EC140 is a water soluble folate conjugate of desacetylvinblastine monohydrazide (DAVLBH), which is constructed with an endosome-cleavable acyl hydrazone bond. This agent has proven to be active and specific against well established, subcutaneous folate receptor (FR)-positive tumors in multiple animal models. Recent structure-activity and optimization studies have yielded a disulfide bond-containing counterpart to EC140, herein referred to as EC145. This new conjugate was found to retain high affinity for FR-positive cells, and it produced specific, dose-responsive activity in vitro. Comparative in vivo efficacy tests confirmed that, like EC140, EC145 displays activity against both syngeneic and xenograft tumor models. However, EC145 was found to be more active and better tolerated than EC140; hence, more durable complete responses were consistently observed in EC145-treated tumorbearing animals. Furthermore, EC145 was not found to be active against a FR-negative tumor model. Additional preclinical studies are therefore warranted to better understand EC145's breadth of activity against FR-positive tumors. ' 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

A novel folate conjugate of mitomycin C, herein referred to as EC72, was designed and evaluated for biological activity against FR-positive cells and tumors. EC72 was produced by coupling folic acid-gamma-cysteine to 7-N-modified MMC via a disulfide bond. This water soluble conjugate was found to retain high affinity for FR-positive cells, and it produced dose responsive activity in vitro against a panel of folate receptor (FR)-positive cell lines. EC72's activity was considered to be targeted and specific for the FR since (i) excess folic acid blocked biological activity, and (ii) FR-negative cell lines were unresponsive to this drug. Initial in vivo tests confirmed EC72's activity in both syngeneic and xenograft models, and this activity occurred in the apparent absence of gross or pathological toxicity. These results are significant, since daily dosing of EC72 for more than 30 consecutive days yielded no evidence of myelosuppression or toxicity to major organs, including the FR-positive kidneys. The latter observation supports published data, indicating that the apically oriented kidney proximal tubule FRs function to salvage folates prior to their excretion and to return these molecules back into systemic circulation. Overall, EC72's performance in vitro and in vivo warrants further preclinical study before this novel targeted chemotherapeutic is considered for clinical investigation.

Herein we report on the potencies of 4 related folate-conjugated tubulysins constructed with either tubulysin B hydrazide (EC0305), tubulysin A hydrazide (EC0510), the N,O-acetal derivative of natural tubulysins (EC0317) or a tubulysin B ester (EC0302). Our results confirmed that EC0305 is the most favorable conjugate of the group due to its potent antitumor activity [100% cures at 1 micromol/kg, three times a week (TIW) for 2 weeks] and its favorably low toxicity profile. In contrast, the natural tubulysin B drug proved to be inactive against a human nasopharyngeal tumor model when administered at doses near to or greater than the maximum tolerated dose (MTD). When tested against more chemoresistant folate receptor expressing M109 and 4T1-cl2 tumors, EC0305 displayed superior antitumor activity over a previously disclosed folate conjugate of desacetylvinblastine monohydrazide (EC145). These studies demonstrate that EC0305 has significant antiproliferative activity against FR expressing tumors, including those which are generally more chemoresistant, and that EC0305 should be considered for development as a candidate for the treatment of advanced FR-expressing human cancers.

The kinetics and mechanism of the reaction between Cl(2) and ClO(2)(-) are studied in acetate buffer by stopped-flow spectrometric observation of ClO(2) formation. The reaction is first-order in [Cl(2)] and [ClO(2)(-)], with a rate constant of k(1) = (5.7 +/- 0.2) x 10(5) M(-)(1) s(-)(1) at 25.0 degrees C. Nucleophilic attack by ClO(2)(-) on Cl(2), with Cl(+) transfer to form ClOClO and Cl(-), is proposed as the rate-determining step. A possible two-step electron-transfer mechanism for Cl(2) and ClO(2)(-) is refuted by the lack of ClO(2) suppression. The yield of ClO(2) is much less than 100%, due to the rapid reactions of the metastable ClOClO intermediate via two competing pathways. In one path, ClOClO reacts with ClO(2)(-) to form 2ClO(2) and Cl(-), while in the other path it hydrolyzes to give ClO(3)(-) and Cl(-). The observed rate constant also is affected by acetate-assisted hydrolysis of Cl(2). The rate of Cl(2) loss is suppressed as the concentration of Cl(-) increases, due to the formation of Cl(3)(-). In excess ClO(2)(-), a much slower formation of ClO(2) is observed after the initial Cl(2) reaction, due to the presence of HOCl, which reacts with H(+) and Cl(-) to re-form steady-state levels of Cl(2).

The reactions of aqueous ClO2 with tyrosine, N-acetyltyrosine, and dopa (3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine) are investigated from pH 4 to 7. The reaction rates increase greatly with pH to give a series of oxidized products. Tyrosine and N-acetyltyrosine have similar reactivities with second-order rate constants (25.0 degrees C) for their phenoxide forms equal to 1.8x10(8) and 7.6x10(7) M-1 s-1, respectively. Both species generate phenoxyl radicals that react rapidly with a second ClO2 at the 3 position to give observable but short-lived adducts with proposed C(H)OClO bonding. The decay of these phenoxyl-ClO2 adducts also is rapid and is base-assisted to form dopaquinone (from tyrosine) and N-acetyldopaquinone (from N-acetyltyrosine) as initial products. The consumption of two ClO2 molecules corresponds to a four-electron oxidation that gives ClO2- in the first step and HOCl in the second step. The reaction between ClO2 and the deprotoned-catechol form of dopa is extremely fast (2.8x10(9) M-1 s-1). Dopa consumes two ClO2 to give dopaquinone and 2ClO2- as products. Above pH 4, dopaquinone cyclizes to give cyclodopa, which in turn is rapidly oxidized to dopachrome. A resolved first-order rate constant of 249 s-1 is evaluated for the cyclization of the basic form of dopaquinone that leads to dopachrome as a product with strong absorption bands at 305 and 485 nm.