Disulfiram modulates stemness and metabolism of brain tumor initiating cells in atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors.

Seung Ah Choi, Jung Won Choi, Kyu-Chang Wang, Ji Hoon Phi, Ji Yeoun Lee, Kyung Duk Park, Dayoung Eum, Sung-Hye Park, Il Han Kim, Seung-Ki Kim

Index: Neuro. Oncol. 17 , 810-21, (2015)

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Abstract

Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors (AT/RT) are among the most malignant pediatric brain tumors. Cells from brain tumors with high aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity have a number of characteristics that are similar to brain tumor initiating cells (BTICs). This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of ALDH inhibition using disulfiram (DSF) against BTICs from AT/RT.Primary cultured BTICs from AT/RT were stained with Aldefluor and isolated by fluorescence activated cell sorting. The therapeutic effect of DSF against BTICs from AT/RT was confirmed in vitro and in vivo.AT/RT cells displayed a high expression of ALDH. DSF demonstrated a more potent cytotoxic effect on ALDH(+) AT/RT cells compared with standard anticancer agents. Notably, treatment with DSF did not have a considerable effect on normal neural stem cells or fibroblasts. DSF significantly inhibited the ALDH enzyme activity of AT/RT cells. DSF decreased self-renewal ability, cell viability, and proliferation potential and induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in ALDH(+) AT/RT cells. Importantly, DSF reduced the metabolism of ALDH(+) AT/RT cells by increasing the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide ratio of NAD(+)/NADH and regulating Silent mating type Information Regulator 2 homolog 1 (SIRT1), nuclear factor-kappaB, Lin28A/B, and miRNA let-7g. Animals in the DSF-treated group demonstrated a reduction of tumor volume (P < .05) and a significant survival benefit (P = .02).Our study demonstrated the therapeutic potential of DSF against BTICs from AT/RT and suggested the possibility of ALDH inhibition for clinical application.© The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.