scholarly journals Aurora kinase inhibition sensitizes melanoma cells to T-cell-mediated cytotoxicity

Author(s):  
Simone Punt ◽  
Shruti Malu ◽  
Jodi A. McKenzie ◽  
Soraya Zorro Manrique ◽  
Elien M. Doorduijn ◽  
...  

Abstract Although immunotherapy has achieved impressive durable clinical responses, many cancers respond only temporarily or not at all to immunotherapy. To find novel, targetable mechanisms of resistance to immunotherapy, patient-derived melanoma cell lines were transduced with 576 open reading frames, or exposed to arrayed libraries of 850 bioactive compounds, prior to co-culture with autologous tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). The synergy between the targets and TILs to induce apoptosis, and the mechanisms of inhibiting resistance to TILs were interrogated. Gene expression analyses were performed on tumor samples from patients undergoing immunotherapy for metastatic melanoma. Finally, the effect of inhibiting the top targets on the efficacy of immunotherapy was investigated in multiple preclinical models. Aurora kinase was identified as a mediator of melanoma cell resistance to T-cell-mediated cytotoxicity in both complementary screens. Aurora kinase inhibitors were validated to synergize with T-cell-mediated cytotoxicity in vitro. The Aurora kinase inhibition-mediated sensitivity to T-cell cytotoxicity was shown to be partially driven by p21-mediated induction of cellular senescence. The expression levels of Aurora kinase and related proteins were inversely correlated with immune infiltration, response to immunotherapy and survival in melanoma patients. Aurora kinase inhibition showed variable responses in combination with immunotherapy in vivo, suggesting its activity is modified by other factors in the tumor microenvironment. These data suggest that Aurora kinase inhibition enhances T-cell cytotoxicity in vitro and can potentiate antitumor immunity in vivo in some but not all settings. Further studies are required to determine the mechanism of primary resistance to this therapeutic intervention.

1995 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 182-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Belen Moreno ◽  
Julie A. Titus ◽  
Michael S. Cole ◽  
J. Yun Tso ◽  
Nhat Le ◽  
...  

1995 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 182-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Belen Moreno ◽  
Julie A. Titus ◽  
Michael S. Cole ◽  
J. Yun Tso ◽  
Nhat Le ◽  
...  

Blood ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 120 (21) ◽  
pp. 3722-3722
Author(s):  
Ruth A. Chenault ◽  
Rebecca Gottschalk ◽  
Gabriela Hernandez-Hoyos ◽  
Jennifer Wiens ◽  
Brian Gordon ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 3722 Background: Despite advances in treatments for B-cell leukemias and lymphomas, many patients ultimately relapse and succumb to disease following multiple courses of therapy. Bispecific antibody fragments that can simultaneously engage T cells and tumor cells have been shown, in the literature, to destroy tumor cells by effectively redirecting the cytotoxic function of T cells. T-cell engaging bispecific molecules linking anti-CD19 and anti-CD3 binding domains in the context of novel SCORPION™ (multi-specific protein therapeutic) proteins were evaluated both in vitro and in vivo for function and stability. Methods: Redirected T-cell cytotoxicity (RTCC) was measured by combining CD19 positive or negative cell lines with SCORPION proteins in the presence of human T cells. In a similar assay context, CFSE-labeled T cells were monitored for activation and proliferation. Functional RTCC assays were also used to analyze serum stability of SCORPION molecules in vitro and to complete an in vivo pharmacokinetic analysis. In vivo efficacy was assessed by monitoring the rate of tumor outgrowth of Ramos xenografts co-implanted with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in NOD/SCID mice after treatment with SCORPION molecules. Results: SCORPION molecules potently mediate target-specific T-cell cytotoxicity toward tumor cell lines presenting cell surface CD19, with EC50 values for cytotoxicity at low pM concentrations. These molecules also demonstrate induction of T-cell activation and proliferation in the presence of target-bearing tumor cells but not in the absence of target expression. SCORPION molecules retain stable function following incubation at 37°C in mouse serum for up to a week in vitro, and pharmacokinetic analysis of SCORPION protein function in BALB/c mouse serum following intravenous administration resulted in half-life estimates of 69–84 hours. In efficacy studies conducted in NOD/SCID mice, SCORPION proteins significantly inhibited the outgrowth of Ramos tumor xenografts in the presence of human effector cells. Conclusion: SCORPION molecules targeting CD19 and CD3 effectively harness the cytotoxic activity of T cells to kill CD19 positive tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo and show potential for further investigation as possible therapeutic agents for B-cell malignancies. Disclosures: Chenault: Emergent BioSolutions: Employment. Gottschalk:Emergent BioSolutions: Employment. Hernandez-Hoyos:Emergent BioSolutions: Employment. Wiens:Emergent BioSolutions: Employment. Gordon:Emergent BioSolutions: Employment. Klee:Emergent BioSolutions: Employment, Equity Ownership. Bienvenue:Emergent BioSolutions: Employment. Dasovich:Emergent BioSolutions: Employment. Kumer:Emergent BioSolutions: Employment. Aguilar:Emergent BioSolutions: Employment. Bannink:Emergent BioSolutions: Employment, Equity Ownership. McMahan:Emergent BioSolutions: Employment, Equity Ownership. Natarajan:Emergent BioSolutions: Employment, Equity Ownership. Algate:Emergent BioSolutions: Employment, Equity Ownership. Blankenship:Emergent BioSolutions: Employment, Equity Ownership, Patents & Royalties.


2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (Supplement_6) ◽  
pp. vi5-vi5
Author(s):  
Robert Suter ◽  
Vasileios Stathias ◽  
Anna Jermakowicz ◽  
Hari Pradhyumnan ◽  
Maurizio Affer ◽  
...  

Abstract Glioblastoma (GBM) remains the most common adult brain cancer, with a dismal average patient survival of less than two years. No new treatments have been approved for GBM since the introduction of the alkylating agent temozolomide in 2005. Even then, temozolomide treatment only increases the average survival of GBM patients by a few months. Thus, novel therapeutic options are direly needed. The aurora kinases A and B are targetable and overexpressed in GBM, and their expression is highly correlated with patient survival outcomes. Our lab has found that small molecule aurora kinase inhibition reduces GBM tumor growth in vitro and in vivo, however, eventually tumors still grow. Computational analysis integrating compound transcriptional response signatures from the LINCS L1000 dataset with the single-cell RNA-sequencing data of patient GBM tumors resected at the University of Miami predicts that aurora inhibition targets a subset of cells present within any GBM tumor. Results of in vivo single-cell perturbation experiments with the aurora kinase inhibitor alisertib coincide with our predictions and reveal a cellular transcriptional phenotype resistant to aurora kinase inhibition, characterized by a mesenchymal expression program. We find that small molecules that are predicted to target different cell populations from alisertib, including this resistant mesenchymal population, synergize with alisertib to kill GBM cells. As a whole, we have identified the cellular population resistant to aurora kinase inhibition and have developed an analytical framework that identifies synergistic small molecule combinations by identifying compounds that target transcriptionally distinct cellular populations within GBM tumors.


Blood ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 114 (22) ◽  
pp. 3436-3436
Author(s):  
Renier J. Brentjens ◽  
Daniel Hollyman ◽  
Jae Park ◽  
Elmer Santos ◽  
Raymond Yeh ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 3436 Poster Board III-324 Patient T cells may be genetically modified to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) targeted to antigens expressed on tumor cells. We have initiated a clinical trial treating chemotherapy-refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients with autologous T cells modified to express the 19-28z CAR targeted to the CD19 antigen expressed on most B cell malignancies. In the first cohort of this trial, patients were infused with the lowest planned dose of modified T cells alone. All patients treated in this cohort experienced low-grade fevers following modified T cell infusion, and 2 of 3 treated patients exhibited subjective and laboratory evidence of transient reductions in tumor burden. The first patient treated on the second cohort of this study received prior cyclophophamide chemotherapy followed by the same dose of modified T cells administered to the first cohort of patients. This patient experienced persistent fevers, dyspnea, hypotension, renal failure, and died 44 hours following modified T cell infusion, likely secondary to sepsis. Modified T cells were not detectable in the peripheral blood of treated patients at 1 hour following completion of T cell infusion. However, post mortem analyses revealed a rapid infiltration of targeted T cells into anatomical sites of tumor involvement. Serum levels of the inflammatory cytokines IL-5, IL-8, and GM-CSF, but not TNFα, markedly and rapidly increased following infusion of genetically targeted T cells in this patient, mirroring the in vitro cytokine secretion profile of this patient's T cells, and consistent with marked in vivo activation of the modified T cells. Similar cytokine signatures were not found in patients from the first cohort. Significantly, serum cytokine analyses from the second cohort patient revealed a marked increase in the pro-proliferative cytokines IL-2, IL-7, IL-12, and IL-15 following cyclophosphamide therapy, in contrast to the baseline levels found in the first cohort. This report demonstrates the high efficiency trafficking of CD19-targeted T cells and in vivo activation of T cells encoding a second generation CD28/zeta chain-based chimeric antigen receptor. Furthermore, these data highlight mechanisms whereby cyclophosphamide may generate an in vivo milieu that enhances the anti-tumor efficacy of autologous tumor targeted T cells. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Blood ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 124 (21) ◽  
pp. 1408-1408
Author(s):  
Mette Matilda Ilander ◽  
Can Hekim ◽  
Markus Vähä-Koskela ◽  
Paula Savola ◽  
Siri Tähtinen ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Dasatinib is a 2nd generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) used in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Its kinase inhibition profile is broad and includes several kinases important in the immune cell function such as SRC kinases. Furthermore, it is known that dasatinib has immunomodulatory effects in vivo. Recently, we observed that dasatinib induces a rapid and marked mobilization of lymphocytes, which closely follows the drug plasma concentration. The phenomenon is accompanied by an increase of NK-cell cytotoxicity. In addition, we have shown that dasatinib alters T-cell responses long-term favoring Th1 type of responses. Interestingly, the dasatinib induced immune effects have been associated with better treatment responses. We now aimed to characterize the dasatinib-induced antitumor immune responses in a syngeneic murine melanoma model to address whether dasatinib-induced immunoactivation affects tumor growth. Methods: Direct cytotoxic effect of dasatinib on B16.OVA melanoma cells in vitro was assessed with an MTS cell viability assay. T-cell cytotoxicity was assessed by preincubating splenocytes isolated from naïve and OT-I mouse spleen with 100 nM dasatinib and measured their cytotoxic capacity against B16.OVA cells. To further evaluate the dasatinib induced antitumor immune effects in vivo, B16.OVA cells were implanted subcutaneously in C57BL/6J mice. The mice (n=6/group) were treated daily i.g. either with 30 mg/kg dasatinib or vehicle only. Blood was collected before tumor transplantation, before treatment, and on treatment days 4, 7 and 11. Tumor volumes were measured manually and specific growth rate was calculated based on the first and the last day of the treatment. In addition to white blood cell differential counts, immunophenotyping of blood and tumor homogenate was performed by flow cytometry using antibodies against CD45.1, CD3, CD4, CD8b, NK1.1, CTLA4, PD-1 and CD107. Immunohistochemical staining of CD8+ T-cells was performed from the paraffin embedded tumor samples. Results: In vitro incubation of B16.OVA cells with dasatinib showed only a moderate unspecific cytotoxicity with the two highest concentrations of dasatinib (1- and 10 µM), whereas in K562 cells (a CML blast crisis cell line) almost complete killing was observed already with the 100nM concentration. The cell viability of B16.OVA cells was 90% with at 100 nM of dasatinib concentration (as compared to 21% of K562 cells) suggesting that there was no direct dasatinib sensitive target oncokinase in this cell line. In contrast, a significant enhancement in the cytotoxic capacity of splenocytes was observed when they were pretreated with 100nM dasatinib (60% of target cells were alive when incubated with dasatinib pretreated naïve splenocytes compared to 100% with control treated splenocytes, p=0.004). The in vivo tumor experiments demonstrated that the tumor volumes were smaller in dasatinib group, and there was a significant decrease in the specific tumor growth rate (0.06 vs. 0.18, p=0.01) on the 11th day of treatment. Interestingly, dasatinib treated mice had increased proportion of CD8+cells in the circulation (17.9% vs. 14.4%, p=0.005) and the CD4/CD8 ratio was significantly decreased (1.39 vs. 1.52, p= 0.04). During the tumor growth the mean CTLA-4 expression on CD8+ cells in PB increased from 1.2% to 9% in the control group, whereas, in dasatinib group the increase was more modest (1.2% to 5.7%). When the tumor content was analyzed, dasatinib treated mice had significantly more tumor infiltrated CD8+ T-cells (median 17 vs. 4/counted fields, p=0.03). In dasatinib group 80% of the tumor infiltrating CD8+ cells expressed PD-1 antigen compared to <5% of PD1 positive CD8+ cells in the peripheral blood suggesting either tumor induced CD8 T-cell exhaustion or the presence of tumor-reactive effector cells. Lastly, when CD4 and CD8 cells were depleted before tumor inoculation, dasatinib was no longer able to slow down the tumor growth. Conclusions: Dasatinib treatment slowed the tumor growth in a B16.OVA mouse model. The growth retardation was due to immunomodulatory properties of dasatinib as the drug was not directly cytotoxic and depletion of T-cells abolished the effect. Dasatinib may be a therapeutically useful immunomodulatory agent for targeting tumor-associated anergy, particularly in combination with novel checkpoint inhibitors and tumor-targeting drugs. Disclosures Hemminki: Oncos Therapeutics Ltd: Shareholder Other; TILT BioTherapeutics Ltd: Employment, Shareholder, Shareholder Other. Porkka:BMS and Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding. Mustjoki:Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding.


2014 ◽  
Vol 194 (3) ◽  
pp. 1069-1079 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelyn Hartung ◽  
Martina Becker ◽  
Annabell Bachem ◽  
Nele Reeg ◽  
Anika Jäkel ◽  
...  

1984 ◽  
Vol 68 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 205-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arno Müllbacher ◽  
Christopher R. Parish ◽  
Jan P. Mundy

2003 ◽  
Vol 136 (3) ◽  
pp. 314-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. M. Khromykh ◽  
T. V. Anfalova ◽  
D. B. Kazanskii

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