Study of a Tankyrase Inhibitor RK-582 for Patients With Unresectable Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Tankyrase, the fifth and sixth members of the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) family (PARP-5a/b), is responsible for poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation (PARylation), and was originally identified as a factor that promotes the function of telomerase, an enzyme that elongates telomeres. Subsequently, it was reported that tankyrase enhances Wnt/beta-catenin signaling by PARylation and subsequent degradation of AXIN, a negative regulator of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling, suggesting that tankyrase inhibitors may be a new treatment for colorectal cancer. RK-582 was discovered through lead optimization from a tankyrase inhibitor that suppresses the growth of human colorectal cancer cells. It was confirmed that RK-582 selectively inhibited tankyrase among the PARP family enzymes, suppressed the growth of Wnt/beta-catenin signal-dependent human colorectal cancer cells at both the levels of cultured cells and xenograft tumors in immunodeficient mice, and accumulated AXIN to decrease beta-catenin and downregulate the target gene expression as pharmacodynamic biomarkers. Based on these findings, RK-582 is thought to have potential as a new treatment for colorectal cancer patients. At present, however, the efficacy and safety of RK-582 in humans have not been confirmed. Thus, this clinical trial is conducted with the aim of investigating the tolerability and safety of RK-582 for patients with unresectable advanced or recurrent colorectal cancer as a first-in-human trial, in which RK-582 is administered to humans for the first time.