Cited by 196Estrogen and related hormone effectsAdvanced Breast Cancer TherapiesBreast Cancer Treatment Studies

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 27 of the 28 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 29 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.

Oral Selective Estrogen Receptor Downregulators (SERDs), a Breakthrough Endocrine Therapy for Breast Cancer

Open access
McDonnell, Donald P., Wardell, Suzanne E., Norris, John D.·2015·Journal of Medicinal Chemistry

Abstract

Drugs that inhibit estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) or that block the production of estrogens remain frontline interventions in the treatment and management of breast cancer at all stages. However, resistance to endocrine therapies, especially in the setting of advanced disease, remains an impediment to durable clinical responses. Although the mechanisms underlying resistance to existing agents are complex, preclinical studies suggest that selective estrogen receptor downregulators (SERDs), molecules which eliminate ERα expression, may have particular utility in the treatment of breast cancers that have progressed on tamoxifen and/or aromatase inhibitors. The discovery and development of orally bioavailable SERDs provide the opportunity to evaluate the utility of eliminating ERα expression in advanced metastatic breast cancers.

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

This perspective argues that orally bioavailable selective estrogen receptor downregulators (SERDs) represent a promising advance for ERα-positive breast cancer that has progressed on tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors, because they eliminate ERα rather than merely antagonizing it. It frames GDC-0810 (ARN-810), described by Lai et al. in the same issue, as the most advanced next-generation oral SERD and outlines open questions about its clinical utility.

Key findings

  • Resistance to tamoxifen is now attributed to changes in coregulator expression/activity that let tamoxifen act as an agonist, rather than to ERα loss, drug metabolism, or MDR1 efflux; ligand-independent ERα activation reduces SERM antagonist efficacy but leaves SERD sensitivity unaffected.
  • Up to 20% of tumors in metastatic, endocrine-resistant breast cancer are reported to contain activating mutations in the receptor, and preclinical studies support SERDs as a viable approach for these tumors.
  • GW5638 is a prodrug converted to the more potent metabolite GW7604; cross-species microsome profiling found only ~16% conversion in human liver microsomes, a liability mitigated in the GDC-0810 series by modifications that increased potency and removed the primary glucuronidation site.
  • In the Paloma 3 trial, combining the cdk4/6 inhibitor palbociclib with fulvestrant produced an improvement in progression-free survival (10 months) versus fulvestrant plus placebo in women with ER-positive metastatic breast cancer.

Methods

  • Design: a narrative perspective/commentary in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry; no primary experimental data are reported.
  • Data: synthesis of prior literature and clinical/preclinical reports, plus discussion of the companion paper by Lai et al. identifying GDC-0810.
  • Main analysis: conceptual review of ER pharmacology (conformation-based compound profiling, coregulator biology), the history of fulvestrant and GW5638/GW7604, and the development path of oral SERDs.

Limitations

  • Stated: data describing the activity of GDC-0810 on ERα under conditions where it is constitutively active are missing from Lai et al.; the extent to which elimination of the need for metabolic activation contributes to clinical activity remains to be determined; whether SERDs have any therapeutic advantage over high-affinity competitive ERα antagonists without SERD activity remains unresolved; results of clinical trials of pipendoxifene (ERA924) and acolbifene (EM652) were never published, so the criteria for their discontinuation are unclear.
  • Evident from the text: as a commentary, it presents no new experimental data, and its claims about GDC-0810's clinical value rest on trials described as ongoing and eagerly awaited rather than completed.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b00760

Cites

27 of 27 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Verification

Claims the paper makes

24 Not checked yet · 6 Own interpretation

Verify all 29 references — free account

Show all 23 claims

  • It may state two separate claims as one. 7
7 of 7
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Resistance to endocrine therapies, especially in advanced disease, remains an impediment to durable clinical responses.

    “However, resistance to endocrine therapies, especially in the setting of advanced disease, remains an impediment to durable clinical responses.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    ERα remains engaged in advanced disease, contributes to disease pathogenesis, and remains a viable therapeutic target.

    “It is now well established that ERα remains engaged in advance disease, contributes to disease pathogenesis, and remains a viable therapeutic target.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The Paloma 3 clinical trial reported that combining palbociclib with fulvestrant improved progression-free survival (10 months) compared to fulvestrant plus placebo in women with ER-positive metastatic breast cancer.

    “Indeed, the recent results of the Paloma 3 clinical trial were very encouraging as it was reported that regimens in which the cdk4/6 inhibitor (palbociclib) and fulvestrant were combined demonstrated an impressive improvement in progression free survival (10 months) when compared to fulvestrant plus placebo in women with ER positive metastatic breast cancer.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    There is little data on the ability of existing ER modulators and aromatase inhibitors to cross the blood-brain barrier.

    “There is little data on the ability of existing ER modulators and aromatase inhibitors to cross the blood brain barrier (BBB) and thus there is considerable interest in evaluating brain penetrant SERDs or SERMs in patients with BCBM.”
4 of 4

Claims other papers make about this one

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Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.

1 of 1

Citations

Cites

Research works printed but not linked: 6

  1. Johnston S. R., 2001, Clin. Cancer Res., 7, 4376s
  2. DeFriend D. J., 1994, Cancer Res., 54, 408
  3. Gottardis M. M., 1988, Cancer Res., 48, 812
  4. Connor C. E., 2001, Cancer Res., 61, 2917
  5. Schafer J. M., 2001, Clin. Cancer Res., 7, 2505
  6. Masamura S., 1995, J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., 80, 2918

Cited by

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Metadata

Authors
McDonnell, D. P., Wardell, S. E., & Norris, J. D.
Affiliations
Duke University (US)
Corresponding author
McDonnell, Donald P.
Venue
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
Published
2015-06-03
Volume
58
Issue
12
Pages
4883-4887
ISSN
  • 0022-2623 (ISSN-L)
  • 1520-4804
OpenAlex
W2411335118
Cited by
178
References
28
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 26 · 2019: 20 · 2018: 20 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 3
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Medicinal Chemistry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R01DK048807, DK048807, R37DK048807)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Endocrinology › Estrogen and related hormone effects
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Advanced Breast Cancer Therapies
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › Breast Cancer Treatment Studies
Keywords
selective estrogen receptor downregulators, estrogen receptor alpha, breast cancer, endocrine therapy, tamoxifen resistance, aromatase inhibitor resistance, oral bioavailability, metastatic breast cancer, advanced breast cancer
MeSH terms
Animals, Breast, Breast Neoplasms, Female, Humans, Tamoxifen, Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal, Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators, Aromatase Inhibitors, Estrogen Receptor alpha, Drug Discovery

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