Lu, Kan

Abstract Activating epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations are common in many cancers including glioblastoma. However, clinical responses to EGFR inhibitors are infrequent and short-lived. We show that the Src family kinases (SFK) Fyn and Src are effectors of oncogenic EGFR signaling, enhancing invasion and tumor cell survival in vivo. Expression of a constitutively active EGFR mutant, EGFRvIII, resulted in activating phosphorylation and physical association with Src and Fyn, promoting tumor growth and motility. Gene silencing of Fyn and Src limited EGFR- and EGFRvIII-dependent tumor cell motility. The SFK inhibitor dasatinib inhibited invasion, promoted tumor regression, and induced apoptosis in vivo, significantly prolonging survival of an orthotopic glioblastoma model expressing endogenous EGFRvIII. Dasatinib enhanced the efficacy of an anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody (mAb 806) in vivo, further limiting tumor growth and extending survival. Examination of a large cohort of clinical samples showed frequent coactivation of EGFR and SFKs in glioblastoma patients. These results establish a mechanism linking EGFR signaling with Fyn and Src activation to promote tumor progression and invasion in vivo and provide rationale for combined anti-EGFR and anti-SFK targeted therapies. [Cancer Res 2009;69(17):6889–98]

Abstract In this study, we investigated the precursor and active forms of a p53 small-molecule inhibitor for their effects on temozolomide (TMZ) antitumor activity against glioblastoma (GBM), using both in vitro and in vivo experimental approaches. Results from in vitro cell viability analysis showed that the cytotoxic activity of TMZ was substantially increased when p53 wild-type (p53wt) GBMs were cotreated with the active form of p53 inhibitor, and this heightened cytotoxic response was accompanied by increased poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage as well as elevated cellular phospho-H2AX. Analysis of the same series of GBMs, as intracranial xenografts in athymic mice, and administering corresponding p53 inhibitor precursor, which is converted to the active compound in vivo, yielded results consistent with the in vitro analyses: TMZ + p53 inhibitor precursor cotreatment of three distinct p53wt GBM xenografts resulted in significant enhancement of TMZ antitumor effect relative to treatment with TMZ alone, as indicated by serial bioluminescence monitoring as well as survival analysis (P < 0.001 for cotreatment survival benefit in each case). Mice receiving intracranial injection with p53null GBM showed similar survival benefit from TMZ treatment regardless of the presence or absence of p53 inhibitor precursor. In total, our results indicate that the p53 active and precursor inhibitor pair enhances TMZ cytotoxicity in vitro and in vivo, respectively, and do so in a p53-dependent manner. [Cancer Res 2008;68(24):10034–8]