scholarly journals RX-5902, a novel β-catenin modulator, potentiates the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in preclinical models of triple-negative breast Cancer

BMC Cancer ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
John J. Tentler ◽  
Julie Lang ◽  
Anna Capasso ◽  
Deog Joong Kim ◽  
Ely Benaim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
T Cells ◽  
Immune System ◽  
Triple Negative Breast Cancer ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Triple Negative ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Preclinical Models ◽  
Human Immune System ◽  
Human Immune

Abstract Background Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive breast cancer subtype with limited systemic treatment options. RX-5902 is a novel anti-cancer agent that inhibits phosphorylated-p68 and thus attenuates nuclear β-catenin signaling. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of β-catenin signaling blockade to enhance the efficacy of anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint blockade in immunocompetent, preclinical models of TNBC. Methods Treatment with RX-5902, anti-PD-1, anti-CTLA-4 or the combination was investigated in BALB/c mice injected with the 4 T1 TNBC cell line. Humanized BALB/c-Rag2nullIl2rγnullSIRPαNOD (hu-CB-BRGS) mice transplanted with a human immune system were implanted with MDA-MB-231 cells. Mice were randomized into treatment groups according to human hematopoietic chimerism and treated with RX-5902, anti-PD-1 or the combination. At sacrifice, bone marrow, lymph nodes, spleen and tumors were harvested for flow cytometry analysis of human immune cells. Results The addition of RX-5902 to CTLA-4 or PD-1 inhibitors resulted in decreased tumor growth in the 4 T1 and human immune system and MDA-MB-231 xenograft models. Immunologic analyses demonstrated a significant increase in the number of activated T cells in tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) with RX-5902 treatment compared to vehicle (p < 0.05). In the RX-5902/nivolumab combination group, there was a significant increase in the percentage of CD4+ T cells in TILs and increased systemic granzyme B production (p < 0.01). Conclusions Conclusions: RX-5902 enhanced the efficacy of nivolumab in a humanized, preclinical model of TNBC. Several changes in immunologic profiles were noted in mice treated with RX-5902 and the combination, including an increase in activated TILs and a decrease in human myeloid populations, that are often associated with immunosuppression in a tumor microenvironment. RX-5902 also was shown to potentiate the effects of checkpoint inhibitors of CTLA4 and the PD-1 inhibitor in the 4 T-1 murine TNBC model. These findings indicate that RX-5902 may have important immunomodulatory, as well as anti-tumor activity, in TNBC when combined with a checkpoint inhibitor.

scholarly journals Development of a new patient-derived xenograft humanised mouse model to study human-specific tumour microenvironment and immunotherapy

Gut ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (10) ◽  
pp. 1845-1854 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue Zhao ◽  
Timothy Wai Ho Shuen ◽  
Tan Boon Toh ◽  
Xue Ying Chan ◽  
Min Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Immune Responses ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Drug Testing ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Tumour Microenvironment ◽  
Human Immune System ◽  
Patient Derived Xenograft ◽  
Human Immune ◽  
Human Specific

ObjectiveAs the current therapeutic strategies for human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been proven to have limited effectiveness, immunotherapy becomes a compelling way to tackle the disease. We aim to provide humanised mouse (humice) models for the understanding of the interaction between human cancer and immune system, particularly for human-specific drug testing.DesignPatient-derived xenograft tumours are established with type I human leucocyte antigen matched human immune system in NOD-scid Il2rg−/− (NSG) mice. The longitudinal changes of the tumour and immune responses as well as the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors are investigated.ResultsSimilar to the clinical outcomes, the human immune system in our model is educated by the tumour and exhibits exhaustion phenotypes such as a significant declination of leucocyte numbers, upregulation of exhaustion markers and decreased the production of human proinflammatory cytokines. Notably, cytotoxic immune cells decreased more rapidly compared with other cell types. Tumour infiltrated T cells have much higher expression of exhaustion markers and lower cytokine production compared with peripheral T cells. In addition, tumour-associated macrophages and myeloid-derived suppressor cells are found to be highly enriched in the tumour microenvironment. Interestingly, the tumour also changes gene expression profiles in response to immune responses by upregulating immune checkpoint ligands. Most importantly, in contrast to the NSG model, our model demonstrates both therapeutic and side effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors pembrolizumab and ipilimumab.ConclusionsOur work provides a model for immune-oncology study and a useful parallel-to-human platform for anti-HCC drug testing, especially immunotherapy.

scholarly journals Immune checkpoint inhibitors plus neoadjuvant chemotherapy in early triple-negative breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BMC Cancer ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuanfang Xin ◽  
Guoshuang Shen ◽  
Yonghui Zheng ◽  
Yumei Guan ◽  
Xingfa Huo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy ◽  
Triple Negative Breast Cancer ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Triple Negative ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Efficacy And Safety ◽  
Intention To Treat

Abstract Purpose Some studies have shown that Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have a favorable efficacy in advanced triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients, but the results are controversial in neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) stage. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety after NACT plus ICIs in early TNBC patients. Methods After searching PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane library and several mainly oncology conferences up to 30 January 2021 systematically, and define randomized controlled trials (RCTs) exploring the efficacy and safety of programmed death protein-1/programmed cell death-Ligand 1(PD-1/PD-L1) inhibitors plus neoadjuvant chemotherapy in TNBC patients. The primary endpoint was the pathological complete response (pCR) in intention-to-treat populations (ITT), and the secondary endpoints were event-free survival (EFS) and safety analysis in the ITT populations. Results Six RCTs (N = 2142) were included in our meta-analysis; NACT plus ICIs increased pCR rates compared with NACT in intention-to-treat (ITT) populations (OR: 1.91; 95% CI: 1.32–2.78, P < 0.001). The pCR rate also increased in both PD-L1 positive (OR: 1.65; 95% CI: 1.26–2.16, P < 0.001) and PD-L1 negative patients (OR: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.04–2.33, P = 0.03), especially in PD-L1 positive patients. The benefit was also observed in nodal-positive populations (OR: 2.52; 95% CI: 1.69–3.77, P < 0.001) and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance-status score (ECOG PS) 0 subgroup (OR: 1.90; 95% CI: 1.42–2.53, P < 0.001). Three RCTs (N = 1615) reported EFS and the results showed that adding PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors increased EFS (HR 0.65, 95% CI 0.50–0.83, P = 0.0007) in ITT populations with a short follow-up time. In the safety analysis of 2205 patients with early TNBC from five eligible studies, NACT plus ICIs had a higher risk of grade 3–4 diarrhea (OR: 2.54; 95% CI: 1.21–5.32; P = 0.01), any grade of adverse effects(AEs)including vomiting (OR: 1.37; 95% CI: 1.00–1.86; P = 0.05), hyperthyroidism (OR: 6.04; 95% CI: 2.39–15.29; P < 0.001), and hypothyroidism (OR: 5.04; 95% CI: 3.02–8.39; P < 0.001). Conclusions PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors combined with chemotherapy can improve pCR rates and EFS, and with an increased incidence of some immune-related AEs compared with chemotherapy alone. NACT plus ICIs might be an option in patients with in PD-L1 positive and high-risk populations with positive nodal disease early TNBC.

scholarly journals Immunomodulating Therapies in Breast Cancer—From Prognosis to Clinical Practice

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 4883
Author(s):  
Marcus Schmidt ◽  
Anne-Sophie Heimes
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Immune Responses ◽  
Triple Negative Breast Cancer ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Triple Negative ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes ◽  
Response To Chemotherapy ◽  
Infiltrating Lymphocytes

The role of the immune system in breast cancer has been debated for decades. The advent of technologies such as next generation sequencing (NGS) has elucidated the crucial interplay between somatic mutations in tumors leading to neoantigens and immune responses with increased tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and improved prognosis of breast cancer patients. In particular, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has a higher mutational burden compared to other breast cancer subtypes. In addition, higher levels of tumor-associated antigens suggest that immunotherapies are a promising treatment option, specifically for TNBC. Indeed, higher concentrations of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are associated with better prognosis and response to chemotherapy in TNBC. An important target within the cancer immune cell cycle is the “immune checkpoint”. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPis) block the interaction of certain cell surface proteins that act as “brakes” on immune responses. Recent studies have shown that ICPis improve survival in both early and advanced TNBC. However, this comes at the price of increased toxicity, particularly immune-mediated toxicity. As an alternative approach, individualized mRNA vaccination strategies against tumor-associated neoantigens represent another promising approach leading to neoantigen-specific immune responses. These novel strategies should help to improve treatment outcomes, especially for patients with triple negative breast cancer.

scholarly journals Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Plus Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Early Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuanfang Xin ◽  
Guoshuang Shen ◽  
Yonghui Zheng ◽  
Yumei Guan ◽  
Xingfa Huo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy ◽  
Triple Negative Breast Cancer ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Triple Negative ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Efficacy And Safety ◽  
Intention To Treat

Abstract Purpose: Some studies have shown that Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have a favorable efficacy in advanced triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients, but the results are controversial in neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) stage. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety after NACT plus ICIs in early TNBC patients.Methods: After searching PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane library and several mainly oncology conferences up to 30 January 2021 systematically, and define randomized controlled trials (RCTs) exploring the efficacy and safety of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors plus neoadjuvant chemotherapy in TNBC patients. The primary endpoint was the pathological complete response (pCR) in intention-to-treat populations (ITT), and the secondary endpoints were event-free survival (EFS) and safety analysis in the ITT populations.Results: Six RCTs (N = 2142) were included in our meta-analysis; NACT plus ICIs increased pCR rates compared with NACT in intention-to-treat (ITT) populations (OR: 1.91; 95% CI: 1.32–2.78, P < 0.001). The pCR rate also increased both in PD-L1 positive (OR: 1.65; 95% CI: 1.26–2.16, P < 0.001) and negative patients (OR: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.04–2.33, P = 0.03), especially in PD-L1 positive patients. The benefit was also observed in nodal-positive populations (OR: 2.52; 95% CI: 1.69–3.77, P < 0.001) and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance-status score (ECOG PS) 0 subgroup (OR: 1.90; 95% CI: 1.42–2.53, P < 0.001). Three RCTs (N = 1615) reported that EFS and the addition of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors increased EFS (HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.48–0.92, P = 0.01) in ITT populations with a short follow-up time. In the safety analysis of 2205 patients with early TNBC from five eligible studies, NACT plus ICIs had a higher risk of grade 3-4 diarrhea (OR: 2.54; 95% CI: 1.21–5.32; P = 0.01), any grade of AEs including vomiting (OR: 1.37; 95% CI: 1.00–1.86; P = 0.05), hyperthyroidism (OR: 6.04; 95% CI: 2.39–15.29; P < 0.001), and hypothyroidism (OR: 5.04; 95% CI: 3.02–8.39; P < 0.001).Conclusions: NACT plus ICIs might be an option in patients with early TNBC.

scholarly journals TIM3 expression on TILs is associated with poor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced triple-negative breast cancer

BMC Cancer ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Neslihan Cabioglu ◽  
Semen Onder ◽  
Gizem Oner ◽  
Hüseyin Karatay ◽  
Mustafa Tukenmez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy ◽  
Triple Negative Breast Cancer ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Triple Negative ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Locally Advanced ◽  
High Expression ◽  
Chemotherapy Response

Abstract Background The expression of immune checkpoint receptors (ICRs) on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) is associated with better response to immunotherapies via immune checkpoint inhibitors. Therefore, we investigated various ICR expressions on TILs in patients with locally advanced triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Methods Expressions of ICRs were examined immunohistochemically in surgical specimens (n = 61) using monoclonal antibodies for PDL-1, PD-1, TIM-3, LAG-3, and CTLA-4. Positivity was defined as staining > 1% on TILs. Results The median age was 49 (24–76) years. The majority of patients were clinically T3–4 (n = 31, 50.8%) and clinically N1–3 (n = 58, 95.1%) before NAC. Of those, 82% were found to have CTLA-4 positivity, whereas PD1, PDL-1, LAG3, and TIM-3 expressions on TILs were 62.3, 50.9, 26.2, and 68.9%. A high expression of CTLA-4 was found to be associated with a better chemotherapy response (OR = 7.94, 95% CI: 0.9–70.12, p = 0.06), whereas TIM-3 positivity was contrarily associated with a worse chemotherapy response (OR = 0.253, 95% CI: 0.066–0.974, p = 0.047) as measured by the MDACC Residual Cancer Burden Index. At a 47-month follow-up, ypN0 (DFS; HR = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.12–0.83, p = 0.02 and DSS; HR = 0.21, 95% CI: 0.07–0.62, p = 0.005) and CTLA-4 high expression on TILs (DFS; HR = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.17–0.85, p = 0.019 and DSS; HR = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.15–0.78, p = 0.01) were found to be associated with improved survival. Conclusions These findings demonstrate that CTLA-4, PD-1, PDL-1, and TIM-3 were highly expressed in TNBC. Based on these high expression patterns, further studies directed towards combined therapies are warranted in advanced TNBC in future.

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