title: Corticorelin acetate, a synthetic corticotropin-releasing factor with preclinical antitumor activity, alone and with bevacizumab, against human brain tumor models.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Corticorelin acetate (CrA) is a synthetic form of corticotropin-releasing factor that is currently undergoing clinical trials in the treatment of peritumoral brain edema (PBE). This study preclinically investigated its potential as an antitumor agent against human brain tumor xenografts.
  
  
  METHODS
  The in vivo efficacy of CrA as a single agent and in combination with the antiangiogenic agent, bevacizumab, was examined in three different patient-derived human brain tumor xenografts implanted orthotopically (intracranially) or subcutaneously in athymic mice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CrA significantly increased the lifespan of mice implanted orthotopically with two different pediatric brain tumor xenograft models. In one of these tumor models, the combination of CrA with bevacizumab produced a therapeutic outcome superior to that found using either of the two agents alone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The application of CrA for the treatment of PBE likely involves its activity as an anti-angiogenic agent, which may be one possible mechanism to explain its observed preclinical antitumor activity against orthotopic human brain tumor models. Additional studies to investigate other possible mechanisms of action are underway.
authors.affiliation: Celtic Pharmaceutical Development Services America, Inc., New York, NY 10022, USA. idoia.gamez@dev.celticpharma.com
authors.forename: Idoia
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gamez
authors.forename: Robert P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.forename: Stephen T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Keir
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone