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The pandemic of COVID – 19 has affected the whole world very badly. It has rapidly affected the way of living as wearing a protective or surgical face mask is new normal. It is necessary to wear a mask before entering a shop or any public place to avail of their services. Therefore, there is a need for face mask detection to help society. In this paper, we are presenting a simplified technique that detects whether a person is wearing a mask or not automatically with percentage accuracy of the fitment of the mask over the face. This technology can be used to stop the entry or warn the person to wear a mask properly before or while entering a shop or any public place. This purpose is achieved using OpenCV, Keras packages and convolutional neural network architecture (MobileNetV2). The accuracy of the face mask detection system is 96.07%.

PDF file, 71K, Pharmacokinetic Parameters in WT and TKO Mice after Oral Dosing with 15 mg/kg Dasatinib (Data presented as Mean � S.E. of Estimate).

The importance of the blood–brain barrier in preventing effective pharmacotherapy of glioblastoma has been controversial. The controversy stems from the fact that vascular endothelial cell tight junctions are disrupted in the tumor, allowing some systemic drug delivery. P-glycoprotein (Pgp) and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) efflux drugs from brain capillary endothelial cells into the blood. We tested the hypothesis that although the tight junctions are “leaky” in the core of glioblastomas, active efflux limits drug delivery to tumor-infiltrated normal brain and consequently, treatment efficacy. Malignant gliomas were induced by oncogene transfer into wild-type (WT) mice or mice deficient for Pgp and BCRP (knockout, KO). Glioma-bearing mice were orally dosed with dasatinib, a kinase inhibitor and dual BCRP/PgP substrate that is being currently tested in clinical trials. KO mice treated with dasatinib survived for twice as long as WT mice. Microdissection of the tumor core, invasive rim, and normal brain revealed 2- to 3-fold enhancement in dasatinib brain concentrations in KO mice relative to WT. Analysis of signaling showed that poor drug delivery correlated with the lack of inhibition of a dasatinib target, especially in normal brain. A majority of human glioma xenograft lines tested expressed BCRP or PgP and were sensitized to dasatinib by a dual BCRP/Pgp inhibitor, illustrating a second barrier to drug delivery intrinsic to the tumor itself. These data show that active efflux is a relevant obstacle to treating glioblastoma and provide a plausible mechanistic basis for the clinical failure of numerous drugs that are BCRP/Pgp substrates. Mol Cancer Ther; 11(10); 2183–92. ©2012 AACR.

Conjugation of oligonucleotide therapeutics, including small interfering ribonucleic acids (siRNAs) or antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) to N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) ligands has become the primary strategy for hepatocyte-targeted delivery, and with the recent approvals of GIVLAARI® (givosiran) for the treatment of acute hepatic porphyria, OXLUMOTM (lumasiran) for the treatment of primary hyperoxaluria, and Leqvio® (inclisiran) for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia, the technology has been well-validated clinically. While much knowledge has been gained over decades of development there is a paucity of published literature on the DMPK properties of GalNAc-siRNA. With this in mind the goals of this mini-review are to provide an aggregate analysis of these nonclinical ADME data to build confidence on the translation of these properties to human. Upon subcutaneous administration, GalNAc-conjugated siRNAs are quickly distributed to the liver, resulting in plasma pharmacokinetic (PK) properties that reflect rapid elimination through ASGPR-mediated uptake from circulation into hepatocytes. These studies confirm that liver PK, including half-life and, most importantly, siRNA levels in RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) in hepatocytes are better predictors of pharmacodynamics (PD) than plasma PK. Several in vitro and in vivo nonclinical studies were conducted to characterize the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) properties of GalNAc-conjugated siRNAs. These studies demonstrate that the PK/PD and ADME properties of GalNAc-conjugated siRNAs are highly conserved across species, largely predictable, and can be accurately scaled to human, allowing us to identify efficacious and safe clinical dosing regimens in the absence of human liver PK profiles. Significance Statement Several nonclinical ADME studies have been conducted in order to provide a comprehensive overview of the disposition and elimination of GalNAc-conjugated siRNAs and the PK/PD translation between species. These studies demonstrate that the ADME properties of GalNAc-conjugated siRNAs are well correlated and predictable across species building confidence in the ability to extrapolate to human.

Acute hepatic porphyria (AHP) is a family of rare, serious, and potentially life‐threatening metabolic disorders caused by mutations in genes encoding enzymes involved in hepatic heme biosynthesis. AHP is characterized by accumulation of neurotoxic heme intermediates, δ‐aminolevulinic acid (ALA), and porphobilinogen (PBG), which are thought to be causal for the disease manifestations. Novel therapeutic treatments such as givosiran, an RNA interference therapeutic that was recently approved for treatment of adults with AHP, are focused on reducing the levels of ALA and PBG in patients toward levels observed in a healthy population. While there are two published reports on the distribution of urinary ALA and PBG levels in healthy subjects, these lacked the required details to enable the calculation of reference limits for ALA and PBG. Therefore, urinary ALA and PBG levels were quantified in 150 healthy subjects using a validated liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) method that is highly sensitive, specific, accurate, and reproducible. These data were used to establish the upper limit of normal (ULN) values for ALA and PBG as 1.47 and 0.137 mmol/mol Cr, respectively. Relative to these ULN values, baseline urinary ALA and PBG levels in AHP patients were found to be 9.3‐ to 12‐fold, and 238‐ to 336‐fold higher, respectively. Results from this study can serve as a guide to assess the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions in lowering ALA and PBG.

Givosiran is a small interfering ribonucleic acid agent that was recently approved in the United States for the treatment of acute hepatic porphyria (AHP). This phase I study evaluated the safety, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic profile of subcutaneously (SC) administered givosiran in patients with acute intermittent porphyria, the most common AHP type. Givosiran was rapidly absorbed from the SC injection site with peak plasma concentrations achieved within 0.5-5 hours followed by elimination with a short half-life of 4-10 hours. Plasma exposures of AS(N-1)3' givosiran, an active metabolite with equal potency as givosiran, was 35%-75%. Givosiran treatment resulted in a rapid and dose-dependent reduction in urinary aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and porphobilinogen (PBG) towards the upper limit of normal (ULN) in AHP patients. Greater and more sustained reductions in ALA and PBG were achieved with once monthly dosing compared with once quarterly dosing. After monthly dosing, trough ALA levels were reduced to below the ULN, approximately 95% reduction from baseline, at both the 2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg doses.

Expansive soil exhibits significantly low volumetric stability when exposed to moisture fluctuations, rendering it unsuitable for use in geotechnical applications. The present study emphasizes the stabilization of expansive black cotton soil (BCS) using envirosafe alkali-activated binders (AAB) with the inclusion of polypropylene (PP) fiber. AAB is produced by the reaction between an aluminosilicate precursor (Class F fly ash and/or slag) and an alkaline activator solution containing sodium silicate and sodium hydroxide. A water-to-solid (w/s) ratio of 0.4 is maintained for the AAB used in the present study. Physical, microstructural, and mineralogical characterizations for both untreated BCS and fiber-reinforced-AAB-treated BCS are performed through a stereomicroscope, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The indirect tensile strength (ITS), swell/shrink test, California bearing ratio (CBR), and unconfined compressive strength for both untreated BCS and fiber-reinforced-AAB-treated BCS are carried out for different fly ash and GGBS (slag) proportions in the AAB mixture. The additions of varying percentages of fiber to AAB-treated BCS show a significant improvement in the geomechanical behavior of the soil. It is observed that the replacement of 5% of BCS mass by AAB prepared with 70% fly ash + 30% slag and containing 0.3% of PP fiber reduces the swelling pressure by 35–40%. The corresponding CBR and ITS values are found to increase by 40–45%. Recommendations for the practical implementation of fiber-reinforced AAB to treat BCS are provided based on the observations from this study.

Givosiran (trade name GIVLAARI) is a small interfering ribonucleic acid that targets hepatic delta-aminolevulinic acid synthase 1 (ALAS1) messenger RNA for degradation through RNA interference (RNAi) that has been approved for the treatment of acute hepatic porphyria (AHP). RNAi therapeutics, such as givosiran, have a low liability for drug-drug interactions (DDIs) because they are not metabolized by cytochrome 450 (CYP) enzymes, and do not directly inhibit or induce CYP enzymes in the liver. The pharmacodynamic effect of givosiran (lowering of hepatic ALAS1, the first and rate limiting enzyme in the heme biosynthesis pathway) presents a unique scenario where givosiran could potentially impact heme-dependent activities in the liver, such as CYP enzyme activity. This study assessed the impact of givosiran on the pharmacokinetics of substrates of 5 major CYP450 enzymes in subjects with acute intermittent porphyria (AIP), the most common type of AHP, by using the validated "Inje cocktail," comprised of caffeine (CYP1A2), losartan (CYP2C9), omeprazole (CYP2C19), dextromethorphan (CYP2D6), and midazolam (CYP3A4). We show that givosiran treatment had a differential inhibitory effect on CYP450 enzymes in the liver, resulting in a moderate reduction in activity of CYP1A2 and CYP2D6, a minor effect on CYP3A4 and CYP2C19, and a similar weak effect on CYP2C9. To date, this is the first study evaluating the DDI for an oligonucleotide therapeutic and highlights an atypical drug interaction due to the pharmacological effect of givosiran. The results of this study suggest that givosiran does not have a large effect on heme-dependent CYP enzyme activity in the liver.

TPS3171 Background: The signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) protein is activated by cytokines and growth factors resulting in tumor growth and promotion and hindering antitumor immunity. Approximately 70% of human cancers including both hematological malignancies and solid tumors exhibit increased levels of phosphorylated STAT3 (pSTAT3). There is evidence of constitutive activation of STAT3 through genetic mutations or aberrant cellular signaling pathways in tumors such as large granular lymphocytic leukemia (LGL-L), peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL), and cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL). Hyperactivation of STAT3 has been reported in a variety of solid tumors. In several of these cancers, the levels of pSTAT3 and/or activated STAT3 have been shown to correlate with poor clinical prognosis. As with other transcription factors, selective inhibition of STAT3 has been proven to be difficult with conventional therapeutic approaches. KT-333 is a potent highly selective, heterobifunctional small molecule degrader of STAT3. In preclinical studies, durable tumor regressions were seen with weekly KT-333 administration in STAT3-dependent T cell lymphomas, and antitumor activity was seen in solid tumors in combination with anti-PD1 (ASH 2021, SITC 2021). Methods: KT-333 is being evaluated in an open-label, dose escalation (Phase 1a, n = 40) study in patients with lymphomas relapsed or refractory (R/R) to at least two prior systemic treatments or for whom standard therapies are unavailable. Dose escalation will be conducted by accelerated titration followed by a 3+3 design in ascending doses of intravenous KT-333 administered once weekly in 28-day cycles to evaluate safety and define the maximum tolerated dose (MTD)/recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) (primary endpoint). Secondary endpoints include pharmacokinetics (PK) in plasma and urine and preliminary pharmacodynamic effects (PD) of KT-333 using blood (peripheral blood mononuclear cells [PBMCs], plasma/serum) and tumor tissue. After confirming the MTD/RP2D in patients with lymphoma, patients with advanced solid tumors will be enrolled in a separate Phase 1a cohort at the MTD/RP2D. In Phase 1b (n = 80), patients with PTCL, CTCL, LGL-L (T-cell LGL-L or chronic lymphoproliferative disorder of natural killer-cells), or solid tumors R/R to at least one prior systemic standard of care treatment or for whom standard therapies are not available, will be enrolled in separate 20 patient cohorts. This will further characterize safety, PK, PD and evaluate the clinical activity of KT-333. Treatment with KT-333 will continue until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or patient refusal. KT333-TL-101 began enrolling in January 2022. Clinical trial information: NCT05225584.

TPS3170 Background: Oncogenic mutations in myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MYD88) occur in approximately 25% of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) cases, including approximately 30% of activated B-cell DLBCL and up to 70% of primary extranodal DLBCL, and are associated with poor survival following 1st line therapy. MYD88 mutations result in activation of the NF-κB pathway which drive a range of pro-tumor activities including upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines and genes involved in tumor cell proliferation and survival. Activation of this pathway results in upregulation of IRF4 through the transcription factors Ikaros and Aiolos, which in turn further augments NF-kB activation while simultaneously downregulating Type I IFN signaling, thereby preventing oncogene-induced cell death. Constitutive NF-kB pathway activation resulting from MYD88 mutations is dependent on the interleukin-1 receptor associated kinase 4 (IRAK4), a key component of the myddosome complex which normally stimulates NF-kB signaling following TLR or IL-1R engagement and MYD88 activation. KT-413 is a potent and selective heterobifunctional small molecule protein degrader mediating the degradation of both IRAK4 and the IMiD substrates Ikaros and Aiolos via the ubiquitin-proteasome system. The therapeutic hypothesis is that degradation of IRAK4 and IMiD substrates will maximize NF-κB inhibition while simultaneously upregulating the Type I Interferon response, thus restoring the apoptotic response and enabling oncogene-mediated cell death, resulting in robust antitumor response in MYD88-mutant DLBCL. KT-413 induced strong antitumor activity, including complete or partial regressions, in cell line- and patient-derived xenograft models of MYD88MT DLBCL (Mayo 2021). Methods: KT-413 is being evaluated in an open label, dose escalation (Phase 1a) study in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), followed by dose expansion (Phase 1b) in patients with R/R DLBCL with documented tumor MYD88 mutation status. All patients must be ineligible or refused auto-SCT or CAR-T therapy. The Phase 1a (n = 40) utilizes an accelerated titration followed by a 3+3 design in ascending doses of IV administered KT-413 in once every 21-day cycles to identify the maximum tolerated dose (MTD)/recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) (primary endpoint). Secondary endpoints include pharmacokinetics (PK) and preliminary pharmacodynamic effects (PD) using blood and tumor tissue. Once MTD/RP2D is determined in 3-6 patients, it will be confirmed by enrolling additional patients with B-cell NHL, for a total of nine. In Phase 1b, up to 40 R/R DLBCL patients will be enrolled into one of two cohorts (n = 20): MYD88MT or MYD88WT to further characterize tolerability, PK, PD and evaluate the clinical activity of KT-413. KT413-DL-101 began enrollment in February 2022. Clinical trial information: NCT05233033.

Conjugation of oligonucleotide therapeutics, including small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) or antisense oligonucleotides, to

Expansive soil exhibits high swelling and shrinkage behavior when moisture fluctuation occurs; this volumetric variation in black cotton soil (BCS) renders unsuitable for use in geotechnical applications. The present paper emphasizes an experimental investigation on the effect of discrete polypropylene (PP) and glass fiber (GF) with alkali-activated binder (AAB) on geomechanical properties of BCS. Hence, the present study aims to compare the geoengineering and microstructural characteristics between PP and glass fiber on AAB treated BCS. PP and GF were varied from 0 to 0.4% with 5% AAB in the BCS. AAB is produced by the reaction between alkali-activator solution (sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate) and aluminosilicate precursor (Class-F fly ash/slag). Microstructural analysis for AAB treated BCS reinforced with both PP and GF is performed through a stereomicroscope, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The unconfined compressive strength (UCS), indirect tensile strength (ITS) California Bearing Ratio (CBR) and linear shrinkage tests for glass fiber-AAB and PP fiber-AAB treated BCS are carried out. The influences of varying percentages of different fiber with AAB content in the BCS show a significant improvement in geoengineering properties, especially tensile strength. It is observed that the addition of 5% AAB with 0.3% of glass fiber and PP fiber reduces the linear shrinkage by 12–15% while CBR and ITS values are increased by 20–30%. From the results, it is observed that the PP fiber-AAB treated BCS achieves maximum mechanical strength when compared to glass fiber-AAB treated BCS.

Background: Angiotensinogen (AGT) is the sole precursor of all angiotensin peptides and plays a key role in hypertension pathogenesis. We evaluated the effect of ALN-AGT01, a subcutaneous investigational RNAi therapeutic targeting hepatic AGT synthesis, on blood pressure in hypertensive patients. Methods: As part of a phase 1 program designed to assess the safety and tolerability of ALN-AGT01, we conducted a multicenter study randomizing patients aged 18-65 years with mild to moderate hypertension (mean seated systolic blood pressure [SBP] of >130 and ≤165 mmHg after washout of antihypertensive medication) 2:1 to ascending single doses of ALN-AGT01 or placebo. Change from baseline in BP at 8 weeks was measured by ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM). We report interim results as of May 14, 2020. Results: Sixty patients (mean age 52 years, 45% female, mean baseline 24h SBP 139 +/- 7 mm Hg) were enrolled in ascending dose cohorts of 10 mg, 25 mg, 50 mg, 100 mg, or 200 mg. Dose-related reductions in serum AGT levels were observed (figure), with reductions >90% in the 100 and 200 mg dose cohorts. AGT remained durably reduced through 12 weeks after single dose administration. Concomitant reductions in BP from baseline were observed with AGT knockdown, with an over 10 mm Hg reduction of mean 24-hour SBP observed at Week 8 after single doses of 100 mg or 200 mg. No symptomatic hypotension, treatment-related serious adverse events, or clinically significant elevations in blood creatinine or potassium were seen. Conclusions: Single dose administration of ALN-AGT01 to hypertensive patients resulted in dose-related reductions in serum AGT and BP over 8 weeks without hypotension or other related serious adverse events. Durable AGT knockdown to 12 weeks supports further evaluation of once quarterly or potentially less frequent dose administration.

Objectives Surgical margin status is a significant determinant of treatment outcome in oral cancer. Negative surgical margins can decrease the loco-regional recurrence by five-fold. The current standard of care of intraoperative clinical examination supplemented by histological frozen section, can result in a risk of positive margins from 5 to 17 percent. In this study, we attempted to assess the utility of intraoperative optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging with automated diagnostic algorithm to improve on the current method of clinical evaluation of surgical margin in oral cancer. Materials and methods We have used a modified handheld OCT device with automated algorithm based diagnostic platform for imaging. Intraoperatively, images of 125 sites were captured from multiple zones around the tumor of oral cancer patients (n = 14) and compared with the clinical and pathologic diagnosis. Results OCT showed sensitivity and specificity of 100%, equivalent to histological diagnosis (kappa, ĸ = 0.922), in detection of malignancy within tumor and tumor margin areas. In comparison, for dysplastic lesions, OCT-based detection showed a sensitivity of 92.5% and specificity of 68.8% and a moderate concordance with histopathology diagnosis (ĸ = 0.59). Additionally, the OCT scores could significantly differentiate squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) from dysplastic lesions (mild/moderate/severe; p ≤ 0.005) as well as the latter from the non-dysplastic lesions (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusion The current challenges associated with clinical examination-based margin assessment could be improved with intra-operative OCT imaging. OCT is capable of identifying microscopic tumor at the surgical margins and demonstrated the feasibility of mapping of field cancerization around the tumor.

The importance of the blood–brain barrier in preventing effective pharmacotherapy of glioblastoma has been controversial. The controversy stems from the fact that vascular endothelial cell tight junctions are disrupted in the tumor, allowing some systemic drug delivery. P-glycoprotein (Pgp) and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) efflux drugs from brain capillary endothelial cells into the blood. We tested the hypothesis that although the tight junctions are “leaky” in the core of glioblastomas, active efflux limits drug delivery to tumor-infiltrated normal brain and consequently, treatment efficacy. Malignant gliomas were induced by oncogene transfer into wild-type (WT) mice or mice deficient for Pgp and BCRP (knockout, KO). Glioma-bearing mice were orally dosed with dasatinib, a kinase inhibitor and dual BCRP/PgP substrate that is being currently tested in clinical trials. KO mice treated with dasatinib survived for twice as long as WT mice. Microdissection of the tumor core, invasive rim, and normal brain revealed 2- to 3-fold enhancement in dasatinib brain concentrations in KO mice relative to WT. Analysis of signaling showed that poor drug delivery correlated with the lack of inhibition of a dasatinib target, especially in normal brain. A majority of human glioma xenograft lines tested expressed BCRP or PgP and were sensitized to dasatinib by a dual BCRP/Pgp inhibitor, illustrating a second barrier to drug delivery intrinsic to the tumor itself. These data show that active efflux is a relevant obstacle to treating glioblastoma and provide a plausible mechanistic basis for the clinical failure of numerous drugs that are BCRP/Pgp substrates. Mol Cancer Ther; 11(10); 2183–92. ©2012 AACR.

The objective of this study was to determine the bioavailability and disposition of elacridar (GF120918; N-(4-(2-(1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6,7-dimethoxy-2-isoquinolinyl)ethyl)phenyl)-9,10-dihydro-5-methoxy-9-oxo-4-acridine carboxamide) in plasma and brain after various routes of administration in the mouse. Elacridar is a potent inhibitor of P-glycoprotein and breast cancer resistance protein and has been used to examine the influence of these efflux transporters on drug distribution to brain. Friend leukemia virus strain B mice were administered 100 mg/kg elacridar either orally or intraperitoneally. The absolute bioavailability of elacridar after oral or intraperitoneal dosing was determined with respect to an intravenous dose of 2.5 mg/kg. At these doses, the absolute bioavailability was 0.22 for oral administration and 0.01 for intraperitoneal administration. The terminal half-life of elacridar was approximately 4 h after intraperitoneal and intravenous administration and nearly 20 h after oral dosing. The brain-to-plasma partition coefficient (Kp,brain) of elacridar increased as plasma exposure increased, suggesting saturation of the efflux transporters at the blood-brain barrier. The Kp,brain after intravenous, intraperitoneal, and oral dosing was 0.82, 0.43, and 4.31, respectively. The low aqueous solubility and high lipophilicity of elacridar result in poor oral absorption, most likely dissolution-rate-limited. These results illustrate the importance of the route of administration and the resultant plasma exposure in achieving effective plasma and brain concentrations of elacridar and can be used as a guide for future studies involving elacridar administration and in developing formulation strategies to overcome the poor absorption.

The ATP-binding cassette transporters P-glycoprotein and breast cancer resistance protein have been shown to be critical determinants limiting drug transport across the BBB into the brain. Several therapeutic agents have been shown to be substrates for these two transporters, and as a result they have limited distribution to the brain. Recently, it has been shown that these two drug transporters cooperate at the BBB and brain penetration of dual substrates increases significantly only when both are absent, e.g., in the Mdr1a/1b(-/-)Bcrp1(-/-) mice. The present study uses the brain penetration of sorafenib to investigate these findings and attempts to explain the mechanistic basis of this cooperation with a simple theory based on affinity and capacity dependent carrier-mediated transport. The brain efflux index method, combined with the organotypic brain slices, was used to determine the net contribution of P-gp and BCRP to the total clearance of sorafenib out of the brain and show that its efflux at the BBB is mediated primarily by BCRP. Sorafenib clearance out of the brain decreased 2-fold in the Bcrp1(-/-) mice and 2.5-fold in the Mdr1a/1b(-/-)Bcrp1(-/-) mice. Clearance out of brain when P-gp was absent did not change significantly compared to wild-type. We also investigated the expression of P-gp and BCRP in the genetic knockout animals and saw no differences in either P-gp or BCRP in the transporter deficient mice compared to the wild-type mice. In conclusion, this study explains the cooperation of P-gp and BCRP by analysis of the efflux clearance of sorafenib and correlating it to the "mechanisms" that determine the clearance, i.e., affinity and capacity.

Brain cancer is a devastating disease. Despite extensive research, treatment of brain tumors has been largely ineffective and the diagnosis of brain cancer remains uniformly fatal. Failure of brain cancer treatment may be in part due to limitations in drug delivery, influenced by the ABC drug efflux transporters P-gp and BCRP at the blood-brain and blood-tumor barriers, in brain tumor cells, as well as in brain tumor stem-like cells. P-gp and BCRP limit various anti-cancer drugs from entering the brain and tumor tissues, thus rendering chemotherapy ineffective. To overcome this obstacle, two strategies – targeting transporter regulation and direct transporter inhibition – have been proposed. In this review, we focus on these strategies. We first introduce the latest findings on signaling pathways that could potentially be targeted to down-regulate P-gp and BCRP expression and/or transport activity. We then highlight in detail the new paradigm of P-gp and BCRP working as a “cooperative team of gatekeepers” at the blood-brain barrier, discuss its ramifications for brain cancer therapy, and summarize the latest findings on dual P-gp/BCRP inhibitors. Finally, we provide a brief summary with conclusions and outline the perspectives for future research endeavors in this field.

ATP-binding cassette transporters P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) have been shown to work in concert to restrict brain penetration of several tyrosine kinase inhibitors. It has been reported that P-gp is dominant in limiting transport of many dual P-gp/BCRP substrates across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). This study investigated the influence of P-gp and BCRP on the central nervous system (CNS) penetration of sorafenib, a multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor currently being evaluated in clinical trials for glioma. In vitro studies showed that BCRP has a high affinity for sorafenib. Sorafenib inhibited P-gp, but did not seem to be a P-gp substrate in vitro. CNS distribution studies showed that transport of sorafenib to the brain was restricted because of active efflux at the BBB. The brain-to-plasma equilibrium-distribution coefficient (area under the concentration-time profiles for plasma/area under the concentration-time profiles for brain) was 0.06 in wild-type mice. Steady-state brain-to-plasma concentration ratio of sorafenib was approximately 0.36 ± 0.056 in the Bcrp1(-/-) mice, 0.11 ± 0.021 in the Mdr1a/b(-/-) mice, and 0.91 ± 0.29 in the Mdr1a/b(-/-)Bcrp1(-/-) mice compared with 0.094 ± 0.007 in the wild-type mice. Sorafenib brain-to-plasma ratios increased on coadministration of the dual P-gp/BCRP inhibitor elacridar such that the ratio in wild-type mice (0.76 ± 0.24), Bcrp1(-/-) mice (1.03 ± 0.33), Mdr1a/b(-/-) mice (1.3 ± 0.29), and Mdr1a/b(-/-)Bcrp1(-/-) mice (0.73 ± 0.35) were not significantly different. This study shows that BCRP and P-gp together restrict the brain distribution of sorafenib with BCRP playing a dominant role in the efflux of sorafenib at the BBB. These findings are clinically relevant to chemotherapy in glioma if restricted drug delivery to the invasive tumor cells results in decreased efficacy.

Gefitinib is an orally active inhibitor of the epidermal growth factor receptor approved for use in patients with locally advanced or metastatic non–small cell lung cancer. It has also been evaluated in several clinical trials for treatment of brain tumors such as high-grade glioma. In this study, we investigated the influence of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) on distribution of gefitinib to the central nervous system. In vitro studies conducted in Madin-Darby canine kidney II cells indicate that both P-gp and BCRP effectively transport gefitinib, limiting its intracellular accumulation. In vivo studies demonstrated that transport of gefitinib across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is significantly limited. Steady-state brain-to-plasma (B/P) concentration ratios were 70-fold higher in the Mdr1a/b( −/− ) Bcrp1( −/− ) mice (ratio of approximately 7) compared with wild-type mice (ratio of approximately 0.1). The B/P ratio after oral administration increased significantly when gefitinib was coadministered with the dual P-gp and BCRP inhibitor elacridar. We investigated the integrity of tight junctions in the Mdr1a/b( −/− ) Bcrp1( −/− ) mice and found no difference in the brain inulin and sucrose space between the wild-type and Mdr1a/b( −/− ) Bcrp1( −/− ) mice. This suggested that the dramatic enhancement in the brain distribution of gefitinib is not due to a leakier BBB in these mice. These results show that brain distribution of gefitinib is restricted due to active efflux by P-gp and BCRP. This finding is of clinical significance for therapy in brain tumors such as glioma, where concurrent administration of a dual inhibitor such as elacridar can increase delivery and thus enhance efficacy of gefitinib.

In vitro assays are frequently used for the screening of substrates and inhibitors of transporter-mediated efflux. Examining directional flux across Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) II cell monolayers that overexpress a transporter protein is particularly useful in identifying whether or not a candidate compound is an inhibitor or substrate for that transport system. Studies that use a single substrate or inhibitor in competition assays can be challenging to interpret because of the possible multiple mechanisms involved in substrate/inhibitor-protein interactions. During our previous studies of substrate-inhibitor-transporter interactions, we observed differences in breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) inhibition, depending on the substrate and the inhibitor. Therefore, we investigated BCRP-mediated interactions with a 4 × 4 matrix of substrates and inhibitors using monolayers formed from MDCKII cells transfected with murine BCRP (Bcrp1/Abcg2). The selective BCRP inhibitor 3-(6-isobutyl-9-methoxy-1,4-dioxo-1,2,3,4,6,7,12,12a-octahydropyrazino [1′,2′:1,6] pyrido [3,4-b]indol-3-yl)-propionic acid tert-butyl ester (Ko143) effectively inhibited the Bcrp1-mediated transport of all substrates examined. However, N-(4-[2-(1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6,7-dimethoxy-2-isoquinolinyl)ethyl]-phenyl)-9,10-dihydro-5-methoxy-9-oxo-4-acridine carboxamide (GF120918), nelfinavir, and Pluronic P85 exhibited differences in inhibition depending on the substrate examined. Our findings support recent reports suggesting that the interactions of substrate molecules with BCRP involve multiple binding regions in the protein. The nucleoside substrates zidovudine and abacavir seem to bind to a region on BCRP that may have little or no overlap with the binding regions of either prazosin or imatinib. In conclusion, the choice of substrate or inhibitor molecules for an in vitro assay system can be crucial for the optimal design of experiments to evaluate transporter-mediated drug-drug interactions.

Experiments help in understanding systems. Often experiments are conducted by varying some controllable parameters. The governing mathematical expressions involving the basic parameters may not always be known. This often causes a hindrance in the deep understanding of the experimental observations. In this paper, a method is suggested by which it may be possible to approximately predict the governing formula using the experimental data. Predicting the approximate formula is instrumental in developing appropriate theory and making sense out of the experimental data. The governing formula is predicted by suitable mathematical combination of basic parameters. The use of ‘Simulated Annealing’ optimization method is made to approximately predict the governing formula from the data obtained from experiments. The method seems to be robust and can accommodate various experimental errors (like small instrumental errors, human negligence in some readings). Illustrative examples are given. One of the examples is about beam experiments, wherein it is shown how to approximately predict deflection formula. The suggested methodology holds promise in understanding system behavior from experimental observations.

Iterative Closest Point (ICP) is an algorithm used to find the rotation and translation to efficiently register two point sets. A major drawback of the ICP algorithm is that it demands the data point sets to be approximately registered before it can be applied. Genetic algorithms (GA) provide a global solution to this problem and have no such prerequisite, but their convergence speed is slow. In this paper, we have demonstrated the use of a hybrid of a binary genetic algorithm (GA) and the Comprehensive ICP (CICP) algorithm (an existing variant of the ICP algorithm) to register depth images of a human face. The application of the GA followed by the CICP algorithm has proven to be fast and efficient and has no precondition on initial registration. The hybrid algorithm was able to register twenty control points to an RMS error of 0.6148 in 2.0187 seconds on an average.)

The study objective was to investigate factors that affect the central nervous system (CNS) distribution of elacridar. Elacridar inhibits transport mediated by P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and breast cancer resistance protein (Bcrp) and has been used to study the influence of transporters on brain distribution of chemotherapeutics. Adequate distribution of elacridar across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and into the brain parenchyma is necessary to target tumor cells in the brain that overexpress transporters and reside behind an intact BBB. We examined the role of P-gp and Bcrp on brain penetration of elacridar using Friend leukemia virus strain B wild-type, Mdr1a/b(−/−), Bcrp1(−/−), and Mdr1a/b(−/−)Bcrp1(−/−) mice. Initially, the mice were administered 2.5 mg/kg of elacridar intravenously, and the plasma and brain concentrations were determined. The brain-to-plasma partition coefficient of elacridar in the wild-type mice was 0.82, as compared with 3.5 in Mdr1a/b(−/−) mice, 6.6 in Bcrp1(−/−) mice, and 15 in Mdr1a/b(−/−)Bcrp1(−/−) mice, indicating that both P-gp and Bcrp limit the brain distribution of elacridar. The four genotypes were then administered increasing doses of elacridar, and the CNS distribution of elacridar was determined. The observed and model predicted maximum brain-to-plasma ratios (Emax) at the highest dose were not significantly different in all genotypes. However, the ED50 was lower for Mdr1a/b(−/−) mice compared with Bcrp1(−/−) mice. These findings correlate with the relative expression of P-gp and Bcrp at the BBB in these mice and demonstrate the quantitative enhancement in elacridar CNS distribution as a function of its dose. Overall, this study provides useful concepts for future applications of elacridar as an adjuvant therapy to improve targeting of chemotherapeutic agents to tumor cells in the brain parenchyma.

Despite aggressive treatment with radiation and chemotherapy, recurrence of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is inevitable. The objective of this study was to show that the blood-brain barrier (BBB), through a combination of tight junctions and active efflux transporters in the brain microvasculature, can significantly restrict delivery of molecularly targeted agents to invasive glioma cells. Transgenic mice lacking P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and breast cancer resistance protein (Bcrp) were used to study efflux of erlotinib at the BBB. A U87 rat xenograft model of GBM was used to investigate the regional distribution of erlotinib to the tumor, and brain regions surrounding the tumor. The effect of concurrent administration of elacridar on regional tumor distribution of erlotinib was evaluated. We show that erlotinib transport across an intact BBB is significantly restricted due to P-gp- and Bcrp-mediated efflux transport. We then show that the BBB is sufficiently intact in areas of brain adjacent to the tumor core to significantly restrict erlotinib delivery. Inhibition of P-gp and Bcrp by the dual inhibitor elacridar dramatically increased erlotinib delivery to the tumor core, rim, and normal brain. These results provide conclusive evidence of the impact that active efflux at the BBB has on the delivery of molecularly targeted therapy to different tumor regions in glioma. These data also support the possibility that the repeated failure of clinical trials of new drugs for gliomas may be in part due to a failure to achieve effective concentrations in invasive tumor cells that reside behind an intact BBB.

Glioblastoma multiforme, due to its invasive nature, can be considered a disease of the entire brain. Despite recent advances in surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, current treatment regimens have only a marginal impact on patient survival. A crucial challenge faced by cancer researchers is to effectively deliver drugs to invasive glioma cells residing in a sanctuary within the central nervous system. The blood–brain barrier (BBB) restricts delivery of many small and large molecules into the brain. Drug delivery to the brain is further restricted by active efflux transporters present at the BBB, which transport drugs out of the brain back into the blood. Current clinical assessment of drug delivery and hence efficacy is based on the measured drug levels in the bulk tumor mass that is usually removed by surgery. Mounting evidence suggests that the inevitable relapse and lethality of glioblastoma multiforme is due to a failure to effectively treat invasive glioma cells. These invasive cells hide in areas of the brain that are shielded by an intact BBB where they continue to grow and give rise to the recurrent tumor. Effective delivery of chemotherapeutics to the invasive glioma cells is therefore critical, and long-term efficacy will depend upon the ability of a molecularly targeted agent to penetrate an intact and functional BBB throughout the entire brain. This review highlights the various aspects of the BBB, and also the brain–tumor-cell barrier, a barrier due to expression of efflux transporters in tumor cells, that together can significantly influence drug response. It then discusses the special challenge of glioma as a disease of the whole brain, which lends particular emphasis to the need to effectively deliver drugs across the BBB to reach both the central tumor and the invasive glioma cells.

The novel tyrosine kinase inhibitor dasatinib (Sprycel; BMS-354825) is approved for use in imatinib (Gleevec; STI 571)-resistant or -intolerant chronic myelogenous leukemia and may be useful for other tumors in the central nervous system (CNS). The objective of this study was to investigate the role of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) in modulating the CNS penetration of dasatinib. Results from the in vitro studies indicate that cellular delivery of dasatinib is significantly limited by active efflux due to both P-gp and BCRP. Permeability studies indicated greater permeability in the basolateral-to-apical direction than in the apical-to-basolateral direction due to active efflux by P-gp or BCRP. Selective inhibitors of P-gp and BCRP, such as (R)-4-((1aR,6R,10bS)-1,2-difluoro-1,1a,6,10b-tetrahydrodibenzo-(a,e)cyclopropa(c) cycloheptan-6-yl)-alpha-((5-quinoloyloxy)methyl)-1-piperazineethanol, trihydrochloride (zosuquidar; LY335979) and 3-(6-isobutyl-9-methoxy-1,4-dioxo-1,2,3,4,6,7,12,12alpha-octahydropyrazino1',2': 1,6pryrido3,4-bindol-3-yl)-propionic acid tert-butyl ester (Ko143), were able to restore the intracellular accumulation and abolish the directionality in net flux of dasatinib. In vivo brain distribution studies showed that the CNS distribution of dasatinib is limited, with the brain-to-plasma concentration ratios less than 0.12 in wild-type mice, which increased approximately 8-fold in Mdr1a/b(-/-) Bcrp1(-/-) mice. Dasatinib brain distribution was significantly increased in Mdr1a/b(-/-) mice and when wild-type mice were pretreated with LY335979. Simultaneous inhibition of P-gp and BCRP by elacridar [N-(4-[2-(1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6,7-dimethoxy-2-isoquinolinyl)ethyl]-phenyl)-9,10-dihydro-5-methoxy-9-oxo-4-acridine carboxamide] (GF120918) resulted in a 5-fold increase in brain concentration. These in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrate that dasatinib is a substrate for the important efflux transporters p-glycoprotein and BCRP. These transport systems play a significant role in limiting the CNS delivery of dasatinib and may have direct implications in the treatment of primary and metastatic brain tumors.