Abstract 2037: Enhanced chemosensitivity to DNA-damaging agents in human high-grade glioma through 2-DG treatment
Authors: Miller Tracy , Jane Esther , Halbert Matthew , Gatesman Taylor , Wendell Stacey , Mohanakrishnan Dinesh , Agnihotri Sameer , Premkumar Daniel , Pollack Ian 
Published: March 2024

Background: Human high-grade gliomas are aggressive brain cancers known for their resistance to treatment. Targeted therapies with single agents have shown limited success, and the presence of tumor heterogeneity complicates treatment. Combining multiple chemotherapeutic agents has emerged as a potential strategy to overcome these challenges. 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) is a glucose analog known for its ability to disrupt glycolysis, protein folding, and the pentose phosphate pathway. This disruption renders cancer cells more susceptible to further damage from reactive oxygen species and DNA damage. Previous studies have demonstrated synergistic effects when combining 2-DG with chemotherapeutic drugs in various cancers. Our study examines combining 2-DG with DNA-damaging agents for high-grade gliomas to uncover potential synergies, theorizing that this combination enhances cell death and metabolic stress, offering insights for better treatments against these tumors.

Methods: The cell proliferation, clonogenic growth, and cell migration assays assessed viability, clonogenic formation, and migration. Additionally, the cell cycle and reactive oxygen species analysis were employed to evaluate cell division, oxidative stress, and antioxidant capacity. The Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform measured transcript levels, and Liquid Chromatography-High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry analyzed metabolite changes in high-grade glioma cell lines following 2-DG treatment. The Agilent Seahorse Mito Stress Test evaluated alterations in cellular bioenergetics. SYNERGYFINDER 3 quantified synergistic effects of 2-DG with DNA-damaging agents, while the Annexin V-FITC Conjugates and a ROS multiplex assay assessed cell death and metabolic stress.

Results: Our findings demonstrate that when used as a single agent, 2-DG induces cell senescence and limits cell migration but is insufficient to trigger cell death. Moreover, 2-DG treatment shifts glioma cells towards oxidative phosphorylation for energy production, elevates ROS levels, and hampers DNA synthesis and repair mechanisms. Our synergy study reveals promising synergistic effects when combining 2-DG with DNA-damaging agents, including 5-FU, Methotrexate, Gemcitabine, and Lomustine. This combined therapy leads to significant ROS generation and increased cell death compared to single-agent treatments. Furthermore, prolonged exposure to 2-DG leads to increased levels of both glucogenic and ketogenic amino acids within glioma cells, potentially serving as an alternative energy source. This finding hints at a prospective therapeutic approach for targeting drug-resistant cells.

Conclusions: Our results suggest that the anticancer therapeutic effect of 2-DG is enhanced when used in combination with DNA-damaging agents, indicating this strategy as a potential approach for treating human high-grade glioma.

Citation Format: Tracy Miller, Esther Jane, Matthew Halbert, Taylor Gatesman, Stacey Wendell, Dinesh Mohanakrishnan, Sameer Agnihotri, Daniel Premkumar, Ian Pollack. Enhanced chemosensitivity to DNA-damaging agents in human high-grade glioma through 2-DG treatment [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 2037.