Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most frequently diagnosed primary central nervous system tumor in adults. Despite the standard of care therapy, which includes surgical resection, temozolomide chemotherapy, radiation and the newly added tumor-treating fields, median survival remains only ∼20 months. Unfortunately, GBM has a ∼100% recurrence rate, but after recurrence there are no Food and Drug Administration-approved therapies to limit tumor growth and enhance patient survival, as these tumors are resistant to temozolomide (TMZ). Recently, our laboratory reported that lucanthone slows GBM by inhibiting autophagic flux through lysosome targeting and decreases the number of Olig2+ glioma stem-like cells (GSC) in vitro and in vivo. We now additionally report that lucanthone efficiently abates stemness in patient-derived GSC and reduces tumor microtube formation in GSC, an emerging hallmark of treatment resistance in GBM. In glioma tumors derived from cells with acquired resistance to TMZ, lucanthone retains the ability to perturb tumor growth, inhibits autophagy by targeting lysosomes, and reduces Olig2 positivity. We also find that lucanthone may act as an inhibitor of palmitoyl protein thioesterase 1. Our results suggest that lucanthone may function as a potential treatment option for GBM tumors that are not amenable to TMZ treatment.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We report that the antischistosome agent lucanthone impedes tumor growth in a preclinical model of temozolomide-resistant glioblastoma and reduces the numbers of stem-like glioma cells. In addition, it acts as an autophagy inhibitor, and its mechanism of action may be via inhibition of palmitoyl protein thioesterase 1. As there are no defined therapies approved for recurrent, TMZ-resistant tumor, lucanthone could emerge as a treatment for glioblastoma tumors that may not be amenable to TMZ both in the newly diagnosed and recurrent settings.

This work was partially supported by National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute [Grant F30CA257677] (to D.P.R.) and National Institute of General Medical Sciences [Grant T32GM008444] (to D.P.R., S.S., and I.R.O.), [Grant R35GM119437] (to M.A.S.), and [Grant T32GM136572] (to I.R.O.); SBU URECA (to A.S.); and a Stony Brook University OVPR Seed Grant (to S.E.T.).

The authors have declared that no conflict of interest exists.

dx.doi.org/10.1124/jpet.123.002021.

↵This article has supplemental material available at jpet.aspetjournals.org.