Antitumor activity of the c-Myc inhibitor KSI-3716 in gemcitabine-resistant bladder cancer

Oncotarget. 2014 Jan 30;5(2):326-37. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.1545.

Abstract

Intravesical instillation of chemotherapeutic agents is a well-established treatment strategy to decrease recurrence following transurethral resection in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. Gemcitabine is a recently developed treatment option. However, the curative effects of gemcitabine are far from satisfactory due to de novo or acquired drug resistance. In a previous study, we reported that intravesical administration of the c-Myc inhibitor KSI-3716 suppresses tumor growth in an orthotopic bladder cancer model. Here, we explored whether KSI-3716 inhibits gemcitabine-resistant bladder cancer cell proliferation. As expected from the in vitro cytotoxicity of gemcitabine in several bladder cancer cell lines, gemcitabine effectively suppressed the growth of KU19-19 xenografts in nude mice, although all mice relapsed later. Long-term in vitro exposure to gemcitabine induced gemcitabine-specific resistance. Gemcitabine-resistant cells, termed KU19-19/GEM, formed xenograft tumors even in the presence of 2 mg/kg gemcitabine. Interestingly, KU19-19/GEM cells up-regulated c-Myc expression in the presence of the gemcitabine and resisted to the gemcitabine, however was suppressed by the KSI-3716. The sequential addition of gemcitabine and KSI-3716 inhibited gemcitabine-resistant cell proliferation to a great extent than each drug alone. These results suggest that sequential treatment with gemcitabine and KSI-3716 may be beneficial to bladder cancer patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 4-Quinolones / pharmacology*
  • Aniline Compounds / pharmacology*
  • Animals
  • Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / pharmacology*
  • Cell Growth Processes / drug effects
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Deoxycytidine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Deoxycytidine / pharmacology
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm
  • Female
  • Gemcitabine
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Nude
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / drug therapy
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • 4-Quinolones
  • Aniline Compounds
  • Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic
  • KSI-3716
  • Deoxycytidine
  • Gemcitabine