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Purpose: The in vivo antitumor activity of a novel topoisomerase I inhibitor, J-107088, was tested in athymic nude mice bearing subcutaneous or intracranial pediatric and adult malignant CNS tumor-derived xenografts., Methods: J-107088 was administered to animals on days 1-5 and 8-12 via intraperitoneal injection at a dose of 54 mg/kg (162 mg/m2) per day in 10% dimethyl sulfoxide in 0.9% saline. The xenografts evaluated were derived from a childhood glioblastoma multiforme (D-456 MG), a childhood medulloblastoma (D-341 MED), an adult anaplastic astrocytoma (D-54 MG), an adult glioblastoma multiforme (D-245 MG), and a procarbazine-resistant subline of D-245 MG [D-245 MG (PR)]., Results: J-107088 produced regressions and significant growth inhibition in all five of the xenograft lines growing subcutaneously. Growth delays ranged from 7.6 days with D-245 MG to 62.1 days with D-456 MG (P < 0.001). J-107088 also produced an 83% increase in survival in mice bearing intracranial D-456 MG (P < 0.001)., Conclusion: These results indicate that J-107088 may be active in the treatment of childhood and adult malignant brain tumors and provide the rationale for initiation of clinical trials with this agent.

Purpose: To further evaluate the activity of irinotecan (CPT-11) plus 1,3-bis-(chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) in the treatment of central nervous system tumor-derived xenografts in athymic nude mice., Methods: We report studies evaluating the schedule-dependence of this regimen in the treatment of the malignant glioma xenograft D-54 MG., Results: The combination of BCNU and CPT-11 showed the highest enhancement index (2.0-3.3) when BCNU was given on day 1 and CPT-11 was given on days 1-5 and 8-12. Delay of CPT-11 administration to day 3 or day 5 substantially decreased activity with enhancement indices of 1.6-1.8 and 0.6-1.0, respectively. Delay of BCNU administration to day 8 also reduced the CPT-11 activity with enhancement indices of 1.2-1.4., Conclusions: These results suggest that the presence of a BCNU-induced adduct or possibly crosslink prior to administration of CPT-11 is critical for enhanced activity. Although the mechanism of this enhancement is not currently known, a phase I trial of CPT-11 plus BCNU for adults with recurrent malignant glioma based on these results is in progress.

Purpose: The activity of vinorellbine, a new semisynthetic vinca alkaloid, was evaluated against a battery of human tumor xenografts derived from adult and pediatric CNS malignancies., Methods: Tumors included adult high-grade gliomas (D-54 MG, D-245 MG), childhood high-grade gliomas (D-212 MG, D-456 MG), medulloblastomas (D-341 MED, D-487 MED), ependymomas (D-612 EP, D-528 EP), and a mismatch repair-deficient procarbazine-resistant glioma [D-245 MG (PR)]. Tumors were grown subcutaneously in athymic nude mice and vinorelbine was administered at a dose of 11 mg/kg on days 1, 5, and 9. Additionally, vinorelbine was also administered in combination with BCNU against D-54 MG., Results: Vinorelbine produced statistically significant growth delays in D-456 MG, D-245 MG, and D-245 MG (PR). No statistically significant growth delays were observed in D-54 MG, D-487 MED, D-212 MG, D-528 EP, D-341 MED or D-612 EP. The antitumor effects of the vinorelbine/BCNU combination were additive. Growth delays observed in the procarbazine-resistant line [D-245 MG (PR)] were greater than twofold the delays seen in the parent line (D-245 MG). Vincristine was equally potent against D-245 MG and D-245 MG (PR). Taxol demonstrated little activity against D-245 MG but produced 32- and 18-day growth delays in D245 MG (PR)., Conclusions: These studies indicate that vinorelbine possesses antitumor activity against several glioma tumor xenografts with marked activity in a mismatch repair deficient-tumor.

Two major obstacles in the treatment of patients with central nervous system malignancies are drug resistance and host toxicity. The goal of combination chemotherapy is to achieve therapeutic effects that are more favorable than using a single drug alone, but without an increase in normal organ toxicity. The study reported here examined the combination of a topoisomerase I inhibitor, irinotecan (CPT-11), with three different alkylating agents: 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea, busulfan, and cyclophosphamide. We evaluated the antitumor effects of these three combinations against a panel of human tumor xenografts derived from central nervous system malignancies, including adult high-grade gliomas (D-54 MG, D-245 MG) and a childhood ependymoma (D-612 EP). In replicate experiments, the alkylating agents were given on day 1 in doses varying from 10% to 75% of the dose lethal to 10% of the animals, and CPT-11 was given on days 1-5 and 8-12 in doses varying from 10% to 100% of the dose lethal to 10% of the animals. The antitumor effects of the various combinations ranged from less than additive (7.61 days below additive with 0.5 CPT-11 + 0.75 cyclophosphamide in D-54 MG) to statistically significant (P < 0.001) supraadditive effects (18.80 days above additive with 0.5 CPT-11 + 0.5 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea in D-54 MG). These studies show that the combination of the topoisomerase inhibitor CPT-11 and alkylating agents may increase the antitumor effect in some cases well above additive with no increase in host toxicity (0/10 deaths in both experiments cited above) and should be considered for combination chemotherapy of central nervous system malignancies.

The C6-2B is a well-characterized glioma cell line used extensively in the study of malignant glial biology. While the C6-2B cell line has traditionally been thought of as a homogenous cell line, the in vitro phenotype of the C6-2B cell line can vary considerably depending on the culture technique used and the stratum on which the cells are grown. Thus, we asked whether the in vitro phenotype of the C6-2B cell line was significantly different than the in vivo phenotype of the cell line once it was engrafted into the striatum of nude rats. Under culture conditions used in our laboratory, 100% of the C6 cells were found to express p75, the low-affinity nerve growth factor (NGF) receptor, and Major Histocompatability Class I (MHC Class I), while only 10-15% demonstrated vimentin reactivity. Immunohistochemistry was consistently negative for GFAP, trkA (the high-affinity receptor for NGF), CD4, CD8, and a macrophage specific marker (Ox-41). Once engrafted into the striatum of nude rats, the cells remained 100% p75 and MHC Class I positive, and again, only 15% of the cells demonstrated vimentin reactivity. The grafted cells retained this characteristic for 28 days in vivo. Although an immunoincompetent host was selected to minimize the effects an inflammatory response would have on the graft, a transient inflammatory response was detected. During the first week of engraftment, numerous MHC class II cells, some of which were macrophages, were seen infiltrating the graft. However, by 4 weeks postengraftment, no inflammatory cells were appreciated in the graft and surprisingly little reactive gliosis was seen in the penumbra of the tumor mass. Thus, the limited number of in vitro phenotypic characteristics we examined in the C6-2B cell line remained constant once the cells were engrafted into the striatum of athymic nude rats.

Purpose: To evaluate the role of 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) plus O6-benzylguanine (O6-BG) in the treatment of both Mer+ and Mer- tumors.Methods: The effect of pretreatment with O6-BG on the activity of BCNU against Mer- human central nervous tumor xenografts D-54 MG and D-245 MG was evaluated in athymic nude mice.Results: BCNU (1.0 LD10; dose lethal to 10% of treated animals) produced growth delays of 8.9 days and 7.5 days and tumor regressions in six of ten and one of nine animals against D-54 MG, which was derived from a human malignant glioma xenograft. Dose reduction of BCNU to 0.38 LD10 eliminated antitumor activity. The combination of BCNU (0.38 LD10) plus O6-BG produced growth delays of 8.8 days and 7.9 days, with tumor regressions in four of ten and two of nine animals, respectively. BCNU (1.0 LD10) produced a growth delay of 49.8 days and ten of ten tumor regressions against D-245 MG, which was derived from a glioblastoma multiforme. BCNU (0.38 LD10) produced a growth delay of 19.4 days, with nine of ten tumor regressions. The combination of BCNU (0.38 LD10) plus O6-BG produced a growth delay of 65.7 days and seven of eight tumor regressions.Conclusion: These results suggest that the combination of BCNU plus O6-BG may be a rational intervention for both Mer+ as well as Mer- tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]