BioCentury
ARTICLE | Distillery Therapeutics

Cancer

August 16, 2017 6:15 PM UTC

Cell culture and mouse studies suggest inhibiting Chk1 alone or in combination with Gemzar gemcitabine could help treat STK11-deficient NSCLC and other lung cancers. In three STK11-deficient mouse lung cancer cell lines, Chk1 knockdown decreased proliferation compared with normal Chk1 expression, and a Chk1 inhibitor tool compound plus Gemzar decreased viability compared with either agent alone. In two mouse models of STK11-deficient lung cancer, tumor-specific Chk1 knockdown decreased tumor growth compared with normal Chk1 expression. In a xenograft mouse model of STK11-deficient non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the Chk1 inhibitor plus Gemzar decreased tumor growth and increased survival compared with either agent alone. Next steps could include testing the combination of Gemzar and Chk1 inhibitors in models of other STK11-deficient cancers.

Eli Lilly and Co. markets the nucleoside analog Gemzar to treat NSCLC, breast, ovarian and pancreatic cancers and has the compound in Phase III testing to treat biliary cancer and cervical cancer and in Phase II testing to treat bladder cancer...