title: Hyaluronic acid-paclitaxel: antitumor efficacy against CD44(+) human ovarian carcinoma xenografts.
abstract: Numerous human tumor types, including ovarian cancer, display a significant expression of the CD44 family of cell surface proteoglycans. To develop tumor-targeted drugs, we have initially evaluated whether the CD44 ligand hyaluronic acid (HA) could serve as a backbone for paclitaxel (TXL) prodrugs. HA-TXL was prepared by modification of previous techniques. The in vitro cytotoxicity of HA-TXL against the CD44(+) human ovarian carcinoma cell lines SKOV-3ip and NMP-1 could be significantly blocked by preincubation with a molar excess of free HA. Female nude mice bearing intraperitoneal implants of NMP-1 cells were treated intraperitoneally with a single sub-maximum tolerated dose dose of HA-TXL or with multiple-dose regimens of paclitaxel (Taxol; Mead Johnson, Princeton, NJ) to determine the effects of these regimens on host survival and intraperitoneal tumor burden, with the latter being assessed by magnetic resonance imaging. NMP-1 xenografts were highly resistant to Taxol regimens, as host survival was only nominally improved compared to controls (T//C approximately 120), whereas single-dose HA-TXL treatment significantly improved survival in this model (T//C approximately 140; P = .004). In both NMP-1 and SKOV-3ip models, MR images of abdomens of HA-TXL-treated mice obtained shortly before controls required humane sacrifice revealed markedly reduced tumor burdens compared to control mice. This study is among the first to demonstrate that HA-based prodrugs administered locoregionally have antitumor activity in vivo.
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77339, USA.
authors.forename: Edmond
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Auzenne
authors.forename: Sukhen C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.forename: Mojgan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khodadadian
authors.forename: Belinda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rivera
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Farquhar
authors.forename: Roger E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: Murali
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ravoori
authors.forename: Vikas
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kundra
authors.forename: Ralph S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Freedman
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klostergaard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011355:Prodrugs / Q000008:administration & dosage; D047368:Tumor Burden; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D011355:Prodrugs; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid; D017239:Paclitaxel