Abstract A019: Inhibition of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) production is a potent therapeutic strategy to inactivate homologous recombination in cancer cells
Authors: Sheida Sadaf Valeh , Peterlini Thibaut , Thomas Mélissa , Poirier Guy , Masson Jean-Yves 
Published: June 2024

Homologous recombination (HR) is the most faithful DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) repairing pathway. HR deficiency (HRD) can result from mutations in BRCA1, BRCA2, and PALB2, which are associated with genomic instability and cancer. HR deficient cells can survive through the use of alternative DNA repair pathways. Therefore, inhibiting these repair pathways in HRD cells trigger cancer cell death. This phenomenon is called synthetic lethality. The best-known example of synthetic lethality is that involving BRCA1/BRCA2/PALB2 deficiency with PARP-1 inhibition by Olaparib. However, ∼40% of patients will develop resistance to PARP inhibition because of several mechanisms, including a second mutation in BRCA1/2, restoring their full-length expression or RAD51 overexpression. RAD51 is one of the most important mediators of HR as it promotes the invasion of a sister chromatid allowing faithful DSB repair. There are many pieces of evidence which show that RAD51 overexpression is correlated with resistance and worse overall survival. Our hypothesis is that targeting RAD51 can trigger HR deficiency, particularly in cancer cells resistant to standard treatments. We thus sought to find inhibitors of the RAD51 recombinase. We have developed an in cellulo screening technique to test the direct effect of chemical compounds on RAD51 foci formation following irradiation. Using this technique, we identified , among 1381 chemical molecules, FK866 (Daporinad) which is a Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase Inhibitor (NAMPTi). NAMPT is involved in producing cellular Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD+), which plays a crucial role in various metabolic processes within the cell, primarily in energy production and DNA repair. Remarkably, treatment of Daporinad reduced RAD51 foci formation and triggered a destabilization of the RAD51 protein by the proteasome. This destabilization seemed to be specific for RAD51, as NHEJ factors were not affected by NAMPTi. We will present data related to our objectives: i) Monitoring the effect of Daporinad on different cancer cell lines originated from cancer types which has shown resistance and worse overall survival because of RAD51 overexpression. Western blot and qPCR techniques will be used to investigate the effect of Daporinad on RAD51 protein and mRNA level and using Zeiss Celldiscoverer 7 system and Incucyte live cell imaging microscopy to observe the effect of Daporinad on cell survival; ii) To confirm the specific targeting of HR by Daporinad, we will monitor the effect of Daporinad on HR and other DNA DSB repair pathways using in cellulo reporter systems; iii) In the long term, we aim to evaluate the effect of Daporinad in vivo on tumor cell growth in pre-clinical models, such as mouse xenografts. In conclusion, small molecules affecting HR provide a source of new cancer therapies targeting RAD51 overexpression or using synthetic lethality.

Citation Format: Sadaf Valeh Sheida, Thibaut Peterlini, Mélissa Thomas, Guy Poirier, Jean-Yves Masson. Inhibition of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) production is a potent therapeutic strategy to inactivate homologous recombination in cancer cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: Expanding and Translating Cancer Synthetic Vulnerabilities; 2024 Jun 10-13; Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2024;23(6 Suppl):Abstract nr A019.