Asparagine (N)-linked glycosylation is a posttranslational modification essential for the function of complex transmembrane proteins. However, targeting glycosylation for cancer therapy has not been feasible due to generalized effects on all glycoproteins. Here, we perform sensitivity screening of 94 lung cancer cell lines using NGI-1, a small-molecule inhibitor of the oligosaccharyltransferase (OST) that partially disrupts N-linked glycosylation, and demonstrate a selective loss of tumor cell viability. This screen revealed NGI-1 sensitivity in just 11 of 94 (12%) cell lines, with a significant correlation between OST and EGFR inhibitors. In -mutant non-small cell lung cancer with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) resistance (PC9-GR, HCC827-GR, and H1975-OR), OST inhibition maintained its ability to induce cell-cycle arrest and a proliferative block. Addition of NGI-1 to EGFR TKI treatment was synthetic lethal in cells resistant to gefitinib, erlotinib, or osimertinib. OST inhibition invariably disrupted EGFR N-linked glycosylation and reduced activation of receptors either with or without the T790M TKI resistance mutation. OST inhibition also dissociated EGFR signaling from other coexpressed receptors like MET via altered receptor compartmentalization. Translation of this approach to preclinical models was accomplished through synthesis and delivery of NGI-1 nanoparticles, confirmation of activity through molecular imaging, and demonstration of significant tumor growth delay in TKI-resistant HCC827 and H1975 xenografts. This therapeutic strategy breaks from kinase-targeted approaches and validates N-linked glycosylation as an effective target in tumors driven by glycoprotein signaling.-mutant NSCLC is incurable despite the marked sensitivity of these tumors to EGFR TKIs. These findings identify N-linked glycosylation, a posttranslational modification common to EGFR and other oncogenic signaling proteins, as an effective therapeutic target that enhances tumor responses for -mutant NSCLC..

Intracranial delivery of therapeutic agents is limited by penetration beyond the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and rapid metabolism of the drugs that are delivered. Convection-enhanced delivery (CED) of drug-loaded nanoparticles (NPs) provides for local administration, control of distribution, and sustained drug release. While some investigators have shown that repeated CED procedures are possible, longer periods of sustained release could eliminate the need for repeated infusions, which would enhance safety and translatability of the approach. Here, we demonstrate that nanoparticles formed from poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(ω-pentadecalactone-co-p-dioxanone) block copolymers [PEG-poly(PDL-co-DO)] are highly efficient nanocarriers that provide long-term release: small nanoparticles (less than 100 nm in diameter) continuously released a radiosensitizer (VE822) over a period of several weeks in vitro, provided widespread intracranial drug distribution during CED, and yielded significant drug retention within the brain for over 1 week. One advantage of PEG-poly(PDL-co-DO) nanoparticles is that hydrophobicity can be tuned by adjusting the ratio of hydrophobic PDL to hydrophilic DO monomers, thus making it possible to achieve a wide range of drug release rates and drug distribution profiles. When administered by CED to rats with intracranial RG2 tumors, and combined with a 5-day course of fractionated radiation therapy, VE822-loaded PEG-poly(PDL-co-DO) NPs significantly prolonged survival when compared to free VE822. Thus, PEG-poly(PDL-co-DO) NPs represent a new type of versatile nanocarrier system with potential for sustained intracranial delivery of therapeutic agents to treat brain tumors.

Parallel signaling reduces the effects of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK)-targeted therapies in glioma. We hypothesized that inhibition of protein N-linked glycosylation, an endoplasmic reticulum co- and posttranslational modification crucial for RTK maturation and activation, could provide a new therapeutic approach for glioma radiosensitization. We investigated the effects of a small-molecule inhibitor of the oligosaccharyltransferase (NGI-1) on EGFR family receptors, MET, PDGFR, and FGFR1. The influence of glycosylation state on tumor cell radiosensitivity, chemotherapy-induced cell toxicity, DNA damage, and cell-cycle arrest were determined and correlated with glioma cell receptor expression profiles. The effects of NGI-1 on xenograft tumor growth were tested using a nanoparticle formulation validated by molecular imaging. A mechanistic role for RTK signaling was evaluated through the expression of a glycosylation-independent CD8-EGFR chimera. NGI-1 reduced glycosylation, protein levels, and activation of most RTKs. NGI-1 also enhanced the radiosensitivity and cytotoxic effects of chemotherapy in those glioma cells with elevated ErbB family activation, but not in cells without high levels of RTK activation. NGI-1 radiosensitization was associated with increases in both DNA damage and G cell-cycle arrest. Combined treatment of glioma xenografts with fractionated radiotherapy and NGI-1 significantly reduced tumor growth compared with controls. Expression of the CD8-EGFR eliminated the effects of NGI-1 on G arrest, DNA damage, and cellular radiosensitivity, identifying RTK inhibition as the principal mechanism for the NGI-1 effect. This study suggests that oligosaccharyltransferase inhibition with NGI-1 is a novel approach to radiosensitize malignant gliomas with enhanced RTK signaling.

<p>Deep sequencing of lung cancer cell lines to determine the proportion of EGFR mutations.</p>

<p>Results of the Lung Cancer Cell Line Screen for OST Inhibitor Sensitivity</p>