Christopher Ireson

Discovery and development of anticancer aptamers

Aptamers, also termed as decoys or “chemical antibodies,” represent an emerging class of therapeutics. They are short DNA or RNA oligonucleotides or peptides that assume a specific and stable three-dimensional shape in vivo, thereby providing specific tight binding to protein targets. In some cases and as opposed to antisense oligonucleotides, effects can be mediated against extracellular targets, thereby preventing a need for intracellular transportation. The first aptamer approved for use in man is a RNA-based molecule (Macugen, pegaptanib) that is administered locally (intravitreally) to treat age-related macular degeneration by targeting vascular endothelial growth factor. The most advanced aptamer in the cancer setting is AS1411, formerly known as AGRO100, which is being administered systemically in clinical trials. AS1411 is a 26-mer unmodified guanosine-rich oligonucleotide, which induces growth inhibition in vitro, and has shown activity against human tumor xenografts in vivo. The mechanism underlying its antiproliferative effects in cancer cells seems to involve initial binding to cell surface nucleolin and internalization, leading to an inhibition of DNA replication. In contrast to other unmodified oligonucleotides, AS1411 is relatively stable in serum-containing medium, probably as a result of the formation of dimers and a quartet structure. In a dose escalation phase I study in patients with advanced solid tumors, doses up to 10 mg/kg/d (using a four or seven continuous infusion regime) have been studied. Promising signs of activity have been reported (multiple cases of stable disease and one near complete response in a patient with renal cancer) in the absence of any significant adverse effects. Further trials are ongoing in renal and non–small cell lung cancers. In preclinical studies, additional aptamers have been described against several cancer targets, such as tenascin-C, the transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, and antiapoptotic and Ku proteins. [Mol Cancer Ther 2006;5(12):2957–62]

A Novel Small-Molecule Inhibitor of Protein Kinase D Blocks Pancreatic Cancer Growth In vitro and In vivo

Protein kinase D (PKD) family members are increasingly implicated in multiple normal and abnormal biological functions, including signaling pathways that promote mitogenesis in pancreatic cancer. However, nothing is known about the effects of targeting PKD in pancreatic cancer. Our PKD inhibitor discovery program identified CRT0066101 as a specific inhibitor of all PKD isoforms. The aim of our study was to determine the effects of CRT0066101 in pancreatic cancer. Initially, we showed that autophosphorylated PKD1 and PKD2 (activated PKD1/2) are significantly upregulated in pancreatic cancer and that PKD1/2 are expressed in multiple pancreatic cancer cell lines. Using Panc-1 as a model system, we showed that CRT0066101 reduced bromodeoxyuridine incorporation; increased apoptosis; blocked neurotensin-induced PKD1/2 activation; reduced neurotensin-induced, PKD-mediated Hsp27 phosphorylation; attenuated PKD1-mediated NF-κB activation; and abrogated the expression of NF-κB-dependent proliferative and prosurvival proteins. We showed that CRT0066101 given orally (80 mg/kg/d) for 24 days significantly abrogated pancreatic cancer growth in Panc-1 subcutaneous xenograft model. Activated PKD1/2 expression in the treated tumor explants was significantly inhibited with peak tumor concentration (12 μmol/L) of CRT0066101 achieved within 2 hours after oral administration. Further, we showed that CRT0066101 given orally (80 mg/kg/d) for 21 days in Panc-1 orthotopic model potently blocked tumor growth in vivo. CRT0066101 significantly reduced Ki-67–positive proliferation index (P < 0.01), increased terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase–mediated dUTP nick end labeling–positive apoptotic cells (P < 0.05), and abrogated the expression of NF-κB–dependent proteins including cyclin D1, survivin, and cIAP-1. Our results show for the first time that a PKD-specific small-molecule inhibitor CRT0066101 blocks pancreatic cancer growth in vivo and show that PKD is a novel therapeutic target in pancreatic cancer. Mol Cancer Ther; 9(5); 1136–46. ©2010 AACR.

Protein kinase D2 regulates migration and invasion of U87MG glioblastoma cells in vitro.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common malignant brain tumor, which, despite combined modality treatment, reoccurs and is invariably fatal for affected patients. Recently, a member of the serine/threonine protein kinase D (PRKD) family, PRKD2, was shown to be a potent mediator of glioblastoma growth. Here we studied the role of PRKD2 in U87MG glioblastoma cell migration and invasion in response to sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), an activator of PRKD2 and a GBM mitogen. Time-lapse microscopy demonstrated that random cell migration was significantly diminished in response to PRKD2 silencing. The pharmacological PRKD family inhibitor CRT0066101 decreased chemotactic migration and invasion across uncoated or matrigel-coated Transwell inserts. Silencing of PRKD2 attenuated migration and invasion of U87MG cells even more effectively. In terms of downstream signaling, CRT0066101 prevented PRKD2 autophosphorylation and inhibited p44/42 MAPK and to a smaller extent p54/46 JNK and p38 MAPK activation. PRKD2 silencing impaired activation of p44/42 MAPK and p54/46 JNK, downregulated nuclear c-Jun protein levels and decreased c-JunS73 phosphorylation without affecting the NFκB pathway. Finally, qPCR array analyses revealed that silencing of PRKD2 downregulates mRNA levels of integrin alpha-2 and -4 (ITGA2 and -4), plasminogen activator urokinase (PLAU), plasminogen activator urokinase receptor (PLAUR), and matrix metallopeptidase 1 (MMP1). Findings of the present study identify PRKD2 as a potential target to interfere with glioblastoma cell migration and invasion, two major determinants contributing to recurrence of glioblastoma after multimodality treatment.

Silencing of protein kinase D2 induces glioma cell senescence via p53-dependent and -independent pathways

Background Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a highly aggressive tumor of the central nervous system with a dismal prognosis for affected patients. Aberrant protein kinase C (PKC) signaling has been implicated in gliomagenesis, and a member of the PKC-activated protein kinase D (PRKD) family, PRKD2, was identified as mediator of GBM growth in vitro and in vivo. Methods The outcome of PRKD2 silencing and pharmacological inhibition on glioma cell proliferation was established with different glioma cell lines. Western blotting, senescence assays, co-immunoprecipitation, fluorescence activated cell sorting, quantitative PCR, and immunofluorescence microscopy were utilized to analyze downstream signaling. Results RNA-interference (21-mer siRNA) and pharmacological inhibition (CRT0066101) of PRKD2 profoundly inhibited proliferation of p53wt (U87MG, A172, and primary GBM2), and p53mut (GM133, T98G, U251, and primary Gli25) glioma cells. In a xenograft experiment, PRKD2 silencing significantly delayed tumor growth of U87MG cells. PRKD2 silencing in p53wt and p53mut cells was associated with typical hallmarks of senescence and cell cycle arrest in G1. Attenuated AKT/PKB phosphorylation in response to PRKD2 silencing was a common observation made in p53wt and p53mut GBM cells. PRKD2 knockdown in p53wt cells induced upregulation of p53, p21, and p27 expression, decreased phosphorylation of CDK2 and/or CDK4, hypophosphorylation of retinoblastoma protein (pRb), and reduced transcription of E2F1. In p53mut GM133 and primary Gli25 cells, PRKD2 silencing increased p27 and p15 and reduced E2F1 transcription but did not affect pRb phosphorylation. Conclusions PRKD2 silencing induces glioma cell senescence via p53-dependent and -independent pathways.

Abstract B261: A novel small molecule inhibitor of protein kinase D blocks pancreatic cancer growth in vivo

Background: Protein kinase D (PKD) is a novel family of serine‐threonine kinase with diverse biological functions including cell proliferation and growth. Pancreatic Cancer (PaCa) is a devastating disease with few therapeutic options. We showed earlier that PKD signaling pathways promote mitogenesis in multiple PaCa cell lines. However, nothing is known about targeting biological functions of PKD in PaCa. Our PKD inhibitor discovery program yielded CRT0066101 that specifically blocks PKD activation. Aim: The aim of our study was to determine the effects of CRT0066101 in PaCa, both in vitro and in vivo. Methods and Results: Our immunohistochemical analysis showed that activated PKD (pS916PKD1) is significantly upregulated in PaCa as compared to normal ducts (91% vs 22%; p Conclusion: Our results demonstrate for the first time that the PKD‐specific small molecule inhibitor CRT0066101 blocks PaCa growth both in vitro and in vivo. Thus, PKD is a novel therapeutic target in PaCa. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(12 Suppl):B261.