TREATMENT OF TUMORS INCORPORATING MUTANT ISOCITRATE DEHYDROGENASE

1 . A method of treating a mutant IDH cancer in a subject comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of an antimetabolite or a DHODH inhibitor.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting the presence of a mutant IDH gene or a mutant IDH protein in the cancer.

3 . A method for determining whether survival or proliferation of a tumor cell can be inhibited by contacting said tumor cell with an antimetabolite or a DHODH inhibitor, said method comprising determining the presence of a mutant IDH gene or a mutant IDH protein in said tumor cell, wherein the presence of a mutant IDH gene or a mutant IDH protein indicates that survival or proliferation of said tumor cell can be inhibited by an antimetabolite or a DHODH inhibitor.

4 . (canceled)

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said mutant IDH is a mutation of the IDH1 protein or the IDH1 gene.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein said mutation is an amino acid substitution selected from the group consisting of G97D R132H, R132C, R132L, R132V, R132S and R132G.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said mutant IDH is a mutation of the IDH2 protein or the IDH2 gene.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein mutation is an amino acid substitution selected from the group consisting of R140Q, R140W, R140L, R172K and R172G.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said antimetabolite is azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine, thioguanine, fludarabine, pentostatin and cladribine, 5-fluorouracil, floxuridine, cytarabine, 6-azauracil, methotrexate or pemetrexed.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein said antimetabolite is methotrexate.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said DHODH inhibitor is brequinar, vidofludimus, leflunomide or teriflunomide.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the DHODH inhibitor is compound of formula:

A is an aromatic or non-aromatic 5- or 6-membered hydrocarbon ring wherein optionally one or more of the carbon atoms are replaced by a group X, wherein X is independently selected from the group consisting of S, O, N, NR 4 , SO 2 and SO;

L is a single bond or NH;

D is Q, S, SO 2 , NR 4 , or CH 2 ;

Z 1 is Q, S, or NR 5 ;

Z 2 is Q, S, or NR 5 ;

R 1 independently represents H, halogen, haloalkanyl, haloalkenyl, haloalkynyl, haloalkanyloxy, haloalkenyloxy, haloalkynyloxy, —CO 2 R″, —SO 3 H, —OH, —CONR*R″, —CR″O, —SO 2 —NR*R″, —NO 2 , —SO 2 —R″, —SO—R*, —CN, alkanyloxy, alkenyloxy, alkynyloxy, alkanylthio, alkenylthio, alkynylthio, aryl, —NR″—CO 2 —R′, —NR″—CO—R*, —NR″—SO 2 —R′, —O—CO—R*, —O—CO 2 —R*, —O—CO—NR*R″, cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, alkanylamino, alkenylamino, alkynylamino, hydroxyalkanylamino, hydroxyalkenylamino, hydroxyalkynylamino, —SH, heteroaryl, alkanyl, alkenyl or alkynyl;

R* independently represents H, alkanyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, aminoalkanyl, aminoalkenyl, aminoalkynyl, alkanyloxy, alkenyloxy, alkynyloxy, —OH, —SH, alkanylthio, alkenylthio, alkynylthio, hydroxyalkanyl, hydroxyalkenyl, hydroxyalkynyl, haloalkanyl, haloalkenyl, haloalkynyl, haloalkanyloxy, haloalkenyloxy, haloalkynyloxy, aryl or heteroaryl; R′ independently represents H, —CO 2 R″, —CONR″R′″, —CR″O, —SO 2 NR″, —NR″—CO-haloalkanyl, haloalkenyl, haloalkynyl, —NO 2 , —NR″—SO 2 -haloalkanyl, haloalkenyl, haloalkynyl, —NR″—SO 2 -alkanyl, —NR″—SO 2 -alkenyl, —NR″—SO 2 -alkynyl, —SO 2 -alkanyl, —SO 2 -alkenyl, —SO 2 -alkynyl, —NR″—CO-alkanyl, —NR″—CO-alkenyl, —NR″—CO-alkynyl, —CN, alkanyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, aminoalkanyl, aminoalkenyl, aminoalkynyl, alkanylamino, alkenylamino, alkynylamino, alkanyloxy, alkenyloxy, alkynyloxy, cycloalkyloxy, —OH, —SH, alkanylthio, alkenylthio, alkynylthio, hydroxyalkanyl, hydroxyalkenyl, hydroxyalkynyl, hydroxyalkanylamino, hydroxyalkenylamino, hydroxyalkynylamino, halogen, haloalkanyl, haloalkenyl, haloalkynyl, haloalkanyloxy, haloalkenyloxy, haloalkynyloxy, aryl, aralkyl or heteroaryl;

R″ independently represents hydrogen, haloalkanyl, haloalkenyl, haloalkynyl, hydroxyalkanyl, hydroxyalkenyl, hydroxyalkynyl, alkanyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, aminoalkanyl, aminoalkenyl or aminoalkynyl;

R′″ independently represents H or alkanyl;

R 2 is H or OR 6 , NHR 7 , NR 7 OR 7 ;

or R 2 together with the nitrogen atom which is attached to R 8 forms a 5 to 7 membered, preferably 5 or 6 membered heterocyclic ring wherein R 2 is —[CH 2 ]s and R 8 is absent;

R 3 is H, alkanyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, aryl, alkanyloxy, alkenyloxy, alkynyloxy, —O-aryl; —O-cycloalkyl, —O-heterocycloalkyl, halogen, aminoalkanyl, aminoalkenyl, aminoalkynyl, alkanylamino, alkenylamino, alkynylamino, hydroxylamino, hydroxylalkanyl, hydroxylalkenyl, hydroxylalkynyl, haloalkanyloxy, haloalkenyloxy, haloalkynyloxy, heteroaryl, alkanylthio, alkenylthio, alkynylthio, —S-aryl; —S-cycloalkyl, —S— heterocycloalkyl, aralkyl, haloalkanyl, haloalkenyl or haloalkynyl;

R 4 is H, alkanyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, aryl or heteroaryl;

R 5 is H, OH, alkanyloxy, alkenyloxy, alkynyloxy, O-aryl, alkanyl, alkenyl, alkynyl or aryl;

R 6 is H, alkanyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, aralkyl, alkanyloxyalkanyl, alkanyloxyalkenyl, alkanyloxyalkynyl, alkenyloxyalkanyl, alkenyloxyalkenyl, alkenyloxyalkynyl, alkynyloxyalkanyl, alkynyloxyalkenyl, alkynyloxyalkynyl, acylalkanyl, (acyloxy)alkanyl, (acyloxy)alkenyl, (acyloxy)alkynyl acyl, non-symmetrical (acyloxy)alkanyldiester, non-symmetrical (acyloxy)alkenyldiester, non-symmetrical (acyloxy)alkynyldiester, or dialkanylphosphate, dialkenylphosphate or dialkynylphosphate;

R 7 is H, OH, alkanyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, alkanyloxy, alkenyloxy, alkynyloxy, —O-aryl, cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, —O-cycloalkyl, or —O-heterocycloalkyl;

R 8 is H, alkanyl, alkenyl or alkynyl;

E is an alkanyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, heterocycloalkyl or cycloalkyl group or a fused bi- or tricyclic ring system wherein one phenyl ring is fused to one or two monocyclic cycloalkyl or heterocycloalkyl rings or one bicyclic cycloalkyl or heterocycloalkyl ring, or wherein two phenyl rings are fused to a monocyclic cycloalkyl or heterocycloalkyl ring, wherein monocyclic and bicyclic cycloalkyl and heterocycloalkyl rings are as defined herein, and wherein all of the aforementioned groups may optionally be substituted by one or more substituents R;

Y is H, halogen, haloalkanyl, haloalkenyl, haloalkynyl, haloalkanyloxy, haloalkenyloxy, haloalkynyloxy, alkanyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, heterocycloalkyl or cycloalkyl group or a fused bi- or tricyclic ring system wherein one phenyl ring is fused to one or two monocyclic cycloalkyl or heterocycloalkyl rings or one bicyclic cycloalkyl or heterocycloalkyl ring, or wherein two phenyl rings are fused to a monocyclic cycloalkyl or heterocycloalkyl ring, and wherein all of the aforementioned groups may optionally be substituted by one or more substituents R′, or Y is

m is 0 or 1;

n is 0 or 1;

p is 0 or 1;

q is 0 or 1;

r is 0 or 1;

s is 0 to 2; and

t is 0 to 3.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein said compound is selected from the group consisting of:

14 . A kit comprising reagents for detecting a mutant IDH gene or a mutant IDH protein and instructions for administering a therapeutically effective amount of an antimetabolite compound or a DHODH inhibitor.

15 . The kit of claim 14 , wherein said mutant IDH is a mutation of the IDH1 protein or the IDH1 gene.

16 . The kit of claim 15 , wherein said mutation is an amino acid substitution selected from the group consisting of G97D R132H, R132C, R132L, R132V, R132S and R132G.

17 . The kit of claim 14 , wherein said mutant IDH is a mutation of the IDH2 protein or the IDH2 gene.

18 . The kit of claim 17 , wherein mutation is an amino acid substitution selected from the group consisting of R140Q, R140W, R140L, R172K and R172G.

19 . The kit of claim 14 , wherein said reagents comprise an antibody specific for a mutant IDH protein.

20 . The kit of claim 14 , comprising reagents for sequencing or amplifying a mutant IDH gene.

21 . The kit of claim 14 , wherein said reagents detect mutant IDH gene by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).