RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Vorinostat enhances the radiosensitivity of a breast cancer brain metastatic cell line grown in vitro and as intracranial xenografts JF Molecular Cancer Therapeutics JO Mol Cancer Ther FD American Association for Cancer Research SP 1589 OP 1595 DO 10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-09-0038 VO 8 IS 6 A1 Baschnagel, Andrew A1 Russo, Andrea A1 Burgan, William E. A1 Carter, Donna A1 Beam, Katie A1 Palmieri, Diane A1 Steeg, Patricia S. A1 Tofilon, Philip A1 Camphausen, Kevin YR 2009 UL http://mct.aacrjournals.org/content/8/6/1589.abstract AB Vorinostat (suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid), a histone deacetylase inhibitor, is currently undergoing clinical evaluation as therapy for cancer. We investigated the effects of vorinostat on tumor cell radiosensitivity in a breast cancer brain metastasis model using MDA-MB-231-BR cells. In vitro radiosensitivity was evaluated using clonogenic assay. Cell cycle distribution and apoptosis was measured using flow cytometry. DNA damage and repair was evaluated using γH2AX. Mitotic catastrophe was measured by immunostaining. Growth delay and intracranial xenograft models were used to evaluate the in vivo tumor radiosensitivity. Cells exposed to vorinostat for 16 hours before and maintained in the medium after irradiation had an increase in radiosensitivity with a dose enhancement factor of 1.57. γH2AX, as an indicator of double-strand breaks, had significantly more foci per cell in the vorinostat plus irradiation group. Mitotic catastrophe, measured at 72 hours, was significantly increased in cells receiving vorinostat plus irradiation. Irradiation of s.c. MDA-MB-231-BR tumors in mice treated with vorinostat resulted in an increase in radiation-induced tumor growth delay. Most importantly, animals with intracranial tumor implants lived the longest after combination treatment. These results indicate that vorinostat enhances tumor cell radiosensitivity in vitro and in vivo. There was a greater than additive improvement in survival in our intracranial model. Combining vorinostat with radiation may be a potential treatment option for patients with breast cancer who develop brain metastases. [Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(6):1589–95]