Synergistic antitumor activities of sepantronium bromide (YM155), a survivin suppressant, in combination with microtubule-targeting agents in triple-negative breast cancer cells

Biol Pharm Bull. 2013;36(12):1921-7. doi: 10.1248/bpb.b13-00515.

Abstract

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has a poor prognosis compared to other subtypes, and effective treatment options are limited to cytotoxic agents, including microtubule-targeting agents, due to the lack of molecular targets. Here, we examined the combined effect of sepantronium bromide (YM155) and microtubule-targeting agents in TNBC models. The combination of YM155 with docetaxel showed synergistic antiproliferative and caspase 3/7-inducing effects in MRK-nu-1 and MDA-MB-453 human TNBC cell lines in vitro. YM155 also synergistically enhanced the efficacies of other microtubule-targeting agents, including paclitaxel and vinorelbine, which induced accumulation of survivin at the G2/M phase, whereas it did not affect the efficacy of doxorubicin. Combination treatment with YM155 and microtubule-targeting agents decreased the accumulation of survivin at the G2/M phase and induced greater apoptosis than either single agent alone. Further, combination treatment with YM155 and docetaxel also had a synergistic antitumor effect, achieving complete regression without exacerbation of body weight loss in all mice, in a MRK-nu-1 human TNBC xenograft model. These results suggest that survivin inhibition synergistically sensitize human TNBC cells to microtubule-targeting agents.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / administration & dosage
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use*
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Docetaxel
  • Drug Synergism
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Imidazoles / administration & dosage
  • Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Nude
  • Naphthoquinones / administration & dosage
  • Survivin
  • Taxoids / administration & dosage
  • Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • BIRC5 protein, human
  • Imidazoles
  • Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins
  • Naphthoquinones
  • Survivin
  • Taxoids
  • Docetaxel
  • sepantronium