Abstract 611: Reversion of mesenchymal features in NSCLC cells using M7824, a first-in-class bi-functional immunotherapeutic agent targeting PD-L1 and TGFβ1 (TGFβ TRAP)

Abstract

Abstract Background: Evasion of antitumor immunity is widely regarded as a hallmark of cancer. Tumor cells can avoid immune destruction by upregulating the immune checkpoint molecule PD-L1, and antibodies targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis have demonstrated clinical efficacy in several tumor types. Antitumor immunity can also be suppressed by TGFβ, a pleiotropic cytokine that reduces innate and adaptive antitumor immune responses. Additionally, TGFβ impacts tumor cells by activating a differentiation program called epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), in which tumor cells lose epithelial features and gain mesenchymal characteristics. The gain of mesenchymal traits is associated with metastasis, stemness, and resistance to multiple therapeutic modalities, including chemotherapy and radiation. The objective of this work is to investigate the therapeutic potential of M7824 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). M7824 is a first-in-class bi-functional immunotherapeutic agent designed to target two negative regulatory pathways in immunosuppression. It is a novel fusion protein comprised of the extracellular domain of human TGFβRII covalently linked to the C-terminus of the Fc domain of the fully human anti-PD-L1 IgG1 antibody avelumab. Methodology: In vitro assays were conducted using NSCLC cell lines treated with TGFβ1 alone or in combination with avelumab or M7824 to assess the ability of M7824 to revert features of tumor cell EMT, including molecular marker expression, cell proliferation, and response to various chemotherapies. The ability of M7824 to mediate antibody-directed cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) of TGFβ1-treated cells in vitro was also assessed. Results: Treatment with TGFβ1 induced mesenchymal marker expression, reduced cell proliferation, and enhanced resistance to docetaxel, paclitaxel, and gemcitabine. Treatment with M7824, but not avelumab, was able to both prevent and revert these effects of TGFβ1. M7824 also exhibited the ability to mediate ADCC of TGFβ1-treated cells in vitro. Conclusions: M7824 effectively antagonizes TGFβ1-mediated tumor cell mesenchymalization, including resistance to chemotherapy. These results suggest that M7824 has the potential to relieve immunosuppression and block treatment-resistance induced by TGFβ1 in patients with NSCLC. Citation Format: Justin M. David, Jeffrey Schlom, Yan Lan, Claudia Palena. Reversion of mesenchymal features in NSCLC cells using M7824, a first-in-class bi-functional immunotherapeutic agent targeting PD-L1 and TGF&#9461 (TGFβ&#946 TRAP) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 611. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-611