Abstract A56: Novel L-sugar linked glycosylated antitumor ether lipids for killing platinum-resistant human epithelial ovarian cancer cells

Abstract Glycosylated antitumor ether lipids (GAELs) are a promising class of investigational anticancer agents with potent antitumor activity against a range of cancers, including platinum-resistant high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). We previously demonstrated that epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) cell lines (HGSOC and endometrioid) and primary cells derived from patient ascites (HGSOC and clear cell) were sensitive to the cell-killing effects of D-glucosamine-derived GAELs via an apoptosis-independent mechanism. However, D-linked carbohydrates are metabolized by endogenous glucosidases in vivo, rendering the GAEL inactive. Thus, the aim of the current study was to synthesize a novel class of GAELs with L-linked carbohydrates and to evaluate their efficacy in EOC cell lines and patient samples. Out of seven novel compounds tested, L-rhamnose-GAEL was identified as the compound with the greatest efficacy for killing EOC cell lines and patient cells that were grown under adherent or nonadherent (3D) conditions. The drug-sensitive and drug-resistant syngeneic endometrioid EOC cell lines, A2780s and A2780cp, respectively, as well as the NIH:OVCAR-3 and COV362 HGSOC lines, were incubated with L-rhamnose-GAEL for 48 hours and the CC50 determined as 15 μM for A2780s, 22.5 μM for A2780cp, and 5 μM for NIH:OVCAR-3 and COV362 cells. Similar experiments were conducted with primary EOC cells, chemo-naïve EOC126 (clear-cell adenocarcinoma), and platinum-resistant EOC 183I (HGSOC). Cell viability decreased in a dose-dependent manner with CC50 of 12 μM for EOC126 and 22.5 μM for EOC183l. For comparison, when EOC126 and EOC183I were grown as 3D cultures the CC50for cisplatin was 20 μM and 40 μM, respectively. To evaluate the effect of using low-dose treatment of L-rhamnose-GAEL on primary EOC cells (chemo-naive and chemoresistant), cells were exposed to L-rhamnose-GAEL for 96 hours. These studies revealed that prolonged incubation led to low CC50 of 1-5 μM. These results showed that primary EOC cells derived from chemo-naïve and platinum-resistant patients were sensitive to the L-rhamnose-GAEL and offer a novel drug class capable of killing chemotherapy-resistant EOC cells. Citation Format: Mark W. Nachtigal, Frank Schweizer, Gilbert Arthur. Novel L-sugar linked glycosylated antitumor ether lipids for killing platinum-resistant human epithelial ovarian cancer cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Ovarian Cancer Research; 2019 Sep 13-16, 2019; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2020;26(13_Suppl):Abstract nr A56.