rrx-001 and Carcinoma--Squamous-Cell

RRx-001 is a novel aerospace-derived compound currently under investigation in several ongoing Phase II studies. In a Phase I trial, it demonstrated anti-cancer activity and evidence of resensitization to formerly effective therapies in heavily pre-treated patients with relapsed/refractory solid tumors. RRx-001 generates reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS) and nitric oxide (NO), elicits changes in intracellular redox status, modulates tumor blood flow, hypoxia and vascular function and triggers apoptosis in cancer cells. We investigated the effect of RRx-001 on the epigenome of SCC VII cancer cells. RRx-001 at 0.5 and 2 μM significantly decreased global DNA methylation, i.e., 5-methylcytosine levels, in SCC VII cells. Consistently, 0.5-5 μM RRx-001 significantly decreased Dnmt1 and Dnmt3a protein expression in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In addition, global methylation profiling identified differentially methylated genes in SCC VII cells treated with 0.5, 2, and 5 μM RRx-001 compared to control cells. Twenty-three target sites were hypomethylated and 22 hypermethylated by >10% in the presence of at least two different concentrations of RRx-001. Moreover, RRx-001 at 2 μM significantly increased global acetylated histone H3 and H4 levels in SCC VII cells after 24 hour treatment, suggesting that RRx-001 regulates global acetylation in cancer cells. These results demonstrate that, in contrast to the traditional "one drug one target" paradigm, RRx-001 has multi(epi)target features, which contribute to its anti-cancer activity and may rationalize the resensitization to previously effective therapies observed in clinical trials and serve as a unifying mechanism for its anticancer activity.

Topics: Acetylation; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Azetidines; Blotting, Western; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Cell Line, Tumor; DNA Methylation; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Epigenesis, Genetic; Gene Expression; Gene Expression Profiling; Humans; Mice; Nitro Compounds; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis

In an effort to develop cancer therapies that maximize cytotoxicity, while minimizing unwanted side effects, we studied a series of novel compounds based on the highly energetic heterocyclic scaffold, dinitroazetidine. In this study, we report the preclinical validation of 1-bromoacetyl-3,3-dinitroazetidine (ABDNAZ), a representative lead compound currently in a phase I clinical trial in patients with cancer. In tumor cell culture, ABDNAZ generated reactive free radicals in a concentration- and time-dependent manner, modulating intracellular redox status and triggering apoptosis. When administered to mice as a single agent, ABDNAZ exhibited greater cytotoxicity than cisplatin or tirapazamine under hypoxic conditions. However, compared with cisplatin, ABDNAZ was better tolerated at submaximal doses, yielding significant tumor growth inhibition in the absence of systemic toxicity. Similarly, when combined with radiation, ABDNAZ accentuated antitumor efficacy along with the therapeutic index. Toxicity studies indicated that ABDNAZ was not myelosuppressive and no dose-limiting toxicity was apparent following daily administration for 14 days. Taken together, our findings offer preclinical proof-of-concept for ABDNAZ as a promising new anticancer agent with a favorable toxicity profile, either as a chemotherapeutic agent or a radiosensitizer.

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Azetidines; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Cell Hypoxia; Cell Line, Tumor; Combined Modality Therapy; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Free Radicals; Humans; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C3H; Neoplasms; Nitro Compounds; Radiation-Sensitizing Agents