Phospho-Aspirin (MDC-22) Prevents Pancreatic Carcinogenesis in Mice

Pancreatic cancer is a deadly disease with a dismal 5-year survival rate of <6%. The currently limited treatment options for pancreatic cancer underscore the need for novel chemopreventive and therapeutic agents. Accumulating evidence indicates that aspirin use is associated with a decreased risk of pancreatic cancer. However, the anticancer properties of aspirin are restricted by its gastrointestinal toxicity and its limited efficacy. Therefore, we developed phospho-aspirin (MDC-22), a novel derivative of aspirin, and evaluated its chemopreventive efficacy in preclinical models of pancreatic cancer. Phospho-aspirin inhibited the growth of human pancreatic cancer cell lines 8- to 12-fold more potently than aspirin; based on the 24-hour IC50 values. In a Panc-1 xenograft model, phospho-aspirin, at a dose of 100 mg/kg/d 5 times per week for 30 days, reduced tumor growth by 78% (P < 0.01 vs. vehicle control). Furthermore, phospho-aspirin prevented pancreatitis-accelerated acinar-to-ductal metaplasia in mice with activated Kras. In p48-Cre;Kras(G12D) mice, cerulein treatment (6 hourly injections two times per week for 3 weeks) led to a significant increase in ductal metaplasia, replacing the majority of the exocrine compartment. Administration of phospho-aspirin 100 mg/kg/day five times per week for 21 days (starting on the first day of cerulein injection) inhibited the acinar-to-ductal metaplasia, reducing it by 87% (P < 0.01, vs. cerulein-treated control). Phospho-aspirin appeared to be safe, with the animals showing no signs of toxicity during treatment. Mechanistically, phospho-aspirin inhibited EGFR activation in pancreatic cancer, an effect consistently observed in pancreatic cancer cells, primary acinar explants and in vivo In conclusion, our findings indicate that phospho-aspirin has strong anticancer efficacy in preclinical models of pancreatic cancer, warranting its further evaluation. Cancer Prev Res; 9(7); 624-34. ©2016 AACR.