Inhibitors of polysialic acid de-N-acetylase and methods for using the same

1. A method of inhibiting growth of a cancerous cell in a subject, said method comprising:

administering to the subject a pharmaceutical composition comprising an effective amount of an inhibitor of a polysialic acid (PSA) de-N-acetylase in a pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle, wherein the inhibitor is a monomer of an N-substituted derivative of a hexosamine compound of formula (I):

or the pharmaceutically acceptable salts, solvate, prodrug, anomers, tautomers and stereoisomers forms thereof;

wherein R 2 is a radical selected from the group consisting of —C(O)CH 2 F, —C(O)CH 2 Cl, —C(O)CH 2 Br, —C(O)CH 2 I, and —C(O)CH═CH 2 ;

each R 1 , R 3 , R 4 and R 6 is independently hydrogen or a substituted or unsubstituted moiety selected from the group consisting of heteroatom, cycloalkyl, heteroaryl, alkenyl, acetyl, sulfonyl, lipid, nucleic acid, peptide and polypeptide,

with the proviso that said inhibitor of PSA de-N-acetylase is other than N-acryl glucosamine; an unacetylated or tetra-O-acetylated N-haloacetyl mannosamine; an unacetylated or tetra-O-acetylated N-haloacetyl galactosamine; and an unacetylated or tetra-O-acetylated N-haloacetyl glucosamine; and

wherein said administering facilitates reduction in viability of cancerous cells exposed to said inhibitor.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cancer is a melanoma or a leukemia.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cancer is a neuroblastoma.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

administering at least one of an immunotherapy, a cancer chemotherapy or a radiation therapy to the subject.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said hexosamine compound of formula (I) is selected from a mannosamine compound of formula (III), a galactosamine compound of formula (IV), or a glucosamine compound of formula (V):

wherein each R 1 , R 3 , R 4 and R 6 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and acetyl and each R 2 is independently selected from a radical of the group consisting of —C(O)CH═CH 2 , and —C(O)CH 2 I.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said inhibitor comprises an N-substituted hexosamine selected from the group consisting of: N-acryl mannosamine; N-acryl galactosamine; or the pharmaceutically acceptable salts, solvate, and prodrug forms thereof, anomers, tautomers and stereoisomers thereof, and derivatives thereof.

7. A pharmaceutical composition comprising an effective amount of inhibitor of a polysialic acid (PSA) de-N-acetylase in a pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle, wherein said inhibitor is a monomer of an N-substituted derivative of a hexosamine compound of formula (I):

or the pharmaceutically acceptable salts, and prodrug forms thereof, anomers, tautomers and stereoisomers thereof;

wherein R 2 is a radical selected from the group consisting of —C(O)CH 2 F, —C(O)CH 2 Cl, —C(O)CH 2 Br, —C(O)CH 2 I, and —C(O)CH═CH 2 ; and

each R 1 , R 3 , R 4 and R 6 is independently hydrogen or a substituted or unsubstituted moiety selected from the group consisting of heteroatom, cycloalkyl, heteroaryl, alkenyl, acetyl, sulfonyl, lipid, nucleic acid, peptide and polypeptide,

with the proviso that said inhibitor of PSA de-N-acetylase is other than N-acryl glucosamine; an unacetylated or tetra-O-acetylated N-haloacetyl mannosamine; an unacetylated or tetra-O-acetylated N-haloacetyl galactosamine; and an unacetylated or tetra-O-acetylated N-haloacetyl glucosamine.

8. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 7 , wherein said hexosamine compound of formula (I) is selected from a mannosamine compound of formula (III), a galactosamine compound of formula (IV), or a glucosamine compound of formula (V):

wherein each R 1 , R 3 , R 4 and R 6 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and acetyl and each R 2 is independently selected from a radical of the group consisting of —C(O)CH═CH 2 , and —C(O)CH 2 I.

9. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 7 , wherein said inhibitor comprises an N-substituted hexosamine selected from the group consisting of: N-acryl mannosamine; N-acryl galactosamine; or the pharmaceutically acceptable salts, and prodrug forms thereof, anomers, tautomers and stereoisomers thereof, and derivatives thereof.

10. A kit for use in treating a host suffering from a cellular proliferative disease condition, said kit comprising an effective amount of an inhibitor of polysialic acid (PSA) de-N-acetylase according to claim 7 , and instructions for the effective use of said inhibitor in a method of inhibiting the growth of a cancerous cell.

11. The kit according to claim 10 , wherein said kit further includes a diagnostic for detecting a de-N-acetylated sialic acid (deNAc SA) epitope.

12. The kit according to claim 11 , wherein said diagnostic comprises an antibody or derivative thereof suitable for detecting a de-N-acetylated sialic acid (deNAc SA) epitope on an extracellularly accessible surface of a cancer cell.

13. The kit according to claim 11 , wherein said antibody is SEAM 3 (ATCC Deposit No. HB-12170).

14. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 7 , further comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.

15. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 14 , wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable excipient is selected from the group consisting of mannitol, lactose, starch, magnesium stearate, sodium saccharin, talcum, cellulose, glucose, sucrose, magnesium carbonate, sodium acetate, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium chloride and sodium lactate.