Assessing the activity of cediranib, a VEGFR-2/3 tyrosine kinase inhibitor, against VEGFR-1 and members of the structurally related PDGFR family

Mol Cancer Ther. 2011 May;10(5):861-73. doi: 10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-10-0976. Epub 2011 Mar 25.

Abstract

Cediranib is a potent inhibitor of the VEGF receptor (VEGFR)-2 and VEGFR-3 tyrosine kinases. This study assessed the activity of cediranib against the VEGFR-1 tyrosine kinase and the platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR)-associated kinases c-Kit, PDGFR-α, and PDGFR-β. Cediranib inhibited VEGF-A-stimulated VEGFR-1 activation in AG1-G1-Flt1 cells (IC(50) = 1.2 nmol/L). VEGF-A induced greatest phosphorylation of VEGFR-1 at tyrosine residues Y1048 and Y1053; this was reversed by cediranib. Potency against VEGFR-1 was comparable with that previously observed versus VEGFR-2 and VEGFR-3. Cediranib also showed significant activity against wild-type c-Kit in cellular phosphorylation assays (IC(50) = 1-3 nmol/L) and in a stem cell factor-induced proliferation assay (IC(50) = 13 nmol/L). Furthermore, phosphorylation of wild-type c-Kit in NCI-H526 tumor xenografts was reduced markedly following oral administration of cediranib (≥1.5 mg/kg/d) to tumor-bearing nude mice. The activity of cediranib against PDGFR-β and PDGFR-α was studied in tumor cell lines, vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC), and a fibroblast line using PDGF-AA and PDGF-BB ligands. Both receptor phosphorylation (IC(50) = 12-32 nmol/L) and PDGF-BB-stimulated cellular proliferation (IC(50) = 32 nmol/L in human VSMCs; 64 nmol/L in osteosarcoma cells) were inhibited. In vivo, ligand-induced PDGFR-β phosphorylation in murine lung tissue was inhibited by 55% following treatment with cediranib at 6 mg/kg but not at 3 mg/kg or less. In contrast, in C6 rat glial tumor xenografts in mice, ligand-induced phosphorylation of both PDGFR-α and PDGFR-β was reduced by 46% to 61% with 0.75 mg/kg cediranib. Additional selectivity was showed versus Flt-3, CSF-1R, EGFR, FGFR1, and FGFR4. Collectively, these data indicate that cediranib is a potent pan-VEGFR kinase inhibitor with similar activity against c-Kit but is significantly less potent than PDGFR-α and PDGFR-β.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • COS Cells
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Chlorocebus aethiops
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Ligands
  • Lung / drug effects
  • Mice
  • Mice, Nude
  • NIH 3T3 Cells
  • Phosphorylation / drug effects
  • Platelet-Derived Growth Factor / metabolism
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / chemistry
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Quinazolines / chemistry
  • Quinazolines / pharmacology*
  • Rats
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Receptors, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Stem Cell Factor / metabolism
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
  • fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3 / antagonists & inhibitors

Substances

  • Ligands
  • Platelet-Derived Growth Factor
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Quinazolines
  • Stem Cell Factor
  • FLT3 protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • Receptors, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor
  • Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor
  • fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3
  • cediranib