mln-8237 and Carcinoma--Squamous-Cell

Patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) typically present with locally advanced (LA) stage III or IV disease and are treated with combined-modality therapy with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery (if resectable). These aggressive, upfront treatment measures are often associated with substantial morbidity, and about half the patients develop locoregional or distant recurrences. Thus, new therapeutic strategies are needed that offer similar efficacy benefits with less toxicity. Current research is focused on selectively targeting signaling pathways involved in the proliferation and malignant transformation of SCCHN cells and the tumor microenvironment. For example, the ErbB receptor pathway has been implicated in the development and progression of SCCHN, and several agents targeting this pathway and downstream effectors are in various phases of clinical investigation. Cetuximab, a monoclonal antibody against epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), is the only currently approved targeted therapy for the treatment of LA SCCHN. Additional agents targeting EGFR and other ErbB family members, including monoclonal antibodies (eg, panitumumab, nimotuzumab) and small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors (eg, erlotinib, afatinib, lapatinib) are being studied in LA SCCHN with varying results. Other treatment strategies for LA SCCHN include targeting downstream effectors of signaling and resistance mechanisms to EGFR inhibitors (eg, mammalian target of rapamycin, Src family, and Aurora kinase family). Data from ongoing and future clinical trials will continue to refine current treatment paradigms for LA SCCHN and provide new therapeutic options and potential predictive biomarkers to improve patient efficacy and safety and abrogate resistance.

Topics: Afatinib; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; Azepines; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Cetuximab; Dasatinib; ErbB Receptors; Erlotinib Hydrochloride; Head and Neck Neoplasms; Humans; Lapatinib; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Panitumumab; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Pyrimidines; Quinazolines; Quinazolinones; Signal Transduction; Sirolimus

Aurora-A kinases are overexpressed in many cancer tissues and cells. Alisertib is an investigational, orally administered, selective, small-molecule Aurora-A kinase inhibitor with preclinical activity against a broad range of tumors. Our study was aimed to detect the effects of alisertib on human tongue squamous cell carcinoma (HTSCC). Treatment of a human tongue squamous cell carcinoma cell line, HSC-3, with alisertib to inhibition of Aurora-A kinases reduced proliferation and induced apoptosis, which was accompanied by activation of the ATM/Chk2/p53 pathway. In vivo, inhibition of Aurora-A kinases in established xenografted tumors decreased tumor size and weight. Kaplan-Meyer survival analysis demonstrated that the cumulative survival time of mice without Aurora-A kinases was significantly longer than those with Aurora-A kinases. Our data provide the basis for developing alisertib to treat human tongue squamous cell carcinoma.

Topics: Animals; Apoptosis; Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins; Aurora Kinase A; Azepines; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Cell Line, Tumor; Checkpoint Kinase 2; Humans; Mice; Mice, Nude; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Pyrimidines; Signal Transduction; Tongue Neoplasms; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays