Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42600063›Full record

ArticleCancer research communications2026

Antitumor Activity of Novel Transcriptional Inhibitors Ecubectedin and PM54 in Soft Tissue Sarcoma Patient-Derived Xenografts.

Daniël Gorgels, Chao-Chi Wang, Lore De Cock, Luna De Sutter, Karo Wyns, Kimberly Verbeeck, Ulla Vanleeuw, Daphne Hompes, Friedl Sinnaeve, Hazem Wafa and 5 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer research communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Daniël GorgelsLaboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Oncology, Leuven Cancer Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0002-3783-1612
Chao-Chi WangLaboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Oncology, Leuven Cancer Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0003-4266-1600
Lore De CockLaboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Oncology, Leuven Cancer Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0002-9386-0688
Luna De SutterLaboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Oncology, Leuven Cancer Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0001-9846-6631
Karo WynsLaboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Oncology, Leuven Cancer Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID 0009-0004-6328-0430
Kimberly VerbeeckLaboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Oncology, Leuven Cancer Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID 0009-0008-5131-1294
Ulla VanleeuwLaboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Oncology, Leuven Cancer Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID 0009-0009-3296-3737
Daphne HompesDepartment of Surgical Oncology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven Cancer Institute, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0001-7068-9569
Friedl SinnaeveDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven Cancer Institute, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0003-4321-7771
Hazem WafaDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven Cancer Institute, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID 0009-0003-2886-4716
Maria Jose GuillénPharmaMar S.A., Madrid, Spain.ORCID 0009-0009-3412-6051
Pablo AvilésPharmaMar S.A., Madrid, Spain.ORCID 0000-0001-7922-6042
Raf SciotDepartment of Pathology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0003-2244-5839
Agnieszka WozniakLaboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Oncology, Leuven Cancer Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0001-9726-144X
Patrick SchöffskiLaboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Oncology, Leuven Cancer Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0001-5980-030X

Funding

PharmaMar
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Trabectedin, prototype of the ecteinascidin class of drugs, is a known second- or later-line therapeutic option for advanced soft tissue sarcoma (STS). We evaluated the antitumor activity of two novel synthetic trabectedin derivatives, ecubectedin and PM54, in selected patient-derived xenograft (PDX) STS models. In total, 364 Naval Medical Research Institutenu/nu mice were transplanted bilaterally with two leiomyosarcoma (LMS), two dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS), one synovial sarcoma (SynSa), and one CIC-rearranged sarcoma (CRS) PDX models. Mice were randomized to six groups and treated via tail vein injection with (i) vehicle, (ii) doxorubicin, (iii) trabectedin, (iv) lurbinectedin, (v) ecubectedin, or (vi) PM54. Treatment was given on days 1, 8, and 15, and mice were sacrificed on day 16. The SynSa experiment included extra mice to investigate posttreatment xenograft evolution. Antitumor activity was assessed by tumor volume measurement, histopathologic, and immunohistochemical analyses. In all LMS and DDLPS models, ecubectedin and PM54 led to tumor growth delay compared with trabectedin. Histopathologic evaluation of treated tumors showed moderately increased antitumor activity of novel ecteinascidins compared with trabectedin. The CRS model showed tumor shrinkage in response to ecubectedin (63% regression from baseline) and PM54 (24% regression from baseline), while the SynSa model showed tumor volume stabilization. Both translocation-related models showed significant antitumor effect on histopathologic evaluation in response to the novel drugs compared with trabectedin. Ecubectedin and PM54 have modest antitumor activity in STS PDX models, with the strongest effects seen in the translocation-related sarcoma models, showing the potential of this class of drugs in the treatment of STS. SIGNIFICANCE: Advanced STS remains without truly effective therapeutic options. Translocation-related sarcomas demonstrate higher vulnerability to next-generation ecteinascidin treatment compared with more complex sarcoma subtypes. This vulnerability builds upon known literature and could be exploited in future clinical trials using the next-generation ecteinascidins.

Indexed as

Antineoplastic AgentsCarbolinesHeterocyclic Compounds, 4 or More RingsPeptides, CyclicSarcomaAnimalsFemaleHumansMiceMice, NudeTetrahydroisoquinolinesTrabectedinXenograft Model Antitumor AssaysAntineoplastic AgentsCarbolinesHeterocyclic Compounds, 4 or More RingsPeptides, CyclicPM 01183TetrahydroisoquinolinesTrabectedin

Identifiers

PMID42600063
PMCPMC13536467

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.