Comparative Study of Rapamycin and Temsirolimus Demonstrates Superimposable Anti-Tumour Potency on Prostate Cancer Cells (original) (raw)
Related papers
Molecular cancer therapeutics, 2008
The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a protein kinase that regulates protein translation, cell growth and apoptosis. Recently, there has been an enormous increase in our understanding on molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutics of rapamycin in cancer. Alterations in the pathway regulating mTOR occur in many solid malignancies including prostate, bladder and kidney cancer; and in-vitro and in-vivo models of prostate and bladder cancer have established the importance of the mTOR pathway in control of cancer progression and metastasis. Temsirolimus (Torisel™) and everolimus (RAD-001), two ester analogues of rapamycin, as well as rapamycin itself have clear antitumor activity in in-vitro and in-vivo models, and are under clinical trial investigations for prostate and bladder cancer. Phase II and III trials have already established the clinical efficacy of temsirolimus in renal cancer, and current renal trials are evaluating the combined effects of VEGF and mTOR inhibition. Ongoing studies in prostate and bladder cancer will soon define the activity and safety profiles of everolimus and temsirolimus. Recent molecular advances have uncovered a startling complexity in the macromolecular function of mTOR complexes, with the identification of new mTOR partners (raptor, rictor, FKBP38, PRAS40 and mSIN1), putative cancer therapeutic/prognostic targets for future clinical trials.
Biochemical correlates of mTOR inhibition by the rapamycin ester CCI-779 and tumor growth inhibition
Clinical Cancer Research, 2001
The rapamycin ester, CCI-779, potently inhibits cell growth in vitro, inhibits tumor growth in vivo, and is currently in Phase I clinical trials. To further understand the relationship between plasma systemic exposure and inhibition of the target Ser/Thr kinase, mTOR/FRAP, two assays have been developed. The first assay involves determination of the 4E suppressor protein (4E-BP1) bound to eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E), and the second is direct Western analysis of phosphorylation of residue Thr 70 of 4E-BP1. Under normal growth conditions in vitro, rapamycin caused rapid association of 4E-BP1 with eIF4E within 1 h in Rh30 and GC 3 human tumor cells. Association was persistent up to 16 h. In mice, administration of rapamycin (5 or 20 mg/kg) caused rapid association of 4E-BP1 with eIF4E within 4 h in both human colon adenocarcinoma GC 3 and rhabdomyosarcoma Rh30 xenografts. Using phosphospecific antibody against Thr 70 of 4E-BP1, rapid and persistent dephosphorylation within 30 min of exposure to rapamycin was detected in Rh18 rhabdomyosarcoma cells. Evaluation of CCI-779 against Rh18 xenografts showed this tumor to be growth inhibited at daily dose levels of >8.7 mg/kg. Because immunoblotting may be more suitable for assaying tumor biopsy tissue, a "blinded" comparison between the effect of CCI-779 on Thr 70 phosphorylation and growth inhibition of human tumor xenografts was undertaken. Mice were treated daily for 5 days with CCI-779 (20 mg/kg/day) or with drug vehicle, and tumor diameters were measured. Tumors were excised 1 h after the final administration and frozen, and phospho Thr 70 was determined by Western blot analysis. The correlation coefficient for decreases in Thr 70 phosphorylation and growth inhibition was high (r 2 , 0.99). The results indicate that an assay of decreases in phosphorylation of Thr 70 of 4E-BP1 may be a useful surrogate for determining the inhibition of mTOR activity in tumor specimens.
Mechanistic target of rapamycin inhibitors: successes and challenges as cancer therapeutics
Cancer Drug Resistance, 2019
Delineating the contributions of specific cell signalling cascades to the development and maintenance of tumours has greatly informed our understanding of tumorigenesis and has advanced the modern era of targeted cancer therapy. It has been revealed that one of the key pathways regulating cell growth, the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/mechanistic target of rapamycin (PI3K/mTOR) signalling axis, is commonly dysregulated in cancer. With a specific, well-tolerated inhibitor of mTOR available, the impact of inhibiting this pathway at the level of mTOR has been tested clinically. This review highlights some of the promising results seen with mTOR inhibitors in the clinic and assesses some of the challenges that remain in predicting patient outcome following mTOR-targeted therapy.
Oncotarget, 2020
The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a PI3K-related kinase that regulates cell growth, proliferation and survival in response to the availability of energy sources and growth factors. Cancer development and progression is often associated with constitutive activation of the mTOR pathway, thus justifying mTOR inhibition as a promising approach to cancer treatment and prevention. However, development of previous rapamycin analogues has been complicated by their induction of adverse side effects and variable efficacy. Since mTOR pathway regulation involves multiple feedback mechanisms that may be differentially activated depending on the degree of mTOR inhibition, we investigated whether rapamycin dosing could be adjusted to achieve chemopreventive efficacy without side effects. Thus, we tested the efficacy of two doses of a novel, highly bioavailable nanoformulation of rapamycin, Rapatar, in a mouse prostate cancer model (male mice with prostate epitheliumspecific Pten-knockout). We found that the highest efficacy was achieved by the lowest dose of Rapatar used in the study. While both doses tested were equally effective in suppressing proliferation of prostate epithelial cells, higher dose resulted in activation of feedback circuits that reduced the drug's tumor preventive efficacy. These results demonstrate that low doses of highly bioavailable mTOR inhibitor, Rapatar, may provide safe and effective cancer prevention.
Rapamycins: Mechanisms of Action and Cellular Resistance
Cancer Biology & Therapy, 2003
Rapamycins are macrocyclic lactones that possess immunosuppressive, antifungal and antitumor properties. The parent compound, rapamycin, is approved as an immunosuppressive agent for preventing rejection in patients receiving organ transplantation. Two analogues, CCI-779 and RAD001 are currently being investigated as anticancer agents. Rapamycins first bind a cyclophilin FKBP12, and this complex binds and inhibits the function of mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) a serine/threonine (Ser/Thr) kinase with homology to phosphatidylinositol 3' kinase. Currently, as mTOR is the only identified target, this places rapamycins in a unique position of being the most selective kinase inhibitor known. Consequently these agents have been powerful tools in elucidating the role of mTOR in cellular growth, proliferation, survival and tumorigenesis. Increasing evidence suggests that mTOR acts as a central controller sensing cellular environment (nutritional status or mitogenic stimulation) and regulating translation initiation through the eukaryotic initiation factor 4E, and ribosomal p70 S6 kinase pathways. Here we review the conserved TOR signaling pathways, conceptual basis for tumor selectivity, and the mechanisms of resistance to this class of antitumor agent.
International Journal of Cancer, 2012
Preclinical studies and clinical analyses have implicated the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway in the progression of prostate cancer, suggesting mTOR as a potential target for new therapies. mTOR, a serine/threonine kinase, belongs to two distinct signaling complexes: mTORC1 and mTORC2. We previously showed that the synthetic organoselenium compound, p-XSC, effectively inhibits viability and critical signaling molecules (e.g., androgen receptor, Akt) in androgen responsive (AR) and androgen independent (AI) human prostate cancer cells. On the basis of its inhibition of Akt, we hypothesized that p-XSC modulates mTORC2, an upstream regulator of the kinase. We further hypothesized that combining p-XSC with rapamycin, an mTORC1 inhibitor, would be an effective combinatory strategy for the inhibition of prostate cancer. The effects of p-XSC and rapamycin, alone or in combination, on viability and mTOR signaling were examined in AR LNCaP prostate cancer cells and AI C4-2 and DU145 cells. Phosphorylation of downstream targets of mTORC1 and mTORC2 was analyzed by immunoblotting. The interaction of mTORC1- and mTORC2-specific proteins with mTOR was probed through immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting. p-XSC inhibited phosphorylation of mTORC2 downstream targets, Akt and PCKα, and decreased the levels of rictor, an mTORC2-specific protein, coimmunoprecipitated with mTOR in C4-2 cells. The combination of p-XSC and rapamycin more effectively inhibited viability and mTOR signaling in C4-2, LNCaP and DU145 cells than either agent individually.