Hypoxic cell radiosensitizers are compounds that selectively increase the sensitivity of hypoxic cells to destructive radiation. Cytotoxins which have enhanced activity under hypoxic conditions also provide a means for selective destruction of cells under low oxygen pressure. This specificity for hypoxic cells is important because it is tumors that are typically characterized by such cells. Virtually all tumors which are present as solid masses contain these cells, while normal cells generally have an adequate supply of oxygen. Accordingly, anti-tumor agents can be made selective for tumors by virtue of high activity under hypoxic conditions, and radiation can be employed more effectively in the presence of these sensitizers.
Of course, the use of radiation treatment to destroy tumor cells is only practical if damage to the surrounding normal tissue can be minimized or avoided. The effects of radiation are enhanced by the presence of oxygen, and it is established that as the dose of radiation is increased, the effectiveness of the radiation in destroying target cells is enhanced most dramatically when oxygen is present. Therefore, selectivity for tumor cells toward radiation is difficult to achieve--normal cells, in view of their oxygen supply, are generally more susceptible to radiation than the target tumor cells. It is therefore desirable to provide a means of sensitizing tumor cells, but not the surrounding tissue, to radiation treatment. One solution would be to increase the supply of oxygen to these tumor cells. This, however, has proved difficult to do.
Various heterocyclic compounds and in particular those with oxidized nitrogen moieties, have been used to radiosensitize hypoxic tumor cells. Indeed, it has been postulated that the oxidized nitrogen functionality is responsible for this activity. Nitroimidazoles, particularly misonidazole (MIS) and metronidazole have been studied extensively, and HIS is commonly used as a standard in in vitro and in vivo tests for radiosensitizing activity. (See, e.g., Asquith, et al, Radiation Res (1974) 60:108-118; Hall, et al, Brit J Cancer (1978) 37: 567-569; Brown, et al, Radiation Res (1980) 82:171-190; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,371,540. The radiosensitizing activities of certain 1-substituted 3(5)-nitro-s-triazoles and of various quinoxaline-1,4-dioxide derivatives have also been disclosed.
In addition, U.S. Ser. No. 730,761, filed 3 May 1985, and U.S. Ser. No. 788,762, filed 18 Oct. 1985 assigned to the same assignee and incorporated by reference disclose a group of radiosensitizers that do not contain oxidized nitrogen--the substituted benzamides and nicotinamides and their thio analogs. These compounds, nevertheless, are radiosensitizers. It is important to distinguish the ability to sensitize hypoxic cells selectively, for instance, by enhancing their oxygen supply, from another mechanism commonly encountered for "sensitizing" cells: inhibition of the enzyme poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase, which is believed to be essential in the repair of irradiated cells after radiation. This repair mechanism is operative in both hypoxic tumor cells and in normal cells. Hence, administration of "radiosensitizers" which operate according to this latter mechanism does not accomplish the desired purpose of selectively sensitizing the target tumor cells.
A group of compounds which has not previously been suggested for use in either selectively killing hypoxic cells or in radiosensitizing such cells is 3-amino-1,2,4-benzotriazine 1,4-di-N-oxide and related compounds. Related U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,980,779; 3,868,371; and 4,001,410 disclose the preparation of a group of these compounds and their use as anti-microbial agents, particularly by addition of these materials to livestock fodder. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,991,189 and 3,957,799 disclose derivatives of these compounds bearing substituents on the nitrogen of the 3-amino group. These compounds also have anti-microbial activity.
The present invention provides additional compounds which specifically radiosensitize hypoxic cells and which, furthermore, are directly cytotoxic to hypoxic cells both in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, administration of these compounds prior to or following radiation treatment of tumors selectively kills the hypoxic (tumor) cells which survive the radiation dose. Both the ability of these compounds to radiosensitize hypoxic cells and especially their ability to selectively kill hypoxic cells directly are unexpected properties of these compounds.
The invention also provides novel 1,2,4-benzotriazine oxides useful as radiosensitizers and/or selective cytotoxic agents; methods of synthesizing the compounds; and methods of administering the compounds to achieve radiosensitization and/or selective cell killing.