The ATR Inhibitor VE-821 Enhances the Radiosensitivity and Suppresses DNA Repair Mechanisms of Human Chondrosarcoma Cells

To overcome the resistance to radiotherapy in chondrosarcomas, the prevention of efficient DNA repair with an additional treatment was explored for particle beams as well as reference X-ray irradiation. The combined treatment with DNA repair inhibitors-with a focus on ATRi VE-821-and proton or carbon ions irradiation was investigated regarding cell viability, proliferation, cell cycle distribution, MAPK phosphorylation, and the expression of key DNA repair genes in two human chondrosarcoma cell lines. Pre-treatment with the PARPis Olaparib or Veliparib, the ATMi Ku-55933, and the ATRi VE-821 resulted in a dose-dependent reduction in viability, whereas VE-821 has the most efficient response. Quantification of gamma H2AX phosphorylation and protein expression of the DNA repair pathways showed a reduced regenerative capacity after irradiation. Furthermore, combined treatment with VE-821 and particle irradiation increased MAPK phosphorylation and the expression of apoptosis markers. At the gene expression and at the protein expression/phosphorylation level, we were able to demonstrate the preservation of DNA damage after combined treatment. The present data showed that the combined treatment with ATMi VE-821 increases the radiosensitivity of human chondrosarcoma cells in vitro and significantly suppresses efficient DNA repair mechanisms, thus improving the efficiency of radiotherapy.