Abstract 1450: Targeting the ATM kinase as a novel strategy for radiosensitizing glioblastoma multiforme in mice

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most lethal type of brain cancer. At best, mean survival is only 12-15 months so an improvement of current therapy is long overdue. Current treatment includes surgery and chemoradiation. The short survival of GBM patients is due, in part, to the innate radioresistance and vicious invasiveness of GBM. ATM, ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) mutated, would be an excellent target for radiosensitizing GBM because of its critical role in regulating the DNA damage response (DDR) and other cellular processes. As a first step towards this goal, we tested the ability of the novel ATM kinase inhibitor KU-60019 to radiosensitize GBM in mice. Using an orthotopic xenograft model of GBM, nude mice were implanted with human glioma cells expressing reporter genes for monitoring tumor growth and spread. KU-60019 was administered intra-cranially by convection-enhanced delivery or by osmotic pump. Imaging, survival, and signs of inhibiting the DDR using immunohistochemistry were used to characterize the effects of KU-60019 on tumor and normal brain. Our results show that compared with untreated, KU-60019 alone, or radiation alone treated mice, the combined effect of KU-60019 and radiation significantly increased survival at least 2-fold and sometimes even cured the animals. Multiple glioma cell lines with varied genetic backgrounds are currently being tested. Altogether, our results show that KU-60019 is able to overcome GBM radioresistance, a major obstacle in the treatment of GBM, and significantly prolong the survival of animals. Thus, an ATM kinase inhibitor may have great potential as adjuvant therapy in the clinic. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1450. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-1450