Background A pediatric phase I trial was performed to determine the maximum tolerated dose, dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs), and pharmacokinetics (PK) of vorinostat and bortezomib, in patients with solid tumors. Procedure Oral vorinostat was administered on days 1–5 and 8–12 of a 21 day cycle (starting dose 180 mg/m2/day with dose escalations to 230 and 300 mg/m2/day). Bortezomib (1.3 mg/m2 i.v.) was administered on days 1, 4, 8, and 11 of the same cycle. PK and correlative biology studies were performed during cycle 1. Results Twenty-three eligible patients [17 male, median age 12 years (range, 1–20)] were enrolled of whom 17 were fully evaluable for toxicity. Cycle 1 DLTs that occurred in 2/6 patients at dose level 3 (vorinostat 300 mg/m2/day) were grade 2 sensory neuropathy that progressed to grade 4 (n=1) and grade 3 nausea and anorexia (n=1). No objective responses were observed. There was wide interpatient variability in vorinostat PK parameters. Bortezomib disposition was best described by a three-compartment model that demonstrated rapid distribution followed by prolonged elimination. We did not observe a decrease in NF-κB activity or Grp78 induction after bortezomib treatment in PBMCs from solid tumor patients. Conclusion The recommended phase 2 dose and schedule is vorinostat (230 mg/m2/day PO on days 1–5 and 8–12) in combination with bortezomib (1.3 mg/m2/day i.v. on days 1,4, 8, and 11 of a 21 day cycle) in children with recurrent or refractory solid tumors.

Purpose Imetelstat is a covalently-lipidated 13-mer thiophosphoramidate oligonucleotide that acts as a potent specific inhibitor of telomerase. It binds with high affinity to the template region of the RNA component of human telomerase (hTERC ) and is a competitive inhibitor of telomerase enzymatic activity. The purpose of this study was to determine the recommended phase 2 dose of imetelstat in children with recurrent or refractory solid tumors. Experimental Design Imetelstat was administered intravenously over two hours on days 1 and 8, every 21 days. Dose levels of 225, 285, and 360 mg/m2 were evaluated, using the rolling-six design. Imetelstat pharmacokinetic and correlative biology studies were also performed during the first cycle. Results Twenty subjects were enrolled (median age 14 yrs; range 3–21). Seventeen were evaluable for toxicity. The most common toxicities were neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and lymphopenia, with dose-limiting myelosuppression in two of six patients at 360 mg/m2. Pharmacokinetics were dose dependent with a lower clearance at the highest dose level. Telomerase inhibition was observed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells at 285 and 360 mg/m2. Two confirmed partial responses osteosarcoma (n=1) and Ewing sarcoma (n=1) were observed. Conclusions The recommended phase 2 dose of imetelstat given on days 1 and 8 of 21-day cycle is 285 mg/m2.

ALK receptor tyrosine kinase has been shown to be a therapeutic target in neuroblastoma. Germline ALK activating mutations are responsible for the majority of hereditary neuroblastoma and somatic ALK activating mutations are also frequently observed in sporadic cases of advanced NB. Crizotinib, a first-line therapy in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring ALK rearrangements, demonstrates striking efficacy against ALK-rearranged NB. However, crizotinib fails to effectively inhibit the activity of ALK when activating mutations are present within its kinase domain, as with the F1174L mutation. Here we show that a new ALK inhibitor AZD3463 effectively suppressed the proliferation of NB cell lines with wild type ALK (WT) as well as ALK activating mutations (F1174L and D1091N) by blocking the ALK-mediated PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and ultimately induced apoptosis and autophagy. In addition, AZD3463 enhanced the cytotoxic effects of doxorubicin on NB cells. AZD3463 also exhibited significant therapeutic efficacy on the growth of the NB tumors with WT and F1174L activating mutation ALK in orthotopic xenograft mouse models. These results indicate that AZD3463 is a promising therapeutic agent in the treatment of NB.

Purpose Thalidomide, originally developed as a sedative, was subsequently identified to have antiangiogenic properties. Lenalidomide is an antiangiogenic and immunomodulatory agent that has been utilized in the treatment of patients with brain tumors. We studied the pharmacokinetics and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) penetration of thalidomide and lenalidomide in a nonhuman primate model. Methods A dose of 50 mg of thalidomide or 20 mg of lenalidomide were administered once orally to each of three rhesus monkeys. Plasma and CSF samples were obtained at specified intervals and the thalidomide or lenalidomide concentrations were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated using noncompartmental methods. CSF penetration was calculated as area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) CSF/AUC plasma. Results For thalidomide, the median apparent clearance (Cl/F) was 2.9 mL/min/kg, the median plasma AUC was 80 µM•hr, and the median terminal half-life (t½) was 13.3 hours. For lenalidomide, the median Cl/F was 8.7 mL/min/kg, the median AUC was 9 µM•hr, and the median t½ was 5.6 hours. Thalidomide was detected in the CSF of all animals, with a median penetration of 42%. Lenalidomide was detected in the CSF of 2 of 3 animals, with a CSF penetration of 11% in each. Conclusion Thalidomide and lenalidomide penetrate into the CSF after oral administration of clinically relevant doses. Plasma exposure to lenalidomide was similar in our model to that observed in studies involving children who have brain tumors. These results support further development of lenalidomide for the treatment of central nervous system malignancies.

Tracheobronchial mucoepidermoid carcinomas (MEC) are rare in the pediatric population with literature limited primarily to case reports. Here we present our institutional experience treating MEC in three patients and review the literature of 142 pediatric cases previously published from 1968 to 2013. Although rare, tracheobronchial MEC should be included in the differential diagnosis in a child with recurrent respiratory symptoms. Conservative surgical management is often sufficient to achieve complete resection and good outcomes.

Low to intermediate histopathologic grade MECs are more common than high grade MEC in children. In contrast to adults, MECT1/MAML2 fusion transcripts occur with a frequency of 100% in our pediatric MEC series. Complete excision is the treatment of choice and is associated with excellent outcome. The role of radiotherapy is unclear, but may be indicated in patients with high grade tumors with positive surgical margins.

Activating germline mutations of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) occur in most cases of hereditary neuroblastoma (NB) and the constitutively active kinase activity of ALK promotes cell proliferation and survival in NB. Therefore, ALK kinase is a potential therapeutic target for NB. In this study, we show that the novel ALK inhibitor alectinib effectively suppressed cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in NB cell lines with either wild-type ALK or mutated ALK (F1174L and D1091N) by blocking ALK-mediated PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling. In addition, alectinib enhanced doxorubicin-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis in NB cells. Furthermore, alectinib induced apoptosis in an orthotopic xenograft NB mouse model. Also, in the TH-MYCN transgenic mouse model, alectinib resulted in decreased tumor growth and prolonged survival time. These results indicate that alectinib may be a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of NB.

Pediatric glioblastoma multiforme (pGBM) is a highly aggressive tumor in need of novel therapies. Our objective was to demonstrate the therapeutic efficacy of MLN8237 (alisertib), an orally available selective inhibitor of Aurora A kinase (AURKA), and to evaluate which model system (monolayer or neurosphere) can predict therapeutic efficacy AURKA mRNA expressions were screened with qRT-PCR. antitumor effects were examined in three matching pairs of monolayer and neurosphere lines established from patient-derived orthotopic xenograft (PDOX) models of the untreated (IC-4687GBM), recurrent (IC-3752GBM), and terminal (IC-R0315GBM) tumors, and therapeutic efficacy through log rank analysis of survival times in two models (IC-4687GBM and IC-R0315GBM) following MLN8237 treatment (30 mg/kg/day, orally, 12 days). Drug concentrations and mechanism of action and resistance were also investigated. AURKA mRNA overexpression was detected in 14 pGBM tumors, 10 PDOX models, and 6 cultured pGBM lines as compared with 11 low-grade gliomas and normal brains. MLN8237 penetrated into pGBM xenografts in mouse brains. Significant extension of survival times were achieved in IC-4687GBM of which both neurosphere and monolayer were inhibited , but not in IC-R0315GBM of which only neurosphere cells responded (similar to IC-3752GBM). Apoptosis-mediated MLN8237 induced cell death, and the presence of AURKA-negative and CD133 cells appears to have contributed to therapy resistance. MLN8237 successfully targeted AURKA in a subset of pGBMs. Our data suggest that combination therapy should aim at AURKA-negative and/or CD133 pGBM cells to prevent tumor recurrence. .