Pharmacodynamics of the G-quadruplex-stabilizing telomerase inhibitor 3,11-difluoro-6,8,13-trimethyl-8H-quino[4,3,2-kl]acridinium methosulfate (RHPS4) in vitro: activity in human tumor cells correlates with telomere length and can be enhanced, or antagonized, with cytotoxic agents.

Telomeric integrity is required to maintain the replicative ability of cancer cells and is a target for the G-quadruplex-stabilizing drug 3,11-difluoro-6,8,13-trimethyl-8H-quino[4,3,2-kl]acridinium methosulfate (RHPS4). We report a senescent-like growth arrest in MCF-7 breast cancer cells, within 14 to 17 days, and a reduction in telomere length (from 5.2 kilobases (kb) to 4.7 and 4.3 kb after 17 days of treatment at 0.5 and 1 microM, respectively). These effects occurred at noncytotoxic drug concentrations (doses < 1 microM over a 14-day exposure) compatible with long-term drug dosing. The telomere length of cancer cells influences their sensitivity to growth inhibition by RHPS4: mutant (mt) human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT)-expressing MCF-7 cells [short telomere restriction fragment (TRF) length, 1.9 kb; IC50, 0.2 microM] were 10 times more sensitive to RHPS4 compared with wild-type (wt) hTERT-expressing, vector-transfected control cells (longer TRF-length 5.2 kb; IC50 2 microM) in the 5 day SRB assay. This relationship was corroborated in a panel of 36 human tumor xenografts grown in vitro showing a positive correlation between telomere length and growth inhibitory potency of RHPS4 (15-day clonogenic assay, r = 0.75). These observations are consistent with loss of the protective capping status of telomeres mediated by RHPS4 G-quadruplex-stabilization, thus leading to greater susceptibility of cells with shorter telomeres. In combination studies, paclitaxel (Taxol), doxorubicin (Adriamycin), and the experimental therapeutic agent 17-(allylamino)-17-demethoxygeldanamycin, which inhibits the 90-kDa heat shock protein, conferred enhanced sensitivity in RHPS4 treated MCF-7 cells, whereas the DNA-interactive temozolomide and cisplatin antagonized the action of RHPS4. Our results support the combined use of certain classes of cytotoxic anticancer agents with RHPS4 to enhance potential clinical benefit.