Effect of the ADAPT strategy on dormant CD133+ colon cancer stem cells (CSC) and molecular complete remission measured by peripheral blood mononuclear (PBMC) CD133 mRNA.

Abstract

e14153 Background: The median survival for patients with unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) is ~2 years with modern chemotherapy which yields only 5-10% complete responses (CR) including metastasectomy. Recurrences after CR are very common thanks to presence of dormant CSC that are best targeted by our proposed two-step ADAPT strategy: activate from dormancy and potentiate targeting. We examine this strategy in various CRC models and reviewed the impact on stemess including CD133 mRNA, a circulating CSC marker that predict colon cancer relapse. Methods: Different CRC models (in vitro and in vivo) were interrogated similar to clinical ADAPT treatment protocol using capecitabine (or 5FU) plus celecoxib. We also conducted IRB approved retrospective review of unresectable metastatic CRC patients treated ADAPT therapy and in those who also had PBMC CD133 mRNA measured. Results: Contrary to 5FU, which eliminates proliferating CRC cells via apoptosis but also stimulates stemness, celecoxib preferentially deplete CD133+ colon cells and exert potent stemness inhibition via rapid tumor necrosis by perturbing hypoxia and energy metabolism via CA-IX. Following response to first-line chemotherapy, ADAPT strategy plus radiation improved CR or near CR rate to 49/126 (40%) in unresectable CRC patients whose median survival had reached 92.7 months (95% CI, 53.5 months - not reached). Paradoxically, none surgical CR patients (n= 16) enjoyed 100% 5-year relapse free survival compared to 42% of surgical patients (p = 0.04). The PBMC CD133 mRNA in five long-term CR patients were 0.0024, 0.29, 0.5, 0.56, 2.96 respectively, all below previously reported cutoff value of 4.79 for recurrence and far below CD133 mRNA levels (28, 375, 3997, 15662, 83240) in none CR patients. Conclusions: ADAPT plus radiation preferentially targets colon CSC via hypoxia/CA-IX and improves clinical CR rate and molecular CR as measured by PBMC CD133 mRNA. We are actively interrogating the effects of ADAPT strategies in a phase II study funded by Gateway in CRC patients and in genetic CRC animal models.