Assessment of chk1 phosphorylation as a pharmacodynamic biomarker of chk1 inhibition.

Purpose: Chk1 inhibitors, such as AZD7762, are in clinical development in combination with cytotoxic agents for the treatment of solid tumors, including pancreatic cancers. To maximize the likelihood of their clinical success, it is essential to optimize drug scheduling as well as pharmacodynamic biomarkers in preclinical models.

Experimental Design: We tested multiple schedules of administration of gemcitabine and AZD7762 on the survival of pancreatic cancer cells. Potential pharmacodynamic biomarkers including pChk1, pChk2, pHistone H3, and caspase-3 were evaluated in vitro, followed by assessment of promising candidate biomarkers in vivo. We then went on to determine the contributions of PP2A and DNA damage to the mechanism(s) of induction of the identified biomarker, pS345 Chk1.

Results: AZD7762 given during and after or after gemcitabine administration produced maximum chemosensitization. In vivo, AZD7762 significantly inhibited the growth of pancreatic tumor xenografts in response to gemcitabine. Of the biomarkers assessed, pS345 Chk1 was most consistently increased in response to gemcitabine and AZD7762 in tumors and normal tissues (hair follicles). pS345 Chk1 induction in response to gemcitabine and AZD7762 occurred in the presence of PP2A inhibition and in association with elevated γH2AX, suggesting that DNA damage is an underlying mechanism.

Conclusions: AZD7762 sensitizes pancreatic cancer cells and tumors to gemcitabine in association with induction of pS345 Chk1. Together these data support the clinical investigation of AZD7762 with gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer under a dosing schedule in which gemcitabine is administered concurrent with or before AZD7762 and in conjunction with skin biopsies to measure pS345 Chk1.