Although we have shown that the 3D environment dramatically sensitizes cells to MRTX1133 treatment, the synergistic effect of this drug combination is present in both 2D and 3D in the PANC1 pancreatic adenocarcinoma model, which showed high resistance to MRTX1133 in 2D. The effects of the combination treatment show an association with the inhibition of farnesylated regulatory proteins, including HRAS and RHEB, along with the expression level of KRAS. Our study warrants further investigation for the potential applicability of KRAS G12D inhibitors in combination with farnesyl-transferase inhibitors for the treatment of KRAS mutant pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Sensitivity analysis of common chemotherapeutic drugs showed that high expression of CALU could sensitize chemotherapeutic drugs such as 5Z-7-Oxozeaenol, AMG-706 and Cytarabine, but could lead to drug resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs such as Embelin, Salubrinal and Tipifarnib. Thus, our results indicate that CALU could be a biomarker and designing personalized treatment approaches for ccRCC patients. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43657-024-00169-7.

This innovative TRG scoring model demonstrates considerable predictive value for AML patient prognosis, offering valuable insights for optimizing treatment strategies and personalized medicine approaches. The identified TRGs and associated scoring models could aid in risk stratification and guide tailored therapeutic interventions in AML patients.

P1, N=34, Active, not recruiting, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center | Trial primary completion date: Dec 2025 --> Mar 2025

P1, N=35, Active, not recruiting, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center | Trial completion date: Dec 2022 --> Dec 2025 | Trial primary completion date: Dec 2022 --> Dec 2025

UC-PDX-LN1, originating from bladder cancer, exhibited two druggable targets - HRAS and ERCC2 - responding well to chemotherapy and targeted therapy, though not to tipifarnib, an HRAS inhibitor...Clinical observations in bladder cancer patients revealed PNL in 1.61% of cases (35/2162) with associated poor prognosis. These findings propose a novel approach, advocating for the combination of anticancer/NETosis/thrombosis strategies for managing UC patients presenting with PNL in clinical settings.

HRAS-mutant tumors demonstrate lineage-dependent MAPK or PI3K pathway alterations, which confer resistance to tipifarnib. The combined use of FTIs and MEK inhibition is a promising strategy for HRAS-mutant tumors.

The two FTI Lonafarnib and tipifarnib both suppressed TLR-9-induced B-cell proliferation. FTI suppress in vitro B-cell proliferation and plasma cell formation while partially preserving IL-10 as well as GrB production of B-cells. Thus, FTI may have immunosuppressive capacity encouraging further studies to investigate the potential immunomodulatory value of this agent.

Tipifarnib monotherapy demonstrated encouraging clinical activity in heavily pre-treated relapsed/refractory PTCL, especially in AITL, with a manageable safety profile. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02464228.

A phenotypic drug screen identify farnesyltransferase inhibitors (FTI) such as tipifarnib as the most effective drugs in preventing relapse to TT in vitro and in vivo in several models of oncogenic addiction, which is confirmed by genetic depletion of the farnesyltransferase. These findings pave the way for the development of treatments combining TT and FTI to effectively prevent tumor relapse in oncogene-addicted NSCLC patients.

P2, N=296, Completed, Kura Oncology, Inc. | Active, not recruiting --> Completed

This multipronged approach of combining the available clinical data with PBPK modeling-guided dosing recommendations for tipifarnib under several conditions. This example showcases the totality of the data approach to gain a more thorough understanding of clinical pharmacology and biopharmaceutic properties of oncology drugs in development.

P2, N=0, Withdrawn, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) | N=30 --> 0 | Trial completion date: Oct 2028 --> May 2024 | Not yet recruiting --> Withdrawn | Trial primary completion date: Oct 2027 --> May 2024

This paper aims to analyze and consolidate the mechanism of FDFT1 in cancer metabolism and explore its clinical application. The goal is to contribute new strategies and targets for the prevention and treatment of cancer metabolism.

Tipifarnib is the only targeted therapy breakthrough for HRAS-mutant (HRASmt) recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC)...Finally, HRASmt was associated with shorter overall survival in HNSCC (HR: 1.564, CI: 1.16-2.11, p = 0.003) but not in the other cancer types examined. In conclusion, this study provides new insights into the unique molecular profiles of HRASmt tumors that may help to identify new targets and guide future clinical trial design.

It follows that the farnesyltransferase inhibitor (FTI) lonafarnib in addition to ALK TKIs act synergistically in neuroblastoma, inducing apoptosis in vitro. In particular, on combined treatment of neuroblastoma patient derived xenografts with an FTI and an ALK TKI complete regression of tumour growth is observed although tumours rapidly regrow on cessation of therapy. Overall, our data suggests that combined use of ALK TKIs and FTIs, constitutes a therapeutic approach to treat high risk neuroblastoma although prolonged therapy is likely required to prevent relapse.

By screening 31 drugs with 110 targets, FNTA, HSPA5, NEU1, CCND1, CASP1, CASP3 were negatively correlated with ovarian cancer, and HMGCR, PLA2G4A, ITGAL, PTGS1, FNTB were positively correlated with ovarian cancer. Statins (HMGCR blockers), lonafarnib (farnesyltransferase inhibitors), the anti-inflammatory drug aspirin, and the anti-malarial drug adiponectin all have potential therapeutic roles in ovarian cancer treatment.

P2, N=5, Active, not recruiting, National Cancer Institute (NCI) | N=49 --> 5 | Trial completion date: Sep 2027 --> Apr 2025 | Trial primary completion date: Sep 2027 --> Mar 2024

This study constructed a mRNAsi and HAGs-related prognostic model, which has implications for potential immunotherapy and drug treatment of LIHC.

P2, N=9, Terminated, Spanish Lung Cancer Group | Active, not recruiting --> Terminated; The recruitment was closed prematurely to due to slow recruitment.

This review sheds light on the prevalence of H-Ras mutations, their association with clinical characteristics, and their potential implications for OSCC prognosis. It also enhances our comprehension of the molecular mechanisms that underlie OSCC and paves the way for further research into targeted treatments based on H-Ras alterations.

Notably, the low-risk group exhibited higher sensitivity to epothilone.B, metformin, and tipifarnib compared to the high-risk group. The nomogram incorporating these factors demonstrated improved performance in predicting gastric cancer prognosis. Our study established risk features derived from GARGs that hold potential clinical utility in prognostic assessment and immune therapy response evaluation of gastric cancer patients.

Accordingly, we have tested FTIs (tipifarnib and lonafarnib) in G12C mutant human cancer cell lines in vitro and in vivo. At last, we have also tested FTIs on G12V mutant human cancer cells and again we have detected antitumoral effects. We suggest that FTIs may have clinical relevance outside the HRAS mutant cancers.

Our findings warrant the clinical exploration of KRAS-G12C inhibitors in combination with farnesyl-transferase inhibitors.

Lastly, in HRAS-mutated PDXs and in the syngeneic HRAS model, we demonstrated that tipifarnib efficacy is limited by activation of the AKT pathway, and dual treatment with tipifarnib and the PI3K inhibitor, BYL719, resulted in enhanced anti-tumor efficacy. Our case study highlights the potential of targeting HRAS mutations with tipifarnib in R/M HNSCC and identifies potential mechanisms of acquired resistance to tipifarnib, along with immuno-, chemo-, and radiation therapy. Preclinical results provide a firm foundation for further investigation of drug combinations of HRAS-and PI3K -targeting therapeutics in R/M HRAS-driven HNSCC.

Combinational, but not singular, in vivo treatment markedly suppressed the growth of S462TY xenografts established in the sciatic nerves of immune-deficient mice. Hence, prodrug farnesyl monophosphate FTIs can be rendered water-soluble by conjugation to PAMAM G4 dendrimers and exhibit potent anti-tumor activity when combined with clinically achievable statin concentrations.

P2, N=49, Active, not recruiting, National Cancer Institute (NCI) | Recruiting --> Active, not recruiting

P1, N=270, Recruiting, Kura Oncology, Inc.

The prognostic indicators reported here could be considered as a resource for identifying tumorigenesis and chemoresistance to farnesyltransferase inhibitor. They could help identify important research directions for the development of new prognostic and therapeutic techniques for AML.

Using an impressive array of in vitro and in vivo preclinical HNSCC models, Smith and colleagues demonstrated the efficacy of alpelisib and tipifarnib combination therapy through sustained mTOR inhibition in PIK3CA/HRAS-dysregulated HNSCC, including preliminary evidence of robust antitumor activity in a patient enrolled in a precision medicine trial. This study in this issue of Cancer Research illustrates the value of preclinical avatars for informing biomarker-driven clinical trials to advance precision medicine in HNSCC and other cancers. See related article by Smith et al., p. 3252.

HCC patients with high risk were correlated with shorter survival time, immune evasion, tumor stem cell characteristics and high sensitivity to Tipifarnib and Camptothecin drugs. Hepatocellular carcinoma prognosis was predicted by an E2F target signature. This finding establishes the theoretical usefulness of the E2F target route in customized identification and treatment for future research.

P1, N=270, Recruiting, Kura Oncology, Inc. | Not yet recruiting --> Recruiting

The drug sensitivity analysis showed the high-expression subgroup may be more susceptible to Bexarotene, Doxorubicin, Gemcitabine and Tipifarnib. It may be related to the immunosuppressive microenvironment and could be an underlying HCC treatment strategy. However, the conclusions still require further validation studies.

Recently, several preclinical and clinical advancements have been made in the implementation of small-molecule inhibitors that block post-translational farnesylation of HRas, thereby abrogating its downstream oncogenic activity. In this review, we focus on the biology of wild-type and mutant HRas signaling in HNSCC, and rationale for use and outcomes of farnesyltransferase inhibitors in patients with HRAS-mutant tumors.

We found that farnesyltransferase inhibitors tipifarnib and lonafarnib, which inhibit RAS activity, inhibited ERK activation mediated by both wild-type and KIT mutants, which often occur in gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Similar to the primary KIT mutations, secondary mutations of KIT-induced ERK activation and cell response were inhibited by both inhibitors. Our results suggested the potential benefit of farnesyltransferase inhibitors either alone or combined with imatinib in the treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumors carrying KIT mutations.

No abstract available

Many once-promising therapies such as tipifarnib, an inhibitor of Ras signaling, have failed clinically. Likewise, phase II clinical trials with erlotinib, which targets the epidermal growth factor (EFGR), and sorafenib, which targets the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGF), platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGF), and Raf, in combination with standard chemotherapy, have also failed to produce a response in patients...We then describe how to perform genome-scale shRNA screens to identify and compare critical signaling pathways in mouse and human MPNST cells and identify druggable targets in these pathways. These methodologies provide an effective approach to identifying new therapeutic targets in a variety of human cancer types.

In drug sensitivity analysis, the high-risk subgroup had a considerably lower TIDE score, suggesting a preferable response to immunotherapy, and may be more sensitive to Tipifarnib, Imatinib, Doxorubicin, and Gemcitabine. The patients with the higher PANRG-score may carry a dismal survival and relatively low immune infiltration, but a potential better immunotherapy response. Therefore, future HCC therapy perspectives should emphasize the setting of PANoptosis to achieve a personalized, practicable and effective therapeutic regimen.

P1, N=270, Not yet recruiting, Kura Oncology, Inc.

The discovery of the entry inhibitor bulevirtide has represented a breakthrough in HDV treatment, by demonstrating high rates of viral suppression in phase II and III trials, results which have been confirmed in real-world settings and in patients with compensated advanced liver disease. In the meantime, other compounds (i.e. lonafarnib, new anti-hepatitis B virus drugs) are under development to provide alternative or combined strategies for HDV cure. The first international Delta Cure meeting was organised in Milan in October 2022 with the aim of sharing and disseminating the latest data; this review summarises key takeaway messages from state-of-the-art lectures and research data on HDV.

Finally, in a NASH-related HCC mouse model burdened with diethylnitrosamine and a high-fat diet, tipifarnib significantly reduced tumor nodule formation in association with decreased serum interleukin-6. In conclusion, tipifarnib has anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory effects in a NASH-related HCC model and may be a promising new agent to treat this disease.

This makes the management of HDV a challenge for physicians. In this review, we look at the background, diagnosis and treatment of HDV, informed by our hospital data, to set out the optimal management of HDV; we also explore novel treatment options for this disease.