Search

Purpose:We previously demonstrated that high levels of circulating methylated DNA are associated with subsequent disease progression in women with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). In this study, we evaluated the clinical utility of a novel liquid biopsy-breast cancer methylation (LBx-BCM) prototype assay using the GeneXpert cartridge system for early assessment of disease progression in MBC.Experimental Design:The 9-marker LBx-BCM prototype assay was evaluated in TBCRC 005, a prospective biomarker study, using plasma collected at baseline, week 4, and week 8 from 144 patients with MBC.Results:At week 4, patients with MBC with high cumulative methylation (CM) had a significantly shorter median PFS (2.88 months vs. 6.60 months, P = 0.001) and OS (14.52 months vs. 22.44 months, P = 0.005) compared with those with low CM. In a multivariable model, high versus low CM was also associated with shorter PFS (HR, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.20–3.01; P = 0.006). Change in CM from baseline to week 4 (OR, 4.60; 95% CI, 1.77–11.93; P = 0.002) and high levels of CM at week 4 (OR, 2.78; 95% CI, 1.29–5.99; P = 0.009) were associated with progressive disease at the time of first restaging. A robust risk model based on week 4 circulating CM levels was developed to predict disease progression as early as 3 months after initiating a new treatment.Conclusions:The automated LBx-BCM prototype assay is a promising clinical tool for detecting disease progression a month after initiating treatment in women with MBC undergoing routine care. The next step is to validate its clinical utility for specific treatments.

The pharmacokinetics (PK) and safety of ofatumumab and bendamustine alone and in combination were evaluated in patients with treatment-naive or relapsed indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (iNHL). Patients were randomly assigned to ofatumumab and bendamustine or ofatumumab alone. Ofatumumab PK concentration profiles and parameters were similar, alone or in combination with bendamustine. A decrease of 14% in the maximum observed plasma concentration (C

Background: Clinical trials reported 25-30% pathologic complete response (pCR) rates in HER2+ breast cancer (BC) patients treated with anti-HER2 therapies without chemotherapy. We hypothesize that a multiparameter classifier can identify patients with HER2 “addicted” tumors who may benefit from a chemotherapy-sparing strategy. Patients and Methods: Baseline HER2+ BC specimens from TBCRC023 and PAMELA trials of neoadjuvant lapatinib+trastuzumab (plus endocrine therapy in ER+ tumors) were used. HER2 protein and gene amplification (ratio), HER2-enriched (HER2-E), and PIK3CA mutation status were assessed by dual gene protein assay (GPA), research-based PAM50, and targeted DNA-sequencing. GPA cutoffs and classifier of response were constructed in TBCRC023 using a decision tree algorithm, then validated in PAMELA. Results: In TBCRC023, 72 BCs had GPA, PAM50, and sequencing data, of which 15 had pCR. Recursive partitioning identified cutoffs of HER2 ratio≥4.6 and %3+ IHC-staining≥97.5%. With PAM50 and sequencing data, the model added HER2-E and PIK3CA wild-type (wt). For clinical implementation, the classifier was locked as HER2 ratio≥4.5 and %3+ IHC-staining≥90% and PIK3CA-wt and HER2-E, yielding 55% and 94% positive (PPV) and negative (NPV) predictive values, respectively. Independent validation using 44 PAMELA cases with all three biomarkers yielded 47% PPV and 82% NPV. Importantly, our classifier’s high NPV signifies its strength in accurately identifying patients who may not be good candidates for treatment de-escalation. Conclusions: Our multiparameter classifier differentially identifies patients who may benefit from HER2-targeted therapy alone from those who need chemotherapy and predicts pCR to anti-HER2 therapy alone comparable to chemotherapy plus dual anti-HER2 therapy in unselected patients.

Supplemental Methods and Figure Legends

This file contains: Supplementary Methods for Tissue Processing, RNA-seq, RNA-seq analysis, and Immunohistochemistry. Supplementary Figure 1: Overlap between clusters identified in our data and TNBC subtypes described in previous studies. Supplementary Figure 2: Heatmap of the normalized gene expression values of each of the 24 prognostic genes in each of the 47 patient's tumors. Supplementary Figure 3: Illustration of TNBC prognostic genes in the MHC II pathway. Supplementary Figure 4: Kaplan-Meier PFS curves of patients with expression levels (tertiles) of CIITA and CD74. Supplementary Table 1: Gene Expression Cluster Content and Outcomes Supplementary Table 2: Correlation Coefficient and Hazard Ratio of MHCII Genes

PDF file - 96KB, Supplementary Figure S4. Wnt/beta-catenin signaling proteins in LRP6 KD cells. Western blot for expression of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling proteins in adherent 2LMP shRNA LRP6 knockdown cells compared to shRNA control cells.

PDF file - 59KB, Supplementary Figure S5. In vivo toxicity study. Athymic nude mice were treated with niclosamide (20 mg/kg), TRA-8 (200 ng) or the combination for two weeks. Mice were weighed twice a week for two weeks.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype with heterogeneous patient outcomes. Approximately 40% of patients experience rapid relapse, while the remaining patients have long-term disease-free survival. To determine if there are molecular differences between primary tumors that predict prognosis, we performed RNA-seq on 47 macrodissected tumors from newly diagnosed patients with TNBC (n = 47; 22 relapse, 25 no relapse; follow-up median, 8 years; range, 2–11 years). We discovered that expression of the MHC class II (MHC II) antigen presentation pathway in tumor tissue was the most significant pathway associated with progression-free survival (HR, 0.36; log-rank P = 0.0098). The association between MHC II pathway expression and good prognosis was confirmed in a public gene expression database of 199 TNBC cases (HR, 0.28; log-rank P = 4.5 × 10–8). Further analysis of immunohistochemistry, laser-capture microdissected tumors, and TNBC cell lines demonstrated that tumor cells, in addition to immune cells, aberrantly express the MHC II pathway. MHC II pathway expression was also associated with B-cell and T-cell infiltration in the tumor. Together, these data support the model that aberrant expression of the MHC II pathway in TNBC tumor cells may trigger an antitumor immune response that reduces the rate of relapse and enhances progression-free survival. Cancer Immunol Res; 4(5); 390–9. ©2016 AACR.

Basal-like breast cancers (BLBC) are poorly differentiated and display aggressive clinical behavior. These tumors become resistant to cytotoxic agents, and tumor relapse has been attributed to the presence of cancer stem cells (CSC). One of the pathways involved in CSC regulation is the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. LRP6, a Wnt ligand receptor, is one of the critical elements of this pathway and could potentially be an excellent therapeutic target. Niclosamide has been shown to inhibit the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway by causing degradation of LRP6. TRA-8, a monoclonal antibody specific to TRAIL death receptor 5, is cytotoxic to BLBC cell lines and their CSC-enriched populations. The goal of this study was to examine whether niclosamide is cytotoxic to BLBCs, specifically the CSC population, and if in combination with TRA-8 could produce increased cytotoxicity. Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) is a known marker of CSCs. By testing BLBC cells for ALDH expression by flow cytometry, we were able to isolate a nonadherent population of cells that have high ALDH expression. Niclosamide showed cytotoxicity against these nonadherent ALDH-expressing cells in addition to adherent cells from four BLBC cell lines: 2LMP, SUM159, HCC1187, and HCC1143. Niclosamide treatment produced reduced levels of LRP6 and β-catenin, which is a downstream Wnt/β-catenin signaling protein. The combination of TRA-8 and niclosamide produced additive cytotoxicity and a reduction in Wnt/β-catenin activity. Niclosamide in combination with TRA-8 suppressed growth of 2LMP orthotopic tumor xenografts. These results suggest that niclosamide or congeners of this agent may be useful for the treatment of BLBC. Mol Cancer Ther; 13(4); 800–11. ©2014 AACR.

Supplementary Methods

PDF file - 128KB, Supplementary Figure S1. Sensitivity of MF10A mammary epithelial cells to niclosamide and TRA-8 mediated cytotoxicity. (A) Attached MCF10A cell line was treated for 48 hours with niclosamide (0.08, 0.1, 0.25 and 0.5 microM) and analyzed for cell viability using ATPlite assay.

HER2 is a transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptor that mediates cell growth, differentiation, and survival. HER2 is overexpressed in approximately 20% of breast cancers and in subsets of gastric, colorectal, and esophageal cancers. Both antibody and small-molecule drugs that target HER2 and block its tyrosine kinase activity are effective in treating HER2-driven cancers. In this article, we describe the preclinical properties of tucatinib, an orally available, reversible HER2-targeted small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor. In both biochemical and cell signaling experiments, tucatinib inhibits HER2 kinase activity with single-digit nanomolar potency and provides exceptional selectivity for HER2 compared with the related receptor tyrosine kinase EGFR, with a >1,000-fold enhancement in potency for HER2 in cell signaling assays. Tucatinib potently inhibits signal transduction downstream of HER2 and HER3 through the MAPK and PI3K/AKT pathways and is selectively cytotoxic in HER2-amplified breast cancer cell lines in vitro. In vivo, tucatinib is active in multiple HER2+ tumor models as a single agent and shows enhanced antitumor activity in combination with trastuzumab or docetaxel, resulting in improved rates of partial and complete tumor regression. These preclinical data, taken together with the phase-I tucatinib clinical trial results demonstrating preliminary safety and activity, establish the unique pharmacologic properties of tucatinib and underscore the rationale for investigating its utility in HER2+ cancers.

PDF file - 89KB, Supplementary Table S1. Sensitivity of BLBC cell lines to niclosamide mediated cytotoxicity. SUM159, HCC1187, HCC1143 and 2LMP BLBC NAAE and adherent cell lines were treated with niclosamide for 48 hours and analyzed for viability using the ATPlite assay. Individual experiments were assayed in quadruplicate and values represent the mean and SD of three independent experiments. SUM159 P < 0.05, HCC1187 P < 0.05, HCC1143 P < 0.0005, 2LMP P > 0.05.

SFigure1: HER2+ breast cancer cells are sensitive to nirparib SFigure2: HER2+ breast cancer microtumors are sensitive to ABT-888 SFigure3: (A) ABT-888 reduces PAR levels in HER2+ xenograft models. (B) ABT-888 did not cause weight loss in mice SFigure4: Two different PARP-1 siRNAs decrease cell proliferation in HER2+ trastuzumab resistant breast cancer cells. SFigure5: Cell cycle distribution is not affected by PARPi in HER2+ trastuzumab resistant cell lines. SFigure6: IKK protein levels were decreased after treatment with Sigma-Aldrich''s PARP-1 siRNA. SFigure7: PARP-1 and IL-8 gene expression levels after PARP-1 knockdown or inhibition in HER2+ parental and trastuzumab resistant breast cancer cell lines. SFigure8: BRCA2 gene and protein expression levels in BT-474 trastuzumab resistant breast cancer cell lines after PARP-1 knockdown.

PDF file - 72KB, Supplementary Table S2. Immunohistochemistry of mouse tumors treated for two weeks with vehicle control, niclosamide (20 mg/kg), TRA-8 (200 micro-g) or the combination of both agents. Tumors were stained and analyzed (H-score) for p-STAT3, cytosolic beta-catenin, nuclear beta-catenin and cleaved caspase 3. The values represent an average of three tumors per group (plus-minus SE).

PDF file - 209KB, Supplementary Figure S2. Niclosamide effect on Wnt/beta-catenin signaling. Activity of TCF/LEF plasmid reporter in the TOPflash assay was evaluated on adherent 2LMP, SUM159, HCC143 and HCC1187 cells. Cell lines were treated with 1 microM niclosamide for 24 hours (SUM159, HCC1143 and HCC1187) or with 0.25 microM niclosamide (2LMP). Each cell line was also treated with Wnt3A ligand (5 ng/mL) alone and in combination with niclosamide. The experiment was performed in triplicate. The bars represent means plus-minus SE. Treatment was compared to control or Wnt3A. Niclosamide vs. control (*P < 0.05), niclosamide vs. control (**P < 0.01), niclosamide vs. Wnt3A (#P < 0.05), niclosamide + Wnt3A vs. Wnt3A (##P < 0.01).

HER2-targeted therapies, such as trastuzumab, have increased the survival rates of HER2+ breast cancer patients. However, despite these therapies, many tumors eventually develop resistance to these therapies. Our lab previously reported an unexpected sensitivity of HER2+ breast cancer cells to poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi), agents that target homologous recombination (HR)–deficient tumors, independent of a DNA repair deficiency. In this study, we investigated whether HER2+ trastuzumab-resistant (TR) breast cancer cells were susceptible to PARPi and the mechanism behind PARPi induced cytotoxicity. We demonstrate that the PARPi ABT-888 (veliparib) decreased cell survival in vitro and tumor growth in vivo of HER2+ TR breast cancer cells. PARP-1 siRNA confirmed that cytotoxicity was due, in part, to PARP-1 inhibition. Furthermore, PARP-1 silencing had variable effects on the expression of several NF-κB–regulated genes. In particular, silencing PARP-1 inhibited NF-κB activity and reduced p65 binding at the IL8 promoter, which resulted in a decrease in IL8 mRNA and protein expression. Our results provide insight in the potential mechanism by which PARPi induces cytotoxicity in HER2+ breast cancer cells and support the testing of PARPi in patients with HER2+ breast cancer resistant to trastuzumab. Mol Cancer Ther; 17(5); 921–30. ©2018 AACR.

Supplementary Figure S1: Comparative potency of tucatinib, neratinib, and lapatinib in cellular HER2 and EGFR phosphorylation assays; Supplementary Figure S2: Effect of tucatinib, trastuzumab, or combination treatment on mouse body weight in HER2+ PDX models; Supplementary Table S1: Tucatinib activity correlates with HER2 surface receptor density; Supplementary Table S2. HER2 copy number variation in PDX models

PDF file - 99KB, Supplementary Figure S3. ATPlite viability of cells treated with niclosamide. 2LMP, SUM159, HCC1143 and HCC1187 adherent (A) or NAAE (B) cells were treated with niclosamide for 24 hours and analyzed for viability using ATPlite assay. Individual experiments were assayed in triplicate and values represent the mean plus-minus SE.

Purpose:We previously demonstrated that high levels of circulating methylated DNA are associated with subsequent disease progression in women with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). In this study, we evaluated the clinical utility of a novel liquid biopsy-breast cancer methylation (LBx-BCM) prototype assay using the GeneXpert cartridge system for early assessment of disease progression in MBC.Experimental Design:The 9-marker LBx-BCM prototype assay was evaluated in TBCRC 005, a prospective biomarker study, using plasma collected at baseline, week 4, and week 8 from 144 patients with MBC.Results:At week 4, patients with MBC with high cumulative methylation (CM) had a significantly shorter median PFS (2.88 months vs. 6.60 months, P = 0.001) and OS (14.52 months vs. 22.44 months, P = 0.005) compared with those with low CM. In a multivariable model, high versus low CM was also associated with shorter PFS (HR, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.20–3.01; P = 0.006). Change in CM from baseline to week 4 (OR, 4.60; 95% CI, 1.77–11.93; P = 0.002) and high levels of CM at week 4 (OR, 2.78; 95% CI, 1.29–5.99; P = 0.009) were associated with progressive disease at the time of first restaging. A robust risk model based on week 4 circulating CM levels was developed to predict disease progression as early as 3 months after initiating a new treatment.Conclusions:The automated LBx-BCM prototype assay is a promising clinical tool for detecting disease progression a month after initiating treatment in women with MBC undergoing routine care. The next step is to validate its clinical utility for specific treatments.

Association between week 4 CM and disease status at first restaging after adjusting for CEA.

Supplementary Figure 2 displays the relationship between the week 8 CM level and the change in CM level (Week 8 – baseline). Figure S4B and C use box plots to display the relationship between disease status at first restaging and week 8 CM level or change in CM level (Week 8 – baseline).

Supplementary Figure 1 - PDF file 44K, Supplementary Figure 1A-D. Median hormone levels at baseline, C2 and EOS

Purpose:To evaluate safety and efficacy outcomes for subjects on the ECHELON-1 study treated in North America (NA).Patients and Methods:ECHELON-1 is a global, open-label, randomized phase III study comparing doxorubicin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine in combination with brentuximab vedotin (A+AVD) versus ABVD (AVD + bleomycin) as first-line therapy in subjects with stage III or IV classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL; NCT01712490). Subjects were randomized 1:1 to receive A+AVD or ABVD intravenously on days 1 and 15 of each 28-day cycle for up to 6 cycles.Results:The NA subgroup consisted of 497 subjects in the A+AVD (n = 250) and ABVD (n = 247) arms. Similar to the primary analysis based on the intent-to-treat population, the primary endpoint [modified progression-free survival (PFS) per independent review] demonstrated an improvement among subjects who received A+AVD compared with ABVD (HR = 0.60; P = 0.012). For PFS, the risk of progression or death was also reduced (HR = 0.50; P = 0.002). Subsequent anticancer therapies were lower in the A+AVD arm. Grade 3 or 4 adverse events (AEs) were more common, but there were fewer study discontinuations due to AEs in the A+AVD arm as compared with ABVD. Noted differences between arms included higher rates of febrile neutropenia (20% vs. 9%) and peripheral neuropathy (80% vs. 56%), but lower rates of pulmonary toxicity (3% vs. 10%) in subjects treated with A+AVD versus ABVD.Conclusions:The efficacy benefit and manageable toxicity profile observed in the NA subgroup of ECHELON-1 support A+AVD as a frontline treatment option for patients with stage III or IV cHL.

PDF file - 69K

Everolimus Inhibited mTOR Activity as Assessed by pS6 Expression without Significant Correlation with Clinical Activity

PDF file - 45KB

Percentage Change from Baseline (PCB) for B-cells (CD19+) and Immunoglobulins (Ig)at 20-day time intervals post-baseline.

Percentage Change from Baseline (PCB) for B-cells (CD19+) and Immunoglobulins (Ig)at 20-day time intervals post-baseline.

Supplementary Figures S1, S2, S3 and Tables S1, S2

Purpose: Tigatuzumab (TIG), an agonistic anti-DR5 antibody, triggers apoptosis in DR5+ human tumor cells without crosslinking. TIG has strong in vitro/in vivo activity against basal-like breast cancer cells enhanced by chemotherapy agents. This study evaluates activity of TIG and chemotherapy in patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).Experimental Design: Randomized 2:1 phase II trial of albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-PAC) ± TIG in patients with TNBC stratified by prior chemotherapy. Patients received nab-PAC weekly × 3 ± TIG every other week, every 28 days. Primary objective was within-arm objective response rate (ORR). Secondary objectives were safety, progression-free survival (PFS), clinical benefit, and TIG immunogenicity. Metastatic research biopsies were required.Results: Among 64 patients (60 treated; TIG/nab-PAC n = 39 and nab-PAC n = 21), there were 3 complete remissions (CR), 8 partial remissions (PR; 1 almost CR), 11 stable diseases (SD), and 17 progressive diseases (PD) in the TIG/nab-PAC arm (ORR, 28%), and no CRs, 8 PRs, 4 SDs, and 9 PDs in the nab-PAC arm (ORR, 38%). There was a numerical increase in CRs and several patients had prolonged PFS (1,025+, 781, 672, 460, 334) in the TIG/nab-PAC arm. Grade 3 toxicities were 28% and 29%, respectively, with no grade 4–5. Exploratory analysis suggests an association of ROCK1 gene pathway activation with efficacy in the TIG/nab-PAC arm.Conclusions: ORR and PFS were similar in both. Preclinical activity of TIG in basal-like breast cancer and prolonged PFS in few patients in the combination arm support further investigation of anti-DR5 agents. ROCK pathway activation merits further evaluation. Clin Cancer Res; 21(12); 2722–9. ©2015 AACR.See related article by Paoletti et al., p. 2771

Purpose: Because of inherent disease heterogeneity, targeted therapies have eluded triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), and biomarkers predictive of treatment response have not yet been identified. This study was designed to determine whether the mTOR inhibitor everolimus with cisplatin and paclitaxel would provide synergistic antitumor effects in TNBC.Methods: Patients with stage II/III TNBC were enrolled in a randomized phase II trial of preoperative weekly cisplatin, paclitaxel and daily everolimus or placebo for 12 weeks, until definitive surgery. Tumor specimens were obtained at baseline, cycle 1, and surgery. Primary endpoint was pathologic complete response (pCR); secondary endpoints included clinical responses, breast conservation rate, safety, and discovery of molecular features associated with outcome.Results: Between 2009 and 2013, 145 patients were accrued; 36% of patients in the everolimus arm and 49% of patients in the placebo arm achieved pCR; in each arm, 50% of patients achieved complete responses by imaging. Higher rates of neutropenia, mucositis, and transaminase elevation were seen with everolimus. Clinical response to therapy and long-term outcome correlated with increased frequency of DNA damage response (DDR) gene mutations, Basal-like1 and Mesenchymal TNBC-subtypes, AR-negative status, and high Ki67, but not with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes.Conclusions: The paclitaxel/cisplatin combination was well tolerated and active, but addition of everolimus was associated with more adverse events without improvement in pCR or clinical response. However, discoveries made from correlative studies could lead to predictive TNBC biomarkers that may impact clinical decision-making and provide new avenues for mechanistic exploration that could lead to clinical utility. Clin Cancer Res; 23(15); 4035–45. ©2017 AACR.

Purpose: Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 drives cell proliferation in estrogen receptor–positive (ER+) breast cancer. This single-arm phase II neoadjuvant trial (NeoPalAna) assessed the antiproliferative activity of the CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib in primary breast cancer as a prelude to adjuvant studies.Experimental Design: Eligible patients with clinical stage II/III ER+/HER2− breast cancer received anastrozole 1 mg daily for 4 weeks (cycle 0; with goserelin if premenopausal), followed by adding palbociclib (125 mg daily on days 1–21) on cycle 1 day 1 (C1D1) for four 28-day cycles unless C1D15 Ki67 > 10%, in which case patients went off study due to inadequate response. Anastrozole was continued until surgery, which occurred 3 to 5 weeks after palbociclib exposure. Later patients received additional 10 to 12 days of palbociclib (Cycle 5) immediately before surgery. Serial biopsies at baseline, C1D1, C1D15, and surgery were analyzed for Ki67, gene expression, and mutation profiles. The primary endpoint was complete cell cycle arrest (CCCA: central Ki67 ≤ 2.7%).Results: Fifty patients enrolled. The CCCA rate was significantly higher after adding palbociclib to anastrozole (C1D15 87% vs. C1D1 26%, P < 0.001). Palbociclib enhanced cell-cycle control over anastrozole monotherapy regardless of luminal subtype (A vs. B) and PIK3CA status with activity observed across a broad range of clinicopathologic and mutation profiles. Ki67 recovery at surgery following palbociclib washout was suppressed by cycle 5 palbociclib. Resistance was associated with nonluminal subtypes and persistent E2F-target gene expression.Conclusions: Palbociclib is an active antiproliferative agent for early-stage breast cancer resistant to anastrozole; however, prolonged administration may be necessary to maintain its effect. Clin Cancer Res; 23(15); 4055–65. ©2017 AACR.