Michael Kauffman

Bio: Michael Kauffman is an academic researcher from Onyx Pharmaceuticals. The author has contributed to research in topics: Nuclear export signal & Bortezomib. The author has an hindex of 40, co-authored 222 publications receiving 8524 citations. Previous affiliations of Michael Kauffman include Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai & Takeda Pharmaceutical Company.

A phase 2 study of bortezomib in relapsed, refractory myeloma.

Abstract: Background Bortezomib, a boronic acid dipeptide, is a novel proteasome inhibitor that has been shown in preclinical and phase 1 studies to have antimyeloma activity. Methods In this multicenter, open-label, nonrandomized, phase 2 trial, we enrolled 202 patients with relapsed myeloma that was refractory to the therapy they had received most recently. Patients received 1.3 mg of bortezomib per square meter of body-surface area twice weekly for 2 weeks, followed by 1 week without treatment, for up to eight cycles (24 weeks). In patients with a suboptimal response, oral dexamethasone (20 mg daily, on the day of and the day after bortezomib administration) was added to the regimen. The response was evaluated according to the criteria of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation and confirmed by an independent review committee. Results Of 193 patients who could be evaluated, 92 percent had been treated with three or more of the major classes of agents for myeloma, and in 91 percent, the myeloma wa...

A phase 2 study of two doses of bortezomib in relapsed or refractory myeloma

Abstract: In a phase 2 open-label study of the novel proteasome inhibitor bortezomib, 54 patients with multiple myeloma who had relapsed after or were refractory to frontline therapy were randomized to receive intravenous 1.0 or 1.3 mg/m(2) bortezomib twice weekly for 2 weeks, every 3 weeks for a maximum of eight cycles. Dexamethasone was permitted in patients with progressive or stable disease after two or four cycles respectively. Responses were determined using modified European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation criteria. The complete response (CR) + partial response (PR) rate for bortezomib alone was 30% [90% confidence interval (CI), 15.7-47.1] and 38% (90% CI, 22.6-56.4) in the 1.0 mg/m(2) (8 of 27 patients) and 1.3 mg/m(2) (10 of 26 patients) groups respectively. The CR + PR rate for patients who received bortezomib alone or in combination with dexamethasone was 37% and 50% for the 1.0 and 1.3 mg/m(2) cohorts respectively. The most common grade 3 adverse events were thrombocytopenia (24%), neutropenia (17%), lymphopenia (11%) and peripheral neuropathy (9%). Grade 4 events were observed in 9% (five of 54 patients). Bortezomib alone or in combination with dexamethasone demonstrated therapeutic activity in patients with multiple myeloma who relapsed after frontline therapy.

Development of the Proteasome Inhibitor Velcade™ (Bortezomib)

Abstract: The dipeptide boronic acid analogue VELCADE™ (Bortezomib; formerly known as PS-341, LDP-341 and MLM341) is a potent and selective inhibitor of the proteasome, a multicatalytic enzyme that mediates many cellular regulatory signals by degrading regulatory proteins or their inhibitors. The proteasome is, thus, a potential target for pharmacological agents. Bortezomib, the first proteasome inhibitor to reach clinical trials, has shown in vitro and in vivo activity against a variety of malignancies, including myeloma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, and colon cancer. The drug is rapidly cleared from the vascular compartment, but a novel pharmacodynamic assay has shown that bortezomib–mediated proteasome blockade is dose-dependent and reversible. Based on phase I studies demonstrating that bortezomib has manageable toxicities in patients with advanced cancers, phase II trials have been initiated for both solid and hematological malignancies.

Oral selinexor-dexamethasone for triple-class refractory multiple myeloma

Abstract: Background Selinexor, a selective inhibitor of nuclear export compound that blocks exportin 1 (XPO1) and forces nuclear accumulation and activation of tumor suppressor proteins, inhibits n...

I-TASSER: a unified platform for automated protein structure and function prediction

Abstract: The iterative threading assembly refinement (I-TASSER) server is an integrated platform for automated protein structure and function prediction based on the sequence-to-structure-to-function paradigm. Starting from an amino acid sequence, I-TASSER first generates three-dimensional (3D) atomic models from multiple threading alignments and iterative structural assembly simulations. The function of the protein is then inferred by structurally matching the 3D models with other known proteins. The output from a typical server run contains full-length secondary and tertiary structure predictions, and functional annotations on ligand-binding sites, Enzyme Commission numbers and Gene Ontology terms. An estimate of accuracy of the predictions is provided based on the confidence score of the modeling. This protocol provides new insights and guidelines for designing of online server systems for the state-of-the-art protein structure and function predictions. The server is available at http://zhanglab.ccmb.med.umich.edu/I-TASSER.

International uniform response criteria for multiple myeloma

Abstract: New uniform response criteria are required to adequately assess clinical outcomes in myeloma. The European Group for Blood and Bone Marrow Transplant/International Bone Marrow Transplant Registry criteria have been expanded, clarified and updated to provide a new comprehensive evaluation system. Categories for stringent complete response and very good partial response are added. The serum free light-chain assay is included to allow evaluation of patients with oligo-secretory disease. Inconsistencies in prior criteria are clarified making confirmation of response and disease progression easier to perform. Emphasis is placed upon time to event and duration of response as critical end points. The requirements necessary to use overall survival duration as the ultimate end point are discussed. It is anticipated that the International Response Criteria for multiple myeloma will be widely used in future clinical trials of myeloma.

Bortezomib or high-dose dexamethasone for relapsed multiple myeloma

Abstract: background This study compared bortezomib with high-dose dexamethasone in patients with relapsed multiple myeloma who had received one to three previous therapies. methods We randomly assigned 669 patients with relapsed myeloma to receive either an intravenous bolus of bortezomib (1.3 mg per square meter of body-surface area) on days 1, 4, 8, and 11 for eight three-week cycles, followed by treatment on days 1, 8, 15, and 22 for three five-week cycles, or high-dose dexamethasone (40 mg orally) on days 1 through 4, 9 through 12, and 17 through 20 for four five-week cycles, followed by treatment on days 1 through 4 for five four-week cycles. Patients who were assigned to receive dexamethasone were permitted to cross over to receive bortezomib in a companion study after disease progression. results Patients treated with bortezomib had higher response rates, a longer time to progression (the primary end point), and a longer survival than patients treated with dexamethasone. The combined complete and partial response rates were 38 percent for bortezomib and 18 percent for dexamethasone (P<0.001), and the complete response rates were 6 percent and less than 1 percent, respectively (P<0.001). Median times to progression in the bortezomib and dexamethasone groups were 6.22 months (189 days) and 3.49 months (106 days), respectively (hazard ratio, 0.55; P<0.001). The oneyear survival rate was 80 percent among patients taking bortezomib and 66 percent among patients taking dexamethasone (P=0.003), and the hazard ratio for overall survival with bortezomib was 0.57 (P=0.001). Grade 3 or 4 adverse events were reported in 75 percent of patients treated with bortezomib and in 60 percent of those treated with dexamethasone. conclusions Bortezomib is superior to high-dose dexamethasone for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma who have had a relapse after one to three previous therapies.

Bortezomib plus melphalan and prednisone for initial treatment of multiple myeloma.

Abstract: The time to progression among patients receiving bortezomib plus melphalan– prednisone (bortezomib group) was 24.0 months, as compared with 16.6 months among those receiving melphalan–prednisone alone (control group) (hazard ratio for the bortezomib group, 0.48; P<0.001). The proportions of patients with a partial response or better were 71% in the bortezomib group and 35% in the control group; complete-response rates were 30% and 4%, respectively (P<0.001). The median duration of the response was 19.9 months in the bortezomib group and 13.1 months in the control group. The hazard ratio for overall survival was 0.61 for the bortezomib group (P = 0.008). Adverse events were consistent with established profiles of toxic events associated with bortezomib and melphalan–prednisone. Grade 3 events occurred in a higher proportion of patients in the bortezomib group than in the control group (53% vs. 44%, P = 0.02), but there were no significant differences in grade 4 events (28% and 27%, respectively) or treatment-related deaths (1% and 2%). Conclusions Bortezomib plus melphalan–prednisone was superior to melphalan–prednisone alone in patients with newly diagnosed myeloma who were ineligible for high-dose therapy. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00111319.)