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Radiation Oncology
Published in: Radiation Oncology 1/2015

Open Access 01-12-2015 | Research

Combining carbon ion irradiation and non-homologous end-joining repair inhibitor NU7026 efficiently kills cancer cells

Authors: Hongyu Ma, Akihisa Takahashi, Yukari Yoshida, Akiko Adachi, Tatsuaki Kanai, Tatsuya Ohno, Takashi Nakano

Published in: Radiation Oncology | Issue 1/2015

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Abstract

Background

Our previous data demonstrated that targeting non-homologous end-joining repair (NHEJR) yields a higher radiosensitivity than targeting homologous recombination repair (HRR) to heavy ions using DNA repair gene knockouts (KO) in mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF). In this study, we determined if combining the use of an NHEJR inhibitor with carbon (C) ion irradiation was more efficient in killing human cancer cells compared with only targeting a HRR inhibitor.

Methods

The TP53-null human non-small cell lung cancer cell line H1299 was used for testing the radiosensitizing effect of NHEJR-related DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) inhibitor NU7026, HRR-related Rad51 inhibitor B02, or both to C ion irradiation using colony forming assays. The mechanism underlying the inhibitor radiosensitization was determined by flow cytometry after H2AX phosphorylation staining. HRR-related Rad54-KO, NHEJR-related Lig4-KO, and wild-type TP53-KO MEF were also included to confirm the suppressing effect specificity of these inhibitors.

Results

NU7026 showed significant sensitizing effect to C ion irradiation in a concentration-dependent manner. In contrast, B02 showed a slight sensitizing effect to C ion irradiation. The addition of NU7026 significantly increased H2AX phosphorylation after C ion and x-ray irradiations in H1299 cells, but not B02. NU7026 had no effect on radiosensitivity to Lig4-KO MEF and B02 had no effect on radiosensitivity to Rad54-KO MEF in both irradiations.

Conclusion

These results suggest that inhibitors targeting the NHEJR pathway could significantly enhance radiosensitivity of human cancer cells to C ion irradiation, rather than targeting the HRR pathway.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Combining carbon ion irradiation and non-homologous end-joining repair inhibitor NU7026 efficiently kills cancer cells
Authors
Hongyu Ma
Akihisa Takahashi
Yukari Yoshida
Akiko Adachi
Tatsuaki Kanai
Tatsuya Ohno
Takashi Nakano
Publication date
01-12-2015
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Radiation Oncology / Issue 1/2015
Electronic ISSN: 1748-717X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13014-015-0536-z

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