Abstract 3499: M1069 as dual A2A/A2B adenosine receptor antagonist counteracts immune-suppressive mechanisms of adenosine and reduces tumor growth in vivo

Abstract

Abstract Under physiological conditions, the extracellular concentrations of adenosine are low, however, levels dramatically increase under metabolically stressful conditions, including inflammation and cancer. The regulatory functions of adenosine are mediated through four members of the adenosine receptor family: A1, A2A, A2B, and A3. While A2A was considered the major contributor to adenosine-mediated suppression of T cell, natural killer cell, and myeloid cell functions, A2B has also recently emerged as a potential modulator of these processes. Both A2A and A2B signal through the same Gs-mediated activation of adenylate cyclase, which can allow the lower affinity A2B receptor to compensate for the inhibition of A2A in an adenosine-rich tumor microenvironment (TME). A2B receptors are also reported to support tumor growth independent of A2A through the Gq subunit of G-protein-coupled receptor-mediated production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) by myeloid and tumor cells. Therefore, simultaneous targeting of both the A2A and A2B receptors may provide a higher potential for cancer immunotherapy in an adenosine-rich TME, where A2B can act in compensatory or complementary means to A2A. M1069 is a small-molecule, dual antagonist of the A2A and A2B adenosine receptors with a selectivity of >100 fold against the A1 and A3 receptors. In assays with primary human T cells, M1069 caused a dose-dependent suppression of 5′-N-ethylcarboxamide adenosine (stable analog of adenosine)-stimulated cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and phosphorylated cAMP- response element binding protein (pCREB) induction and rescue of interleukin (IL)-2 production (A2A readout). M1069 also suppressed VEGF production from human macrophages (A2B readout) in adenosine-rich settings. M1069 exhibited superior suppression of protumorigenic cytokine secretion, including CXCL1, CXCL5 and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor, and the rescue of IL12 secretion from adenosine-differentiated dendritic cells, as compared to an A2Aselective antagonist. In addition, in a one-way mixed lymphocyte reaction assay, adenosine-differentiated dendritic cells treated with M1069 demonstrated superior T cell activation compared to adenosine-differentiated dendritic cells treated with an A2A-selective antagonist. These findings were further corroborated with the results from in vivo studies in a murine CD73hi/adenosine-rich 4T1 syngeneic breast tumor model, in which M1069, but not an A2A-selective antagonist, reduced tumor growth as a monotherapy and enhanced anti-tumor activity with chemotherapeutic agents. In summary, M1069 is a potent, dual A2A/A2B adenosine receptor antagonist, which is expected to counteract immune-suppressive mechanisms in the presence of high concentrations of adenosine and enhance the anti-tumor activity of chemotherapies. Citation Format: Rinat Zaynagetdinov, Kai Schiemann, Kalyan Nallaparaju, Natalya Belousova, Armine Matevossian, Zhouxiang Chen, Giorgio Kradjian, Meghana Pandya, Nemisha Dawra, Eva-Maria Krauel, Elissaveta Petrova, Oliver Poeschke, David Fischer, Marc Lecomte, Andree Blaukat, Bayard Huck, Jacques Moisan. M1069 as dual A2A/A2B adenosine receptor antagonist counteracts immune-suppressive mechanisms of adenosine and reduces tumor growth in vivo [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 3499.