Growth and metastases of human lung cancer are inhibited in mouse xenografts by a transition state analogue of 5′-methylthioadenosine phosphorylase

The S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) salvage enzyme 5′- methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) has been implicated as both a cancer target and a tumor suppressor. We tested these hypotheses in mouse xenografts of human lung cancers. AdoMet recycling from 5′-methylthioadenosine (MTA) was blocked by inhibition of MTAP with methylthio-DADMe-Immucillin-A (MTDIA), an orally available, nontoxic, picomolar transition state analogue. Blood, urine, and tumor levels of MTA increased in response to MTDIA treatment. MTDIA treatment inhibited A549 (human non-small cell lung carcinoma) and H358 (human bronchioloalveolar non-small cell lung carcinoma cells) xenograft tumor growth in immunodeficient Rag2^-/-γC^-/- and NCr-nu mice. Systemic MTA accumulation is implicated as the tumor-suppressive metabolite because MTDIA is effective for in vivo treatment of A549 MTAP^-/- and H358 MTAP^+/+ tumors. Tumors from treated mice showed increased MTA and decreased polyamines but little alteration in AdoMet, methionine, or adenine levels. Gene expression profiles of A549 tumors from treated and untreated mice revealed only modest alterations with 62 up-regulated and 63 down-regulated mRNAs (≥3-fold). MTDIA antitumor activity in xenografts supports MTAP as a target for lung cancer therapy.