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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2011 Feb 1.
Published in final edited form as: Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2010 Feb;54(2):307–310. doi: 10.1002/pbc.22188

Initial Testing (Stage 1) of Mapatumumab (HGS-ETR1) by the Pediatric Preclinical Testing Program

Malcolm A Smith 1, Christopher L Morton 2, E Anders Kolb 3, Richard Gorlick 4, Stephen T Keir 5, Hernan Carol 6, Richard Lock 6, Min H Kang 7, C Patrick Reynolds 7, John M Maris 8, Amy E Watkins 2, Peter J Houghton 2
PMCID: PMC2794954  NIHMSID: NIHMS123744  PMID: 19856388

Abstract

Mapatumumab (HGS-ETR1) is a fully human IgG1 agonistic monoclonal antibody that exclusively targets and activates tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand receptor 1 (TRAIL-R1). It was tested in vitro at concentrations from 0.01 to 100 μg/ml and in vivo at a dose of 10 mg/kg administered intraperitoneally using a twice-weekly schedule. Mapatumumab demonstrated limited activity against the 23 cell lines of the PPTP in vitro panel with no lines achieving 50% growth inhibition. Mapatumumab induced significant differences in event-free survival distribution compared to controls in 9 of 37 evaluable solid tumor xenografts tested, but in none of the 8 ALL xenografts.

Keywords: Preclinical Testing, Developmental Therapeutics, Mapatumumab

INTRODUCTION

Mapatumumab (HGS-ETR1) is a fully human IgG1 agonistic monoclonal antibody that exclusively targets and activates tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand receptor 1 (TRAIL-R1). Mapatumumab induces regressions as a single agent against TRAIL-R1–expressing adult tumor xenografts of multiple histologies (e.g., colon, non-small cell lung, and renal cancer) [1], and it enhances the antitumor activity of cytotoxic agents against multiple adult cancer cell lines [1,2]. Mapatumumab is under clinical evaluation in adults with cancer, both as a single agent and in combination with cytotoxic agents [3,4].

Previous reports have described TRAIL-induced apoptosis in pediatric cell lines. For example, in a panel of 7 rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines, three showed high level sensitivity to TRAIL [5]. TRAIL-induced apoptosis has also been reported to occur in a high percentage of Ewing sarcoma cell lines, and both Ewing sarcoma cell lines and clinical specimens express TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2 in a high percentage of cases [68]. Neuroblastoma cell lines are generally reported to be resistant to TRAIL-induced apoptosis [911], which may be the result of lack of caspase-8 expression secondary to promoter methylation as well as due to the absence of both TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2 in some cell lines [911]. The PPTP evaluated mapatumumab to gain insight into the potential of TRAIL-R1 directed therapy for pediatric tumors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In vitro testing

In vitro testing was performed using the DIMSCAN method, as previously described [12]. Cells were incubated in the presence of mapatumumab for 96 hours at concentrations from 0.01 μg/ml to 100 μg/ml and analyzed as previously described[13].

In vivo tumor growth inhibition studies

CB17SC-M scid−/− female mice (Taconic Farms, Germantown NY), were used to propagate subcutaneously implanted kidney/rhabdoid tumors, sarcomas (Ewing, osteosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma), neuroblastoma, and non-glioblastoma brain tumors, while BALB/c nu/nu mice were used for glioma models, as previously described [14,15]. Human leukemia cells were propagated by intravenous inoculation in female non-obese diabetic (NOD)/scid−/− mice as described previously [16]. Experiments were conducted using protocols and conditions approved by the institutional animal care and use committee of the appropriate consortium member. Responses were determined using three activity measures as previously described [17]. An in-depth description of the analysis methods is included in the Supplemental Response Definitions.

Statistical Methods

The exact log-rank test, as implemented using Proc StatXact for SAS®, was used to compare event-free survival distributions between treatment and control groups. P-values were two-sided and were not adjusted for multiple comparisons given the exploratory nature of the studies.

Drugs and Formulation

Mapatumumab was provided to the Pediatric Preclinical Testing Program by Human Genome Sciences. Mapatumumab was dissolved in phosphate buffered saline and administered intraperitoneally using a twice-weekly schedule for 6 weeks at a dose of 10 mg/kg. Mapatumumab was provided to each consortium investigator in coded vials for blinded testing.

RESULTS

In vitro testing

Mapatumumab was tested against the PPTP’s in vitro cell lines at concentrations ranging from 0.01 μg/ml to 100 μg/ml. Mapatumumab demonstrated very limited activity against the 23 cell lines of the PPTP in vitro panel, with no lines achieving 50% growth inhibition. The minimum T/C (%) values for each cell line tested are provided in Supplemental Table I.

In vivo testing

Mapatumumab was evaluated in 46 xenograft models and was well tolerated at the dose and schedule used for in vivo testing. For unknown reasons, two of the neuroblastoma xenografts (NB-1643 and NB-SD) showed excessive toxicity (15 of 20 toxic deaths) when initially tested against mapatumumab. Repeat testing of the same xenografts produced no toxicity. With the initial testing of the two neuroblastoma xenografts omitted, treated and control animals experienced similar toxicity rates with 12 of 894 (1.3%) mice dying during the study [5 of 434 (1.2%) in the control arms and 7 of 440 (1.6%) in the mapatumumab treatment arms]. There were 45 xenograft models evaluable for efficacy, with only one xenograft line (NB-1771) excluded from reporting because of excessive toxicity. A complete summary of results is provided in Supplemental Table II, including total numbers of mice, number of mice that died (or were otherwise excluded), numbers of mice with events and average times to event, tumor growth delay, as well as numbers of responses and T/C values.

Mapatumumab induced significant differences in EFS distribution compared to controls in 9 of 37 evaluable solid tumor xenografts tested (Table I). Significant differences in EFS distribution occurred in one-half of xenografts in the glioblastoma panel (2 of 4) and the osteosarcoma panel (3 of 6). None of the 8 ALL xenografts demonstrated significant differences in EFS distribution between the treated and control groups. Although there were significant differences in EFS distribution for selected solid tumor xenografts, the EFS T/C values were below the criteria for intermediate activity for the time to event measure of activity (EFS T/C > 2). No objective responses were observed in any of the solid tumor panels or in the ALL panel. The best response was PD2 (progressive disease with growth delay), with PD2 activity concentrated in the glioblastoma panel (2 of 4) and the neuroblastoma panel (2 of 5) (Table I). The objective response results for both solid tumors and leukemia models in a ‘COMPARE’ format, based on the objective response scoring criteria centered around the midpoint score of 5 that represents stable disease (Supplemental Figure 1).

Table I.

Activity for Mapatumumab against the PPTP in vivo

Xenograft
Line
Histology KM Estimate
of Median
Time to
Event
P-value EFS T/C Median
Final
RTV
Tumor
Volume
T/C
P-Value Median
Group
Response
T/C
Activity
EFS
Activity
Response
Activity
BT-29 Rhabdoid 14.7 0.302 0.8 >4 1.11 0.315 PD1 Low Low Low
KT-14 Rhabdoid 18.2 0.409 1 >4 0.85 0.661 PD1 Low Low Low
KT-12 Rhabdoid 11.5 0.287 1 >4 0.86 0.529 PD1 Low Low Low
KT-10 Wilms 8.5 0.174 0.8 >4 1.1 0.497 PD1 Low Low Low
KT-11 Wilms 11.8 0.551 1.1 >4 0.87 0.442 PD1 Low Low Low
KT-13 Wilms 8.9 0.788 0.9 >4 1.11 0.549 PD1 Low Low Low
SK-NEP-1 Ewing 8.8 <0.001 1.1 >4 0.88 0.218 PD1 Low Low Low
EW5 Ewing 15.9 0.217 1.2 >4 0.98 0.447 PD1 Low Low Low
EW8 Ewing 14.6 0.094 1.2 >4 0.88 0.123 PD1 Low Low Low
TC-71 Ewing 8 0.64 1 >4 1.05 0.897 PD1 Low Low Low
CHLA258 Ewing 11 0.147 0.8 >4 1.68 0.052 PD1 Low Low Low
Rh28 ALV RMS 23.9 0.67 1.1 >4 0.67 0.143 PD1 Low Low Low
Rh30 ALV RMS 20.1 0.657 1 >4 1.26 0.739 PD1 Low Low Low
Rh30R ALV RMS 15.6 0.423 1 >4 0.91 0.393 PD1 Low Low Low
Rh41 ALV RMS 12.4 0.014 0.9 >4 1.12 0.016 PD1 Low Low Low
Rh65 ALV RMS 21.7 0.29 0.9 >4 1.14 0.360 PD1 Low Low Low
Rh18 EMB RMS 12.5 0.07 1.1 >4 0.77 0.133 PD1 Low Low Low
BT-28 Medulloblastoma 11.9 0.724 1 >4 1.02 1.000 PD1 Low Low Low
BT-45 Medulloblastoma 18.3 <0.001 1.2 >4 0.67 <0.001 PD1 Low Low Low
BT-50 Medulloblastoma > EP 0.347 > 1.0 3.8 0.76 0.029 PD2 Low NE Int
BT-36 Ependymoma > EP 0.591 . 2.8 0.95 1.000 PD2 Low NE Int
BT-44 Ependymoma 13.4 0.085 0.9 >4 1.28 0.247 PD1 Low Low Low
GBM2 Glioblastoma 34.2 0.001 1.8 >4 0.54 <0.001 PD2 Low Low Int
BT-39 Glioblastoma 11.4 0.858 1 >4 1.14 0.393 PD1 Low Low Low
D645 Glioblastoma 10.6 0.809 1 >4 0.96 0.780 PD1 Low Low Low
D456 Glioblastoma 10.2 0.002 1.7 >4 0.58 0.004 PD2 Low Low Int
NB-1691 Neuroblastoma 10.3 0.134 0.8 >4 1.65 0.029 PD1 Low Low Low
NB-EBc1 Neuroblastoma 26.3 <0.001 1.6 >4 0.37 0.006 PD2 Int Low Int
CHLA-79 Neuroblastoma 6.7 0.22 0.8 >4 1.33 0.393 PD1 Low Low Low
NB-SD Neuroblastoma 20.1 0.051 1.6 >4 0.58 0.075 PD2 Low Low Int
NB-1643 Neuroblastoma 30.2 0.005 1.2 >4 0.81 0.968 PD1 Low Low Low
OS-1 Osteosarcoma 33.7 0.527 1.1 >4 0.9 0.353 PD1 Low Low Low
OS-2 Osteosarcoma 23 <0.001 1.3 >4 0.67 0.002 PD1 Low Low Low
OS-17 Osteosarcoma 25.9 0.021 1.3 >4 0.7 0.028 PD1 Low Low Low
OS-9 Osteosarcoma > EP 0.001 > 1.5 3.7 0.63 <0.001 PD2 Low NE Int
OS-33 Osteosarcoma 14.1 0.244 1.1 >4 0.83 0.353 PD1 Low Low Low
OS-31 Osteosarcoma 22 0.473 1.4 >4 0.67 0.052 PD1 Low Low Low
ALL-2 ALL B-precursor 18.4 0.786 1.2 >25 . PD1 Low Low
ALL-3 ALL B-precursor 6.1 0.028 0.5 >25 . PD1 Low Low
ALL-4 ALL B-precursor 1 0.2 1 >25 . PD1 Low Low
ALL-7 ALL B-precursor 4.1 0.68 2 >25 . PD2 Low Int
ALL-8 ALL T-cell 8 0.315 1 >25 . PD1 Low Low
ALL-16 ALL T-cell 11.3 0.5 1.1 >25 . PD1 Low Low
ALL-17 ALL B-precursor 5.2 0.467 1 >25 . PD1 Low Low
ALL-19 ALL B-precursor 11.8 0.458 1.2 >25 . PD1 Low Low

DISCUSSION

Mapatumumab demonstrated limited activity against the PPTP in vitro cell line panels and against its in vivo xenograft tumor panels. The limited activity observed for mapatumumab against the PPTP’s pediatric preclinical models could result from multiple mechanisms [18], including: lack of TRAIL-R1 expression, which is noted at the RNA level for multiple PPTP xenografts and cell lines (Figure 1); inactivation of proapoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins (e.g., Bax gene deletions) [19] or overexpression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins; expression of XIAP; and loss of caspase-8 expression. The latter mechanism may be particularly relevant to pediatric cancers such as neuroblastoma and Ewing sarcoma, for which caspase-8 down-regulation has been associated with TRAIL-resistance and for which caspase-8 re-expression has been associated with restored TRAIL responsiveness [911]. Low expression of caspase-8 is observed for several PPTP panels, most notably the neuroblastoma panel (Figure 1). The limited activity of mapatumumab against the PPTP in vivo models is unlikely to be due to failure to achieve effective systemic exposures, as mapatumumab at the dose and schedule used by the PPTP showed substantial preclinical activity against selected adult cancer models [1]. Additionally, the systemic exposures achieved for the dose and schedule used by the PPTP are comparable to or exceed those observed in adults receiving mapatumumab at the recommended phase 2 dose [1,3,4].

Figure 1.

Figure 1

Gene expression analysis for selected genes related to TRAIL pathway signaling using the Affymetrix HG-U133Plus2 GeneChip (54,613 probesets) as previously described [23]

There are several options to pursue in terms of further preclinical studies focused on developing TRAIL-directed therapies in the pediatric setting. For example, TRAIL-R2 targeted agents (e.g., lexatumumab) or approaches that engage both TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2 (e.g., combined use of mapatumumab and lexatumumab or use of recombinant human Apo2L/TRAIL) could be explored. Expression of TRAIL-R2 is somewhat more common than TRAIL-R1 in the PPTP xenografts and cell lines at the RNA level (Figure 1), and previous work has suggested that the response of rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines to TRAIL is through TRAIL-R2 [5]. Another option for future work is evaluating a TRAIL pathway targeted agent such as mapatumumab or lexatumumab in combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy. Preclinical studies of these agents in adult cancer models support this strategy [20], as does previous work using sarcoma cell lines demonstrating that anticancer agents (e.g., cisplatin, doxorubicin) can reduce levels of FLIP and/or XIAP, thereby sensitizing the cell lines to the apoptosis-inducing effects of TRAIL signaling pathway activation [21,22]. Activity leads identified through future testing could help guide clinical development of TRAIL-directed therapies in children with cancer.

Supplementary Material

Supp Figure 1

Supplemental Figure 1. Representation of tumor sensitivity based on the difference of individual tumor lines from the midpoint response (stable disease). Bars to the right of the median represent lines that are more sensitive, and to the left are tumor models that are less sensitive. Red bars indicate lines with a significant difference in EFS distribution between treatment and control groups, while blue bars indicate lines for which the EFS distributions were not significantly different.

Supp Table 1
Supp Table 2

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by NO1-CM-42216, CA21765, and CA108786 from the National Cancer Institute, and mapatumumab was provided by Human Genome Sciences. In addition to the authors represents work contributed by the following: Sherry Ansher, Joshua Courtright, Edward Favours, Henry S. Friedman, Debbie Payne-Turner, Charles Stopford, Chandra Tucker, Jianrong Wu, Joe Zeidner, Ellen Zhang, and Jian Zhang. Children’s Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research is affiliated with the University of New South Wales and Sydney Children’s Hospital.

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Associated Data

This section collects any data citations, data availability statements, or supplementary materials included in this article.

Supplementary Materials

Supp Figure 1

Supplemental Figure 1. Representation of tumor sensitivity based on the difference of individual tumor lines from the midpoint response (stable disease). Bars to the right of the median represent lines that are more sensitive, and to the left are tumor models that are less sensitive. Red bars indicate lines with a significant difference in EFS distribution between treatment and control groups, while blue bars indicate lines for which the EFS distributions were not significantly different.

Supp Table 1
Supp Table 2

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