Sirtuin activation targets IDH-mutant tumors

Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-mutant tumors exhibit an altered metabolic state and are critically dependent upon nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) for cellular survival. NAD+ steady-state levels can be influenced by both biosynthetic and consumptive processes. Here, we investigated activation of sirtuin (SIRT) enzymes, which consume NAD+ as a coenzyme, as a potential mechanism to reduce cellular NAD+ levels in these tumors.

The effect of inhibition or activation of sirtuin activity, using (i) small molecules, (ii) clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat/CRISPR associated protein 9 gene editing, and (iii) inducible overexpression, was investigated in IDH-mutant tumor lines, including patient-derived IDH-mutant glioma lines.

We found that Sirt1 activation led to marked augmentation of NAD+ depletion and accentuation of cytotoxicity when combined with inhibition of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), consistent with the enzymatic activity of SIRT1 as a primary cellular NAD+ consumer in IDH-mutant cells. Activation of Sirt1 through either genetic overexpression or pharmacologic Sirt1-activating compounds (STACs), an existing class of well-tolerated drugs, led to inhibition of IDH1-mutant tumor cell growth.

Activation of Sirt1 can selectively target IDH-mutant tumors. These findings indicate that relatively nontoxic STACs, administered either alone or in combination with NAMPT inhibition, could alter the growth trajectory of IDH-mutant gliomas while minimizing toxicity associated with cytotoxic chemotherapeutic regimens.