Lung cancer is the commonest cancer killer. Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is initially chemosensitive, but rapidly relapses in a chemoresistant form with an overall survival of <5%. Consequently, novel therapies are urgently required and will likely arise from an improved understanding of the disease biology. Our previous work showed that fibroblast growth factor-2 induces proliferation and chemoresistance in SCLC cells. Here, we show that the selective fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) inhibitor PD173074 blocks H-510 and H-69 SCLC proliferation and clonogenic growth in a dose-dependent fashion and prevents FGF-2-induced chemoresistance. These effects correlate with the inhibition of both FGFR1 and FGFR2 transphosphorylation. We then determined the efficacy of daily oral administration of PD173074 for 28 days in two human SCLC models. In the H-510 xenograft, tumor growth was impaired similar to that seen with single-agent cisplatin administration, increasing median survival compared with control sham-treated animals. Crucially, the effect of cisplatin was significantly potentiated by coadministration of PD173074. More dramatically, in H-69 xenografts, PD173074 induced complete responses lasting >6 months in 50% of mice. These effects were not a consequence of disrupted tumor vasculature but instead correlated with increased apoptosis (caspase 3 and cytokeratin 18 cleavage) in excised tumors. Moreover, in vivo imaging with 3′-deoxy-3′-

We have assessed the potential of [18 F]fluorothymidine positron emission tomography ([ 18 F]FLT-PET) to measure early cytostasis and cytotoxicity induced by cisplatin treatment of radiation-induced fibrosarcoma 1 (RIF-1) tumorbearing mice. Cisplatin-mediated arrest of tumor cell growth and induction of tumor shrinkage at 24 and 48 hours, respectively, were detectable by [18 F]FLT-PET. At 24 and 48 hours, the normalized uptake at 60 minutes (tumor/liver radioactivity ratio at 60 minutes after radiotracer injection; NUV 60 ) for [18 F]FLT was 0.76 F 0.08 (P = 0.03) and 0.51 F 0.08 (P = 0.03), respectively, compared with controls (1.02 F 0.12). The decrease in [18 F]FLT uptake at 24 hours was associated with a decrease in cell proliferation assessed immunohistochemically (a decrease in proliferating cell nuclear antigen labeling index, LI PCNA , from 14.0 F 2.0% to 6.2 F 1.0%; P = 0.001), despite the lack of a change in tumor size. There were G 1 -S and G 2 -M phase arrests after cisplatin treatment, as determined by cell cycle analysis. For the quantitative measurement of tumor cell proliferation, [18 F]FLT-PET was found to be superior to [18 F]fluorodeoxglucose-PET (NUV 60 versus LI PCNA : r = 0.89, P = 0.001 and r = 0.55, P = 0.06, respectively

Thymidylate synthase (EC 2.1.1.45) is a key enzyme for the de novo synthesis of DNA and as such a target for anticancer drug development. There is a need to develop noninvasive methods for assessing thymidylate synthase inhibition in tumors. The aim of this study was to assess the potential of 3 ¶-deoxy-3 ¶-[18 F]fluorothymidine ([ 18 F]FLT) positron emission tomography (PET) for early measurement of thymidylate synthase inhibition and to elucidate the cellular mechanisms involved. Radiation-induced fibrosarcoma-1 tumor-bearing mice were injected with a single i.p. dose of the thymidylate synthase inhibitor 5-fluorouracil (5-FU; 165 mg/kg) and imaged by [18 F]FLT-PET at 1 to 2 hours after treatment. Deoxyuridine, thymidine kinase 1 (cytoplasmic thymidine kinase; EC2.7.1.21), and ATP levels in excised tumors were measured. Cellular assays for membrane transport were also done. There was a 1.8-fold increase in the 60-minute [18 F]FLT tumor/heart radioactivity ratio in drug-treated mice compared with vehicle controls (P = 0.0016). Plasma and tumor deoxyuridine levels increased significantly but thymidine kinase and ATP levels were unchanged. Whole-cell assays implicated a (low level) functional role for the type-1 equilibrative nucleoside transporter (ENT). There was an increase in type-1 ENT-binding sites per cell from 49,110 in untreated cells to 73,142 (P = 0.03) in cells treated with 10 Mg/mL 5-FU for 2 hours, without a change in transporter affinity (P = 0.41). We conclude that [18 F]FLT-PET can be used to measure thymidylate synthase inhibition as early as 1 to 2 hours after treatment with 5-FU by a mechanism involving redistribution of nucleoside transporters to the plasma membrane. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(17): 8558-64)

This study shows that in vivo [18F]FLT kinetics depend on TK1 protein expression. ATP may be important in realising this effect. Thus, [18F]FLT-PET has the potential to yield specific information on tumour proliferation in diagnostic imaging and therapy monitoring.

ABSTRACT:Trichostatin A is a potent and specific histone deacetylase inhibitor with promising antitumor activity in preclinical models. Plasma pharmacokinetics of trichostatin A were studied following singledose intraperitoneal administration of 80 mg/kg (high dose) or 0.5 mg/kg (low dose) to female BALB/c mice. Plasma trichostatin A concentrations were quantified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-UV assay (high dose) or by HPLC-multiple reaction monitoring assay (low dose). Trichostatin A was rapidly absorbed from the peritoneum and detectable in plasma within 2 min. C max of 40 g/ml and 8 ng/ml occurred within 5 min, followed by rapid exponential decay in plasma trichostatin A concentration with t 1/2 of 6.3 min and 9.6 min (high and low doses, respectively). Phase I metabolites at the high dose were identified by simultaneous UV and positive ion electrospray mass spectrometry. Trichostatin A underwent extensive metabolism: primary metabolic pathways were Ndemethylation, reduction of the hydroxamic acid to the corresponding trichostatin A amide, and oxidative deamination to trichostatic acid. N-Monomethyl trichostatin A amide was the major plasma metabolite. No didemethylated compounds were identified. Trichostatic acid underwent further biotransformation: reduction and ␤-oxidation of the carboxylic acid, with or without N-demethylation, resulted in formation of dihydro trichostatic acid and dinor dihydro trichostatic acids. HPLC fractions corresponding to trichostatin A and Ndemethylated trichostatin A exhibited histone deacetylase-inhibitory activity; no other fractions were biologically active. We conclude that trichostatin A is rapidly and extensively metabolized in vivo following intraperitoneal administration to mice, and N-demethylation does not compromise histone deacetylase-inhibitory activity.

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACI) are emerging as growth inhibitory compounds that modulate gene expression and inhibit tumor cell proliferation. We assessed whether 3 ¶-deoxy-3 ¶-[18 F]fluorothymidine-positron emission tomography ([ 18 F]FLT-PET) could be used to noninvasively measure the biological activity of a novel HDACI LAQ824 in vivo. We initially showed that thymidine kinase 1 (TK1; EC2.7.1.21), the enzyme responsible for [18 F]FLT retention in cells, was regulated by LAQ824 in a drug concentration-dependent manner in vitro. In HCT116 colon carcinoma xenograftbearing mice, LAQ824 significantly decreased tumor [18 F]FLT uptake in a dose-dependent manner. At day 4 of treatment, [ 18 F]FLT tumor-to-heart ratios at 60 minutes (NUV60) were 2.16 F 0.15, 1.86 F 0.13, and 1.45 F 0.20 in vehicle, and 5 and 25 mg/kg LAQ824 treatment groups, respectively (P V 0.05). LAQ825 at 5 mg/kg also significantly reduced both TK1 levels and [18 F]FLT uptake at day 10 but not at day 2 (P V 0.05). [ 18 F]FLT NUV60 correlated significantly with cellular proliferation (r = 0.68; P = 0.0019) and was associated with druginduced histone H4 hyperacetylation. Of interest to [18 F]FLT-PET imaging, both TK1 mRNA copy numbers and protein levels decreased in the order vehicle >5 mg/kg LAQ824 > 25 mg/kg LAQ824, providing a rationale for the use of [ 18 F]FLT-PET in this setting. We also observed increases in Rb hypophosphorylation and p21 levels, factors that could have contributed to the alteration in TK1 transcription in vivo. In conclusion, we have shown the utility of [18 F]FLT-PET for monitoring the biological activity of the HDACI, LAQ824. Drug-induced changes in tumor [18 F]FLT uptake were due, at least in part, to reductions in TK1 transcription and translation. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(15): 7621-9)

BackgroundHIF-1 deficiency has marked effects on tumour glycolysis and growth. We therefore investigated the consequences of HIF-1 deficiency in mice, using the well established Hepa-1 wild-type (WT) and HIF-1β-deficient (c4) model. These mechanisms could be clinically relevant, since HIF-1 is now a therapeutic target.MethodsHepa-1 WT and c4 tumours grown in vivo were analysed by 18FDG-PET and 19FDG Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy for glucose uptake; by HPLC for adenine nucleotides; by immunohistochemistry for GLUTs; by immunoblotting and by DIGE followed by tandem mass spectrometry for protein expression; and by classical enzymatic methods for enzyme activity.ResultsHIF-1β deficient Hepa-1 c4 tumours grew significantly more slowly than WT tumours, and (as expected) showed significantly lower expression of many glycolytic enzymes. However, HIF-1β deficiency caused no significant change in the rate of glucose uptake in c4 tumours compared to WT when assessed in vivo by measuring fluoro-deoxyglucose (FDG) uptake. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated less GLUT-1 in c4 tumours, whereas GLUT-2 (liver type) was similar to WT. Factors that might upregulate glucose uptake independently of HIF-1 (phospho-Akt, c-Myc) were shown to have either lower or similar expression in c4 compared to WT tumours. However the AMP/ATP ratio was 4.5 fold higher (p < 0.01) in c4 tumours, and phosphofructokinase-1 (PFK-1) activity, measured at prevailing cellular ATP and AMP concentrations, was up to two-fold higher in homogenates of the deficient c4 cells and tumours compared to WT (p < 0.001), suggesting that allosteric PFK activation could explain their normal level of glycolysis. Phospho AMP-Kinase was also higher in the c4 tumours.ConclusionsDespite their defective HIF-1 and consequent down-regulation of glycolytic enzyme expression, Hepa-1 c4 tumours maintain glucose uptake and glycolysis because the resulting low [ATP] high [AMP] allosterically activate PFK-1. This mechanism of resistance would keep glycolysis functioning and also result in activation of AMP-Kinase and growth inhibition; it may have major implications for the therapeutic activity of HIF inhibitors in vivo. Interestingly, this control mechanism does not involve transcriptional control or proteomics, but rather the classical activation and inhibition mechanisms of glycolytic enzymes.

N-(2-Hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymer platinates were prepared from polymeric intermediates containing Gly-Phe-Leu-Gly side chains terminating in either malonate or aspartate dicarboxylato ligands. Platinum(II) was bound by reaction of the dicarboxylato ligands with cis-[Pt(NH3)2(H2O)2]2+. The HPMA copolymer platinates obtained had a Mw of 29,000-31,000 Da and a platinum loading of approximately 10wt% (by AAS). This is close to the theoretical maximum value. The release rate of platinum species in vitro at pH 7.4 correlated with the expected stability of the 6 and 7 membered chelate rings; 14%/24 h platinum released in the case of the malonate and 68%/24 h platinum released in the case of the aspartate. Cisplatin and the aspartate conjugate displayed similar toxicity in vitro against B16F10 and COR-L23 cells while the malonate was at least 8-fold less toxic. The malonate conjugate showed significantly improved activity (T/C = 1.27-1.5) when compared with cisplatin (T/C = 1.18) that was not active when administered intravenously to treat a subcutaneous B16F10 tumour. The conjugate was at least 20-fold less toxic than cisplatin in vivo. After i.v. administration, the platinum accumulation in B16F10 tumour tissue showed a 19-fold increase in Pt AUC for the malonate conjugate when compared to cisplatin administered equi-dose at its maximum tolerated dose (MTD) (1 mg/kg).