1. A novel rapalog shows improved safety vs. efficacy in a human organoid model of polycystic kidney disease.
- Author
-
Gulieva RE, Ahmadvand P, and Freedman BS
- Subjects
- Humans, MTOR Inhibitors pharmacology, MTOR Inhibitors therapeutic use, Signal Transduction drug effects, Kidney pathology, Kidney metabolism, Kidney drug effects, Organoids drug effects, Organoids metabolism, Organoids pathology, Polycystic Kidney Diseases drug therapy, Polycystic Kidney Diseases metabolism, Polycystic Kidney Diseases pathology, Everolimus therapeutic use, Everolimus pharmacology, TRPP Cation Channels genetics, TRPP Cation Channels metabolism, TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases metabolism, TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases antagonists & inhibitors
- Abstract
The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is a therapeutic target in polycystic kidney disease (PKD), but mTOR inhibitors such as everolimus have failed to show efficacy at tolerated doses in clinical trials. Here, we introduce AV457, a novel rapalog developed to reduce side effects, and assess its dose-dependent safety and efficacy versus everolimus in PKD1
-/- and PKD2-/- human kidney organoids, which form cysts in a PKD-specific way. Both AV457 and everolimus reduce cyst growth over time. At intermediate doses, AV457 exhibits an improved safety profile relative to everolimus, with comparable efficacy. Target engagement assays confirm mTOR pathway inhibition and greater selectivity of AV457 for mTOR complex 1 versus complex 2, compared to everolimus. AV457 thus provides a more favorable balance of safety and efficacy for PKD compared to everolimus and merits further consideration as an investigational therapeutic., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests B.S.F. is an inventor on patents and/or patent applications related to human kidney organoid differentiation and modeling of PKD in this system (these include “Three-dimensional differentiation of epiblast spheroids into kidney tubular organoids modeling human microphysiology, toxicology, and morphogenesis” [Japan, US, and Australia], licensed to STEMCELL Technologies; “High-throughput automation of organoids for identifying therapeutic strategies” [PTC patent application pending]; and “Systems and methods for characterizing pathophysiology” [PTC patent application pending]). B.S.F. has ownership interest in Plurexa LLC. None of the preceding interests affected in any way the results of the paper or would be affected by them, but they are shared by way of transparency., (Copyright © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)- Published
- 2025
- Full Text
- View/download PDF