Abstract

ABSTRACTT-cell-based therapies have emerged as one of the most clinically effective ways to target solid and non-solid tumors. HER2 is responsible for the oncogenesis and treatment resistance of several human solid tumors. As a member of the HER family of tyrosine kinase receptors, its over-activity confers unfavorable clinical outcome. Targeted therapies directed at this receptor have achieved responses, although development of resistance is common. We explored a novel HER2/CD3 bispecific antibody (HER2-BsAb) platform that while preserving the anti-proliferative effects of trastuzumab, it recruits and activates non-specific circulating T-cells, promoting T cell tumor infiltration and ablating HER2(+) tumors, even when these are resistant to standard HER2-targeted therapies. Its in vitro tumor cytotoxicity, when expressed as EC50, correlated with the surface HER2 expression in a large panel of human tumor cell lines, irrespective of lineage or tumor type. HER2-BsAb-mediated cytotoxicity was relatively insensitive to PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibition. In four separate humanized mouse models of human breast cancer and ovarian cancer cell line xenografts, as well as human breast cancer and gastric cancer patient-derived xenografts (PDXs), HER2-BsAb was highly effective in promoting T cell infiltration and suppressing tumor growth when used in the presence of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) or activated T cells (ATC). The in vivo and in vitro antitumor properties of this BsAb support its further clinical development as a cancer immunotherapeutic.

Highlights

  • Trastuzumab has significantly improved patient outcomes in breast cancer, and has been a key in the design and implementation of other targeted therapies.[1]

  • In osteosarcoma and Ewing’s sarcoma, where high levels of HER2 expression was associated with decreased survival,[5] trastuzumab has not shown any benefit even when used in conjunction with cytotoxic chemotherapy.[6]

  • The light chain was constructed by extending the trastuzumab IgG1 light chain with a C-terminal (G4S)[3] linker followed by huOKT3 scFv.[20]

Read more

Summary

Introduction

Trastuzumab has significantly improved patient outcomes in breast cancer, and has been a key in the design and implementation of other targeted therapies.[1] HER2 expression does not guarantee a clinical response to trastuzumab or other HER2-targeted therapies.[2,3] HER2-positive breast cancer patients with metastatic disease initially respond to trastuzumab and/or other HER2-targeted therapies, but almost all eventually will develop resistance and relapse.[4] In osteosarcoma and Ewing’s sarcoma, where high levels of HER2 expression was associated with decreased survival,[5] trastuzumab has not shown any benefit even when used in conjunction with cytotoxic chemotherapy.[6] trastuzumab, like other HER-targeted therapies, has shown modest or no benefit against HER2(C) positive head and neck cancer.[7]. A different approach, one that selectively targets malignant cells that overexpress HER family receptors, and that can generate cytotoxic antitumor responses independently of the receptor activation status could be beneficial

Methods
Results
Conclusion

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.