Cisplatin Adducts Research Articles

Abstract 3493: Comprehensive analysis of the DNA repair enzyme signature in tumor and blood cells from head and neck cancer patients and correlation with clinical data from a 18-months follow-up study

Abstract Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth leading cancer worldwide. It is often associated with a history of smoking/alcohol consumption or exposure to the human papilloma virus (HPV). Beyond surgery, treatment usually includes DNA damaging treatments i.e. cisplatin/5FU combined or not with radiation therapy. Treatment failure rates are still high due to intrinsic and acquired mechanisms of resistance, largely involving DNA repair mechanisms. Here we precisely examined the main DNA repair mechanisms susceptible to drive tumor progression and resistance to treatment, using a miniaturized comprehensive functional approach on biochip. Enzymatic DNA repair profiles were compared for lymphocytes and tumor biopsies taken before treatment from 38 patients in a prospective clinical study. We simultaneously investigated double strand break repair pathways (HR, NHEJ, SSA, alt-EJ), excision/synthesis repair mechanisms (BER, NER, ICLR) and several glycosylases/AP endonuclease activities, using lysates prepared from the samples. Results were correlated with physiologic and lifestyle/risk factors, TNM tumor classification, treatment-induced adverse effects, and disease progression or death at 18 months. Analysis of blood cells and biopsies provided different and complementary information. Indeed, the prediction of treatment-induced severe toxicity was effective on blood cells. Several risk factors significantly affected specific repair activities of tumor cells. HPV positive and negative tumors displayed distinct DNA repair profiles and, cancer progression and tumor staging correlated with deregulated repair activities in tumors. Interestingly, the most affected DNA repair activities concerned double strand break repair, repair of cisplatin adducts, and repair of oxidative damage. This accurate DNA repair profiling represents an innovative strategy to reveal tumor diversity and better understand the impact of risk factors. It improved our understanding of the role of DNA repair in the development and progression of cancer. In addition, the use of a panel of DNA repair-based enzymatic biomarkers is more accurate than the single parameter approach in stratifying patients into different groups, thus allowing for more effective therapeutic strategies. Citation Format: Sylvie Sauvaigo, Giovanna Muggiolu, Sarah Libert, Bertrand Treillard, Gersende Alphonse, Christian A. Righini, Philippe Ceruse, Pierre Philouze, Claire Rodriguez-Lafrasse. Comprehensive analysis of the DNA repair enzyme signature in tumor and blood cells from head and neck cancer patients and correlation with clinical data from a 18-months follow-up study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 3493.

How can the cisplatin analogs with different amine act on DNA during cancer treatment theoretically?

Cisplatin is a widely used anti-cancer drug which inhibits the replication and polymerization of DNA molecule while showing some side effects and drug resistance. For this reason, to enhance its therapeutic index, researchers have synthesized several thousand analogs and tested their properties. In this project, several cisplatin analogs were designed to theoretically study the biological activity and lipophilicity effects on amine changes. The amines of the cisplatin molecule were substituted with aliphatic amines in different analogs. Computational methods such as molecular dynamics simulation, molecular docking, and molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area analysis were performed to investigate the binding of six cisplatin derivatives with DNA. The binding affinity and potential interactions of these drugs with double-strand DNA were analyzed. The stability effect of these drugs was investigated via root-mean-square deviation and root-mean-square fluctuation analysis, which showed that some analogs can break base-pair interaction at the end of DNA and reduced the stability of DNA. Also, the results revealed that the hydrogen bond is one of the most important factors in the binding of cisplatin's adduct to DNA. Molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area analysis indicated that electrostatic and van der Waals interactions are the most important deriving forces to the binding of cisplatin's drug to DNA. Finally, data revealed that cisplatin and the cis-dichloro-dimethylamine-platin tendency for binding to DNA are greater than that of other analogs.

In This Issue

In This Issue

Implications of inhibition of Rev1 interaction with Y family DNA polymerases for cisplatin chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy with cisplatin becomes limiting due to toxicity and secondary malignancies. In principle, therapeutics could be improved by targeting translesion synthesis (TLS) polymerases (Pols) that promote replication through intrastrand cross-links, the major cisplatin-induced DNA adduct. However, to specifically target malignancies with minimal adverse effects on normal cells, a good understanding of TLS mechanisms in normal versus cancer cells is paramount. We show that in normal cells, TLS through cisplatin intrastrand cross-links is promoted by Polη- or Polι-dependent pathways, both of which require Rev1 as a scaffolding component. In contrast, cancer cells require Rev1-Polζ. Our findings that a recently identified Rev1 inhibitor, JH-RE-06, purported to specifically disrupt Rev1 interaction with Polζ to block TLS through cisplatin adducts in cancer cells, abrogates Rev1's ability to function with Y family Pols as well, implying that by inactivating Rev1-dependent TLS in normal cells, this inhibitor will exacerbate the toxicity and tumorigenicity of chemotherapeutics with cisplatin.

Nanopore Sequencing Accurately Identifies the Cisplatin Adduct on DNA.

Cisplatin, which selectively binds to N7 atoms of purines to inhibit normal replication and transcription, is a widely applied chemotherapeutic drug in the treatment of cancer. Though direct identification of cisplatin lesions on DNA is of great significance, existing sequencing methods have issues such as complications of preamplification or enrichment-induced false-positive reports. Direct identification of cisplatin lesions by nanopore sequencing (NPS) is in principle feasible. However, relevant investigations have never been reported. By constructing model sequences (83 nucleotides in length) containing a sole cisplatin lesion, identification of corresponding lesions by NPS is achieved with <10 ng of input sequencing library. Moreover, characteristic high-frequency noises caused by cisplatin lesions are consistently observed during NPS, clearly identifiable in corresponding high-pass filtered traces. This feature is, however, never observed in any other combinations of natural DNA bases and could be taken as a reference to identify cisplatin lesions on DNA. Further investigations demonstrate that cisplatin stalls the replication of phi29 DNA polymerase, which appears as a ∼5 pA level fluctuation in the single-molecule resolution. These results have confirmed the feasibility of NPS to identify cisplatin lesions at the genomic level and may provide new insights into understanding the molecular mechanism of platinum-based drugs.

Detection and Characterization of Single Cisplatin Adducts on DNA by Nanopore Sequencing.

Detection and characterization of an individual cisplatin adduct on a single DNA molecule is a demanding task. We explore the characteristic features of cisplatin adducts in the nanopore sequencing signal in aspects of dwell time, genome anchored current trace, and basecalling accuracy. The offset between the motor protein and the nanopore constriction region is revealed by dwell time analysis to be about 14 bases in the nanopore device as we examined. Characteristic distortions due to cisplatin adducts are illustrated in genome anchored current trace analysis, constituting the fingerprint for identification of cisplatin adduct. The sharp increase in odds ratio at the location of adducting sites provides additional feature in the detection of the adduct. By these combined methods, single cisplatin adducts can be detected with high fidelity on a single read of the DNA sequence. The study demonstrates an effective method in the detection and characterization of single cisplatin adducts on DNA at the single-molecule level and with single nucleotide spatial resolution.

Cover Feature: Formation of Cisplatin Adducts with the Epigenetically Relevant Nucleobase 5‐Methylcytosine (Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 1/2021)

Cover Feature: Formation of Cisplatin Adducts with the Epigenetically Relevant Nucleobase 5‐Methylcytosine (Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 1/2021)

Formation of Cisplatin Adducts with the Epigenetically Relevant Nucleobase 5‐Methylcytosine

With about 4 % abundance in the genome 5‐methylcytosine (5mC) is one of the most important epigenetic modifications. Change in DNA hypermethylation levels has even been linked to resistances to cisplatin treatment of cancer cells. This work aimed at the synthesis and full characterization of 5mC‐cisplatin adducts as well as for the examination of possible side‐reactions and transformations. We report the first X‐ray crystal structure of a cis‐[PtCl(5mC)(NH3)2]Cl complex and the formation of [PtCl(5mC)(NH3)2]+ and [PtCl(5mC)2(NH3)]+ with HR‐ESI mass spectrometry. Further, we explore complex formation and dynamics using 1H, 195Pt, and DOSY NMR spectroscopy. UV/Vis absorption and EPR spectroscopy also confirmed the formation of trace amounts of paramagnetic Pt‐blue species. In the process, a hemiprotonated 5mC dimer, 5mC‐5mCH+, reminiscent of the “i‐motif” in DNA tetramers, was structurally characterized.

Visualization of uracils created by APOBEC3A using UdgX shows colocalization with RPA at stalled replication forks.

The AID/APOBEC enzymes deaminate cytosines in single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and play key roles in innate and adaptive immunity. The resulting uracils cause mutations and strand breaks that inactivate viruses and diversify antibody repertoire. Mutational evidence suggests that two members of this family, APOBEC3A (A3A) and APOBEC3B, deaminate cytosines in the lagging-strand template during replication. To obtain direct evidence for the presence of these uracils, we engineered a protein that covalently links to DNA at uracils, UdgX, for mammalian expression and immunohistochemistry. We show that UdgX strongly prefers uracils in ssDNA over those in U•G or U:A pairs, and localizes to nuclei in a dispersed form. When A3A is expressed in these cells, UdgX tends to form foci. The treatment of cells with cisplatin, which blocks replication, causes a significant increase in UdgX foci. Furthermore, this protein- and hence the uracils created by A3A- colocalize with replication protein A (RPA), but not with A3A. Using purified proteins, we confirm that RPA inhibits A3A by binding ssDNA, but despite its overexpression following cisplatin treatment, RPA is unable to fully protect ssDNA created by cisplatin adducts. This suggests that cisplatin treatment of cells expressing APOBEC3A should cause accumulation of APOBEC signature mutations.

Hydrated electrons induce the formation of interstrand cross-links in DNA modified by cisplatin adducts.

Double-stranded oligonucleotides containing cisplatin adducts, with and without a mismatched region, were exposed to hydrated electrons generated by gamma-rays. Gel electrophoresis analysis demonstrates the formation of cisplatin-interstrand crosslinks from the cisplatin-intrastrand species. The rate constant per base for the reaction between hydrated electrons and the double-stranded oligonucleotides with and without cisplatin containing a mismatched region was determined by pulse radiolysis to be 7 × 109 and 2 × 109 M−1 s−1, respectively. These results provide a better understanding of the radiosensitizing effect of cisplatin adducts in hypoxic tumors and of the formation of interstrand crosslinks, which are difficult for cells to repair.

Cisplatin adducts of DNA as precursors for nanostructured catalyst materials.

The synthesis and characterisation of novel metal-modified DNA precursors for fuel cell catalyst development are described. Material precursors in the form of metal–DNA complexes were prepared through the reaction of DNA with cisplatin at various loadings and spectroscopically tested to confirm the platinum binding mode and the degree of complexation. The surface morphology of the DNA–metal material was analysed by Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM), which revealed the extent of platinum nanocluster formation, with low metal loadings leading to observation of individual platinum atoms. Electrochemical measurements showed a greater electrocatalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) with increased platinum loadings, shifting the half wave potential, E1/2, away from the glassy carbon limit towards that of a bulk Pt electrode. This is explained further by Tafel plots, from which a change in the mechanism of the apparent rate limiting step for proton reduction from a Volmer to a Heyrovsky mechanism is postulated as the platinum loading increases.

XPD/ERCC2 mutations interfere in cellular responses to oxidative stress.

Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is a conserved, flexible mechanism responsible for the removal of bulky, helix-distorting DNA lesions, like ultraviolet damage or cisplatin adducts, but its role in the repair of lesions generated by oxidative stress is still not clear. The helicase XPD/ERCC2, one of the two helicases of the transcription complex IIH, together with XPB, participates both in NER and in RNA pol II-driven transcription. In this work, we investigated the responses of distinct XPD-mutated cell lines to the oxidative stress generated by photoactivated methylene blue (MB) and KBrO3 treatments. The studied cells are derived from patients with XPD mutations but expressing different clinical phenotypes, including xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), XP and Cockayne syndrome (XP-D/CS) and trichothiodystrophy (TTD). We show by different approaches that all XPD-mutated cell lines tested were sensitive to oxidative stress, with those from TTD patients being the most sensitive. Host cell reactivation (HCR) assays showed that XP-D/CS and TTD cells have severely impaired repair capacity of oxidised lesions in plasmid DNA, and alkaline comet assays demonstrated the induction of significantly higher amounts of DNA strand breaks after treatment with photoactivated MB in these cells compared to wild-type cells. All XPD-mutated cells presented strong S/G2 arrest and persistent γ-H2AX staining after photoactivated MB treatment. Taken together, these results indicate that XPD participates in the repair of lesions induced by the redox process, and that XPD mutations lead to differences in the response to oxidatively induced damage.

TLS dependent and independent functions of DNA polymerase eta (Polη/Rad30) from Pathogenic Yeast Candida albicans

Polη, a unique TLS DNA polymerase that promotes efficient bypass of UV-induced CPDs and cisplatin adducts, has not been explored in Candida species yet. Here, we show that CaPolη plays a vital role in protecting Candida albicans genome from diverse array of DNA damaging agents, not limited to UV and cisplatin. Polη deficient strain did not exhibit any hyphal development in the presence of UV and cisplatin while the wild type strain profusely developed DNA damage induced filamentation. The polarized growth induced by HU and MMS was found to be Polη independent. No common regulatory pathway of morphogenesis operates in C. albicans due to genomic stress, rather Polη branches away from RAD53 dependent pathway to be specific to UV/cisplatin. Interestingly, serum that does not inflict any DNA damage also induces hyphal growth in C. albicans, and requires a functionally active Polη. Importantly, deletion of RAD30 sensitized the strain to amphotericin B; but its presence resulted in azole drug tolerance only in DNA damaging conditions. We suggest that the roles of CaPolη in genome stability and genotoxins induced filamentation are due to its TLS activities; whereas its TLS independent functions play a vital role in serum induced morphogenesis and amphotericin B resistance.

Structural Basis for Human DNA Polymerase Kappa to Bypass Cisplatin Intrastrand Cross-Link (Pt-GG) Lesion as an Efficient and Accurate Extender

Cisplatin (cis-diamminedichloroplatinum) is a common chemotherapeutic drug that reacts with the N7 atoms of adjacent guanines in DNA to form the Pt-1,2-d(GpG) intrastrand cross-link (Pt-GG), a major product to block DNA replication. Translesion DNA synthesis has been implicated in chemoresistance during cisplatin treatment of cancer due to Pt-GG lesion bypass. Gene knockdown studies in human cells have indicated a role for polκ during translesion synthesis of the Pt-GG lesion. However, the bypass activity of polκ with cisplatin lesions has not been well characterized. In this study, we investigated polκ's ability to bypass Pt-GG lesion in vitro and determined two crystal structures of polκ in complex with Pt-GG DNA. The ternary complex structures represent two consecutive stages of lesion bypass: nucleotide insertion opposite the 5′G (Pt-GG2) and primer extension immediately after the lesion (Pt-GG3). Our biochemical data showed that polκ is very efficient and accurate in extending DNA primers after the first G of the Pt-GG lesion. The structures demonstrate that the efficiency and accuracy is achieved by stably accommodating the bases with the cisplatin adduct in the active site for proper Watson–Crick base pairing with the incoming nucleotide in both the second insertion and post-insertion complexes. Our studies suggest that polκ works as an extender for efficient replication of the Pt-GG lesion in cells. This work holds promise for considering polκ, along with polη, as potential targets for drug design, which together could improve the efficacy of cisplatin treatment for cancer therapy.

Structural basis for proficient nucleotide incorporation across a major cisplatin‐DNA lesion by human DNA polymerase kappa (polκ)

Cisplatin (cis‐diamminedichloroplatinum) is a widely used chemotherapeutic compound. It reacts with the N7 atoms of adjacent guanines in DNA to form the Pt‐1,2‐d(GpG) intrastrand cross‐link (Pt‐GG) as a major product. This bulky cisplatin adduct blocks DNA replication by replicative polymerases, thereby promoting apoptosis of rapidly dividing cancer cells. However, cancer cells have developed resistance to cisplatin, partly because of the bypass of cisplatin adducts by specialized DNA polymerases (mostly belonging to the Y‐family) through translesion synthesis (TLS). The human Y‐family DNA polymerase eta (polη) is very efficient in replicating opposite the Pt‐GG lesions, but not in extending after this adduct. Recently, it was shown that human Y‐family DNA polymerase kappa (polκ) is indispensable for DNA repair synthesis in dorsal root ganglion neurons exposed to cisplatin. Polκ gene knockdown experiments in human cells have also indicated the involvement of polκ in TLS of the Pt‐GG lesion. In this study, we investigated the bypass potential and nucleotide incorporation preference of polκ opposite DNA containing the Pt‐GG adduct and determined two crystal structures of polκ complexed with such DNA. The ternary complex structures represent two consecutive stages of lesion bypass: nucleotide insertion opposite the 5′G (Pt‐GG2) and primer extension immediately after the lesion (Pt‐GG3). Our in vitro DNA replication assays using polκ and DNA containing the Pt‐GG lesion indicate that polκ inserts the correct dCTP opposite the 5′G of Pt‐GG (Pt‐GG2), when a nucleotide is already inserted opposite the 3′G (Pt‐GG1). Polκ also inserts the correct dATP opposite the T base immediately after the Pt‐GG (Pt‐GG3). However, polκ is not able to insert a nucleotide opposite the 3′G of Pt‐GG (Pt‐GG1). On the other hand, polη is very efficient in replicating the Pt‐GG lesion at two insertion stages (Pt‐GG1 and Pt‐GG2), but the enzyme is blocked at the extension stage (Pt‐GG3). In terms of fidelity, we found that polκ has the fewest mis‐insertions compared to two other human Y‐family polymerases polη and polι. Our steady‐state kinetic analysis showed that polκ incorporates dCTP and dATP opposite the 5′G of Pt‐GG (Pt‐GG2) and T template 5′ to the lesion (Pt‐GG3), respectively, with very similar relative efficiencies of 0.15–0.20, which are only ~5 fold lower than for normal DNA replication (GG2 and GG3). Our biochemical data indicate that polκ is very proficient and accurate in inserting a nucleotide after the first G of the Pt‐GG lesion. The structures revealed that the accuracy is achieved by stably accommodating the bases containing the cisplatin adducts in the enzyme's active site for proper Watson‐Crick base pairing with the incoming nucleotide. Together, our biochemical and structural data provide the molecular basis for the accurate and proficient incorporation by polκ of nucleotides opposite the cisplatin adduct and suggest an important role of polκ as a second polymerase (extender) in the efficient bypass of the Pt‐GG lesion in vivo. This work holds promise for polκ as a potential target for drug design, along with polη, which together could improve the efficacy of cisplatin treatment for cancer therapy.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Multifaceted Mechanisms of Cisplatin Resistance in Long-Term Treated Urothelial Carcinoma Cell Lines.

Therapeutic efficacy of cisplatin-based treatment of late stage urothelial carcinoma (UC) is limited by chemoresistance. To elucidate underlying mechanisms and to develop new approaches for overcoming resistance, we generated long-term cisplatin treated (LTT) UC cell lines, characterised their cisplatin response, and determined the expression of molecules involved in cisplatin transport and detoxification, DNA repair, and apoptosis. Inhibitors of metallothioneins and Survivin were applied to investigate their ability to sensitise towards cisplatin. Cell growth, proliferation, and clonogenicity were examined after cisplatin treatment by MTT 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, EdU (5-ethynyl-2’-deoxyuridine) incorporation assay, and Giemsa staining, respectively. Cell cycle distribution and apoptosis were quantified by flow cytometry. mRNA and protein expressions were measured by real-time quantitative (qRT)-PCR, western blot, or immunofluorescence staining. LTTs recovered rapidly from cisplatin stress compared to parental cells. In LTTs, to various extents, cisplatin exporters and metallothioneins were induced, cisplatin adduct levels and DNA damage were decreased, whereas expression of DNA repair factors and specific anti-apoptotic factors was elevated. Pharmacological inhibition of Survivin, but not of metallothioneins, sensitised LTTs to cisplatin, in an additive manner. LTTs minimise cisplatin-induced DNA damage and evade apoptosis by increased expression of anti-apoptotic factors. The observed diversity among the four LTTs highlights the complexity of cisplatin resistance mechanisms even within one tumour entity, explaining heterogeneity in patient responses to chemotherapy.

Versatile Tool for the Analysis of Metal-Protein Interactions Reveals the Promiscuity of Metallodrug-Protein Interactions.

Metallodrug-protein interactions contribute to their therapeutic effect (even when DNA is the dominant target), side-effects and are implicit in drug resistance. Here, we provide mass spectrometric-based evidence to show that metallodrug interactions with proteins are considerably more complex than current literature would suggest. Using native-like incubation and electrospray conditions together with an automated tool we designed for exhaustive mass spectra matching, the promiscuity of binding of cisplatin to ubiquitin is revealed, with 14 different binding sites observed. There is a binding preference to negatively charged sites on the protein, consistent with the cationic nature of the cisplatin adduct following aquation. These results have implications in metallodrug development and beyond to the toxicological effects of metal ions more generally.

Involvement of the DNA mismatch repair system in cisplatin sensitivity of testicular germ cell tumours.

Testicular germ cell tumours (TGCT) are highly sensitive to cisplatin-based chemotherapy, but patients with tumours containing differentiated teratoma components are less responsive to this treatment. The cisplatin sensitivity in TGCT has previously been linked to the embryonic phenotype in the majority of tumours, although the underlying mechanism largely remains to be elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) system in the cisplatin sensitivity of TGCT. The expression pattern of key MMR proteins, including MSH2, MSH6, MLH1 and PMS2, were investigated during testis development and in the pathogenesis of TGCT, including germ cell neoplasia in situ (GCNIS). The TGCT-derived cell line NTera2 was differentiated using retinoic acid (10 μM, 6 days) after which MMR protein expression and activity, as well as cisplatin sensitivity, were investigated in both undifferentiated and differentiated cells. Finally, the expression of MSH2 was knocked down by siRNA in NTera2 cells after which the effect on cisplatin sensitivity was examined. MMR proteins were expressed in proliferating cells in the testes, while in malignant germ cells MMRprotein expression was found to coincide with the expression of the pluripotency factor OCT4, with no or low expression in the more differentiated yolk sac tumours, choriocarcinomas and teratomas. In differentiated NTera2 cells we found a significantly (p < 0.05) lower expression ofthe MMR and pluripotency factors, as well asa reduced MMR activity and cisplatin sensitivity, compared to undifferentiated NTera2 cells. Also, we found that partial knockdown of MSH2 expression in undifferentiated NTera2 cells resulted in a significantly (p < 0.001) reduced cisplatin sensitivity. This study reports, for the first time, expression of the MMR system in fetal gonocytes, from which GCNIS cells are derived. Our findings in primary TGCT specimens and TGCT-derived cells suggest that a reduced sensitivity to cisplatin in differentiated TGCT components could result from a reduced expression of MMR proteins, in particular MSH2 and MLH1, which are involved in the recognition of cisplatin adducts and in activation of the DNA damage response pathway to initiate apoptosis.

Activation of CHK1 in Supporting Cells Indirectly Promotes Hair Cell Survival.

The sensory hair cells of the inner ear are exquisitely sensitive to ototoxic insults. Loss of hair cells after exposure to ototoxic agents causes hearing loss. Chemotherapeutic agents such as cisplatin causes hair cell loss. Cisplatin forms DNA mono-adducts as well as intra- and inter-strand DNA crosslinks. DNA cisplatin adducts are repaired through the DNA damage response. The decision between cell survival and cell death following DNA damage rests on factors that are involved in determining damage tolerance, cell survival and apoptosis. Cisplatin damage on hair cells has been the main focus of many ototoxic studies, yet the effect of cisplatin on supporting cells has been largely ignored. In this study, the effects of DNA damage response in cochlear supporting cells were interrogated. Supporting cells play a major role in the development, maintenance and oto-protection of hair cells. Loss of supporting cells may indirectly affect hair cell survival or maintenance. Activation of the Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase (PI3K) signaling was previously shown to promote hair cell survival. To test whether activating PI3K signaling promotes supporting cell survival after cisplatin damage, cochlear explants from the neural subset (NS) Cre Pten conditional knockout mice were employed. Deletion of Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog (PTEN) activates PI3K signaling in multiple cell types within the cochlea. Supporting cells lacking PTEN showed increased cell survival after cisplatin damage. Supporting cells lacking PTEN also showed increased phosphorylation of Checkpoint Kinase 1 (CHK1) levels after cisplatin damage. Nearest neighbor analysis showed increased numbers of supporting cells with activated PI3K signaling in close proximity to surviving hair cells in cisplatin damaged cochleae. We propose that increased PI3K signaling promotes supporting cell survival through phosphorylation of CHK1 and increased survival of supporting cells indirectly increases hair cell survival after cisplatin damage.

Cisplatin Analogues with an Increased Interaction with DNA: Prospects for Therapy.

Cisplatin is widely used as a cancer chemotherapeutic agent and this review covers the mechanism of action of cisplatin, cellular resistance to cisplatin, the genomic location of cisplatin adducts and the properties of DNA-targeted Pt complexes. A particular focus of this review is the interaction of Pt compounds with DNA. The technology involved in determining Pt-drug/DNA interactions has advanced and permits clearer views of this process. In particular, molecular biological techniques permit a more accurate and precise determination of the sequence specific preference of Pt adduct formation. Prospects for the sequence specific genome-wide determination of Pt adduct formation using next-generation sequencing are also discussed. Cisplatin analogues that are targeted to DNA via an attached DNA-affinic moiety are potentially beneficial anti-tumour agents. In particular the 9-aminoacridine Pt complexes possess a number of important characteristics, including activity against cisplatin-resistant cells. Their ability to circumvent resistance due to increased DNA repair may allow these DNA-targeted analogues to avoid many of the drawbacks associated with current clinical oncology treatment. This ability is thought to be due to their altered DNA sequence specificity, compared with cisplatin, where Pt adduct formation for the 9- aminoacridine Pt complexes was shifted away from consecutive guanines towards 5'-CG and 5'-GA dinucleotide sequences. Evidence for this evasion of repair processes and avoidance of cellular cisplatin resistance was found for 9-aminoacridine Pt complexes in studies with cisplatin resistant cells. The prospects for clinical use of these DNA-targeted anti-tumour agents were evaluated.