Citations

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) pathogenesis is deeply rooted in the concept of clonal evolution, in which hematopoietic stem cells experience an initial genetic insult, followed by the sequential acquisition of mutations leading to various disease phenotypes. Through natural selection, a malignant clone can diversify and propagate with time. Aside from clonal evolution, a number of time-honored principles of molecular oncology account for the initiation and maintenance of AML. These principles include loss of heterozygosity, genomic instability, epigenomic disruption, deregulation of signaling pathways, anti-apoptotic mechanisms, and oncogene addiction. Such tenets of cancer biology not only explain AML cellular behavior but also may inform target validation in AML. Herein, we highlight the current state of targeted therapeutics, including the 14 novel agents (beyond 7+3 chemotherapy) approved by the Food and Drug Administration, in the context of these tenets and discuss future prospects by leveraging current knowledge of AML genomics. Such therapeutic concepts, including synthetic lethality, are especially relevant to TP53-mutant AML, as there are no unique therapies that have received regulatory approval for this subset to date. We emphasize the emerging role of single-cell genomics and multi-omics toward better understanding of AML biology and development of future successful AML therapies.

5045 Background: Radioligand therapy with radium-223 (Rad) and lutetium-177 (Plu) demonstrates notable hematologic toxicities in patients (pts) with prostate cancer (PC), including myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Delivery of ionizing radiation to the bone microenvironment is a known risk factor for accelerating clonal hematopoiesis, although the incidence of clonal cytopenias with these agents is not well characterized. We hypothesized that pts treated with Rad and/or Plu would have higher risk of clonal cytopenia of undetermined significance (CCUS) vs matched controls in the “real-world”. Methods: We performed a retrospective study using de-identified aggregate data from the TriNetX US Research Collaborative Network from January 2010 to December 2025. Adult males with PC who received ≥1 administration of Plu and/or Rad were included; pts with prior myeloid malignancy were excluded. Primary outcomes were incidence of CCUS and MDS. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed based on age, race, prior diagnosis of leukopenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia, or pancytopenia. Risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Results: We identified 2,569 pts treated with Plu alone and 2,007 treated with Rad alone and compared them with pts with advanced PC without exposure to either agent (unexposed control) (Table 1). After PSM, the incident risk of CCUS was greater in Rad-exposed pts (RR 2.62, 95% CI 1.45 – 4.73, p < 0.001) while Plu was not associated with a significant increase in CCUS or MDS. Direct comparison after PSM (n=1,433) demonstrated lower risk of pancytopenia (RR 0.46, 95% CI 0.37 – 0.56, p <0.001) and CCUS (RR 0.41, 95% CI 0.20 – 0.81, p =0.008) in Plu vs Rad. In unadjusted analysis, pts receiving both Plu and Rad had increased incidence of CCUS vs Plu alone (RR= 3.64, 95% CI 1.87 - 7.07, p <0.001) and higher risk of MDS vs either agent alone. Conclusions: This “real-world” analysis demonstrates that compared with unexposed controls, Rad – but not Plu – is associated with an increased risk of CCUS. Treatment with Plu and Rad portends a higher risk of CCUS than Plu alone, as well higher risk of MDS than either drug alone. Study limitations include its retrospective nature, missing/ unknown data (e.g. bone marrow and mutation analysis), and potential selection and confounding biases. As treatment sequencing evolves for pts with metastatic PC, further evaluation of clonal hematopoiesis, MDS/AML with adequate sample size and follow up in this population is warranted. ¹⁷⁷Lu-PSMA-617 Exposed(n = 2,569) Unexposed(n =2,569 ) Risk Ratio (95% CI) p -value CCUS 1.03% (26) 0.67% (17) 1.54 (0.84 – 2.82) 0.16 MDS 0.94% (24) 0.55% (14) 1.72 (0.89 – 3.32) 0.10 Radium-223 Exposed(n = 2,007) Unexposed(n = 2,007) Risk Ratio (95% CI) p -value CCUS 1.97% (39) 0.75 (15) 2.62 (1.45 – 4.73) <0.001 MDS 0.85% (17) 0.75% (15) 1.13 (0.57 – 2.26) 0.72

Adult-type diffusely infiltrating gliomas, of which glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive, almost always recur after treatment and are fatal. Improved understanding of therapy-driven tumor evolution and acquired therapy resistance in gliomas is essential for improving patient outcomes, yet the majority of the models currently used in preclinical research are of therapy-naïve tumors. Here, we describe the development of therapy-resistant IDH-wildtype glioblastoma patient-derived xenografts (PDX) through orthotopic engraftment of therapy naïve PDX in athymic nude mice, and repeated in vivo exposure to the therapeutic modalities most often used in treating glioblastoma patients: radiotherapy and temozolomide chemotherapy. Post-temozolomide PDX became enriched for C>T transition mutations, acquired inactivating mutations in DNA mismatch repair genes (especially MSH6), and developed hypermutation. Such post-temozolomide PDX were resistant to additional temozolomide (median survival decrease from 80 days in parental PDX to 42 days in a temozolomide-resistant derivative). However, temozolomide-resistant PDX were sensitive to lomustine (also known as CCNU), a nitrosourea which induces tumor cell apoptosis by a different mechanism than temozolomide. These PDX models mimic changes observed in recurrent GBM in patients, including critical features of therapy-driven tumor evolution. These models can therefore serve as valuable tools for improving our understanding and treatment of recurrent glioma.

Abstract This report describes results from our analysis of the activity and biodistribution of a novel pan-ERBB inhibitor, NT113, when used in treating mice with intracranial glioblastoma (GBM) xenografts. Approaches used in this investigation include: bioluminescence imaging (BLI) for monitoring intracranial tumor growth and response to therapy; determination of survival benefit from treatment; analysis of tumor IHC reactivity for indication of treatment effect on proliferation and apoptotic response; Western blot analysis for determination of effects of treatment on ERBB and ERBB signaling mediator activation; and high-performance liquid chromatography for determination of NT113 concentration in tissue extracts from animals receiving oral administration of inhibitor. Our results show that NT113 is active against GBM xenografts in which wild-type EGFR or EGFRvIII is highly expressed. In experiments including lapatinib and/or erlotinib, NT113 treatment was associated with the most substantial improvement in survival, as well as the most substantial tumor growth inhibition, as indicated by BLI and IHC results. Western blot analysis results indicated that NT113 has inhibitory activity, both in vivo and in vitro, on ERBB family member phosphorylation, as well as on the phosphorylation of downstream signaling mediator Akt. Results from the analysis of animal tissues revealed significantly higher NT113 normal brain-to-plasma and intracranial tumor-to-plasma ratios for NT113, relative to erlotinib, indicating superior NT113 partitioning to intracranial tissue compartments. These data provide a strong rationale for the clinical investigation of NT113, a novel ERBB inhibitor, in treating patients with GBM. Mol Cancer Ther; 13(12); 2919–29. ©2014 AACR.

Glioblastoma, the most common primary malignant cancer of the brain, is characterized by rapid tumor growth and infiltration of tumor cells throughout the brain. These traits cause glioblastomas to be highly resistant to current therapies with a resultant poor prognosis. Although aberrant oncogenic signaling driven by signature genetic alterations, such as EGF receptor (EGFR) gene amplification and mutation, plays a major role in glioblastoma pathogenesis, the responsible downstream mechanisms remain less clear. Here, we report that EGFRvIII (also known as ΔEGFR and de2-7EGFR), a constitutively active EGFR mutant that is frequently co-overexpressed with EGFR in human glioblastoma, promotes tumorigenesis through Src family kinase (SFK)-dependent phosphorylation of Dock180, a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Rac1. EGFRvIII induces phosphorylation of Dock180 at tyrosine residue 722 (Dock180 Y722 ) and stimulates Rac1-signaling, glioblastoma cell survival and migration. Consistent with this being causal, siRNA knockdown of Dock180 or expression of a Dock180 Y722F mutant inhibits each of these EGFRvIII-stimulated activities. The SFKs, Src, Fyn, and Lyn, induce phosphorylation of Dock180 Y722 and inhibition of these SFKs by pharmacological inhibitors or shRNA depletion markedly attenuates EGFRvIII-induced phosphorylation of Dock180 Y722 , Rac1 activity, and glioblastoma cell migration. Finally, phosphorylated Dock180 Y722 is coexpressed with EGFRvIII and phosphorylated Src Y418 in clinical specimens, and such coexpression correlates with an extremely poor survival in glioblastoma patients. These results suggest that targeting the SFK-p-Dock180 Y722 -Rac1 signaling pathway may offer a novel therapeutic strategy for glioblastomas with EGFRvIII overexpression.

Abstract Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) vIII is a mutated EGFR that is frequently overexpressed in glioblastomas and implicated in response to receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors. In this study, we investigate the effect of ZD6474 (ZACTIMA, vandetanib), a dual inhibitor for vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 and EGFR on growth and angiogenesis of gliomas expressing EGFRvIII. We used two glioma xenograft models, U87MG cells overexpressing EGFRvIII and short-term cultured primary glioma GBM8 cells with EGFRvIII. ZD6474 inhibited tumor growth and angiogenesis and induced cell apoptosis in various brain gliomas. Moreover, significant inhibition of EGFRvIII-expressing U87MG and GBM8 gliomas was observed compared with their controls. Magnetic resonance imaging analysis using the apparent diffusion coefficient and three-dimensional T2*weighed measurements validated ZD6474 inhibition on tumor growth and angiogenesis in EGFRvIII-expressing GBM8 gliomas. Mechanistically, ZD6474 shows better inhibition of cell growth and survival of U87MG/EGFRvIII, GBM6, and GBM8 cells that express EGFRvIII than U87MG or GBM14 cells that have nondetectable EGFRvIII through attenuation of activated phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, Akt, and Bcl-XL expression. Albeit in lesser extent, ZD6474 also displays suppressions of U87MG/EGFR and GBM12 cells that overexpress wild-type EGFR. Additionally, ZD6474 inhibits activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 in both types of cells, and expression of a constitutively active phosphoinositide 3-kinases partially rescued ZD6474 inhibition in U87MG/EGFRvIII cells. Taken together, these data show that ZD6474 significantly inhibited growth and angiogenesis of gliomas expressing EGFRvIII by specifically blocking EGFRvIII-activated signaling mediators, suggesting a potential application of ZD6474 in treatments for glioblastomas that overexpress EGFRvIII. Mol Cancer Ther; 9(4); 929–41. ©2010 AACR.