CDK9 Inhibitor FIT-039 Suppresses Viral Oncogenes E6 and E7 and Has a Therapeutic Effect on HPV-Induced Neoplasia

Purpose: Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide. The purpose of this study is to assess the therapeutic effect of the newly developed cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) inhibitor FIT-039 on cervical neoplasia induced by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Experimental Design: We examined FIT-039 for its effect on HPV gene expression in HPV+ cervical cancer cells. Primary keratinocytes monolayer and organotypic raft culture models were used to evaluate HPV viral replication and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) phenotypes. Preclinical pharmacokinetics and toxicity tests for FIT-039 were also conducted. Finally, the anti-HPV effect of FIT-039 was further examined in vivo, using HPV+ cervical cancer xenografts. Results: FIT-039 inhibits HPV replication and expression of E6 and E7 viral oncogenes, restoring tumor suppressors p53 and pRb in HPV+ cervical cancer cells. The therapeutic effect of FIT-039 was demonstrated in CIN model of an organotypic raft culture, where FIT-039 suppressed HPV18-induced dysplasia/hyperproliferation with reduction in viral load. FIT-039 also repressed growth of HPV16(+), but not HPV+ cervical cancer xenografts without any significant adverse effects. Safety and pharmacokinetics of FIT-039 were confirmed for systemic and topical routes. Conclusions: The CDK9 inhibitor FIT-039 showed potent anti-HPV activity without significant toxicity in preclinical studies. Thus, FIT-039 is expected to be a novel therapeutic for CIN to prevent cervical cancer. (C) 2018 AACR.