This is a Phase I trial with new experimental drugs such as simvastatin in combination with topotecan and cyclophosphamide in the hopes of finding a drug that may work against tumors that have come back or that have not responded to standard therapy. This study will define toxicity of high dose simvastatin in combination with topotecan and cyclophosphamide and evaluate for cholesterol levels and IL6/STAT3 pathway changes as biomarkers of patient response.
Chemotherapy resistance is a major cause of treatment failure in pediatric solid tumors. STAT3 (Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3) is a transcription factor that promotes tumor proliferation, metastasis and chemotherapy resistance. Pediatric solid tumors such as neuroblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, and central nervous system (CNS) tumors such as glioblastoma and medulloblastoma have aberrant STAT3 signaling. In neuroblastoma, bone marrow production of interleukin 6 (IL-6), a STAT3 activating cytokine, is associated with poor prognosis. Thus STAT3 and its cognate ligand, IL-6, are rational therapeutic targets in pediatric solid and CNS tumors. HMG-CoA (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A) reductase inhibitors, or "statins", lower LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol by inhibiting the rate-limiting step in cholesterol biosynthesis. Pleiotropic properties of statins have been found to not only contribute to lowering the risk of heart disease, but decrease the incidence of cancer as well, leading to their use in clinical trials for adult solid and CNS tumors. Statins have been shown to inhibit IL-6 mediated STAT3 activation to prevent the recruitment of pro-inflammatory cells to injured heart tissue in adult patients. Therefore, the investigators hypothesize that the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, simvastatin, will augment chemotherapy effects to improve survival of patients with refractory or relapsed pediatric solid and CNS tumors. This is a Phase I trial of simvastatin in combination with topotecan and cyclophosphamide for refractory and/or relapsed solid or CNS tumors of childhood, in which the investigators will define toxicity and evaluate cholesterol levels and IL6/STAT3 pathway changes as biomarkers of patient response.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
13
The starting dose of simvastatin will be 140 mg/m\^2/dose BID for 21 days for the first group. Dose escalation for subsequent groups will be 180 mg/m\^2/dose BID, 225 mg/m\^2/dose BID, and 290 mg/m\^2/dose BID. If the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) has been exceeded at the first dose level, then the subsequent cohort of subjects will be treated at a dose of 100 mg/m2/dose BID (dose level 0). Simvastatin will be administered orally twice daily, approximately 12 hours apart. Feeding tube (nasogastric tube or gastrostomy tube, NOT a jejunum localized tube) administration is allowed. If a subject vomits a dose of simvastatin, it will not be repeated.
The dose of cyclophosphamide will be fixed at 250 mg/m\^2/dose. Cyclophosphamide will be administered intravenously over 30 minutes once daily for 5 days every 21 days.
The dose of topotecan will be fixed at 0.75 mg/m\^2/dose. Topotecan will be administered, after cyclophosphamide, intravenously over 30 minutes once daily for 5 days every 21 days.
Myeloid growth factor (G-CSF or pegylated G-CSF) will be initiated 24-48 hours after the completion of topotecan and cyclophosphamide for all subjects, which would be day 6 or 7. Myeloid growth factor should continue until the absolute neutrophil count is greater than 2,000/mm\^3
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta/Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Maximum Tolerated Dose (MTD) of Simvastatin
MTD will be the maximum dose at which fewer than one-third of subjects experience dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) during Cycle 1 of therapy.
Time frame: First treatment to toxicity (up to 24 months)
Number of Dose-Limiting Toxicities (DLTs)
DLT will be defined as any of the following events that are possibly, probably, or definitely attributable to study drug: Non-hematological dose-limiting toxicity: Any Grade 3 or 4 non-hematological toxicity (excluding nausea, alanine transaminase (ALT) or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) that returns to baseline or ≤ grade 1 within 7 days of study drug interruption, fever, infection, hypophosphatemia, hypokalemia, hypocalcemia, hypomagnesemia, or creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) elevation that returns to baseline or ≤ grade 1 within 7 days of study drug interruption), Any Grade 2 non-hematological toxicity that persists for ≥ 7 days and is considered sufficiently medically significant or sufficiently intolerable by subjects that it requires treatment interruption, or hematological dose-limiting toxicity, defined as neutropenia or thrombocytopenia that precludes initiation of the next cycle of therapy within 14 days of the scheduled start date.
Time frame: Up to 24 months
Percentage of Participants With Overall Tumor Response (Response Rate)
Response is defined as CR (Complete Response) or PR (Partial Response) per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumor (RECIST criteria). Possible evaluations include: CR: Disappearance of all target lesions. PR: At least a 30% decrease in the size of target lesions. Response rate (%) = (number of patients with CR+PR/number of patients)\*100
Time frame: 24 months
Change in Total Cholesterol Level
Change in serum total cholesterol level after treatment with simvastatin. A decrease from baseline to the end of treatment, a negative value, indicates an improvement.
Time frame: Baseline, 24 months
Change in serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) level
Change in serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) level after treatment with simvastatin. Serum levels of the IL-6 will be assayed using by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Higher levels are typically interpreted as worsening of condition.
Time frame: Baseline, 24 months
Change in soluble interleukin 6 receptor (sIL-6R)
Change in serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) level after treatment with simvastatin. Serum levels of the sIL-6r will be assayed using by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Higher levels are typically interpreted as worsening of condition.
Time frame: Baseline, 24 months
Change in signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT-3) expression
Change in STAT-3 expression after treatment with simvastatin. STAT-3 will be measured using phospho-specific flow cytometry, or phospho-flow.
Time frame: Baseline, 24 months
Change in phospho-STAT3 expression
Change in phospho-STAT3 expression after treatment with simvastatin. Phospho-STAT3 expression will be measured using phospho-specific flow cytometry, or phospho-flow.
Time frame: Baseline, 24 months
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