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Pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, and antitumor efficacy of a human glandular kallikrein 2 (hK2)-activated thapsigargin prodrug

Janssen, Samuel ; Rosen, D Marc ; Ricklis, Rebecca M ; Dionne, Craig A ; Lilja, Hans LU orcid ; Christensen, Soeren B ; Isaacs, John T and Denmeade, Samuel R (2006) In The Prostate 66(4). p.358-368
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer cells secrete unique proteases such as prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and human glandular kallikrein 2 (hK2) that represent targets for the activation of prodrugs as systemic treatment of metastatic prostate cancer. Previously, a combinatorial peptide library was screened to identify a highly active peptide substrate for hK2. The peptide was coupled to an analog of the potent cytotoxin thapsigargin, L12ADT, to generate an hK2-activated prodrug that was efficiently hydrolyzed by purified hK2, stable to hydrolysis in human and mouse plasma in vitro and selectively toxic to hK2 producing prostate cancer cells in vitro. METHODS: In the current study, toxicology, pharmacokinetics, prodrug biodistribution, and... (More)
BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer cells secrete unique proteases such as prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and human glandular kallikrein 2 (hK2) that represent targets for the activation of prodrugs as systemic treatment of metastatic prostate cancer. Previously, a combinatorial peptide library was screened to identify a highly active peptide substrate for hK2. The peptide was coupled to an analog of the potent cytotoxin thapsigargin, L12ADT, to generate an hK2-activated prodrug that was efficiently hydrolyzed by purified hK2, stable to hydrolysis in human and mouse plasma in vitro and selectively toxic to hK2 producing prostate cancer cells in vitro. METHODS: In the current study, toxicology, pharmacokinetics, prodrug biodistribution, and antitumor efficacy studies were performed to evaluate the hK2-activated prodrug in vivo. RESULTS: The single intravenous maximally tolerated dose of prodrug was 6 mg/kg (i.e., 3.67 micromole/kg) which produced peak serum concentration of approximately 36 microM and had a half-life of approximately 40 min. In addition, over a 24 hr period <0.5% of free L12ADT analog was observed in plasma. The prodrug demonstrated significant antitumor effect in vivo while it was being administered, but prolonged intravenous administration was not possible due to local toxicity to tail veins. Subcutaneous administration of equimolar doses produced lower plasma AUC compared to intravenous dosing but equivalent intratumoral levels of prodrug following multiple doses. CONCLUSIONS: The hK2-activated prodrug was stable in vivo. The prodrug, however, was rapidly cleared and difficult to administer over prolonged dosing interval. Additional studies are underway to assess antitumor efficacy with prolonged administration of higher subcutaneous doses of prodrug. Second-generation hK2-activated thapsigargin prodrugs with increased half-lives and improved formulations are also under development. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
The Prostate
volume
66
issue
4
pages
358 - 368
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • pmid:16302271
  • scopus:33644765198
ISSN
0270-4137
DOI
10.1002/pros.20348
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9bde5ede-992d-4007-b537-da51ca542aa5 (old id 1136379)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:31:33
date last changed
2022-05-19 06:45:15
@article{9bde5ede-992d-4007-b537-da51ca542aa5,
  abstract     = {{BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer cells secrete unique proteases such as prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and human glandular kallikrein 2 (hK2) that represent targets for the activation of prodrugs as systemic treatment of metastatic prostate cancer. Previously, a combinatorial peptide library was screened to identify a highly active peptide substrate for hK2. The peptide was coupled to an analog of the potent cytotoxin thapsigargin, L12ADT, to generate an hK2-activated prodrug that was efficiently hydrolyzed by purified hK2, stable to hydrolysis in human and mouse plasma in vitro and selectively toxic to hK2 producing prostate cancer cells in vitro. METHODS: In the current study, toxicology, pharmacokinetics, prodrug biodistribution, and antitumor efficacy studies were performed to evaluate the hK2-activated prodrug in vivo. RESULTS: The single intravenous maximally tolerated dose of prodrug was 6 mg/kg (i.e., 3.67 micromole/kg) which produced peak serum concentration of approximately 36 microM and had a half-life of approximately 40 min. In addition, over a 24 hr period &lt;0.5% of free L12ADT analog was observed in plasma. The prodrug demonstrated significant antitumor effect in vivo while it was being administered, but prolonged intravenous administration was not possible due to local toxicity to tail veins. Subcutaneous administration of equimolar doses produced lower plasma AUC compared to intravenous dosing but equivalent intratumoral levels of prodrug following multiple doses. CONCLUSIONS: The hK2-activated prodrug was stable in vivo. The prodrug, however, was rapidly cleared and difficult to administer over prolonged dosing interval. Additional studies are underway to assess antitumor efficacy with prolonged administration of higher subcutaneous doses of prodrug. Second-generation hK2-activated thapsigargin prodrugs with increased half-lives and improved formulations are also under development.}},
  author       = {{Janssen, Samuel and Rosen, D Marc and Ricklis, Rebecca M and Dionne, Craig A and Lilja, Hans and Christensen, Soeren B and Isaacs, John T and Denmeade, Samuel R}},
  issn         = {{0270-4137}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{358--368}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{The Prostate}},
  title        = {{Pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, and antitumor efficacy of a human glandular kallikrein 2 (hK2)-activated thapsigargin prodrug}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pros.20348}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/pros.20348}},
  volume       = {{66}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}