NZ716668B2 - Cancer treatment - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates generally to the treatment of cancer. One embodiment of the invention provides a method of treating cancer in an individual, the method comprising: administering to the individual an effective amount of trichostatin A (TSA).

Description

CANCER TREATMENT CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of co-pending US Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 61/869,039, filed 22 August 2013, which is hereby incorporated herein.

BACKGROUND Histone deacetylase (HDAC) tors have been igated for their use in cancer therapies due to their ability to inhibit tumor cell growth with atively little toxicity.

Known HDAC inhibitors include, for example, rocilinostat (ACY-1215), Zolinza (vorinostat), abexinostat hydrochloride (PCI-24781), suberoylanilide amic acid , ic acid (VPA), Pracinostat ), PCI-24781 (CRA-024781), JNJ-26481585, Mocetinostat (MGCD0103, M60103), Droxinostat, MC1568, Givinostat (ITF2357), Tubastatin A HCl, PCI- 34051, Tacedinaline (CI994), and ostat (LBH589, NVP-LBH589).

Aurora Kinase A (AURKA) is one member of a serine and threonine kinase family known to be important in maintaining normal mitotic chromosomal segregation. |ts protein localizes in the centrosomes of interphase cells and in the spindle of mitotic cells. AURKA overexpression has been linked with carcinogenesis in humans and has been detected in tumors of the , gastric tissues, colorectal tissue, bladder, pancreas, ovaries, prostate, and lung. It is possible, however, for any cancer to overexpress AURKA, which may be determined, for example, by testing a tumor for AURKA overexpression. Inhibition of AURKA expression has been shown to reduce cell invasion in vivo. As such, AURKA, too, is a cancer treatment target, typically through small le inhibition. Known AURKA inhibitors include, for example, VE465, rtib (VX-680), MK-0457, MK-5108, Alisertib (MLN8237).

Due to the efficacy of HDAC inhibitors and AURKA inhibitors in blocking cancer progression on their own, studies have evaluated the effect r combined administration in non-human cancer models. For example, Li et al. found that co-treatment with VPA and VE465 induced more apoptosis than either compound did alone. rly, Okabe et al. found a synergistic inhibitory effect on the proliferation of cancer cells through the administration of either vorinostat or pracinostat in combination with tozasertib. The studies leading to the discovery of the present invention were aken since even though the dual HDAC and AURKA ng effect was desirable in the ent of cancer, no single entity is generally known to have this dual effect.

SUMMARY One embodiment ofthe invention provides a method oftreating cancer in an individual, the method comprising: administering to the individual an effective amount of trichostatin A (TSA).

Another embodiment of the invention provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising: trichostatin A (TSA) as a sole or primary aurora kinase A (AURKA) inhibitor; and a pharmaceutically-acceptable excipient or carrier.

In another embodiment, the invention provides a method oftreating a cancer in an individual, the method sing: determining, from a tumor sample obtained from the individual’s body, a level of aurora kinase A (AURKA) expression; and in the case that the level of AURKA expression is indicative of overexpression, administering to the individual an ive amount of trichostatin A (TSA).

In still other ments of the invention, treatment with TSA is combined with one or more other cancer treatments. Such other treatments may include, for example, small molecule AURKA inhibition. Such a ed treatment may, in some cases, decrease the AURKA level to near zero.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Trichostatin A (TSA or 7-[4-(dimethylamino)phenyl]—N-hydroxy-4,6-dimethyl oxohepta-2,4-dienamide), is an antifungal antibiotic and a known class I and II HDAC inhibitor.

The structure of TSA is shown in Formula I below.

Formula I Applicants have surprisingly found that TSA, although previously known as an HDAC inhibitor, is also capable of inhibiting AURKA expression. As such, TSA may be used as the y or sole AURKA inhibitor in the treatment of cancers. Cancers that may be treated ing to embodiments of the invention e, for example, breast cancer, c cancer, colon cancer, rectal cancer, bladder cancer, pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, hematological cancer, skin cancer, and malignancies.

A human retinal pigment epithelial cell line was treated with statin or vehicle for 24 hours and gene sion for 22,238 probe sets covering 12,490 genes was generated using an Affymetrix instrument. The effect of trichostatin A on AURKA expression is shown below in Table 1, and indicates a clear more than ten-fold downregulation of AURKA expression.

Table 1 m—MM 10005532 204092_s_at 22227 -15.79825298 AURKA 10005542 204092_s_at 22222 -14.33801143 AURKA 42 208079_s_at 22221 -14.19814583 AURKA These results support the use of TSA in the treatment of cancer. For example, an dual may be treated for cancer by administering to the individual an effective amount of TSA, wherein the effective amount is an amount sufficient to inhibit expression of AURKA in the individual. Such an amount may also be sufficient to t HDAC activity in the individual. In some embodiments of the invention, the effective amount is between about 0.1 mg/kg/day and about 10 day, e.g., between about 0.5 mg/kg/day and about 5 mg/kg/dav- In some embodiments, treating the individual may further comprise determining, from a tumor sample obtained from the dual’s body, a level of AURKA expression. Such determining may include any known or later-developed method or technique, including, for example, quantitative antigen—antibody interactions, the use of d nucleotide probes, etc.

TSA may be administered to the dual to be d in the form of a pharmaceutical composition. Pharmaceutical compositions to be used according to various embodiments of the invention comprise a therapeutically effective amount of TSA or an active metabolite of TSA, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or other form (e.g., a solvate) f, together with one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients or carriers. The phrase ”pharmaceutical composition” refers to a composition suitable for administration in medical use. It should be appreciated that the determinations of proper dosage forms, dosage amounts, and routes of administration for a particular patient are within the level of ordinary skill in the pharmaceutical and medical arts.

Administration may be oral but other routes of administration may also be employed, e.g., parenteral, nasal, buccal, transdermal, sublingual, uscular, intravenous, rectal, vaginal, etc. Solid dosage forms for oral stration include capsules, tablets, pills, powders, and granules. In such solid dosage forms, the compound is admixed with at least one inert ceutically-acceptable excipient such as (a) s or extenders, as for example, starches, lactose, sucrose, glucose, mannitol, and silicic acid, (b) binders, as for example, carboxymethylcellulose, alginates, gelatin, polyvinylpyrrolidone, e, and acacia, (c) humectants, as for e, glycerol, (d) disintegrating agents, as for example, agar-agar, m carbonate, potato or tapioca starch, alginic acid, certain complex silicates, and sodium carbonate, (e) solution retarders, as for example in, (f) absorption accelerators, as for example, quaternary ammonium compounds, (g) wetting agents, as for example, cetyl alcohol, and glycerol monostearate, (h) adsorbents, as for example, kaolin and bentonite, and (i) lubricants, as for example, talc, calcium stearate, magnesium stearate, solid polyethylene s, sodium lauryl sulfate, or mixtures thereof. In the case of capsules, tablets, and pills, the dosage forms may also comprise buffering agents. Solid dosage forms such as tablets, , capsules, pills, and granules also can be prepared with gs and shells, such as enteric coatings and others well known in the art. The solid dosage form also may contain opacifying agents, and can also be of such composition that they release the active compound or compounds in a certain part ofthe intestinal tract in a delayed manner.

Examples of embedding compositions which can be used are polymeric nces and waxes. The active compounds can also be in micro-encapsulated form, if appropriate, with one or more of the above-mentioned excipients. Such solid dosage forms may generally contain from 1% to 95% (w/w) of the active compound. In certain embodiments, the active compound ranges from 5% to 70% (w/w).

Solid compositions for oral administration can be formulated in a unit dosage form, each dosage containing from about 1 mg to about 500 mg of active ingredient. The term ”unit dosage form” refers to physically discrete units suitable as y dosages for human subjects and other s, each unit containing a predetermined quantity of active ingredient calculated to e the desired effect over the course of a treatment period, in association with the required pharmaceutical carrier. TSA can be formulated, e.g., in a unit dosage form that is a capsule having 1—500 mg of active in addition to excipients.

Liquid dosage forms for oral administration include pharmaceutically-acceptable emulsions, solutions, suspensions, syrups, and elixirs. In addition to the compound or composition, the liquid dosage forms may contain inert diluents commonly used in the art, such as water or other ts, solubilizing agents and emulsifiers, as for example, ethyl alcohol, isopropyl l, ethyl carbonate, ethyl acetate, benzyl alcohol, benzyl benzoate, propyleneglycol, 1,3-butyleneglycol, ylformamide, oils, in particular, cottonseed oil, groundnut oil, corn germ oil, olive oil, castor oil and sesame oil, glycerol, ydrofurfuryl alcohol, polyethyleneglycols and fatty acid esters of sorbitan or mixtures of these substances.

Besides such inert diluents, the composition can also include adjuvants, such as wetting agents, emulsifying and suspending , sweetening, flavoring, and perfuming agents.

In some embodiments of the invention, TSA is provided in a liquid form and administered to an individual enously.

While this invention has been described in conjunction with the specific embodiments outlined above, it is evident that many alternatives, cations and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art or are otherwise ed to be embraced. Accordingly, the embodiments of the invention as set forth above are intended to be illustrative, not ng. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the ion as defined in the following claims. All patents, patent application, scientific articles and other published documents cited herein are hereby incorporated in their entirety for the substance of their disclosures.

Claims (6)

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. Use of statin A (TSA) in the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment of a cancer in a human, the ent comprising: determination, from a tumor sample obtained from the human’s body, of a level of aurora kinase A (AURKA) expression; and in the case that the level of AURKA expression is indicative of overexpression, administration of an amount of TSA to the human to decrease the AURKA level in the human.

2. The use of claim 1, wherein the TSA r inhibits histone ylase (HDAC) activity.

3. The use of claim 1, wherein the amount of TSA to decrease the AURKA level in the human is between about 0.1 mg/kg/day and about 10 mg/kg/day or between about 0.5 mg/kg/day and about 5 mg/kg/day.

4. The use of claim 1, wherein TSA is the only AURKA inhibitor administered to the human.

5. The use of claim 1, wherein the cancer includes at least one cancer selected from a group consisting of: breast cancer, gastric cancer, colon cancer, rectal cancer, bladder cancer, pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, logical cancer, skin cancer, and malignancies.

6. The use of claim 1, wherein the stration of TSA is oral or intravenous.