EXTH-43. Targeting the DNA Damage Response Through Combination MDM2 and AKT Inhibitor Therapy Improves Temozolomide Effectiveness in Chemo-Resistant Glioblastoma

Abstract

Temozolomide remains the lone pharmacotherapeutic option for glioblastoma (GBM), yet the development of resistance to temozolomide has been a major challenge contributing to the persistent median < 2-year survival for patients after diagnosis. Tumor heterogeneity and induction of treatment response networks, such as the DNA damage response (DDR), are major contributors to temozolomide resistance in GBM. Targeting DDR treatment response networks, such as the MDM2/p53/p73 and PI3K/AKT/mTOR networks, with small-molecule inhibitors (SMIs) presents an opportunity to disrupt resistance mechanisms and enhance temozolomide efficacy. We utilized a triple drug combination of clinically relevant concentrations of the blood-brain-barrier penetrant SMIs of AKT (ipatasertib; GDC-0068) and MDM2 (idasanutlin; RG7388) with temozolomide to evaluate this targeted strategy using the recurrent, temozolomide-resistant, p53wt GBM10 xenoline. Proliferation studies demonstrated dose-related additive to synergistic inhibition of proliferation at clinically relevant concentrations of ipatasertib and idasanutlin. Further, IncuCyte live-cell imaging demonstrated dose-and time-related growth inhibition of these GBM cells and apoptosis marked by increased cleaved caspase 3 expression following the temozolomide+idasanutlin+ipatasertib triple combination treatment. Cells treated with temozolomide+idasanutlin+ipatasertib also displayed senescence phenotypes, with increased cell cycle arrest and elevated expression of SPiDER β-Gal expression and cell-cycle inhibitors such as p53 and p21. Experiments are in progress to determine the extent to which the effects of temozolomide+idasanutlin+ipatasertib combination therapy are dependent on p53 using siRNA knockdown of p53. In the present study, targeting the temzolomide-induced DNA damage response with idasanutlin+ipatasertib increased the effectiveness of temozolomide. These results indicate that this triple combination may be a promising approach to improving patient outcomes in temozolomide-resistant GBM.