Src family kinase inhibitor Saracatinib (AZD0530) impairs oxaliplatin uptake in colorectal cancer cells and blocks organic cation transporters.

Elevated Src family kinase (SFK) activity is associated with tumor invasion and metastasis. The SFK inhibitor saracatinib (AZD0530) is currently in phase II trials in patients including those with colorectal cancer (CRC), where links between SFK activity and poor prognosis are particularly striking. Saracatinib is likely to be used clinically in combination regimens, specifically with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and oxaliplatin, in CRC. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of saracatinib on oxaliplatin and 5-FU efficacy in CRC cells. Saracatinib did not modulate 5-FU efficacy but antagonized oxaliplatin in a schedule-specific manner through reduced oxaliplatin uptake via an SFK-independent mechanism. Saracatinib resembles the pharmacophore of known organic cation transporter (OCT) inhibitors and reduced oxaliplatin efficacy maximally in cells overexpressing OCT2. These data suggest that oxaliplatin uptake in CRC is attenuated by saracatinib via inhibition of OCT2, a potential consideration for the clinical development of this SFK inhibitor.

Antitumor effects and biomarkers of activity of AZD0530, a Src inhibitor, in pancreatic cancer.

PURPOSE: To determine the efficacy of AZD0530, an orally active small molecule Src inhibitor, in human pancreatic cancer xenografts and to seek biomarkers predictive of activity. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Sixteen patient-derived pancreatic cancer xenografts from the PancXenoBank collection at Johns Hopkins were treated with AZD0530 (50 mg/kg/day, p.o.) for 28 days. Baseline gene expression profiles of differently expressed genes in 16 tumors by Affymetrix U133 Plus 2.0 gene array were used to predict AZD0530 sensitivity in an independent group of eight tumors using the K-Top Scoring Pairs (K-TSP) method. RESULTS: Three patient tumors of 16 were found to be sensitive to AZD0530, defined as tumor growth <50% compared with control tumors (100%). Western blot and/or immunohistochemistry results showed that AZD0530 administration resulted in the down-regulation of Src, FAK, p-FAK, p-paxillin, p-STAT-3, and XIAP in sensitive tumor xenografts compared with control tumors. The K-TSP classifier identified one gene pair (LRRC19 and IGFBP2) from the 16 training cases based on a decision rule. The classifier achieved 100% and 83.3% of sensitivity and specificity in an independent test set that consists of eight xenograft cases. CONCLUSIONS: AZD0530 treatment significantly inhibits the tumor growth in a subset of human pancreatic tumor xenografts. One gene pair (LRRC19 and IGFBP2) identified by the K-TSP classifier has high predictive power for AZD0530 sensitivity, suggesting the potential for this gene pair as biomarker for pancreatic tumor sensitivity to AZD0530.

Preclinical anticancer activity of the potent, oral Src inhibitor AZD0530.

AZD0530, an orally available Src inhibitor, demonstrated potent antimigratory and anti-invasive effects in vitro, and inhibited metastasis in a murine model of bladder cancer. Antiproliferative activity of AZD0530 in vitro varied between cell lines (IC(50) 0.2 ->10µM). AZD0530 inhibited tumor growth in 4/10 xenograft models tested and dynamically inhibited in vivo phosphorylation of Src substrates paxillin and FAK in both growth-inhibition-resistant and -sensitive xenografts. The activity of AZD0530 in NBT-II bladder cancer cells in vitro was consistent with inhibition of cell migration and stabilization of cell-cell adhesion. These data suggest a dominant anti-invasive pharmacology for AZD0530 that may limit tumor progression in a range of cancers. AZD0530 is currently in Phase II clinical trials.

The Src inhibitor AZD0530 reversibly inhibits the formation and activity of human osteoclasts.

Tumor cells in the bone microenvironment are able to initiate a vicious cycle of bone degradation by mobilizing osteoclasts, multinucleated cells specialized in bone degradation. c-Src is highly expressed both in tumors and in osteoclasts. Therefore, drugs like AZD0530, designed to inhibit Src activity, could selectively interfere with both tumor and osteoclast activity. Here we explored the effects of AZD0530 on human osteoclast differentiation and activity. The effect on osteoclasts formed in vivo was assessed in mouse fetal calvarial explants and in isolated rabbit osteoclasts, where it dose-dependently inhibited osteoclast activity. Its effect on formation and activity of human osteoclasts in vitro was determined in cocultures of human osteoblasts and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. AZD0530 was most effective in inhibiting osteoclast-like cell formation when present at the onset of osteoclastogenesis, suggesting that Src activity is important during the initial phase of osteoclast formation. Formation of active phosphorylated c-Src, which was highly present in osteoclast-like cells in cocultures and in peripheral blood mononuclear cell monocultures, was significantly reduced by AZD0530. Furthermore, it reversibly prevented osteoclast precursor migration from the osteoblast layer to the bone surface and subsequent formation of actin rings and resorption pits. These data suggest that Src is pivotal for the formation and activity of human osteoclasts, probably through its effect on the distribution of the actin microfilament system. The reversible effect of AZD0530 on osteoclast formation and activity makes it a promising candidate to temper osteoclastic bone degradation in bone diseases with enhanced osteoclast activity such as osteolytic metastatic bone disease.

The Src inhibitor AZD0530 blocks invasion and may act as a radiosensitizer in lung cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: With the emergence of Src inhibitors in clinical trials, improved knowledge of the molecular responses of cancer cells to these agents is warranted. This will facilitate the development of tests to identify patients who may benefit from these agents, allow drug activity to be monitored and rationalize the combination of these agents with other treatment modalities. METHODS: This study evaluated the molecular and functional effects of Src inhibitor AZD0530 in human lung cancer cells, by Western blotting and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and by assays for cell viability, migration, and invasion. RESULTS: Src was activated in four of five cell lines tested and the level corresponded with the invasive potential and the histologic subtype. Clinically relevant, submicromolar concentrations of AZD0530 blocked Src and focal adhesion kinase, resulting in significant inhibition of cell migration and Matrigel invasion. Reactivation of STAT3 and up-regulation of JAK indicated a potential mechanism of resistance. AZD0530 gave a potent and sustained blockage of AKT and enhanced the sensitivity to irradiation. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that AZD0530, aside from being a potent inhibitor of tumor cell invasion which could translate to inhibition of disease progression in the clinic, may also lower resistance of lung cancer cells to pro-apoptotic signals.

A novel Src kinase inhibitor reduces tumour formation in a skin carcinogenesis model.

The Src family tyrosine kinases are key modulators of cancer cell invasion and metastasis and a number of Src kinase inhibitors are currently in clinical development for the treatment of solid tumours. However, there is growing evidence that Src is also upregulated at very early stages of epithelial cancer development. We have investigated the role of Src in mouse skin, which is one of the most tractable models of epithelial homoeostasis and tumorigenesis. We found that Src protein expression and activity was regulated during the normal hair cycle and was increased specifically during the proliferative anagen phase and also in response to the tumour promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). AZD0530, a selective Src inhibitor, prevented the TPA-induced proliferation of basal keratinocytes both in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, treatment with AZD0530 reduced papilloma formation following the well-established 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene/TPA skin carcinogenesis protocol but did not inhibit the subsequent proliferation of the papillomas. Furthermore, AZD0530 did not alter the malignant conversion of papillomas to squamous cell carcinoma suggesting a role for Src in early tumour development in the skin carcinogenesis model, rather than at later stages of tumour progression. Src expression and activity were also seen in human actinic keratoses that are hyperproliferative pre-malignant skin lesions, indicating that Src may also play a role in the early stages of human skin tumour development. Thus, Src inhibitors such as AZD0530 may therefore have chemopreventative properties in patients with hyperproliferative epidermal disorders.

Saracatinib Impairs Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Invasion by Disrupting Invadopodia Function.

Elevated Src kinase activity is linked to the progression of solid tumors, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Src regulates HNSCC proliferation and tumor invasion, with the Src-targeted small molecule inhibitor saracatinib displaying potent anti-invasive effects in preclinical studies. However, the pro-invasive cellular mechanism(s) perturbed by saracatinib are unclear. The anti-proliferative and anti-invasive effects of saracatinib on HNSCC cell lines were therefore investigated in pre-clinical cell and mouse model systems. Saracatinib treatment inhibited growth, cell cycle progression and transwell Matrigel invasion in HNSCC cell lines. Dose-dependent decreases in Src activation and phosphorylation of the invasion-associated substrates focal adhesion kinase, p130 CAS and cortactin were also observed. While saracatinib did not significantly impact HNSCC tumor growth in a mouse orthotopic model of tongue squamous cell carcinoma, impaired perineural invasion and cervical lymph node metastasis was observed. Accordingly, saracatinib treatment displayed a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on invadopodia formation, extracellular matrix degradation and matrix metalloprotease 9 activation. These results suggest that inhibition of Src kinase by saracatinib impairs the pro-invasive activity of HNSCC by inhibiting Src substrate phosphorylation important for invadopodia formation and associated matrix metalloprotease activity.

Regulation of Id1 expression by SRC: implications for targeting of the bone morphogenetic protein pathway in cancer.

Deregulated activation of the Src tyrosine kinase and heightened Id1 expression are independent mediators of aggressive tumor biology. The present report implicates Src signaling as a critical regulator of Id1 gene expression. Microarray analyses showed that Id family genes were among the most highly down-regulated by incubation of A549 lung carcinoma cells with the small-molecule Src inhibitor AZD0530. Id1 transcript and protein levels were potently reduced in a dose-dependent manner concomitantly with the reduction of activated Src levels. These effects were conserved across a panel of lung, breast, prostate, and colon cancer cell lines and confirmed by the ability of PP2, Src siRNA, and Src-blocking peptides to suppress Id1 expression. PP2, AZD0530, and dominant-negative Src abrogated Id1 promoter activity, which was induced by constitutively active Src. The Src-responsive region of the Id1 promoter was mapped to a region 1,199 to 1,360 bps upstream of the translation start site and contained a Smad-binding element. Src was also required for bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2)-induced Id1 expression and promoter activity, was moderately activated by BMP-2, and complexed with Smad1/5. Conversely, Src inhibitors blocked Smad1/5 nuclear translocation and binding to the Src-responsive region of the Id1 promoter. Consistent with a role for Src and Id1 in cancer cell invasion, Src inhibitors and Id1 siRNA decreased cancer cell invasion, which was increased by Id1 overexpression. Taken together, these results reveal that Src positively interacts with the BMP-Smad-Id pathway and provide new ways for targeted inhibition of Id1.

Src kinase promotes adhesion-independent activation of FAK and enhances cellular migration in tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer cells.

Src kinase is intimately involved in the control of matrix adhesion and cell migration through its ability to modulate the activity of focal adhesion kinase (FAK). In light of our previous observations that acquisition of tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer cells is accompanied by elevated Src kinase activity, we wish to investigate whether FAK function is also altered in these cells and if this leads to an enhanced migratory phenotype. In in vitro adhesion assays, tamoxifen-resistant (TamR) MCF7 cells had a greater affinity for the matrix proteins fibronectin, laminin, vitronectin and collagen and subsequently demonstrated a much greater migratory capacity across these substrates compared to their weakly-migratory, endocrine-sensitive counterparts. Additionally, elevated levels of activated Src in TamR cells promoted an increase in FAK phosphorylation at Y861 and Y925 and uncoupled FAK activation from an adhesion-dependent process. Inhibition of Src activity using the Src/Abl inhibitor AZD0530 reduced FAK activity, suppressed cell spreading on matrix-coated surfaces and significantly inhibited cell migration. Our data thus suggest that Src kinase plays a central role in the enhanced migratory phenotype that accompanies endocrine resistance through its modulation of FAK signalling and demonstrates the potential use of Src inhibitors as potent suppressors of tumour cell migration.

Cooperative action of tamoxifen and c-Src inhibition in preventing the growth of estrogen receptor-positive human breast cancer cells.

It has long been appreciated that estrogenic signaling contributes to breast cancer progression. c-Src is also required for a number of processes involved in tumor progression and metastasis. We have previously identified the K303R mutant estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) that confers hypersensitivity to low levels of estrogen. Because ERalpha and c-Src have been shown to interact in a number of different systems, we wanted to evaluate the role of c-Src kinase in estrogen-stimulated growth and survival of ERalpha-positive breast cancer cells. MCF-7 cells stably expressing the mutant receptor showed increased c-Src kinase activity and c-Src tyrosine phosphorylation when compared with wild-type ERalpha-expressing cells. A c-Src inhibitor, AZD0530, was used to analyze the biological effects of pharmacologically inhibiting c-Src kinase activity. MCF-7 cells showed an anchorage-dependent growth IC50 of 0.47 micromol/L, which was increased 4-fold in the presence of estrogen. In contrast, cells stably expressing the mutant ERalpha had an elevated IC50 that was only increased 1.4-fold by estrogen stimulation. The c-Src inhibitor effectively inhibited the anchorage-independent growth of both of these cells, and estrogen was able to reverse these effects. When cells were treated with suboptimal concentrations of c-Src inhibitor and tamoxifen, synergistic inhibition was observed, suggesting a cooperative interaction between c-Src and ERalpha. These data clearly show an important role for ERalpha and estrogen signaling in c-Src-mediated breast cancer cell growth and survival. Here, we show that c-Src inhibition is blocked by estrogen signaling; thus, the therapeutic use of c-Src inhibitors may require inhibition of ERalpha in estrogen-dependent breast cancer.

N-(5-chloro-1,3-benzodioxol-4-yl)-7-[2-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)ethoxy]-5- (tetrahydro-2H-pyran-4-yloxy)quinazolin-4-amine, a novel, highly selective, orally available, dual-specific c-Src/Abl kinase inhibitor.

Src family kinases (SFKs) are nonreceptor tyrosine kinases that are reported to be critical for cancer progression. We report here a novel subseries of C-5-substituted anilinoquinazolines that display high affinity and specificity for the tyrosine kinase domain of the c-Src and Abl enzymes. These compounds exhibit high selectivity for SFKs over a panel of recombinant protein kinases, excellent pharmacokinetics, and in vivo activity following oral dosing. N-(5-Chloro-1,3-benzodioxol-4-yl)-7-[2-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)ethoxy]-5-(tetrahydro-2H-pyran-4-yloxy)quinazolin-4-amine (AZD0530) inhibits c-Src and Abl enzymes at low nanomolar concentrations and is highly selective over a range of kinases. AZD0530 displays excellent pharmacokinetic parameters in animal preclinically and in man (t(1/2) = 40 h). AZD0530 is a potent inhibitor of tumor growth in a c-Src-transfected 3T3-fibroblast xenograft model in vivo and led to a significant increase in survival in a highly aggressive, orthotopic model of human pancreatic cancer when dosed orally once daily. AZD0530 is currently undergoing clinical evaluation in man.

Elevated Src activity promotes cellular invasion and motility in tamoxifen resistant breast cancer cells.

Src kinase plays a central role in growth factor signalling, regulating a diverse array of cellular functions including proliferation, migration and invasion. Recent studies have demonstrated that Src activity is frequently elevated in human tumours and correlates with disease stage. We have previously demonstrated that, upon acquisition of tamoxifen resistance, MCF7 cells display increased epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activation and a more aggressive phenotype in vitro. Since tumours exhibiting elevated EGFR signalling may possess elevated levels of Src activity, we wished to investigate the role of Src in our MCF7 model of endocrine resistance. Src kinase activity was significantly elevated in tamoxifen-resistant (TamR) cells in comparison to wild type MCF7 cells. This increase was not due to elevated Src protein or gene expression. Treatment of TamR cells with the novel Src inhibitor, AZD0530, significantly reduced the amount of activated Src detectable in both cell types whilst having no effect on total Src levels. AZD0530 significantly suppressed the motile and invasive nature of TamR cells in vitro, reduced basal levels of activated focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and paxillin and promoted elongation of focal adhesions. Furthermore, the use of this compound in conjunction with the EGFR inhibitor, gefitinib, was markedly additive towards inhibition of TamR cell motility and invasion. These observations suggest that Src plays a pivotal role in mediating the motile and invasive phenotype observed in endocrine-resistant breast cancer cells. The use of Src inhibitors in conjunction with EGFR inhibitors such as gefitinib may provide an effective method with which to prevent cancer progression and metastasis.

Discovery of a new class of anilinoquinazoline inhibitors with high affinity and specificity for the tyrosine kinase domain of c-Src.

Deregulated activity of the nonreceptor tyrosine kinase c-Src is believed to result in signal transduction, cytoskeletal and adhesion changes, ultimately promoting a tumor-invasive phenotype. We report here the discovery of a new class of anilinoquinazoline inhibitors with high affinity and specificity for the tyrosine kinase domain of the c-Src enzyme. Special attention was directed toward finding inhibitors selective against KDR tyrosine kinase in order to ensure that the in vivo profile of a specific Src inhibitor could be determined. The 4-aminobenzodioxole quinazoline series gave compounds with excellent potency and selectivity. The most interesting compounds were evaluated in vivo and displayed good pharmacokinetics following oral dosing. Compounds such as the aminobenzodioxoles were shown to be potent inhibitors of tumor growth in a c-Src-transformed 3T3 xenograft model in vivo, resulting in more than 90% growth inhibition at doses as low as 6 mg/kg po once daily. Src tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as these may provide a novel therapeutic modality for targeting cancer invasion and metastasis.