Abstract
All of the cases of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) express the RET receptor tyrosine kinase. In essentially all of the hereditary cases and approximately 40% of the sporadic cases of MTC, the RET kinase is constitutively activated by mutation. This suggests that RET may be an effective therapeutic target for treatment of MTC. We show that the indolocarbazole derivatives, CEP-701 and CEP-751, inhibit RET in MTC cells. These compounds effectively inhibit RET phosphorylation in a dose-dependent manner at concentrations <100 nM in 0.5% serum and at somewhat higher concentrations in the presence of 16% serum. They also blocked the growth of these MTC cells in culture. CEP-751 and its prodrug, CEP-2563, also inhibited tumor growth in MTC cell xenografts. These results show that inhibiting RET can block the growth of MTC cells and may have a therapeutic benefit in MTC.
Publication types
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Carbazoles / pharmacology*
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Carcinoma, Medullary / drug therapy*
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Carcinoma, Medullary / enzymology
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Carcinoma, Medullary / pathology
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Cell Division / drug effects
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Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
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Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology
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Furans
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Growth Inhibitors / pharmacology
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Humans
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Indoles*
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Male
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Mice
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Mice, Nude
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Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2b / genetics
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Mutation
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Oncogene Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
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Oncogene Proteins / metabolism
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Phosphorylation / drug effects
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Prodrugs / pharmacology
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret
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Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors*
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Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism
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Thyroid Neoplasms / drug therapy*
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Thyroid Neoplasms / enzymology
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Thyroid Neoplasms / pathology
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Tumor Cells, Cultured
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Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
Substances
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CEP 751
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Carbazoles
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Enzyme Inhibitors
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Furans
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Growth Inhibitors
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Indoles
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Oncogene Proteins
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Prodrugs
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lestaurtinib
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret
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RET protein, human
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Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases