The Antiviral Agent Cidofovir Induces DNA Damage and Mitotic Catastrophe in HPV-Positive and -Negative Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas In Vitro

Femke Verhees*, Dion Legemaate, Imke Demers, Robin Jacobs, Wisse Evert Haakma, Mat Rousch, Bernd Kremer, Ernst Jan Speel

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Cidofovir (CDV) is an antiviral agent with antiproliferative properties. The aim of our study was to investigate the efficacy of CDV in HPV-positive and -negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines and whether it is caused by a difference in response to DNA damage. Upon CDV treatment of HNSCC and normal oral keratinocyte cell lines, we carried out MTT analysis (cell viability), flow cytometry (cell cycle analysis), (immuno) fluorescence and western blotting (DNA double strand breaks, DNA damage response, apoptosis and mitotic catastrophe). The growth of the cell lines was inhibited by CDV treatment and resulted in gamma-H2AX accumulation and upregulation of DNA repair proteins. CDV did not activate apoptosis but induced S- and G2/M phase arrest. Phospho-Aurora Kinase immunostaining showed a decrease in the amount of mitoses but an increase in aberrant mitoses suggesting mitotic catastrophe. In conclusion, CDV inhibits cell growth in HPV-positive and -negative HNSCC cell lines and was more profound in the HPV-positive cell lines. CDV treated cells show accumulation of DNA DSBs and DNA damage response activation, but apoptosis does not seem to occur. Rather our data indicate the occurrence of mitotic catastrophe.

Original languageEnglish
Article number919
Number of pages15
JournalCancers
Volume11
Issue number7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 26 Jun 2019

Keywords

  • human papillomavirus
  • head and neck cancer
  • double-stranded DNA breaks
  • DNA repair
  • cell line
  • cyclin B1
  • Aurora Kinase A
  • ACYCLIC NUCLEOSIDE PHOSPHONATES
  • HUMAN-PAPILLOMAVIRUS
  • LINES
  • RADIOSENSITIVITY
  • INHIBITOR
  • APOPTOSIS
  • SURVIVAL
  • GROWTH
  • REPAIR
  • DEATH

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