The investigational Aurora kinase A inhibitor MLN8237 induces defects in cell viability and cell cycle progression in mouse bladder cancer cells in vitro and in vivo

ABSTRACT: PURPOSE: Despite over 70,000 new cases of bladder cancer in the United States annually, patients with advanced disease have a poor prognosis due to limited treatment modalities. We evaluate the role of Aurora A, identified as an upregulated candidate molecule in bladder cancer, in regulating bladder tumor growth. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Gene expression in human bladder cancer samples was evaluated using RNA microarray and reverse-transcriptase PCR. The specific Aurora kinase A inhibitor MLN8237 (Millennium) was used to determine effects on bladder cancer cell growth using in vitro and in vivo models using malignant T24 and UM-UC-3 and papilloma-derived RT4 bladder cells. RESULTS: Urothelial carcinoma upregulates a set of 13 mitotic spindle associated transcripts, as compared to normal urothelium, including MAD2L1 (7.6-fold), BUB1B (8.8-fold), Aurora kinases A (5.6-fold) and Aurora kinase B (6.2-fold). Application of MLN8237 (10nM-1µM) to the human bladder tumor cell lines T24 and UM-UC-3 induced dose-dependent G2 cell cycle arrest, aneuploidy, mitotic spindle abnormalities, and apoptosis. MLN8237 arrested tumor growth when administered orally over 4 weeks in a mouse bladder cancer xenograft model (p<0.05). Finally, in vitro combination of MLN8237 with either paclitaxel or gemcitabine produced schedule-dependent synergistic antiproliferative effects in T24 cells when administered sequentially. CONCLUSIONS: Mitotic spindle checkpoint dysfunction is a common characteristic of human urothelial carcinoma, and can be exploited with pharmacologic Aurora A inhibition. Future studies that explore the mechanisms of spindle checkpoint failure in bladder cancer and evaluate the therapeutic role of Aurora kinases for bladder cancer patients would be of value.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE42089 | GEO | 2013/05/01

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA179103

REPOSITORIES: GEO