Plasma Venetoclax Concentrations in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treated with CYP3A4 Inhibitors.

Venetoclax (VEN) is used in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and is primarily metabolized by CYP3A4, a major drug-metabolizing enzyme. Patients with AML simultaneously administered VEN and CYP3A4 inhibitors require a more appropriate management of drug-drug interactions (DDIs). Here, we report two cases of patients with AML (54-year-old man and 22-year-old woman) administrated VEN and CYP3A4 inhibitors, such as posaconazole, cyclosporine, or danazol. In the first case, we evaluated the appropriateness of timing for adjusting VEN dosage subsequent to the cessation of posaconazole. Consequently, modifying the VEN dosage in conjunction with the cessation of Posaconazole simultaneously may result in elevated plasma VEN levels. In the second case, plasma VEN concentrations were markedly elevated when co-administered with several CYP3A4 inhibitors. Additionally, in vitro assays were conducted for reverse translational studies to analyze CYP3A4 inhibition. CYP3A4 inhibition by combinatorial administration of cyclosporine A and danazol was demonstrated in vitro, which potentially explains the increasing plasma VEN concentrations observed in clinical settings. Although the acquisition of therapeutic effects is a major priority for patients, frequent therapeutic drug monitoring and dosage adjustments considering DDIs would be important factors in chemotherapy.

Development of a simultaneous LC-MS/MS analytical method for plasma: 16 antipsychotics approved in Japan and 4 drug metabolites.

The increased risk of adverse drug reactions due to the concomitant use of antipsychotics is problematic in the treatment of schizophrenia. Therefore, the simultaneous analysis of their plasma concentrations is required. In this study, we developed a simultaneous liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for analyzing plasma antipsychotics approved in Japan for therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) applications. First, we counted the prescriptions for 16 antipsychotics and concomitant drugs used at the Tohoku University Hospital. LC-MS/MS was used for the simultaneous analysis of 16 antipsychotics and four drug metabolites. This analysis was conducted using a combination of selected reaction monitoring mode and reversed-phase chromatography. Following the examination of the MS/MS and LC conditions, an analytical method validation test was conducted. The developed method was used to analyze plasma antipsychotic levels in patients with schizophrenia. One-third of the patients received treatment with multiple antipsychotics. Under LC-MS/MS conditions, LC separation was performed using a combination of a C18 column and ammonium formate-based mobile phases with a gradient flow. The calibration curves were optimized by adjusting the ion abundance, and 11 compounds met the criteria for intra- and inter-day reproducibility tests. Some stability test results did not meet these criteria; therefore, further investigation is required. The developed method permitted the measurement of all the plasma parameters, including concentrations above the therapeutic range. Therefore, this method may be useful in the daily TDM practice of antipsychotics.

The Use of an Antioxidant Enables Accurate Evaluation of the Interaction of Curcumin on Organic Anion-Transporting Polypeptides 4C1 by Preventing Auto-Oxidation.

Flavonoids have garnered attention because of their beneficial bioactivities. However, some flavonoids reportedly interact with drugs via transporters and may induce adverse drug reactions. This study investigated the effects of food ingredients on organic anion-transporting polypeptide (OATP) 4C1, which handles uremic toxins and some drugs, to understand the safety profile of food ingredients in renal drug excretion. Twenty-eight food ingredients, including flavonoids, were screened. We used ascorbic acid (AA) to prevent curcumin oxidative degradation in our method. Twelve compounds, including apigenin, daidzein, fisetin, genistein, isorhamnetin, kaempferol, luteolin, morin, quercetin, curcumin, resveratrol, and ellagic acid, altered OATP4C1-mediated transport. Kaempferol and curcumin strongly inhibited OATP4C1, and the Ki values of kaempferol (AA(-)), curcumin (AA(-)), and curcumin (AA(+)) were 25.1, 52.2, and 23.5 µM, respectively. The kinetic analysis revealed that these compounds affected OATP4C1 transport in a competitive manner. Antioxidant supplementation was determined to benefit transporter interaction studies investigating the effects of curcumin because the concentration-dependent curve evidently shifted in the presence of AA. In this study, we elucidated the food-drug interaction via OATP4C1 and indicated the utility of antioxidant usage. Our findings will provide essential information regarding food-drug interactions for both clinical practice and the commercial development of supplements.

Global Proteomics for Identifying the Alteration Pathway of Niemann-Pick Disease Type C Using Hepatic Cell Models.

Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) is an autosomal recessive disorder with progressive neurodegeneration. Although the causative genes were previously identified, NPC has unclear pathophysiological aspects, and patients with NPC present various symptoms and onset ages. However, various novel biomarkers and metabolic alterations have been investigated; at present, few comprehensive proteomic alterations have been reported in relation to NPC. In this study, we aimed to elucidate proteomic alterations in NPC and perform a global proteomics analysis for NPC model cells. First, we developed two NPC cell models by knocking out NPC1 using CRISPR/Cas9 (KO1 and KO2). Second, we performed a label-free (LF) global proteomics analysis. Using the LF approach, more than 300 proteins, defined as differentially expressed proteins (DEPs), changed in the KO1 and/or KO2 cells, while the two models shared 35 DEPs. As a bioinformatics analysis, the construction of a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and an enrichment analysis showed that common characteristic pathways such as ferroptosis and mitophagy were identified in the two model cells. There are few reports of the involvement of NPC in ferroptosis, and this study presents ferroptosis as an altered pathway in NPC. On the other hand, many other pathways and DEPs were previously suggested to be associated with NPC, supporting the link between the proteome analyzed here and NPC. Therapeutic research based on these results is expected in the future.

Functional Characterization of 29 Cytochrome P450 4F2 Variants Identified in a Population of 8380 Japanese Subjects and Assessment of Arachidonic Acid ω-Hydroxylation.

Cytochrome P450 4F2 (CYP4F2) is an enzyme that is involved in the metabolism of arachidonic acid (AA), vitamin E and K, and xenobiotics including drugs. CYP4F2*3 polymorphism (rs2108622; c.1297G>A; p.Val433Met) has been associated with hypertension, ischemic stroke, and variation in the effectiveness of the anticoagulant drug warfarin. In this study, we characterized wild-type CYP4F2 and 28 CYP4F2 variants, including a Val433Met substitution, detected in 8380 Japanese subjects. The CYP4F2 variants were heterologously expressed in 293FT cells to measure the concentrations of CYP4F2 variant holoenzymes using carbon monoxide-reduced difference spectroscopy, where the wild type and 18 holoenzyme variants showed a peak at 450 nm. Kinetic parameters [Vmax , substrate concentration producing half of Vmax (S50 ), and intrinsic clearance (CL int ) as Vmax /S50 ] of AA ω-hydroxylation were determined for the wild type and 21 variants with enzyme activity. Compared with the wild type, two variants showed significantly decreased CL int values for AA ω-hydroxylation. The values for seven variants could not be determined because no enzymatic activity was detected at the highest substrate concentration used. Three-dimensional structural modeling was performed to determine the reason for reduced enzymatic activity of the CYP4F2 variants. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of CYP4F2 variant-associated diseases and possible future therapeutic strategies. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: CYP4F2 is involved in the metabolism of arachidonic acid and vitamin K, and CYP4F2*3 polymorphisms have been associated with hypertension and variation in the effectiveness of the anticoagulant drug warfarin. This study presents a functional analysis of 28 CYP4F2 variants identified in Japanese subjects, demonstrating that seven gene polymorphisms cause loss of CYP4F2 function, and proposes structural changes that lead to altered function.

High throughput LC/ESI-MS/MS method for simultaneous analysis of 20 oral molecular-targeted anticancer drugs and the active metabolite of sunitinib in human plasma.

Many types of oral molecular-targeted anticancer drugs are clinically used in cancer genomic medicine. Combinations of multiple molecular-targeted anticancer drugs are also being investigated, expecting to prolong the survival of patients with cancer. Therapeutic drug monitoring of oral molecular-targeted drugs is important to ensure efficacy and safety. A liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS/MS) has been used for simultaneous determination of these drugs in human plasma. However, the sensitivity of mass spectrometers and differences in the therapeutic range of drugs have rendered the development of simultaneous LC/ESI-MS/MS methods difficult. In this study, a simultaneous quantitative method for 20 oral molecular-targeted anticancer drugs and the active metabolite of sunitinib was developed based on the results of linear range shifts of the calibration curves using four ion abundance adjustment techniques (collision energy defects, in-source collision-induced dissociation, secondary product ion selected reaction monitoring, and isotopologue selected reaction monitoring). The saturation of the detector for the seven analytes was resolved by incorporating optimal ion abundance adjustment techniques. Furthermore, the reproducibility of this method was confirmed in validation tests, and plasma from patients was measured by this method to demonstrate its usefulness in actual clinical practice. This analytical method is expected to make a substantial contribution to the promotion of personalized medicine in the future.

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Blood Sirolimus and Tacrolimus Concentrations for Polypharmacy Management in a Lymphangioleiomyomatosis Patient Taking Two Cytochrome P450 3A Inhibitors.

Patients with lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) and lung transplantations are treated with multiple drugs, such as tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, prednisolone, and itraconazole, for long-term suppression of rejection response and prevention of infection. Additional drugs are required when lung transplant recipients develop graft complications. Therefore, managing polypharmacy is critical because of drug-drug interactions caused by various factors, including drug-metabolizing enzymes such as cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A). The patient was a 48-year-old woman (height 144.9 cm and weight 38.4 kg) who underwent lung transplantation for LAM. Mycophenolate mofetil, tacrolimus (target blood concentration, 4.0-8.0 ng/mL), and prednisolone were administered for immunosuppression, and itraconazole and clarithromycin were administered to manage graft infection. The patient developed unilateral lymphedema, predominantly in the left leg; therefore, sirolimus was initiated with a target blood concentration of 3.0-5.0 ng/mL. In addition to 1.0 mg/day of sirolimus, tacrolimus (0.3 mg/day), itraconazole (100 mg/day), and clarithromycin (800 mg/day) were added. Blood sirolimus concentrations ranged from 18.8 to 36.9 ng/mL on days 6 to 9; thus, treatment with sirolimus was stopped because of over-target blood concentrations. Blood concentrations of sirolimus and tacrolimus were successfully managed without adverse events using therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) and azole anti-fungal substitution of azithromycin instead of clarithromycin although sirolimus concentration was relatively lower compared to the target range. Thereby, frequent TDM, management of polypharmacy that influences CYP3A activity, and possibly CYP3A genotyping should be appropriately conducted for personalized medicine.

Development of a Simultaneous Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Analytical Method for Urinary Endogenous Substrates and Metabolites for Predicting Cytochrome P450 3A4 Activity.

CYP3A4, which contributes to the metabolism of more than 30% of clinically used drugs, exhibits high variation in its activity; therefore, predicting CYP3A4 activity before drug treatment is vital for determining the optimal dosage for each patient. We aimed to develop and validate an LC-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method that simultaneously measures the levels of CYP3A4 activity-related predictive biomarkers (6ß-hydroxycortisol (6ß-OHC), cortisol (C), 1ß-hydroxydeoxycholic acid (1ß-OHDCA), and deoxycholic acid (DCA)). Chromatographic separation was achieved using a YMC-Triart C18 column and a gradient flow of the mobile phase comprising deionized water/25% ammonia solution (100 : 0.1, v/v) and methanol/acetonitrile/25% ammonia solution (50 : 50 : 0.1, v/v/v). Selective reaction monitoring in the negative-ion mode was used for MS/MS, and run times of 33 min were used. All analytes showed high linearity in the range of 3-3000 ng/mL. Additionally, their concentrations in urine samples derived from volunteers were analyzed via treatment with deconjugation enzymes, ignoring inter-individual differences in the variation of other enzymatic activities. Our method satisfied the analytical validation criteria under clinical conditions. Moreover, the concentrations of each analyte were quantified within the range of calibration curves for all urine samples. The conjugated forms of each analyte were hydrolyzed to accurately examine CYP3A4 activity. Non-invasive urine sampling employed herein is an effective alternative to invasive plasma sampling. The analytically validated simultaneous quantification method developed in this study can be used to predict CYP3A4 activity in precision medicine and investigate the potential clinical applications of CYP3A4 biomarkers (6ß-OHC/C and 1ß-OHDCA/DCA ratios).

Development of a Highly Sensitive and Rapid Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometric Method Using a Basic Mobile Phase Additive to Determine the Characteristics of the Urinary Metabolites for Niemann-Pick Disease Type C.

As Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) is difficult to diagnose owing to its various clinical symptoms; biomarker tests have been developed. Previously, we revealed urinary sulfated cholesterol metabolites as noninvasive biomarkers for NPC. However, LC/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) requires long separation time and large urine volumes. Recently, a basic mobile phase was reported to increase the MS intensity. Thus, we developed a highly sensitive and rapid LC/MS/MS method for analyzing urinary cholesterol metabolites using a basic mobile phase additive. 3ß-Sulfooxy-7ß-N-acetylglucosaminyl-5-cholenic acid, its glycine and taurine conjugates, 3ß-sulfooxy-7ß-hydroxy-5-cholenic acid, and 7-oxo form were measured, with selected reaction monitoring in negative ion mode. Oasis HLB and L-column 3 were used for column-switching LC/MS/MS and urine diluted 10-fold was employed as the sample. After trapping, gradient separation was performed using solutions containing 1% (v/v) ammonium solution. On average, a 16-fold increase in peak areas was observed compared to that obtained at pH 5.5 with the mobile phases. Although the previous method needed 60 min for separation from interference peaks, we succeeded to separate them in 7 min with optimized LC condition. Further, all compounds showed good linearity from 0.3-1000 ng/mL, with satisfactory intra- and inter-day reproducibility. The developed method was applied to the urinalysis of healthy participants and NPC patients. Overall, the concentrations of metabolites correlated with those obtained using the previous method. Therefore, we succeeded to increasing MS intensity and shorten LC running time; and the method is useful for the noninvasive diagnostic screening of patients with NPC.

Bile Acid-Drug Interaction via Organic Anion-Transporting Polypeptide 4C1 Is a Potential Mechanism of Altered Pharmacokinetics of Renally Excreted Drugs.

Patients with liver diseases not only experience the adverse effects of liver-metabolized drugs, but also the unexpected adverse effects of renally excreted drugs. Bile acids alter the expression of renal drug transporters, however, the direct effects of bile acids on drug transport remain unknown. Renal drug transporter organic anion-transporting polypeptide 4C1 (OATP4C1) was reported to be inhibited by chenodeoxycholic acid. Therefore, we predicted that the inhibition of OATP4C1-mediated transport by bile acids might be a potential mechanism for the altered pharmacokinetics of renally excreted drugs. We screened 45 types of bile acids and calculated the IC50, Ki values, and bile acid−drug interaction (BDI) indices of bile acids whose inhibitory effect on OATP4C1 was >50%. From the screening results, lithocholic acid (LCA), glycine-conjugated lithocholic acid (GLCA), and taurine-conjugated lithocholic acid (TLCA) were newly identified as inhibitors of OATP4C1. Since the BDI index of LCA was 0.278, LCA is likely to inhibit OATP4C1-mediated transport in clinical settings. Our findings suggest that dose adjustment of renally excreted drugs may be required in patients with renal failure as well as in patients with hepatic failure. We believe that our findings provide essential information for drug development and safe drug treatment in clinics.

Evaluation of a Capillary Microsampling Device for Analyzing Plasma Lenvatinib Concentration in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The anticancer drug, Lenvima (lenvatinib), has severe side effects. Therapeutic drug monitoring helps ensure its efficacy and safety. Regular and optimally timed blood sampling is tough, especially when lenvatinib is self-medicated. Microsampling using the easy to handle Microsampling Wing (MSW) may help circumvent this problem. However, current lenvatinib detection methods are not sensitive enough to detect its concentrations in microsamples (<50-250 µL). Thus, the aim of this study was 2-fold (1) develop an analytic method to estimate plasma lenvatinib concentrations in microsamples and (2) verify whether this method works on micro (5.6 µL) blood plasma samples obtained clinically through MSW from patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: A simple, highly sensitive, and specific liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry method was developed. Using this novel protocol, the trough blood plasma concentration of lenvatinib was measured for both blood sampled conventionally and that using MSW. Thirty-five venous whole blood samples were obtained from 11 patients with HCC. Furthermore, the stability of lenvatinib in MSW samples during storage was evaluated. RESULTS: The mean plasma lenvatinib concentration estimates were not significantly different between the MSW and conventional venous blood samples. CV for interday and intraday assays was low. Up to day 5, the lenvatinib concentration in the MSW samples was 85%-115% of the initial day concentration (when stored at 25°C or 4°C). The interference of endogenous matrix components in the human plasma was low. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that the novel mass spectrometry protocol accurately measures lenvatinib in human plasma and is reproducible. Thus, MSW could be a useful microsampling device for lenvatinib therapeutic drug monitoring in patients with HCC when used in combination with this novel liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry detection method.

Metabolic Alteration Analysis of Steroid Hormones in Niemann-Pick Disease Type C Model Cell Using Liquid Chromatography/Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) is an autosomal recessive disease caused by a functional deficiency of cholesterol-transporting proteins in lysosomes, and exhibits various clinical symptoms. Since mitochondrial dysfunction in NPC has recently been reported, cholesterol catabolism to steroid hormones may consequently be impaired. In this study, we developed a comprehensive steroid hormone analysis method using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and applied it to analyze changes in steroid hormone concentrations in NPC model cells. We investigated the analytical conditions for simultaneous LC-MS/MS analysis, which could be readily separated from each other and showed good reproducibility. The NPC phenotype was verified as an NPC model with mitochondrial abnormalities using filipin staining and organelle morphology observations. Steroid hormones in the cell suspension and cell culture medium were also analyzed. Steroid hormone analysis indicated that the levels of six steroid hormones were significantly decreased in the NPC model cell and culture medium compared to those in the wild-type cell and culture medium. These results indicate that some steroid hormones change during NPC pathophysiology and this change is accompanied by mitochondrial abnormalities.

Functional Characterization of 21 Rare Allelic CYP1A2 Variants Identified in a Population of 4773 Japanese Individuals by Assessing Phenacetin O-Deethylation.

Cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2), which accounts for approximately 13% of the total hepatic cytochrome content, catalyzes the metabolic reactions of approximately 9% of frequently used drugs, including theophylline and olanzapine. Substantial inter-individual differences in enzymatic activity have been observed among patients, which could be caused by genetic polymorphisms. Therefore, we functionally characterized 21 novel CYP1A2 variants identified in 4773 Japanese individuals by determining the kinetic parameters of phenacetin O-deethylation. Our results showed that most of the evaluated variants exhibited decreased or no enzymatic activity, which may be attributed to potential structural alterations. Notably, the Leu98Gln, Gly233Arg, Ser380del Gly454Asp, and Arg457Trp variants did not exhibit quantifiable enzymatic activity. Additionally, three-dimensional (3D) docking analyses were performed to further understand the underlying mechanisms behind variant pharmacokinetics. Our data further suggest that despite mutations occurring on the protein surface, accumulating interactions could result in the impairment of protein function through the destabilization of binding regions and changes in protein folding. Therefore, our findings provide additional information regarding rare CYP1A2 genetic variants and how their underlying effects could clarify discrepancies noted in previous phenotypical studies. This would allow the improvement of personalized therapeutics and highlight the importance of identifying and characterizing rare variants.

Functional Assessment of 12 Rare Allelic CYP2C9 Variants Identified in a Population of 4773 Japanese Individuals.

Cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) is an important drug-metabolizing enzyme that contributes to the metabolism of approximately 15% of clinically used drugs, including warfarin, which is known for its narrow therapeutic window. Interindividual differences in CYP2C9 enzymatic activity caused by CYP2C9 genetic polymorphisms lead to inconsistent treatment responses in patients. Thus, in this study, we characterized the functional differences in CYP2C9 wild-type (CYP2C9.1), CYP2C9.2, CYP2C9.3, and 12 rare novel variants identified in 4773 Japanese individuals. These CYP2C9 variants were heterologously expressed in 293FT cells, and the kinetic parameters (Km, kcat, Vmax, catalytic efficiency, and CLint) of (S)-warfarin 7-hydroxylation and tolbutamide 4-hydroxylation were estimated. From this analysis, almost all novel CYP2C9 variants showed significantly reduced or null enzymatic activity compared with that of the CYP2C9 wild-type. A strong correlation was found in catalytic efficiencies between (S)-warfarin 7-hydroxylation and tolbutamide 4-hydroxylation among all studied CYP2C9 variants. The causes of the observed perturbation in enzyme activity were evaluated by three-dimensional structural modeling. Our findings could clarify a part of discrepancies among genotype-phenotype associations based on the novel CYP2C9 rare allelic variants and could, therefore, improve personalized medicine, including the selection of the appropriate warfarin dose.

Functional Characterization of 40 CYP3A4 Variants by Assessing Midazolam 1'-Hydroxylation and Testosterone 6ß-Hydroxylation.

CYP3A4 is among the most abundant liver and intestinal drug-metabolizing cytochrome P450 enzymes, contributing to the metabolism of more than 30% of clinically used drugs. Therefore, interindividual variability in CYP3A4 activity is a frequent cause of reduced drug efficacy and adverse effects. In this study, we characterized wild-type CYP3A4 and 40 CYP3A4 variants, including 11 new variants, detected among 4773 Japanese individuals by assessing CYP3A4 enzymatic activities for two representative substrates (midazolam and testosterone). The reduced carbon monoxide-difference spectra of wild-type CYP3A4 and 31 CYP3A4 variants produced with our established mammalian cell expression system were determined by measuring the increase in maximum absorption at 450 nm after carbon monoxide treatment. The kinetic parameters of midazolam and testosterone hydroxylation by wild-type CYP3A4 and 29 CYP3A4 variants (K m , k cat , and catalytic efficiency) were determined, and the causes of their kinetic differences were evaluated by three-dimensional structural modeling. Our findings offer insight into the mechanism underlying interindividual differences in CYP3A4-dependent drug metabolism. Moreover, our results provide guidance for improving drug administration protocols by considering the information on CYP3A4 genetic polymorphisms. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: CYP3A4 metabolizes more than 30% of clinically used drugs. Interindividual differences in drug efficacy and adverse-effect rates have been linked to ethnicity-specific differences in CYP3A4 gene variants in Asian populations, including Japanese individuals, indicating the presence of CYP3A4 polymorphisms resulting in the increased expression of loss-of-function variants. This study detected alterations in CYP3A4 activity due to amino acid substitutions by assessing the enzymatic activities of coding variants for two representative CYP3A4 substrates.

Heterologous expression of high-activity cytochrome P450 in mammalian cells.

The evaluation of Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymatic activity is essential to estimate drug pharmacokinetics. Numerous CYP allelic variants have been identified; the functional characterisation of these variants is required for their application in precision medicine. Results from heterologous expression systems using mammalian cells can be integrated in in vivo studies; however, other systems such as E. coli, bacteria, yeast, and baculoviruses are generally used owing to the difficulty in expressing high CYP levels in mammalian cells. Here, by optimising transfection and supplementing conditions, we developed a heterologous expression system using 293FT cells to evaluate the enzymatic activities of three CYP isoforms (CYP1A2, CYP2C9, and CYP3A4). Moreover, we established co-expression with cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase and cytochrome b5. This expression system would be a potential complementary or beneficial alternative approach for the pharmacokinetic evaluation of clinically used and developing drugs in vitro.

Clinically Relevant Cytochrome P450 3A4 Induction Mechanisms and Drug Screening in Three-Dimensional Spheroid Cultures of Primary Human Hepatocytes.

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4 induction is an important cause of drug-drug interactions, making early identification of drug candidates with CYP3A4 induction liability in drug development a prerequisite. Here, we present three-dimensional (3D) spheroid cultures of primary human hepatocytes (PHHs) as a novel CYP3A4 induction screening model. Screening of 25 drugs (12 known CYP3A4 inducers in vivo and 13 negative controls) at physiologically relevant concentrations revealed a 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity of the system. Three of the in vivo CYP3A4 inducers displayed much higher CYP3A4 induction capacity in 3D spheroid cultures as compared with in two-dimensional (2D) monolayer cultures. Among those, we identified AZD1208, a proviral integration site for Moloney murine leukemia virus (PIM) kinase inhibitor terminated in phase I of development due to unexpected CYP3A4 autoinduction, as a CYP3A4 inducer only active in 3D spheroids but not in 2D monolayer cultures. Gene knockdown experiments revealed that AZD1208 requires pregnane X receptor (PXR) to induce CYP3A4. Rifampicin requires solely PXR to induce CYP3A4 and CYP2B6, while phenobarbital-mediated induction of these CYPs did not show absolute dependency on either PXR or constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), suggesting its ability to switch nuclear receptor activation. Mechanistic studies into AZD1208 uncovered an involvement of the mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) pathway in CYP3A4 induction that is sensitive to the culture format used, as revealed by its inhibition of ERK1/2 Tyrosine 204 phosphorylation and sensitivity to epidermal growth factor (EGF) pressure. In line, we also identified lapatinib, a dual epidermal growth factor receptor/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (EGFR/HER2) inhibitor, as another CYP3A4 inducer only active in 3D spheroid culture. Our findings offer insights into the pathways involved in CYP3A4 induction and suggest PHH spheroids for preclinical CYP3A4 induction screening.

CYP2D6 genotyping analysis and functional characterization of novel allelic variants in a Ni-Vanuatu and Kenyan population by assessing dextromethorphan O-demethylation activity.

While CYP2D6 allele and phenotype frequencies have been extensively studied, currently, very little ethnically specific data is available regarding the East African and South Pacific region, including Kenya and Vanuatu. The absence of information regarding gene polymorphisms and their resulting clinical effects in these populations may hinder treatment strategies and patient outcome. Given the scarceness of CYP2D6 related data in these populations, the purpose of this study was to perform a pharmacogenomic analysis of the Kenyan and Ni-Vanuatu population and ultimately characterize the enzymatic properties of eight novel CYP2D6 variant proteins expressed in 293FT cells in vitro using dextromethorphan as a substrate. Our study revealed a prevalence of functional alleles in both populations a low frequency for decreased function defining genotypes in the Ni-Vanuatu population, with approximately 36% of our Kenyan subjects presenting substrate-dependent decreased function alleles. Additionally, 6 variants (P171L, G306R, V402L, K1, K2, and K3) showed significantly reduced intrinsic clearance compared to wild-type CYP2D6.1. Our findings aid in efforts to bridge the gap between pharmacogenomic analysis and clinical application, by providing useful information in the development of ethnic-specific strategies as well as stressing the importance of population-specific genotyping when conducting multi-regional clinical trials and designing therapeutic strategies.

An optimized prediction framework to assess the functional impact of pharmacogenetic variants.

Prediction of phenotypic consequences of mutations constitutes an important aspect of precision medicine. Current computational tools mostly rely on evolutionary conservation and have been calibrated on variants associated with disease, which poses conceptual problems for assessment of variants in poorly conserved pharmacogenes. Here, we evaluated the performance of 18 current functionality prediction methods leveraging experimental high-quality activity data from 337 variants in genes involved in drug metabolism and transport and found that these models only achieved probabilities of 0.1-50.6% to make informed conclusions. We therefore developed a functionality prediction framework optimized for pharmacogenetic assessments that significantly outperformed current algorithms. Our model achieved 93% for both sensitivity and specificity for both loss-of-function and functionally neutral variants, and we confirmed its superior performance using cross validation analyses. This novel model holds promise to improve the translation of personal genetic information into biological conclusions and pharmacogenetic recommendations, thereby facilitating the implementation of Next-Generation Sequencing data into clinical diagnostics.

Development and application of a rapid and sensitive genotyping method for pharmacogene variants using the single-stranded tag hybridization chromatographic printed-array strip (STH-PAS).

Genetic polymorphisms contribute to inter-individual variability in the metabolism of multiple clinical drugs, including warfarin, thiopurines, primaquine, and aminoglycosides. A rapid and sensitive clinical assessment of various genome biomarkers is, therefore, required to predict the individual responsiveness of each patient to these drugs. In this study, we developed a novel genotyping method for the detection of nine pharmacogene variants that are important in the prediction of drug efficiency and toxicity. This genotyping method uses competitive allele-specific PCR and a single-stranded tag hybridization chromatographic printed-array strip (STH-PAS) that can unambiguously determine the presence or absence of the gene variant by displaying visible blue lines on the chromatographic printed-array strip. Notably, the results of our STH-PAS method were in 100% agreement with those obtained using standard Sanger sequencing and KASP assay genotyping methods for CYP4F2 gene deletion. Moreover, the results were obtained within 90 min, including the PCR amplification and signal detection processes. The sensitive and rapid nature of this novel method make it ideal for clinical genetic testing to predict drug efficacy and toxicity, and in doing so will aid in the development of individualized medicine and better patient care.