title: Pharmacologic blockade of FAK autophosphorylation decreases human glioblastoma tumor growth and synergizes with temozolomide.
abstract: Malignant gliomas are characterized by aggressive tumor growth with a mean survival of 15 to 18 months and frequently developed resistance to temozolomide. Therefore, strategies that sensitize glioma cells to temozolomide have a high translational impact. We have studied focal adhesion kinase (FAK), a tyrosine kinase and emerging therapeutic target that is known to be highly expressed and activated in glioma. In this report, we tested the FAK autophosphorylation inhibitor, Y15, in DBTRG and U87 glioblastoma cells. Y15 significantly decreased viability and clonogenicity in a dose-dependent manner, increased detachment in a dose- and time-dependent manner, caused apoptosis, and inhibited cell invasion in both cell lines. In addition, Y15 treatment decreased autophosphorylation of FAK in a dose-dependent manner and changed cell morphology by causing cell rounding in DBTRG and U87 cells. Administration of Y15 significantly decreased subcutaneous DBTRG tumor growth with decreased Y397-FAK autophosphorylation, activated caspase-3 and PARP. Y15 was administered in an orthotopic glioma model, leading to an increase in mouse survival. The combination of Y15 with temozolomide was more effective than either agent alone in decreasing viability and activating caspase-8 in DBTRG and U87 cells in vitro. In addition, the combination of Y15 and temozolomide synergistically blocked U87 brain tumor growth in vivo. Thus, pharmacologic blockade of FAK autophosphorylation with the oral administration of a small-molecule inhibitor Y15 has a potential to be an effective therapy approach for glioblastoma either alone or in combination with chemotherapy agents such as temozolomide.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York 14263, USA. William.Cance@roswellpark.org
authors.forename: Vita M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Golubovskaya
authors.forename: Grace
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Baotran
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yemma
authors.forename: Carl D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Morrison
authors.forename: Jisook
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Brian P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Eliceiri
authors.forename: William G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Cance
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D003606:Dacarbazine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D051416:Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008819:Mice, Nude; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D000077204:Temozolomide; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
chemical_list: D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D003606:Dacarbazine; D051416:Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D000077204:Temozolomide