The novel IκB kinase β inhibitor IMD-0560 prevents bone invasion by oral squamous cell carcinoma

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells display significantly augmented nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activity, and inhibiting this activity suppresses malignant tumor characteristics. Thus, we evaluated the effect of IMD-0560, a novel inhibitor of IκB kinase (IKK) β that is under assessment in a clinical trial of rheumatoid arthritis, on bone invasion by the mouse OSCC cell line SCCVII. We examined the inhibitory effects of IMD-0560 on NF-κB activity and tumor invasion using human OSCC cell lines and SCCVII cells in vitro. Using a mouse model of jaw bone invasion by SCCVII cells, we assessed the inhibitory effect of IMD-0560 on jaw bone invasion, tumor growth, and matrix degradation in vivo. IMD-0560 suppressed the nuclear translocation of NF-κB and the degradation of IκBα in OSCC cells. IMD-0560 also inhibited invasion by suppressing matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) production in OSCC cells. IMD-0560 protected against zygoma and mandible destruction by SCCVII cells, reduced the number of osteoclasts by inhibiting receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) expression in osteoblastic cells and SCCVII cells, increased SCCVII cell death and suppressed cell proliferation and MMP-9 production in SCCVII cells. Based on these results, IMD-0560 may represent a new therapeutic agent for bone invasion by OSCC cells.