We have synthesized a histone deacetylase inhibitor, NVP-LAQ824, a cinnamic hydroxamic acid, that inhibited in vitro enzymatic activities and transcriptionally activated the p21 promoter in reporter gene assays. NVP-LAQ824 selectively inhibited growth of cancer cell lines at submicromolar levels after 48 -72 h of exposure, whereas higher concentrations and longer exposure times were required to retard the growth of normal dermal human fibroblasts. Flow cytometry studies revealed that both tumor and normal cells arrested in the G 2 -M phase of the cell cycle after compound treatment. However, an increased sub-G 1 population at 48 h (reminiscent of apoptotic cells) was observed only in the cancer cell line. Annexin V staining data supported our hypothesis that NVP-LAQ824 induced apoptosis in tumor and transformed cells but not in normal cells. Western blotting experiments showed an increased histone H3 and H4 acetylation level in NVP-LAQ824-treated cancer cells, suggesting that the likely in vivo target of NVP-LAQ824 was histone deacetylase(s). Finally, NVP-LAQ824 exhibited antitumor effects in a xenograft animal model. Together, our data indicated that the activity of NVP-LAQ824 was consistent with its intended mechanism of action. This novel histone deacetylase inhibitor is currently in clinical trials as an anticancer agent.

Inhibitors of histone deacetylase (HDAC) have been shown to induce terminal differentiation of human tumor cell lines and to have antitumor effects in vivo. We have prepared analogues of suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) and trichostatin A and have evaluated them in a human HDAC enzyme inhibition assay, a p21(waf1) (p21) promoter assay, and in monolayer growth inhibition assays. One compound, 4-(dimethylamino)-N-[7-(hydroxyamino)-7-oxoheptyl]-benzamide, was found to affect the growth of a panel of eight human tumor cell lines differentially.

A series of N-hydroxy-3-phenyl-2-propenamides were prepared as novel inhibitors of human histone deacetylase (HDAC). These compounds were potent enzyme inhibitors, having IC(50)s < 400 nM in a partially purified enzyme assay. However, potency in cell growth inhibition assays ranged over 2 orders of magnitude in two human carcinoma cell lines. Selected compounds having cellular IC(50) < 750 nM were tested for maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and for efficacy in the HCT116 human colon tumor xenograft assay. Four compounds having an MTD > or = 100 mg/kg were selected for dose-response studies in the HCT116 xenograft model. One compound, 9 (NVP-LAQ824), had significant dose-related activity in the HCT116 colon and A549 lung tumor models, high MTD, and low gross toxicity. On the basis, in part, of these properties, 9 has entered human clinical trials in 2002.

Abstract-We were interested in the elucidation of the interaction between the heparan sulfate proteoglycan, perlecan, and PTEN in the regulation of vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) growth. We verified serum-stimulated DNA synthesis, and Akt and FAK phosphorylation were significantly reduced in SMCs overexpressing wild-type PTEN. Our previous studies showed perlecan is a potent inhibitor of serum-stimulated SMC growth. We report in the present study, compared with SMCs plated on fibronectin, serum-stimulated SMCs plated on perlecan exhibited increased PTEN activity, decreased FAK and Akt activities, and high levels of p27, consistent with SMC growth arrest. Adenoviral-mediated overexpression of constitutively active Akt reversed perlecan-induced SMC growth arrest while morpholino antisense-mediated loss of endogenous PTEN resulted in increased growth and phosphorylation of FAK and Akt of SMCs on perlecan. Immunohistochemical and Western analyses of balloon-injured rat carotid artery tissues showed a transient increase in phosphoPTEN (inactive) after injury, correlating to high rates of neointimal cell replication; phosphoPTEN was largely limited to actively replicating SMCs. Similarly, in the developing rat aorta, we found increased PTEN activity associated with increased perlecan deposition and decreased SMC replication rates. However, significantly decreased PTEN activity was detected in aortas of perlecan-deficient mouse embryos, consistent with SMC hyperplasia observed in these animals, compared with E17.5 heterozygous controls that produce abundant amounts of perlecan at this developmental time point. Our data show PTEN is a potent endogenously produced inhibitor of SMC growth and increased PTEN activity mediates perlecan-induced suppression of SMC proliferation. Key Words: smooth muscle cell proliferation Ⅲ restenosis Ⅲ vascular injury Ⅲ vascular development Ⅲ basement membrane V ascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) demonstrate high rates of replication during embryonic development significantly contributing to the maturation of the vessel wall. 1 In addition, SMCs are capable of marked increases in replication after injury to the mature vessel wall, a major component of the vessel remodeling observed in a variety of vascular pathologies. 2,3 In the absence of vascular trauma, the mature blood vessel remains a highly quiescent tissue and SMCs are resistant to stimulation by most mitogens, 2-5 suggesting the existence of active growth-suppressive mechanisms. SMCs in mature arteries are surrounded by a basement membrane matrix. 6 Our previous studies showed the accumulation of a perlecan-rich basement membrane actively inhibits SMC growth. [7][8][9][10] Perlecan, a large multidomain heparan sulfate proteoglycan, is essential for the assembly and maintenance of a functional basement membrane. 11-14 Homozygous perlecan-null mice die in utero and, important to our studies, display hyperplasia of SMC-specific ␣-actin-positive mesenchymal cells. [13][14][15] We showed perlecan expression is initiated in early fetal...