PWT-458, a novel pegylated-17-hydroxywortmannin, inhibits phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling and suppresses growth of solid tumors

Cancer Biol Ther. 2005 May;4(5):538-45. doi: 10.4161/cbt.4.5.1660. Epub 2005 May 28.

Abstract

Deregulated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway is widely implicated in tumor growth and resistance to chemotherapy. While a strong rationale exists for pharmacological targeting of PI3K, only a few proof-of-principle in vivo efficacy studies are currently available. PWT-458, pegylated-17-hydroxywortmannin, is a novel and highly potent inhibitor of PI3K in animal models. Upon in vivo cleavage of its poly(ethyleneglycol) (PEG), PWT-458 releases its active moiety 17-hydroxywortmannin (17-HWT), the most potent inhibitor in its class. Here we show that a single intravenous injection of PWT-458 rapidly inhibited PI3K signaling, as measured by a complete loss of AKT (Ser-473) phosphorylation in xenograft tumors grown in nude mice. Following a daily X5 dosing regimen, PWT-458 demonstrated single-agent antitumor activity in nude mouse xenograft models of U87MG glioma, nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) A549, and renal cell carcinoma (RCC) A498. Efficacious doses ranged from 0.5 mg/kg to 10 mg/kg, achieving a superior therapeutic index over 17-HWT. PWT-458 augmented anticancer efficacy of a suboptimal dose of paclitaxel against A549 and U87MG tumors. Combination treatment of PWT-458 and an mTOR inhibitor, Pegylated-Rapamycin (Peg-Rapa), resulted in an enhanced antitumor efficacy in U87MG. Finally, PWT-458 in combination with interferon-alpha (Intron-A) caused a dramatic regression of RCC A498, which was not achieved by either agent alone. These studies identify PWT-458 as an effective anticancer agent and provide strong proof-of-principle for targeting the PI3K pathway as novel anticancer therapy.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Androstadienes / chemistry
  • Androstadienes / pharmacology*
  • Animals
  • Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / pharmacology
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / pharmacology
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / drug therapy
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / pathology
  • Carcinoma, Renal Cell / drug therapy
  • Carcinoma, Renal Cell / metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Renal Cell / pathology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Synergism
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Female
  • Glioma / drug therapy
  • Glioma / metabolism
  • Glioma / pathology
  • Humans
  • Interferon-alpha / therapeutic use
  • Kidney Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Kidney Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Kidney Neoplasms / pathology
  • Lung Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Lung Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Nude
  • Molecular Structure
  • Molecular Weight
  • Neoplasm Transplantation
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Neoplasms / pathology
  • Paclitaxel / pharmacology
  • Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors*
  • Phosphorylation / drug effects
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects*
  • Sirolimus / pharmacology
  • Transplantation, Heterologous
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Androstadienes
  • Antibiotics, Antineoplastic
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
  • Interferon-alpha
  • Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors
  • 17-hydroxywortmannin
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • Paclitaxel
  • Sirolimus