Abstract 696: Proton radiation and Seco-Duocarmycin SA: A synergistic strategy unveiling new frontiers in glioblastoma multiforme therapy

Abstract

Abstract Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most aggressive brain cancers with a 6.9% five-year survival rate. More effective therapies are needed as standard treatments, which include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy are inefficient due to radio-chemo-resistance and relapse. The goal of this project is to investigate the efficacy of seco-duocarmycin SA (sDSA) as an anticancer drug, alone and the potential synergy of combining proton radiation and sDSA in human GBM cell lines. Proton therapy offers numerous advantages in treating cancers because of its superior dose distribution and biological effects. sDSA is an exceptionally potent agent that selectively alkylates DNA at the N3 position of adenine, making it of great interest as a therapeutic drug. We hypothesize that by pairing sDSA with proton radiation, a more dynamic effect will result, which will amplify their collective power, unleashing an enhanced cytotoxicity against human GBM cells. GBM cell lines (T98G and LN18) were exposed to graded doses and concentrations of protons and sDSA respectively in order to evaluate cellular changes in proliferation, survival, cell cycle, apoptosis/necrosis induction, and DNA damage. Results show that proton radiation and sDSA when used alone induce a dose-dependent decrease of cell proliferation, an increase in foci formation, and an increase in G2/M phase arrest in LN18 and T98G cells. The data also illustrates that the combination of proton radiation and sDSA synergistically enhances these effects. The utilization of proton radiation in conjunction with sDSA against GBM represents an innovative and previously unexplored approach. Currently, the cellular mechanisms of sDSA cytotoxicity are not well understood or studied, and even less is known regarding the effects when combined with proton radiation. This study serves as a vital cornerstone in unraveling the biological response of GBM cells when confronted with proton radiation and sDSA, paving the way for the future development of a more precise and potent combination therapy. Citation Format: Ann Morcos, Antonella Bertucci, Ryan Nicholaus Fuller, Nathan Robert Wall, Marcelo Eduardo Vazquez. Proton radiation and Seco-Duocarmycin SA: A synergistic strategy unveiling new frontiers in glioblastoma multiforme therapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 696.