GLOBAL TARGETING OF SUBCELLULAR Hsp90 NETWORKS FOR THERAPY OF GLIOBLASTOMA

• Published in: Molecular cancer therapeutics 2010-05, Vol.9 (6), p.1638-1646
• Main Authors: Siegelin, Markus D., Plescia, Janet, Raskett, Christopher M., Gilbert, Candace A., Ross, Alonzo H., Altieri, Dario C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1535-7163; 1538-8514
• DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-10-0097

Drug discovery for complex and heterogeneous tumors now aims at dismantling global networks of disease maintenance, but the subcellular requirements of this approach are not understood. Here, we simultaneously targeted the multiple subcellular compartments of the molecular chaperone Heat Shock Protein-90 (Hsp90) in a model of glioblastoma, a highly lethal human malignancy in urgent need of fresh therapeutic strategies. Treatment of cultured or patient-derived glioblastoma cells with Shepherdin, a dual peptidomimetic inhibitor of mitochondrial and cytosolic Hsp90, caused irreversible collapse of mitochondria, degradation of Hsp90 client proteins in the cytosol, and tumor cell killing by apoptosis and autophagy. Stereotactic or systemic delivery of Shepherdin was well tolerated, and suppressed intracranial glioma growth via inhibition of cell proliferation, induction of apoptosis and reduction of angiogenesis, in vivo . These data demonstrate that disabling Hsp90 cancer networks in their multiple subcellular compartments improves strategies for drug discovery, and may provide novel molecular therapy for highly recalcitrant human tumors.