Targeting histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) to enhance radiation therapy in meningiomas in a 2D and 3D in vitro study.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: External radiation therapy (RT) is often a primary treatment for inoperable meningiomas in the absence of established chemotherapy. Histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) overexpression, commonly found in cancer, is acknowledged as a driver of cellular growth, and inhibiting HDACs holds promise in improving radiotherapeutic efficacy. Downregulation of HDAC6 facilitates the degradation of ß-catenin. This protein is a key element in the Wnt/ß-catenin signalling pathway, contributing to the progression of meningiomas. METHODS: In order to elucidate the associations and therapeutic potential of HDAC6 inhibitors (HDAC6i) in conjunction with RT, we administered Cay10603, HDAC6i, to both immortalised and patient-derived meningioma cells prior to RT in this study. FINDINGS: Our findings reveal an increase in HDAC6 expression following exposure to RT, which is effectively mitigated with pre-treated Cay10603. The combination of Cay10603 with RT resulted in a synergistic augmentation of cytotoxic effects, as demonstrated through a range of functional assays conducted in both 2D as well as 3D settings; the latter containing syngeneic tumour microenvironment (TME). Radiation-induced DNA damage was augmented by pre-treatment with Cay10603, concomitant with the inhibition of ß-catenin and minichromosome maintenance complex component 2 (MCM2) accumulation within the nucleus. This subsequently inhibited c-myc oncogene expression. INTERPRETATION: Our findings demonstrate the therapeutic potential of Cay10603 to improve the radiosensitisation and provide rationale for combining HDAC6i with RT for the treatment of meningioma. FUNDING: This work was funded by Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence award to C Oliver Hanemann.