Src up-regulation is a common event in human cancers. In colorectal cancer, increased Src levels are an indicator of poor prognosis, and progression to metastatic disease is associated with substantial increases in Src activity. Therefore, we examined the activity of SKI-606, a potent inhibitor of Src and Abl kinases, against colon tumor lines in vitro and in s.c. tumor xenograft models. SKI-606 inhibited Src autophosphorylation with an IC 50 of f0.25 Mmol/L in HT29 cells. Phosphorylation of Tyr 925 of focal adhesion kinase, a Src substrate, was reduced by similar concentrations of inhibitor. Antiproliferative activity on plastic did not correlate with Src inhibition in either HT29 or Colo205 cells (IC 50 s, 1.5 and 2.5 Mmol/L, respectively), although submicromolar concentrations of SKI-606 inhibited HT29 cell colony formation in soft agar. SKI-606 also caused loosely aggregated Colo205 spheroids to condense into compact spheroids. On oral administration to nude mice at the lowest efficacious dose, peak plasma concentrations of f3 Mmol/L, an oral bioavailability of 18%, and a t 1/2 of 8.6 hours were observed. SKI-606 was orally active in s.c. colon tumor xenograft models and caused substantial reductions in Src autophosphorylation on Tyr 418 in HT29 and Colo205 tumors. SKI-606 inhibited HT29 tumor growth on once daily administration, whereas twice daily administration was necessary to inhibit Colo205, HCT116, and DLD1 tumor growth. These results support development of SKI-606 as a therapeutic agent for treatment of colorectal cancer. (Cancer Res 2005; 65(12): 5358-64)

A novel technique to study the reactivity of acyl glucuronide metabolites to protein has been developed and is described herein. Considered here are acyl glucuronide metabolites, which have undergone the rearrangement of the glucuronic acid moiety at physiological temperature and pH. The investigation of the reactivity of these electrophilic metabolites was carried out by measuring the rate of reaction of rearranged AG metabolites in forming the corresponding acyl glucuronide-peptide adduct in the presence of Lys-Phe. This differs from the parallel technique used in forming AG adducts of proteins that have been previously reported. In the study described here, the Schiff base adduct, diclofenac acyl glucuronide-Lys-Phe product, was generated and structurally elucidated by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) analysis. The product structure was proved to be a Schiff base adduct by chemical derivatization by nucleophilic addition of HCN and chemical reduction with NaCNBH(3), followed by LC/MS/MS analysis. It is proposed here that the degree of reactivity of acyl glucuronides as measured by covalent binding to protein is proportional to the amount of its peptide adduct generated with the peptide technique described. The application of this technique to the assessment of the degree of reactivity of acyl glucuronide metabolites was validated by developing a reactivity rank of seven carboxylic acid-containing drugs. Consistency was achieved between the ranking of reactivity in the peptide technique for these seven compounds and the rankings found in the literature. In addition, a correlation (R(2) = 0.95) was revealed between the formation of a peptide adduct and the rearrangement rate of the primary acyl glucuronide of seven tested compounds. A structure effect on the degree of reactivity has demonstrated the rate order: acetic acid > propionic acid > benzoic acid derivatives. A rational explanation of this order was proposed, based on the inherent electronic and steric properties of each specific aglycone. In addition, adaptation of this technique to automation in order to more rapidly assess the ranking of reactivity of acyl glucuronide covalent binding to proteins by new chemical entities is proposed.

Deregulated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway is widely implicated in tumor growth and resistance to chemotherapy. While a strong rationale exists for pharmacological targeting of PI3K, only a few proof-of-principle in vivo efficacy studies are currently available. PWT-458, pegylated-17-hydroxywortmannin, is a novel and highly potent inhibitor of PI3K in animal models. Upon in vivo cleavage of its poly(ethyleneglycol) (PEG), PWT-458 releases its active moiety 17-hydroxywortmannin (17-HWT), the most potent inhibitor in its class. Here we show that a single intravenous injection of PWT-458 rapidly inhibited PI3K signaling, as measured by a complete loss of AKT (Ser-473) phosphorylation in xenograft tumors grown in nude mice. Following a daily X5 dosing regimen, PWT-458 demonstrated single-agent antitumor activity in nude mouse xenograft models of U87MG glioma, nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) A549, and renal cell carcinoma (RCC) A498. Efficacious doses ranged from 0.5 mg/kg to 10 mg/kg, achieving a superior therapeutic index over 17-HWT. PWT-458 augmented anticancer efficacy of a suboptimal dose of paclitaxel against A549 and U87MG tumors. Combination treatment of PWT-458 and an mTOR inhibitor, Pegylated-Rapamycin (Peg-Rapa), resulted in an enhanced antitumor efficacy in U87MG. Finally, PWT-458 in combination with interferon-alpha (Intron-A) caused a dramatic regression of RCC A498, which was not achieved by either agent alone. These studies identify PWT-458 as an effective anticancer agent and provide strong proof-of-principle for targeting the PI3K pathway as novel anticancer therapy.

Among the polyhedral [closo-BnHn]2- ion series (n = 5-12 inclusive) the aromatic [closo-B10H10]2- ion is both readily available and quite reactive. Among its many reactions which retain its cage structure one finds the oxidative dimerization reaction in which two [closo-B10H12]2- ions each formally lose a hydride ion and undergo dimerization of the resulting [closo-B10H9]- ions to produce the [trans-B20H18]2- ion. The two-component [closo-B10H9]- ions of the latter are linked together by a pair of unique B-B-B bonds which provide unprecedented reactivity to the structure. Among these reactions are the two-electron reduction to a set of three interconvertible [B20H18]4- ions having intercage B-B bonds and the related reductive substitution reaction in which [trans-B20H18]2- undergoes attack by nucleophile, L, to produce [B20H18L]2-. The latter species is formally a substituted [B20H19]3- (L = H) ion formed by B-B bond protonation of one of the isomeric [B20H18]4- ions. These and a variety of novel reactions are described here along with interrelated reaction mechanisms considered for the first time.

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