and permitted replication of AGVhTRAIL, suggesting that an oncolytic vector can propagate gutless vector spread in vivo. In pre-established Hep3B xenograft tumors, neither gutless vector alone inhibited tumor growth; however, coadministration of AGVmGMF or AGVhTRAIL with Ar6pAE2fE3F significantly reduced tumor growth relative to Ar6pAE2fE3F alone. Additionally, use of AGVhTRAIL with Ar6pAE2fE3F increased the number of complete or partial tumor regressions observed at study end. These data provide evidence that coadministration of an oncolytic vector with a gutless vector holds promise for potentiating tumor ablation efficacy.

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and mek1/2 are necessary for insulin-like growth factor-I-induced vascular endothelial growth factor synthesis in prostate epithelial cells: a role for hypoxia-inducible factor-1?

Due to the importance of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the neovascularization of solid tumors, a clear understanding of how VEGF is regulated in normal and tumor cells is warranted. We investigated insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I-stimulated signaling pathways that increase the rate of VEGF synthesis in primary cultures of normal prostate epithelial cells (PrEC). IGF-I increased the secretion of VEGF(165) into PrEC growth medium and stimulated transcription of a reporter gene driven by a 1.5-kb region of the VEGF promoter. Inhibition of either phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K) or Mek1/2 signaling pathways completely abrogated the IGF-I-induced increase in VEGF secretion and promoter activity, indicating a dependence on coordinate signaling from both pathways to produce this effect. Levels of the transcription factors hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1 and Fos were elevated in response to IGF-I in a PI3-K-dependent and Mek1/2-dependent manner, respectively. The expression of an activator protein (AP)-1 dominant negative in an immortalized prostate epithelial cell line PZ-HPV-7 suppressed the IGF-I-induced increase in VEGF promoter activity. Mutation of the hypoxia response element (HRE), which mediates hypoxic stimulation of VEGF transcription, did not inhibit the effect of IGF-I on the VEGF promoter, despite the fact that this mutation inhibited PI3-K-stimulated VEGF promoter activity in prostate cancer cells. These data indicate that PI3-K signaling does not increase VEGF transcription through transactivation by HIF-1 at the HRE in normal PrEC. This work also suggests that an additional signal, not stimulated by IGF-I in PrEC, is needed for HIF-1 to stimulate transcription from the VEGF HRE.