Synthesis and biological evaluation of aminothiazoles against Histoplasma capsulatum and Cryptococcus neoformans.

The design and synthesis of a library of forty novel 2-aminoazole analogues as well as their evaluation as antifungal compounds against Histoplasma capsulatum and Cryptococcus neoformans is described. These structures were derived from N-[5-(1-naphthalenylmethyl)-2-thiazolyl]cyclohexanecarboxamide (41F5), a fungistatic agent previously identified through phenotypic screening (Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2013;57:4349). Modifications to improve potency and water-solubility of 41F5 focused primarily on the 5-naphthalenyl group, the thiazole core, and the methylene linker between these two structural elements. In general, compounds with lipophilic [5+6] bicyclic ring systems, such as the 7-benzothiophenyl- and 4-indanyl groups, at the 5-position were 2-3 times more active against both fungal species as compared to 41F5. Also, introduction of a carbonyl group at the methylene linker of 41F5 resulted in a 2-3-fold increase in potency. These highly active compounds also showed generally low toxicities against murine P388D1 macrophages resulting in selectivity indices ranging from 63 to >200. Compounds that were highly active against fluconazole-sensitive C. neoformans strains had almost identical activity against fluconazole-resistant variants of this fungus indicating that 14α-demethylase is not their molecular target. Highly active compounds also retained activity against H. capsulatum phagocytosed into P388D1 macrophages.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of aminothiazole derivatives against the fungal pathogens Histoplasma capsulatum and Cryptococcus neoformans.

Invasive fungal disease constitutes a growing health burden and development of novel antifungal drugs with high potency and selectivity against new fungal molecular targets are urgently needed. Previously, an aminothiazole derivative, designated as 41F5, was identified in our laboratories as highly active against Histoplasma yeast (MIC50 0.4-0.8 µM) through phenotypic high-throughput screening of a commercial library of 3600 purine mimicking compounds (Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.2013, 57, 4349). Consequently, 68 analogues of 41F5 were designed and synthesized or obtained from commercial sources and their MIC50s of growth inhibition were evaluated in Histoplasma capsulatum to establish a basic structure-activity-relationship (SAR) for this potentially new class of antifungals. The growth inhibiting potentials of smaller subsets of this library were also evaluated in Cryptococcus neoformans and human hepatocyte HepG2 cells, the latter to obtain selectivity indices (SIs). The results indicate that a thiazole core structure with a naphth-1-ylmethyl group at the 5-position and cyclohexylamide-, cyclohexylmethylamide-, or cyclohexylethylamide substituents at the 2-position caused the highest growth inhibition of Histoplasma yeast with MIC50s of 0.4 µM. For these analogues, SIs of 92 to >100 indicated generally low host toxicity. Substitution at the 3- and 4-position decreased antifungal activity. Similarities and differences were observed between Histoplasma and Cryptococcus SARs. For Cryptococcus, the naphth-1-ylmethyl substituent at the 5-position and smaller cyclopentylamide- or cyclohexylamide groups at the 2-position were important for activity. In contrast, slightly larger cyclohexylmethyl- and cyclohexylethyl substituents markedly decreased activity.

Cellular influx, efflux, and anabolism of 3-carboranyl thymidine analogs: potential boron delivery agents for neutron capture therapy.

3-[5-{2-(2,3-Dihydroxyprop-1-yl)-o-carboran-1-yl}pentan-1-yl]thymidine (N5-2OH) is a first generation 3-carboranyl thymidine analog (3CTA) that has been intensively studied as a boron-10 ((10)B) delivery agent for neutron capture therapy (NCT). N5-2OH is an excellent substrate of thymidine kinase 1 and its favorable biodistribution profile in rodents led to successful preclinical NCT of rats bearing intracerebral RG2 glioma. The present study explored cellular influx and efflux mechanisms of N5-2OH, as well as its intracellular anabolism beyond the monophosphate level. N5-2OH entered cultured human CCRF-CEM cells via passive diffusion, whereas the multidrug resistance-associated protein 4 appeared to be a major mediator of N5-2OH monophosphate efflux. N5-2OH was effectively monophosphorylated in cultured murine L929 [thymidine kinase 1 (TK1(+))] cells whereas formation of N5-2OH monophosphate was markedly lower in L929 (TK1(-)) cell variants. Further metabolism to the di- and triphosphate forms was not observed in any of the cell lines. Regardless of monophosphorylation, parental N5-2OH was the major intracellular component in both TK1(+) and TK1(-) cells. Phosphate transfer experiments with enzyme preparations showed that N5-2OH monophosphate, as well as the monophosphate of a second 3-carboranyl thymidine analog [3-[5-(o-carboran-1-yl)pentan-1-yl]thymidine (N5)], were not substrates of thymidine monophosphate kinase. Surprisingly, N5-diphosphate was phosphorylated by nucleoside diphosphate kinase although N5-triphosphate apparently was not a substrate of DNA polymerase. Our results provide valuable information on the cellular metabolism and pharmacokinetic profile of 3-carboranyl thymidine analogs.

Synthesis, biological evaluation, and radioiodination of halogenated closo-carboranylthymidine analogues.

The synthesis and initial biological evaluation of 3-carboranylthymidine analogues (3CTAs) that are (radio)halogenated at the closo-carborane cluster are described. Radiohalogenated 3CTAs have the potential to be used in the radiotherapy and imaging of cancer because they may be selectively entrapped in tumor cells through monophosphorylation by human thymidine kinase 1 (hTK1). Two strategies for the synthesis of a (127)I-labeled form of a specific 3CTA, previously designated as N5, are described: (1) direct iodination of N5 with iodine monochloride and aluminum chloride to obtain N5-(127)I and (2) initial monoiodination of o-carborane to 9-iodo-o-carborane followed by its functionalization to N5-(127)I. The former strategy produced N5-(127)I in low yields along with di-, tri-, and tetraiodinated N5 as well as decomposition products, whereas the latter method produced only N5-(127)I in high yields. N5-(127)I was subjected to nucleophilic halogen- and isotope-exchange reactions using Na(79/81)Br and Na(125)I, respectively, in the presence of Herrmann's catalyst to obtain N5-(79/81)Br and N5-(125)I, respectively. Two intermediate products formed using the second strategy, 1-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-9-iodo-o-carborane and 1-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-12-iodo-o-carborane, were subjected to X-ray diffraction studies to confirm that substitution at a single carbon atom of 9-iodo-o-carborane resulted in the formation of two structural isomers. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of halogen- and isotope-exchange reactions of B-halocarboranes that have been conjugated to a complex biomolecule. Human TK1 phosphorylation rates of N5, N5-(127)I, and N5-(79/81)Br ranged from 38.0% to 29.6% relative to that of thymidine, the endogenous hTK1 substrate. The in vitro uptake of N5, N5-(127)I, and N5-(79/81)Br in L929 TK1(+) cells was 2.0, 1.8, and 1.4 times greater than that in L929 TK1(-) cells.

Synthesis of Closo-1,7-Carboranyl Alkyl Amines.

Of the three closo-carborane isomers (C(2)B(10)H(12)), closo-1,2-carborane has been used most widely in the synthesis of carboranyl amines. However, closo-1,2-carboranes are prone to deboronation to nido-7,8-carborane under various conditions including attack by basic amino groups. In order to overcome this problem, closo-1,7-carboranyl ethyl-, propyl-, and butylamine were synthesized, which should be more stable towards basic deboronation than their closo-1,2-carboranyl counterparts. These closo-1,7-carboranyl amines (5, 18 and 19) were synthesized using two different methods, both starting from the corresponding closo-1,7-carboranyl alkyl iodides (3, 14 and 15). One of the carboranyl alkyl amine (5) was conjugated with folic acid to form a closo-1,7-carborane-folic acid bioconjugate (20).

Thymidine kinase 1 as a molecular target for boron neutron capture therapy of brain tumors.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a 3-carboranyl thymidine analogue (3CTA), 3-[5-{2-(2,3-dihydroxyprop-1-yl)-o-carboran-1-yl}pentan-1-yl] thymidine, designated N5-2OH, for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) of brain tumors using the RG2 rat glioma model. Target validation was established using the thymidine kinase (TK) 1(+) wild-type, murine L929 cell line and its TK1(-) mutant counterpart, which were implanted s.c. (s.c.) into nude mice. Two intratumoral (i.t.) injections of (10)B-enriched N5-2OH were administered to tumor-bearing mice at 2-hour intervals, after which BNCT was carried out at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Research Reactor. Thirty days after BNCT, mice bearing TK1(+) L929 tumors had a 15x reduction in tumor volume compared with TK1(-) controls. Based on these favorable results, BNCT studies were then initiated in rats bearing intracerebral (i.c.) RG2 gliomas, after i.c. administration of N5-2OH by Alzet osmotic pumps, either alone or in combination with i.v. (i.v.) boronophenylalanine (BPA), a drug that has been used clinically. The mean survival times (MSTs) of RG2 glioma bearing rats were 45.6 +/- 7.2 days, 35.0 +/- 3.3 days, and 52.9 +/- 8.9 days, respectively, for animals that received N5-2OH, BPA, or both. The differences between the survival plots of rats that received N5-2OH and BPA alone were highly significant (P = 0.0003). These data provide proof-of-principle that a 3CTA can function as a boron delivery agent for NCT. Further studies are planned to design and synthesize 3CTAs with enhanced chemical and biological properties, and increased therapeutic efficacy.

Structure-Activity Relationship of para-Carborane Selective Estrogen Receptor ß Agonists.

Selective agonism of the estrogen receptor (ER) subtypes, ERα and ERß, has historically been difficult to achieve due to the high degree of ligand-binding domain structural similarity. Multiple efforts have focused on the use of classical organic scaffolds to model 17ß-estradiol geometry in the design of ERß selective agonists, with several proceeding to various stages of clinical development. Carborane scaffolds offer many unique advantages including the potential for novel ligand/receptor interactions but remain relatively unexplored. We synthesized a series of para-carborane estrogen receptor agonists revealing an ERß selective structure-activity relationship. We report ERß agonists with low nanomolar potency, greater than 200-fold selectivity for ERß over ERα, limited off-target activity against other nuclear receptors, and only sparse CYP450 inhibition at very high micromolar concentrations. The pharmacological properties of our para-carborane ERß selective agonists measure favorably against clinically developed ERß agonists and support further evaluation of carborane-based selective estrogen receptor modulators.

Convection enhanced delivery of boronated EGF as a molecular targeting agent for neutron capture therapy of brain tumors.

In the present study, we have evaluated a boronated dendrimer-epidermal growth factor (BD-EGF) bioconjugate as a molecular targeting agent for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) of the human EGFR gene-transfected F98 rat glioma, designated F98(EGFR). EGF was chemically linked to a heavily boronated polyamidoamine dendrimer (BD) by means of the heterobifunctional reagent, mMBS. Biodistribution studies were carried out at 6 h and 24 h following intratumoral (i.t.) injection or intracerebral (i.c.) convection enhanced delivery (CED) of (125)I-labeled or unlabeled BD-EGF (40 microg (10)B/10 microg EGF) to F98 glioma bearing rats. At 24 h. there was 43% more radioactivity in EGFR(+) tumors following CED compared to i.t. injection, and a doubling of the tumor boron concentration (22.3 microg/g vs. 11.7 microg/g). CED of BD-EGF resulted in a 7.2x increase in the volume of distribution within the infused cerebral hemisphere and a 1.9x increase in tumor uptake of BD-EGF compared with i.t. injection. Based on these favorable biodistribution data, BNCT was carried out at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology nuclear reactor 14 days following i.c. tumor implantation and 24 h. after CED of BD-EGF. These animals had a MST of 54.1 +/- 4.7 days compared to 43.0 +/- 2.8 days following i.t. injection. Rats that received BD-EGF by CED in combination with i.v. boronophenylalanine (BPA), which has been used in both experimental and clinical studies, had a MST of 86.0 +/- 28.1 days compared to 39.8 +/- 1.6 days for i.v. BPA alone (P < 0.01), 30.9 +/- 1.4 days for irradiated controls and 25.1 +/- 1.0 days for untreated controls (overall P < 0.0001). These data have demonstrated that the efficacy of BNCT was significantly increased (P < 0.006), following i.c CED of BD-EGF compared to i.t injection, and that the survival data were equivalent to those previously reported by us using the boronated anti-human-EGF mAb, C225 (cetuximab).

Molecular targeting and treatment of composite EGFR and EGFRvIII-positive gliomas using boronated monoclonal antibodies.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibody (mAb), cetuximab, (IMC-C225) and the anti-EGFRvIII mAb, L8A4, used in combination as delivery agents for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) of a rat glioma composed of a mixture of cells expressing either wild-type (F98(EGFR)) or mutant receptors(F98(npEGFRvIII)). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: A heavily boronated polyamidoamine dendrimer (BD) was linked by heterobifunctional reagents to produce the boronated mAbs, BD-C225 and BD-L8A4. For in vivo biodistribution and therapy studies, a mixture of tumor cells were implanted intracerebrally into Fischer rats. Biodistribution studies were carried out by administering (125)I-labeled bioconjugates via convection-enhanced delivery (CED), and for therapy studies, nonradiolabeled bioconjugates were used for BNCT. This was carried out 14 days after tumor implantation and 24 h after CED at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology nuclear reactor. RESULTS: Following CED of a mixture of (125)I-BD-C225 and (125)I-BD-L8A4 to rats bearing composite tumors, 61.4% of the injected dose per gram (ID/g) was localized in the tumor compared with 30.8% ID/g for (125)I-BD-L8A4 and 34.7% ID/g for (125)I-BD-C225 alone. The corresponding calculated tumor boron values were 24.4 mug/g for rats that received both mAbs, and 12.3 and 13.8 mug/g, respectively, for BD-L8A4 or BD-C225 alone. The mean survival time of animals bearing composite tumors, which received both mAbs, was 55 days (P < 0.0001) compared with 36 days for BD-L8A4 and 38 days for BD-C225 alone, which were not significantly different from irradiated controls. CONCLUSIONS: Both EGFRvIII and wild-type EGFR tumor cell populations must be targeted using a combination of BD-cetuximab and BD-L8A4. Although in vitro C225 recognized both receptors, in vivo it was incapable of delivering the requisite amount of (10)B for BNCT of EGFRvIII-expressing gliomas.

Molecular targeting and treatment of an epidermal growth factor receptor-positive glioma using boronated cetuximab.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the anti-epidermal growth factor monoclonal antibody (mAb) cetuximab (IMC-C225) as a delivery agent for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) of a human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene-transfected rat glioma, designated as F98(EGFR). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: A heavily boronated polyamidoamine dendrimer was chemically linked to cetuximab by means of the heterobifunctional reagents N-succinimidyl 3-(2-pyridyldithio)-propionate and N-(k-maleimido undecanoic acid)-hydrazide. The bioconjugate, designated as BD-C225, was specifically taken up by F98(EGFR) glioma cells in vitro compared with receptor-negative F98 wild-type cells (41.8 versus 9.1 microg/g). For in vivo biodistribution studies, F98(EGFR) cells were implanted stereotactically into the brains of Fischer rats, and 14 days later, BD-C225 was given intracerebrally by either convection enhanced delivery (CED) or direct intratumoral (i.t.) injection. RESULTS: The amount of boron retained by F98(EGFR) gliomas 24 h following CED or i.t. injection was 77.2 and 50.8 microg/g, respectively, with normal brain and blood boron values <0.05 mug/g. Boron neutron capture therapy was carried out at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Research Reactor 24 h after CED of BD-C225, either alone or in combination with i.v. boronophenylalanine (BPA). The corresponding mean survival times (MST) were 54.5 and 70.9 days (P = 0.017), respectively, with one long-term survivor (more than 180 days). In contrast, the MSTs of irradiated and untreated controls, respectively, were 30.3 and 26.3 days. In a second study, the combination of BD-C225 and BPA plus sodium borocaptate, given by either i.v. or intracarotid injection, was evaluated and the MSTs were equivalent to that obtained with BD-C225 plus i.v. BPA. CONCLUSIONS: The survival data obtained with BD-C225 are comparable with those recently reported by us using boronated mAb L8A4 as the delivery agent. This mAb recognizes the mutant receptor, EGFRvIII. Taken together, these data convincingly show the therapeutic efficacy of molecular targeting of EGFR using a boronated mAb either alone or in combination with BPA and provide a platform for the future development of combinations of high and low molecular weight delivery agents for BNCT of brain tumors.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of inhibitors of thymidine monophosphate kinase from Bacillus anthracis.

Nineteen lipophilic thymidine phosphate-mimicking compounds were designed and synthesized as potential inhibitors of thymidine monophosphate kinase of Bacillus anthracis, a Gram-positive bacterium that causes anthrax. These thymidine analogues were substituted at the 5'-postion with sulfonamide-, amide-, (thio)urea-, or triazole groups, which served as lipophilic surrogates for phosphate. Three of the tested compounds produced inhibition of B. anthracis Sterne growth and/or thymidine monophosphate activity. Additional studies will be necessary to elucidate the potential of this type of B. anthracis thymidine monophosphate inhibitors as novel antibiotics in the treatment of anthrax.

Carboranyl thymidine analogues for neutron capture therapy.

Neutron capture therapy (NCT) is a binary radio-chemotherapeutic modality for the treatment of cancer. A major focus of NCT-related research is the development of novel tumor-selective agents that serve as the chemical component in NCT. Thymidine analogues substituted with a boron-containing carborane cluster at the N3 position, designated 3CTAs (3-carboranyl thymidine analogues), constitute one class of these new improved NCT agents. Their chemical, structural and biological properties are discussed in this Feature Article.

Molecular targeting and treatment of EGFRvIII-positive gliomas using boronated monoclonal antibody L8A4.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate a boronated EGFRvIII-specific monoclonal antibody, L8A4, for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) of the receptor-positive rat glioma, F98(npEGFRvIII). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: A heavily boronated polyamido amine (PAMAM) dendrimer (BD) was chemically linked to L8A4 by two heterobifunctional reagents, N-succinimidyl 3-(2-pyridyldithio)propionate and N-(k-maleimidoundecanoic acid)hydrazide. For in vivo studies, F98 wild-type receptor-negative or EGFRvIII human gene-transfected receptor-positive F98(npEGFRvIII) glioma cells were implanted i.c. into the brains of Fischer rats. Biodistribution studies were initiated 14 days later. Animals received [(125)I]BD-L8A4 by either convection enhanced delivery (CED) or direct i.t. injection and were euthanized 6, 12, 24, or 48 hours later. RESULTS: At 6 hours, equivalent amounts of the bioconjugate were detected in receptor-positive and receptor-negative tumors, but by 24 hours the amounts retained by receptor-positive gliomas were 60.1% following CED and 43.7% following i.t. injection compared with 14.6% ID/g by receptor-negative tumors. Boron concentrations in normal brain, blood, liver, kidneys, and spleen all were at nondetectable levels (<0.5 microg/g) at the corresponding times. Based on these favorable biodistribution data, BNCT studies were initiated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Research Reactor-II. Rats received BD-L8A4 ( approximately 40 microg (10)B/ approximately 750 mug protein) by CED either alone or in combination with i.v. boronophenylalanine (BPA; 500 mg/kg). BNCT was carried out 24 hours after administration of the bioconjugate and 2.5 hours after i.v. injection of BPA for those animals that received both agents. Rats that received BD-L8A4 by CED in combination with i.v. BPA had a mean +/- SE survival time of 85.5 +/- 15.5 days with 20% long-term survivors (>6 months) and those that received BD-L8A4 alone had a mean +/- SE survival time of 70.4 +/- 11.1 days with 10% long-term survivors compared with 40.1 +/- 2.2 days for i.v. BPA and 30.3 +/- 1.6 and 26.3 +/- 1.1 days for irradiated and untreated controls, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These data convincingly show the therapeutic efficacy of molecular targeting of EGFRvIII using either boronated monoclonal antibody L8A4 alone or in combination with BPA and should provide a platform for the future development of combinations of high and low molecular weight delivery agents for BNCT of brain tumors.

Preparation and biological evaluation of 10B-enriched 3-[5-{2-(2,3-dihydroxyprop-1-yl)-o-carboran-1-yl}pentan-1-yl]thymidine (N5-2OH), a new boron delivery agent for boron neutron capture therapy of brain tumors.

3-[5-{2-(2,3-Dihydroxyprop-1-yl)-o-carboran-1-yl}pentan-1-yl]thymidine (compound 1, N5-2OH) belongs to a novel class of boron delivery agents for neutron capture therapy, which was designated 3-carboranylthymidine analogue (3CTAs). Two shorter and more convenient synthetic routes were developed for the synthesis of 1 in the 10B-enriched form, which is necessary for its preclinical and clinical evaluation in neutron irradiation studies. For more insight on structure-activity relationships, various stereochemical and geometrical isomers of 1 were synthesized and their specificities as substrate for human thymidine kinase 1 (hTK1) were evaluated. A computational model for the binding of various isomers of 1 to the active site of hTK1 was developed. Preliminary studies carried out in F98 glioma bearing rats that had received a 10B-enriched form of 1 followed by neutron irradiation demonstrated a significant prolongation in survival times compared to control animals, suggesting that further studies are warranted to evaluate the therapeutic potential of 1.

Boronated thymidine analogues for boron neutron capture therapy.

Concise synthetic methods for synthesizing 3-carboranyl thymidine analogues (3CTAs) modified with cyclic and acyclic alcohols have been developed. The synthesis of these potential boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) agents and their preliminary biological evaluation is described.

Evaluation of human thymidine kinase 1 substrates as new candidates for boron neutron capture therapy.

Thymidine analogs containing o-carboranylalkyl groups at the 3-position were screened as potential substrates for human thymidine kinase 1 (TK1), an enzyme that is selectively expressed in a variety of rapidly proliferating cells, including tumor cells. On the basis of previous studies, 12 of these were identified as potential delivery agents for boron neutron capture therapy, a therapeutic method used for the treatment of high-grade brain tumors. Compound 4 with a pentylene spacer between the o-carborane cage and the thymidine scaffold and compound 10, which has an additional dihydroxypropyl substituent at the o-carborane cage, were the best substrates for TK1 with kcat/Km values of 27% and 36% relative to that of thymidine, respectively. These compounds showed partial competitive inhibition for thymidine phosphorylation by TK1. Neither compound was a substrate of recombinant human thymidine phosphorylase nor were their respective 5'-monophosphates substrates of 5'-deoxynucleotidase 1, thereby indicating potential in vivo stability. The octanol/water partition coefficient for compound 10 was 2.09, suggesting that it has excellent physiochemical properties for crossing the blood brain barrier and penetrating brain tissue. The in vitro cytotoxic effect of the 12 analogs was moderate to low in mammalian cell cultures with IC50 values between 10 and 160 micromol/L. Compounds 4 and 10 were taken up selectively and retained by the murine fibroblast L929 cell line, in contrast to its TK1-deficient variant. These findings suggest that compound 10 is a promising candidate for selective delivery of boron-10 to malignant cells, and additional in vivo studies are planned to evaluate it for boron neutron capture therapy of brain tumors.

Boron-containing nucleosides as potential delivery agents for neutron capture therapy of brain tumors.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate both in vitro and in vivo a series of boron-containing nucleosides that potentially could be used as delivery agents for neutron capture therapy. The rationale for their synthesis was based on the fact that proliferating neoplastic cells have increased requirements for nucleic acid precursors, and, therefore, they should preferentially localize in the tumor. A series of 3-carboranlyalkyl thymidine analogs has been synthesized and a subset, designated N4, N5, and N7, and the corresponding 3-dihydroxypropyl derivatives, designated N4-2OH, N5-2OH, and N7-2OH, have been selected for evaluation. Using these compounds as substrates for recombinant human thymidine kinase-1 and the mitochondrial isoenzyme thymidine kinase-2, the highest phosphorylation levels relative to thymidine were seen with N5 and the corresponding dihydroxypropyl analog N5-2OH. In contrast, N4, N4-OH, N7, and N7-OH had substantially lower phosphorylation levels. To compare compounds with high and low thymidine kinase-1 substrate activity, N5 and N7 and the corresponding dihydroxypropyl derivatives were selected for evaluation of their cellular toxicity, uptake and retention by the F98 rat glioma, human MRA melanoma, and murine L929 cell lines, all of which are thymidine kinase-1(+), and a mutant L929 cell line that is thymidine kinase-1(-). N5-2OH was the least toxic (IC50, 43-70 microm), and N7 and N7-2OH were the most toxic (IC50, 18-49 microm). The highest boron uptake was seen with N7-2OH by the MRA 27 melanoma and L929 wild-type (wt) cell lines. The highest retention was seen with L929 (wt) cells, and this ranged from 29% for N5-2OH to 46% for N7. Based on the in vitro toxicity and uptake data, N5-2OH was selected for in vivo biodistribution studies either in rats bearing intracerebral implants of the F98 glioma or in mice bearing either s.c. or intracerebral implants of L929 (wt) tumors. At 2.5 hours after convection-enhanced delivery, the boron values for the F98 glioma and normal brain were 16.2 +/- 2.3 and 2.2 microg/g, respectively, and the tumor to brain ratio was 8.5. Boron values at 4 hours after convection-enhanced delivery of N5-2OH to mice bearing intracerebral implants of L929 (wt) or L929 thymidine kinase-1(-) tumors were 39.8 +/- 10.8 and 12.4 +/- 1.6 microg/g, respectively, and the corresponding normal brain values were 4.4 and 1.6 microg/g, thereby indicating that there was selective retention by the thymidine kinase-1(+) tumors. Based on these favorable in vitro and in vivo data, neutron capture therapy studies will be initiated using N5-2OH in combination with two non-cell cycle dependent boron delivery agents, boronophenylalanine and sodium borocaptate.

Convection-enhanced delivery of boronated epidermal growth factor for molecular targeting of EGF receptor-positive gliomas.

Convection enhanced delivery (CED) is potentially a powerful method to improvethe targeting of macromolecules to the central nervous system by applying a pressure gradient to establish bulk flow through the brain interstitium during infusion. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate CED as a means to improve the intracerebral and intratumoral (i.t.) uptake of a heavily boronated macromolecule (dendrimer; BD) linked to epidermal growth factor (EGF) for neutron capture therapy in rats bearing a syngeneic epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) + glioma. Boronated EGF was radiolabeled with 125I and administered by CED at a rate of 0.33 micro l/min for 15, 30, and 60 min [infusion volumes (V(I)) of 5, 10, and 20 micro l, respectively], using a syringe pump connected to an indwelling cannula implanted into the right caudate nucleus of normal rats or i.t. in rats bearing either F98(EGFR) or F98 wild-type (F98(WT)) gliomas. After infusion, rats were euthanized, and their brains were removed and serially sectioned. The uptake and biodistribution of (125)I-boronated EGF in tumor or brain was studied by quantitative autoradiography and gamma-scintillation counting. The volume of distribution (V(d)) in brain was assessed using a computer interfaced image analysis system. After CED, the V(d) increased from 34.4 to 123.5 micro l with corresponding V(i) ranging from 5 to 20 micro l. The V(d) of BD-EGF in the brain was 64.8 +/- 13.4 micro l with CED (V(i) 10 micro ), and the V(d):V(i) ratio was 6.5 compared with a V(d) of 9.4 +/- 1.6 micro l and a V(d):V(i) ratio of 0.9 after direct intracerebral injection. As determined by quantitative autoradiography and gamma-scintillation counting at 24 h after CED, 47.4% of the injected dose per gram tissue (%ID/g) was localized in F98(EGFR) gliomas compared with 33.2%ID/g after direct i.t. injection and 12.3%ID/g in F98(WT) gliomas. On the basis of these observations, we have concluded that CED is more effective than i.t. injection as a way to deliver boronated EGF to EGFR (+) gliomas for boron neutron capture therapy.

Molecular targeting of the epidermal growth factor receptor for neutron capture therapy of gliomas.

Success of boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is dependent on cellular and molecular targeting of sufficient amounts of boron-10 to sustain a lethal (10)B (n, alpha) (7)Li capture reaction. The purpose of the present study was to determine the efficacy of boronated epidermal growth factor (EGF) either alone or in combination with boronophenylalanine (BPA) as delivery agents for an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) -positive glioma, designated F98(EGFR). A heavily boronated precision macromolecule [boronated starburst dendrimer (BSD)] was chemically linked to EGF by heterobifunctional reagents. Either F98 wild-type (F98(WT)) receptor (-) or EGFR gene-transfected F98(EGFR) cells, which expressed 5 x 10(5) receptor sites/cell, were stereotactically implanted into the brains of Fischer rats, and 2 weeks later biodistribution studies were initiated. For biodistribution studies rats received an intratumoral (i.t.) injection of (125)I-labeled BSD-EGF and were euthanized either 6 or 24 h later. At 6 h, equivalent amounts of BSD-EGF were detected in F98(EGFR) and F98(WT) tumors. Persistence of the bioconjugate in F98(EGFR) tumors was specifically determined by EGFR expression. By 24 h 33.2% of injected dose/g of EGF-BSD was retained by F98(EGFR) gliomas compared with 9.4% % of injected dose/g in F98(WT) gliomas, and the corresponding boron concentrations were 21.1 microg/g and 9.2 microg/g, respectively. Boron concentrations in normal brain, blood, liver, kidneys, and spleen all were at nondetectable levels (<0.5 microg/g). On the basis of these results, BNCT was initiated at the Brookhaven National Laboratory Medical Research Reactor. Two weeks after implantation of 10(3) F98(EGFR) or F98(WT) tumor cells, rats received an i.t. injection of BSD-EGF (approximately 60 microg (10)B/approximately 15 microg EGF) either alone or in combination with i.v. BPA (500 mg/kg). Rats were irradiated at the Brookhaven Medical Research Reactor 24 h after i.t. injection, which was timed to coincide with 2.5 h after i.v. injection of BPA for those animals that received both capture agents. Untreated control rats had a mean survival time (MST) +/- SE of 27 +/- 1 day, and irradiated controls had a MST of 31 +/- 1 day. Animals bearing F98(EGFR) gliomas, which had received i.t. BSD-EGF and BNCT, had a MST of 45 +/- 5 days compared with 33 +/- 2 days for animals bearing F98(WT) tumors (P = 0.0032), and rats that received i.t. BSD-EGF in combination with i.v. BPA had a MST of 57 +/- 8 days compared with 39 +/- 2 days for i.v. BPA alone (P = 0.016). Our data are the first to show in vivo efficacy of BNCT using a high molecular weight boronated bioconjugate to target amplified EGFR expressed on gliomas, and they provide a platform for the future development of combinations of high and low molecular weight agents for BNCT.

Vascular endothelial growth factor selectively targets boronated dendrimers to tumor vasculature.

Tumor neovasculature is a potential but, until very recently, unexplored target for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) of cancer. In the present report, we describe the construction of a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-containing bioconjugate that potentially could be used to target up-regulated VEGF receptors (VEGFR), which are overexpressed on tumor neovasculature. A fifth-generation polyamidoamine dendrimer containing 128 reactive amino groups was reacted with 105 to 110 decaborate molecules to produce a macromolecule with 1,050 to 1,100 boron atoms per dendrimer. This was conjugated to thiol groups of VEGF at a 4:1 molar ratio using the heterobifunctional reagent sulfo-LC-SPDP. In addition, the boronated dendrimer was tagged with a near-IR Cy5 dye to allow for near-IR fluorescent imaging of the bioconjugate in vitro and in vivo. As would be predicted, the resulting VEGF-BD/Cy5 bioconjugate was not cytotoxic to HEK293 cells engineered to express 2.5 x 10(6) VEGFR-2 per cell. Furthermore, it showed binding and activation of VEGFR-2 comparable with that of native VEGF. Internalization of VEGF-BD/Cy5 by PAE cells expressing 2.5 x 10(5) VEGFR-2 per cell was inhibited by excess VEGF, indicating a VEGFR-2-mediated mechanism of uptake. Near-IR fluorescent imaging of 4T1 mouse breast carcinoma revealed selective accumulation of VEGF-BD/Cy5, but not BD/Cy5, particularly at the tumor periphery where angiogenesis was most active. Accumulation of VEGF-BD/Cy5 in 4T1 breast carcinoma was diminished in mice pretreated with a toxin-VEGF fusion protein that selectively killed VEGFR-2-overexpressing endothelial cells. Our data lay the groundwork for future studies using the VEGF-BD/Cy5 bioconjugate as a targeting agent for BNCT of tumor neovasculature.