EGFR amplification induces increased DNA damage response and renders selective sensitivity to talazoparib (PARP inhibitor) in glioblastoma

Purpose: Exploration of novel strategies to extend the benefit of PARP inhibitors beyond BRCA-mutant cancers is of great interest in personalized medicine. Here, we identified EGFR amplification as a potential biomarker to predict sensitivity to PARP inhibition, providing selection for the glioblastoma (GBM) patient population who will benefit from PARP inhibition therapy. Experimental Design: Selective sensitivity to the PARP inhibitor talazoparib was screened and validated in two sets [test set (n = 14) and validation set (n = 13)] of well-characterized patient-derived glioma sphere-forming cells (GSC). FISH was used to detect EGFR copy number. DNA damage response following talazoparib treatment was evaluated by gH2AX and 53BP1 staining and neutral comet assay. PARP-DNA trapping was analyzed by subcellular fractionation. The selective monotherapy of talazoparib was confirmed using in vivo glioma models. Results: EGFR-amplified GSCs showed remarkable sensitivity to talazoparib treatment. EGFR amplification was associated with increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and subsequent increased basal expression of DNA-repair pathways to counterelevated oxidative stress, and thus rendered vulnerability to PARP inhibition. Following talazoparib treatment, EGFR-amplified GSCs showed enhanced DNA damage and increased PARP-DNA trapping, which augmented the cytotoxicity. EGFR amplification-associated selective sensitivity was further supported by the in vivo experimental results showing that talazoparib significantly suppressed tumor growth in EGFR-amplified subcutaneous models but not in nonamplified models. Conclusions: EGFR-amplified cells are highly sensitive to talazoparib. Our data provide insight into the potential of using EGFR amplification as a selection biomarker for the development of personalized therapy.