STEM-08. OVERCOMING GLIOBLASTOMA STEM CELL RESISTANCE TO RADIATION THROUGH TARGETING THIOREDOXIN REDUCTASE 1

Abstract

Abstract Glioblastoma, the most aggressive primary tumor of the central nervous system, presents challenges due to its resistance to standard treatment, including radiation therapy (RT). Glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs), known for their chemo-radioresistance, employ adaptive mechanisms to counteract therapy-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. This includes modulating the activity of thioredoxin (Trx), a key player in the redox system. Furthermore, GSCs exhibit enhanced DNA repair capacity by upregulating DNA repair proteins, such as RAD51 to survive following ROS-induced DNA damage in response to radiation. Our TCGA analysis revealed elevated expression of thioredoxin reductase 1 (TrxR1) in patients diagnosed with GBM and a significant positive correlation between TrxR1 and RAD51. We hypothesized that GSCs might enhance their antioxidant capacity following RT to suppress RT-induced ROS elevation. Hence, combining RT with TrxR1 inhibitors might overcome GSCs radioresistance while reducing RAD51 expression. Auranofin (Au), a drug FDA-approved for rheumatoid arthritis inhibits TrxR1 activity with subsequent ROS increase. We assessed Au cytotoxicity on GSCs with and without ionizing radiation using Alamar Blue and neutrosphere formation assays and ROS assay for quantitative analysis of ROS levels. We evaluated the molecular mechanisms associated with Au and IR-induced cell death in GSCs using western blotting analysis. Our findings suggest that resistance of GSCs to IR was accompanied with increased expression of TrxR1 and RAD51. On the other hand, Au alone significantly decreased GSC viability and neurosphere formation and sensitized GSCs to IR within the nanomolar range (significantly lower than the corresponding IC50s). Au alone and combined with IR increased ROS, while expression of both RAD51 and TrxR1 was decreased. Our study provides insights into repurposing the TrxR1 inhibitor, Au and its combination with RT as a novel therapeutic strategy to overcome GSC radioresistance and ultimately improve the dismal outcome of patients diagnosed with GBM.