B16F10 Tumor Research Articles

Abstract 196: Antitumor activity of lenvatinib against acquired resistance tumor to anti-VEGF therapy in mouse syngeneic tumor models

Abstract Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapies have been in clinical use to treat patients with multiple types of cancers, but benefits of anti-VEGF therapy are still limited because of the acquired resistance to the treatment. In this study, we developed a novel resistance model to anti-VEGF therapy by expressing VEGFR2-Fc in mouse Renca and B16F10 tumor models. We investigated activated signaling pathways in established resistant tumors by differentially expressed gene analysis and using pathway analysis using Reactome based on RNA-Seq data. Differentially expressed gene analysis identified 293 genes, which are altered commonly in both resistant tumors, and pathway analysis showed that those genes were enriched in FGF2-FGFR2 signaling pathway. IHC analysis by staining with anti-CD31 and αSMA antibodies demonstrated that tumor vessels in VEGFR2-Fc expressing resistant tumors were covered with pericytes, and further IHC analysis with anti-FGF2 antibody indicated that FGF2 was stained in pericytes, which covered endothelial cells in VEGFR2-Fc expressing tumor. Moreover, we isolated CD31 positive cells as endothelial cells, CD90.2 positive cells as pericytes, and CD45 positive cells as tumor infiltrated lymphocytes, respectively. Expression level of Fgf2 and Fgfr2 mRNA in these subsets from Mock tumors and VEGFR2-Fc expressing tumors were analyzed. As a result, Fgf2 and Fgfr2 mRNA expressions in VEGFR2-Fc expressing tumors were upregulated in pericytes and endothelial cells, respectively compared with Mock tumors. These results suggested that there is a spatially effective activation of FGF signaling pathway between endothelial cells and pericytes in tumor vessels that are resistant to anti-VEGF therapy. Indeed, by expression of FGFR2-Fc, in vivo tumor growth of anti-VEGF therapy-resistant tumors was suppressed as well as angiogenesis. Lenvatinib mesilate (lenvatinib) is an oral multiple receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) inhibitor that suppresses the kinase activities of VEGF receptors (VEGFR1-3), in addition to other proangiogenic and oncogenic pathway-related RTKs including fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFR1-4), the platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) α, KIT, and RET. Lenvatinib suppressed phosphorylation of FGFR2 in VEGFR2-Fc expressing tumors, and showed antitumor activity accompanied with further decrease of tumor vessels. But, sorafenib and aflibercept, which are selective inhibitors against VEGF signaling pathway, didn’t show antitumor activity against anti-VEGF therapy resistant tumors. In conclusion, our findings revealed key roles of pericytes expressing FGF2 in anti-VEGF therapy acquired resistant tumor models, where lenvatinib showed antitumor activity, indicating an importance of inhibition of FGF signaling pathway to suppress escape from anti-VEGF therapy. Citation Format: Kenji Ichikawa, Saori Watanabe Miyano, Yukinori Minoshima, Junji Matsui, Yasuhiro Funahashi. Antitumor activity of lenvatinib against acquired resistance tumor to anti-VEGF therapy in mouse syngeneic tumor models [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 196.

Fusion of thymosin alpha 1 with mutant IgG1 CH3 prolongs half-life and enhances antitumor effects in vivo

Thymosin alpha 1 (Tα1) is an immunomodulatory polypeptide secreted from the thymus. Tα1 has a wide range of biological functions, such as immunomodulation and endocrine regulation. Tα1 also displays antiviral and antitumor activities. Tα1 has been successfully used in clinical adjuvant therapy for solid tumors to improve the immune response of patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, the half-life of Tα1 in the body is short, so frequent administration is required to maintain efficacy. In order to improve the pharmacokinetic profile of Tα1, we linked the mutated CH3 (mCH3) fragment of IgG1 (human) to the C-terminus of Tα1 to produce a long-acting fusion protein, Tα1-mCH3. The half-life of Tα1-mCH3 (47 h) was substantially increased compared with that of the parent molecule Tα1 (3 h). In vivo studies indicated that mCH3 fusion retained the original biological activity of Tα1, and Tα1-mCH3 showed slightly better immunomodulatory effect than Ta1. In the 4 T1 and B16F10 tumor xenograft models, Tα1-mCH3 induced a greater abundance of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells in tumor tissues compared with Ta1. Tα1-mCH3 exhibited better effect in promoting the production of IL-2 and IFN-γ compared with Tα1. Therefore, Tα1-mCH3 more efficiently inhibited the growth of 4 T1 and B16F10 tumors than Tα1. In conclusion, fusion with mCH3 is an attractive strategy to lengthen the half-life and increase the activity of Tα1.

Metabolic stress in cancer cells induces immune escape through a PI3K-dependent blockade of IFN\u03b3 receptor signaling

BackgroundT-cell mediated immunotherapy brought clinical success for many cancer patients. Nonetheless, downregulation of MHC class I antigen presentation, frequently occurring in solid cancers, limits the efficacy of these therapies. Unraveling the mechanisms underlying this type of immune escape is therefore of great importance. We here investigated the immunological effects of metabolic stress in cancer cells as a result of nutrient deprivation.MethodsTC1 and B16F10 tumor cell lines were cultured under oxygen- and glucose-deprivation conditions that mimicked the tumor microenvironment of solid tumors. Presentation of peptide antigens by MHC class I molecules was measured by flow cytometry and via activation of tumor-specific CD8 T cell clones. The proficiency of the IFNy-STAT1 pathway was investigated by Western blots on phosphorylated proteins, transfection of constitutive active STAT1 constructs and qPCR of downstream targets. Kinase inhibitors for PI3K were used to examine its role in IFNy receptor signal transduction.ResultsCombination of oxygen- and glucose-deprivation resulted in decreased presentation of MHC class I antigens on cancer cells, even in the presence of the stimulatory cytokine IFNy. This unresponsiveness to IFNy was the result of failure to phosphorylate the signal transducer STAT1. Forced expression of constitutive active STAT1 fully rescued the MHC class I presentation. Furthermore, oxygen- and glucose-deprivation increased PI3K activity in tumor cells. Pharmacological inhibition of this pathway not only restored signal transduction through IFNy-STAT1 but also improved MHC class I presentation. Importantly, PI3K inhibitors also rendered tumor cells sensitive for recognition by CD8 T cells in culture conditions of metabolic stress.ConclusionsThese data revealed a strong impact of metabolic stress on the presentation of tumor antigens by MHC class I and suggest that this type of tumor escape takes place at hypoxic areas even during times of active T cell immunity and IFNy release.

A Dual‐Functional Photosensitizer for Ultraefficient Photodynamic Therapy and Synchronous Anticancer Efficacy Monitoring

AbstractA dual‐functional photosensitizer that demonstrates exceptional photodynamic therapy (PDT) efficacy while simultaneously self‐monitoring the therapeutic response in real time is reported here. Possessing an ultrahigh 1O2 quantum yield of 98.6% in water, the photosensitizer TPCI can efficiently induce cell death in a series of carcinoma cells (IC50 values less than 300 × 10−9 m) upon irradiation with an extremely low fluence (460 nm, 4 mW cm−2 for 10 min). In addition, TPCI can self‐monitor cell death in real time. It is weakly fluorescent in living cells before irradiation and lights up the nuclei concomitantly with cell death during PDT treatment by binding with chromatin to activate its aggregation‐induced emission, attributed to its strong binding affinity with DNA. In vivo studies using mouse models bearing H22 and B16F10 tumor cells validate the ultraefficient PDT efficacy of TPCI as well as the precise real‐time noninvasive readout of the tumor response from the beginning of cancer treatment. The dual‐functional TPCI serves as an excellent candidate for single‐agent photodynamic theranostics, and this work represents a new paradigm for the development of molecules with multiple intrinsic functions for future self‐reporting medical applications.

Patterns of immune-cell infiltration in murine models of melanoma: roles of antigen and tissue site in creating inflamed tumors.

Immune-cell infiltration is associated with improved survival in melanoma. Human melanoma metastases may be grouped into immunotypes representing patterns of immune-cell infiltration: A (sparse), B (perivascular cuffing), and C (diffuse). Immunotypes have not been defined for murine melanomas, but may provide opportunities to understand mechanism-driving immunotype differences. We performed immunohistochemistry with immune-cell enumeration, immunotyping, and vascular density scoring in genetically engineered (Braf/Pten and Braf/Pten/β-catenin) and transplantable (B16-F1, B16-OVA, and B16-AAD) murine melanomas. The transplantable tumors were grown in subcutaneous (s.c.) or intraperitoneal (i.p.) locations. Braf/Pten and Braf/Pten/β-catenin tumors had low immune-cell densities, defining them as Immunotype A, as did B16-F1 tumors. B16-OVA (s.c. and i.p.) and B16-AAD s.c. tumors were Immunotype B, while B16-AAD i.p. tumors were primarily Immunotype C. Interestingly, the i.p. location was characterized by higher immune-cell counts in B16-OVA tumors, with counts that trended higher for B16-F1 and B16-AAD. The i.p. location was also characterized by higher vascularity in B16-F1 and B16-AAD tumors. These findings demonstrate that spontaneously mutated neoantigens in B16 melanomas were insufficient to induce robust intratumoral immune-cell infiltrates, but instead were Immunotype A tumors. The addition of model neoantigens (OVA or AAD) to B16 enhanced infiltration, but this most often resulted in Immunotype B. We find that tumor location may be an important element in enabling Immunotype C tumors. In aggregate, these data suggest important roles both for the antigen type and for the tumor location in defining immunotypes.

Bio-Mimicking Nanoparticles for Targeted Therapy of Malignant Melanoma.

Polyethylene glycol-poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PEG-PLGA) nanoparticles coated with neutrophil membranes were fabricated to afford a bio-mimicking delivery system and achieve targeted delivery of chemotherapeutics towards malignant melanoma via systemic administration. Using celastrol as the model compound, celastrol-loaded PEG-PLGA nanoparticles coated with neutrophil membranes displayed significantly enhanced cytotoxicity and apoptosis rate in a murine melanoma cell line B16F10 compared to celastrol-loaded PEG-PLGA nanoparticles. Moreover, PEG-PLGA nanoparticles coated with neutrophil membranes exhibited significantly higher internalization efficiency in B16F10 cells than nanoparticles without membrane coating. Next, a B16F10 tumor xenograft mice model was established to explore the biodistribution profiles of PEG-PLGA nanoparticles coated with neutrophil membranes which showed remarkably prolonged blood circulation and more selective accumulation at the tumor site. Celastrol-loaded PEG-PLGA nanoparticles coated with neutrophil membranes also demonstrated greatly improved antitumor efficacy in B16F10 tumor bearing mice xenografts. Taken together, PEG-PLGA nanoparticles coated with neutrophil membranes represent a highly promising nanoscale delivery system to achieve tumor-targeted therapy following systemic administration.

Host genetic background affects response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in a B16 melanoma model using Diversity Outbred mice

Abstract Historically metastatic melanoma has been associated with poor prognosis. The advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting CTLA-4 and PD-1 have greatly improved patient survival in metastatic melanoma, but a significant proportion of patients fail to respond to therapy. To explore the effect of genetic background on immune checkpoint inhibitor efficacy, we have developed a tumor immunotherapy model using genetically heterogeneous Diversity Outbred (DO) mice and the C57BL/6 syngeneic B16F0 melanoma model. To implement genetic diversity, DO mice were crossed with C57BL/6 to generate (C57BL/6xDO)F1 mice. Untreated (C57BL/6xDO)F1 mice (n=17) reliably develop B16F0 tumors after subcutaneous inoculation, with some variation in tumor onset (8.2 +/− 4.1 days, CV 49.9%). In a pilot immunotherapy study, 20 (C57BL/6xDO)F1 mice were treated with anti-PD-1/anti-CTLA4 on days 12, 14, and 16, after tumors were palpable (mean onset 6.8 +/− 4.6 days, CV 68.2%). Tumor tissue was collected on day 19 and CD8 T cell infiltration was analyzed by IHC and qPCR. Mice with reduced tumor growth showed an increase presence of CD8+ cells and IFN-g expression. To further test the role of genetics in response, a second cohort of C57BL/6xDO)F1 mice (n=95) was treated with combined anti-PD1/anti-CTLA-4 on days 3, 6, and 10 after B16F0 inoculation. In this larger trial, mice receiving therapy show wide variation in tumor onset up to 61 days (mean 13.6 +/− 8.9, CV 65.2%), with 10 never developing tumor by day 88. This data further suggests that the genetic background significantly influences response to treatment and validates further testing of this model and subsequent Quantitative Trait Locus analysis. Supported by NIH R37 CA220482.

Combined Cancer Chemo-Photodynamic and Photothermal Therapy Based on ICG/PDA/TPZ-Loaded Nanoparticles.

Although photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been an attractive strategy for several cancer treatments in the clinical setting, PDT efficacy is attenuated by consumption of oxygen. To address this photodynamic issue, we adopted a phototherapy-chemotherapy combination strategy based on targeted delivery of the near-infrared photosensitizer indocyanine green (ICG), photothermal conversion agent polydopamine (PDA), and tirapazamine (TPZ), a hypoxia-activated prodrug. Under laser irradiation, ICG consumption of oxygen and aggravated hypoxia in tumor sites can activate TPZ to damage DNA. In parallel, ICG produces reactive oxygen species which work in synergy with PDA to enhance phototherapeutic efficiency. Herein, hybrid CaCO3/TPGS nanoparticles delivering ICG, PDA, and TPZ (ICG-PDA-TPZ NPs) were designed for effective and safe cancer therapy. ICG-PDA-TPZ NPs showed significantly improved cellular uptake and accumulation in tumors. Furthermore, we demonstrated that ICG-PDA-TPZ NPs showed intensive photodynamic and photothermal effects in vitro and in vivo, which synergized with TPZ in subcutaneous U87 malignant glioma growth and orthotopic B16F10 tumor inhibition, with negligible side effects. Thus, ICG-PDA-TPZ NPs could be an effective strategy for improvement of PDT.

Surface Modification of Polymeric Nanoparticles with M2pep Peptide for Drug Delivery to Tumor-Associated Macrophages.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) with immune-suppressive M2-like phenotype constitute a significant part of tumor and support its growth, thus making an attractive therapeutic target for cancer therapy. To improve the delivery of drugs that control the survival and/or functions of TAMs, we developed nanoparticulate drug carriers with high affinity for TAMs. Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles were coated with M2pep, a peptide ligand selectively binding to M2-polarized macrophages, via a simple surface modification method based on tannic acid-iron complex. The interactions of M2pep-coated nanoparticles with macrophages of different phenotypes were tested in vitro and in vivo. PLX3397, an inhibitor of the colony stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1)/CSF-1 receptor (CSF-1R) pathway and macrophage survival, was delivered to B16F10 tumors via M2pep-modified PLGA nanoparticles. In bone marrow-derived macrophages polarized to M2 phenotype, M2pep-coated nanoparticles showed greater cellular uptake than those without M2pep. Consistently, M2pep-coated nanoparticles showed relatively high localization of CD206+ macrophages in B16F10 tumors. PLX3397 encapsulated in M2pep-coated nanoparticles attenuated tumor growth better than the free drug counterpart. These results support that M2pep-coating can help nanoparticles to interact with M2-like TAMs and facilitate the delivery of drugs that control the tumor-supportive functions of TAMs.

Abstract PR09: Intratumoral delivery of engineered modified vaccinia virus Ankara expressing Flt3L and OX40L for "in situ" therapeutic cancer vaccination

Abstract Modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) is a highly attenuated, effective, and safe vaccinia strain that is an important vaccine vector for infectious diseases and cancers. We have previously shown that intratumoral (IT) injection of inactivated MVA elicits stronger antitumor immunity compared with live MVA in murine B16-F10 melanoma and MC38 colon cancer models, indicating that viral immune inhibitory factors might be involved in attenuating antitumor effects. Here we provide evidence that vaccinia virulence factor C7 interacts with transcription factors IRF3 and STAT2, which attenuates both type I IFN production and IFN receptor signaling. Infection of conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) with MVAΔC7L in which C7L gene is deleted results in higher levels of IFNB gene induction and IRF3 phosphorylation compared with MVA. IT MVAΔC7L also induced stronger antitumor responses compared with MVA, which correlates with higher levels of tumor infiltrating activated CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells in both injected and noninjected tumors in a bilateral B16-F10 tumor implantation model. We engineered a recombinant MVA in which the C7L gene was replaced with human Flt3L (hFlt3L) and the J2R gene (a.k.a. TK gene) was replaced with murine OX40L (mOX40L) or human OX40L (hOX40L). Using B16-F10 and MC38 tumor models, we show that IT MVAΔC7L-hFlt3L-ΔJ2R-mOX40L is more effective than MVAΔC7L-hFlt3L, or MVAΔC7L, or heat-inactivated MVAΔC7L in eradicating injected tumors, delaying the growth of the noninjected tumors, and prolonging mice survival. ELISPOT analysis demonstrate that IT MVAΔC7L-hFlt3L-ΔJ2R-mOX40L generates the most tumor-specific CD8+ and CD4+ T-cells compared with the other viruses mentioned above. The combination of IT MVAΔC7L-hFlt3L-ΔJ2R-mOX40L with systemic delivery of anti-CTLA-4 or anti-PD-L1 antibodies results in more efficient eradication of injected tumors, higher survival rate compared with IT virus alone in both bilateral tumor implantation and unilateral large established tumor models. MVAΔC7L-hFlt3L-ΔJ2R-hOX40L has been generated and will be investigated in clinical trials for patients with metastatic cancers in the near future. Taken together, we provide proof-of-concept results for the development of immune activating recombinant MVA to alter tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment through the induction of type I IFN via the cytosolic DNA-sensing pathway, activation of CD103+ dendritic cells, as well as direct activation of both CD4 and CD8 T-cells. This approach enhances tumor antigen presentation and T-cell activation through "in situ" therapeutic vaccination effects, either used as monotherapy or in combination with anti-CTLA-4 or anti-PD-L1 antibody therapy. Citation Format: Liang Deng, Ning Yang, Yi Wang, Wei Yan, Jiahu Wang, John Choi, Stewart Shuman, Taha D. Merghoub, Jedd D. Wolchok. Intratumoral delivery of engineered modified vaccinia virus Ankara expressing Flt3L and OX40L for "in situ" therapeutic cancer vaccination [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fourth CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; Sept 30-Oct 3, 2018; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2019;7(2 Suppl):Abstract nr PR09.

Abstract A162: AB928, a dual antagonist of the A2aR and A2bR adenosine receptors, relieves adenosine-mediated immune suppression

Abstract Introduction: Adenosine, generated through the hydrolysis of extracellular adenosine monophosphate (AMP) by the ecto-nucleotidase CD73, is an important mechanism for immunosuppression in cancer development. Adenosine’s suppressive effects on immune cells are driven primarily through 2 of the 4 adenosine receptors, A2aR and A2bR. We have previously shown that adenosine-mediated suppression of T-cells can be blocked by the dual A2aR/A2bR antagonist, AB928. Herein, we show that AB928 is capable of relieving adenosine-mediated immune suppression using human in vitro cell cultures, advanced gene expression studies, and mouse syngeneic tumor models. Methods: The ability of AB928 to inhibit adenosine-mediated suppression of dendritic cell function in vitro was assessed using human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (moDC). Briefly, moDC were generated from freshly isolated CD14+ monocytes and differentiated with IL-4/GM-CSF for 7 days +/- adenosine/EHNA +/- AB928. Cells were then taken for NanoString analysis or placed in a mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) with CD4+ T-cells. Mouse syngeneic tumor studies were conducted using C57BL/6 mice inoculated with mouse mammary tumor AT3-OVA or melanoma B16-F10 cells. Tumors were subsequently treated with doxorubicin, oxaliplatin, or α-PD-1 +/- AB928. Results: Quantitative immunohistochemistry and analysis of public gene expression databases identified individual human tumor types that express high levels of adenosine processing enzymes. Most notably, non-small cell lung, renal, triple-negative breast, ovarian, colorectal, and gastroesophageal cancers were found to have the most favorable expression profiles for interventions targeting the adenosine pathway. Additionally, a high degree of correlation was found between transcript and protein measurements for CD73 (r2 = 0.87), illustrating the robust and reproducible nature of these techniques. In human in vitro cell cultures, moDC differentiated in the presence of adenosine showed a decreased ability to stimulate IFN-γ secretion from allogenic CD4+ T-cells in a MLR. This suppression was significantly reversed by addition of AB928. Next, multiplexed gene expression profiling using NanoString identified a cassette of 39 genes (>2.0 fold change, p <0.05) that were regulated by adenosine during moDC differentiation. Similarly to the MLR results, AB928 showed rescue of these gene expression changes, further supporting the role for A2aR/A2bR in adenosine-mediated suppression of dendritic cell maturation. The antitumor effects of AB928 were demonstrated in vivo using AT3-OVA tumors treated with anthracycline chemotherapy. Concurrent treatment with AB928 and chemotherapy resulted in significantly reduced tumor volume when compared to chemotherapy alone (doxorubicin: 86 +/- 12 mg; AB928 + doxorubicin: 28 +/- 2 mg; p<0.001); similar results were observed for the combination of AB928 and oxaliplatin. Further, gene expression analysis and histologic analyses showed increased immune cell infiltrate and stromal response in tumors treated with chemotherapy and AB928 in combination. AB928 was also capable of suppressing growth of B16-F10 tumors both as a single agent or in combination with α-PD-1 therapy (α-PD-1: 324 +/- 54 mm3; AB928 + α-PD-1: 180 +/- 35 mm3; p<0.05). Conclusions: Collectively, these results support the importance of targeting both A2aR and A2bR to relieve adenosine-mediated immunosuppression in the context of cancer biology. Furthermore, AB928 increases the antitumor immune response leading to suppressed tumor growth and increased immune cell infiltration in mouse syngeneic tumors. AB928 has successfully completed a phase 1 study in healthy volunteers and has begun clinical trials in subjects with cancer. Citation Format: Daniel DiRenzo, Dana Piovesan, Joanne Tan, Dillon H. Miles, Manmohan R. Leleti, Timothy Park, Ferdie Soriano, Bryan Handlos, Jenna L. Jeffrey, Ehesan U. Sharif, Brandon R. Rosen, Ulrike Schindler, Jay P. Powers, Matthew J. Walters. AB928, a dual antagonist of the A2aR and A2bR adenosine receptors, relieves adenosine-mediated immune suppression [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fourth CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; Sept 30-Oct 3, 2018; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2019;7(2 Suppl):Abstract nr A162.

Abstract B156: Characterization and role of CCR8+ regulatory T-cells in mouse models of malignant melanoma

Abstract Melanoma cells disseminate through lymphatic vasculature into the regional lymph nodes early in disease progression. We found that a large subset of metastatic melanomas express chemokine receptor CCR8. Its principal ligand, CCL1, is constitutively expressed by lymphatic endothelial cells in the lymph node and is further upregulated by inflammation. The CCL1-CCR8 axis is an important checkpoint for melanoma lymph node metastasis, as an inhibition of CCR8 leads to arrest of melanoma cells in collecting lymphatic vessels and prevents lymph node metastasis. Among immune cells, CCR8 is predominantly expressed by regulatory T-cells (Treg) and by activated Th2 cells, and has been implicated mainly in allergic inflammation. Here we characterized CCR8+ immune cells and examined the role of CCR8 in mouse models of melanoma. Using inducible, genetically engineered (Tyr::CreER;BrafCAPtenloxPCtnnb1loxex3) and syngeneic mouse models of melanoma (B16F10) we characterized CCR8 expression on different immune cell subsets in primary tumors and in sentinel lymph nodes by flow cytometry. In primary tumors, CCR8 was exclusively expressed by CD4+ T-cells, with the highest percentage being FOXP3+CCR8+ Tregs. Increased numbers of CD4+FOXP3+CCR8+ Tregs were found in sentinel lymph nodes with metastases, compared to non-tumor-draining lymph nodes and lymph nodes from tumor-naïve mice. This also corresponded with an increase in the total number of FOXP3+ T-regs in sentinel lymph nodes, compared to non-tumor draining lymph nodes. We then evaluated the role of CCR8 on B16F10 tumor growth. Tumor growth was significantly reduced in CCR8-/- mice compared to WT mice when anti-tumor immunity was stimulated with Poly(I:C). However, B16F10 tumor growth did not differ between untreated wild-type (WT) and CCR8 -/- mice. These results suggest that targeting CCR8+ Tregs may increase antitumor immune response. Further studies are required to determine the mechanism by which CCR8+ immune cells facilitate melanoma growth and to explore CCR8 as a therapeutic target in melanoma immunotherapy. Citation Format: Andrew K. Edwards, Mihaela Skobe, Anita Rogic, Marcus Bosenberg. Characterization and role of CCR8+ regulatory T-cells in mouse models of malignant melanoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fourth CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; Sept 30-Oct 3, 2018; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2019;7(2 Suppl):Abstract nr B156.

Mechanisms and immunogenicity of nsPEF-induced cell death in B16F10 melanoma tumors

Accumulating data indicates that some cancer treatments can restore anticancer immunosurveillance through the induction of tumor immunogenic cell death (ICD). Nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEF) have been shown to efficiently ablate melanoma tumors. In this study we investigated the mechanisms and immunogenicity of nsPEF-induced cell death in B16F10 melanoma tumors. Our data show that in vitro nsPEF (20–200, 200-ns pulses, 7 kV/cm, 2 Hz) caused a rapid dose-dependent cell death which was not accompanied by caspase activation or PARP cleavage. The lack of nsPEF-induced apoptosis was confirmed in vivo in B16F10 tumors. NsPEF also failed to trigger ICD-linked responses such as necroptosis and autophagy. Our results point at necrosis as the primary mechanism of cell death induced by nsPEF in B16F10 cells. We finally compared the antitumor immunity in animals treated with nsPEF (750, 200-ns, 25 kV/cm, 2 Hz) with animals were tumors were surgically removed. Compared to the naïve group where all animals developed tumors, nsPEF and surgery protected 33% (6/18) and 28.6% (4/14) of the animals, respectively. Our data suggest that, under our experimental conditions, the local ablation by nsPEF restored but did not boost the natural antitumor immunity which stays dormant in the tumor-bearing host.

Intratumorally Injected Photothermal Agent-Loaded Photodynamic Nanocarriers for Ablation of Orthotopic Melanoma and Breast Cancer.

Traditional chemotherapy of cancers may lead to serious adverse reactions due to little drug distribution in tumors. Here, a combination of photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) was used for local treatment of orthotopic melanoma and breast cancer via intratumoral (i.t.) injection of photothermal agent-loaded photodynamic nanocarriers. A hydrophobic derivative of indocyanine green, DCC, was synthesized and entrapped into a pH-sensitive photosensitizer-core copolymer, PDCZP, to form DCC@PDCZP. The nanocarriers showed remarkable fluorescence, high singlet oxygen quantum yields, and a strong photothermal effect. Flow cytometry suggested that the nanocarriers were efficiently internalized by cancer cells. Near infrared thermal imaging and fluorescence self-imaging showed that the i.t. injected DCC@PDCZP mainly remained in the tumors, but the intravenous (i.v.) nanocarriers were distributed a little. One i.t. injection of DCC@PDCZP was enough to ablate the orthotopic B16-F10 and 4T1 mouse tumors under 830 and 660 nm irradiation at 4 h postinjection. More importantly, no local recurrences were found, though swabs were formed at 9 days post-treatment. The major anticancer mechanisms included improvement of cancer cell necrosis due to hyperthermia, inhibition of neovascularization, and enhancement of cell apoptosis. The i.t. injection of PTT/PDT nanoformulations is thus a promising local treatment of superficial tumors.

Synthesis and initial evaluation of radioactive 5-I-α-methyl-tryptophan: a Trp based agent targeting IDO-1.

A synthetic approach is established to achieve radioactive 5-I-α-methyl-tryptophan (5-I-AMT). An enzyme based assay demonstrated that 5-I-AMT is a substrate of IDO-1. The in vivo distribution and imaging potential of 5-I-AMT were explored with a B16F10 tumor model using I-124 as the radiotag.

Targeted radiotherapy of pigmented melanoma with 131I-5-IPN

PurposeThere has been no satisfactory treatment for advanced melanoma until now. Targeted radionuclide therapy (TRNT) may be a promising option for this heretofore lethal disease. Our goal in this study was to synthesize 131I-N-(2-(diethylamino)ethyl)-5-(iodo-131I)picolinamide (131I-5-IPN) and evaluate its therapeutic ability and toxicity as a radioiodinated melanin-targeting therapeutic agent.MethodsThe trimethylstannyl precursor was synthesized and labeled with 131I to obtain 131I-5-IPN. The pharmacokinetics of 131I-5-IPN was evaluated through SPECT imaging, and its biodistribution was assessed in B16F10 tumor models and in A375 human-to-mouse xenografts. For TRNT, B16F10 melanoma-bearing mice were randomly allocated to receive one of five treatments (n = 10 per group): group A (the control group) received 0.1 mL saline; group B was treated with an equimolar dose of unlabeled precursor; group C received 18.5 MBq of [131I]NaI; group D and E received one or two dose of 18.5 MBq 131I-5-IPN, respectively. TRNT efficacy was evaluated through tumor volume measurement and biology study. The toxic effects of 131I-5-IPN on vital organs were assessed with laboratory tests and histopathological examination. The radiation absorbed dose to vital organs was estimated based on biodistribution data.Results131I-5-IPN was successfully prepared with a good radiochemistry yield (55% ± 5%, n = 5), and it exhibited a high uptake ratio in melanin-positive B16F10 cells which indicating high specificity. SPECT imaging and biodistribution of 131I-5-IPN showed lasting high tumor uptake in pigmented B16F10 models for 72 h. TRNT with 131I-5-IPN led to a significant anti-tumor effect and Groups D and E displayed an extended median survival compared to groups A, B, and C. The highest absorbed dose to a vital organ was 0.25 mSv/MBq to the liver; no obvious injury to the liver or kidneys was observed during treatment. 131I-5-IPN treatment was associated with reduction of expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and Ki67 and cell cycle blockage in G2/M phase in tumor tissues. Decreased vascular endothelial growth factor and CD31 expression, implying reduced tumor growth, was noted after TRNT.ConclusionWe successfully synthesized 131I-5-IPN, which presents long-time retention in melanotic melanoma. TRNT with 131I-5-IPN has the potential to be a safe and effective strategy for management of pigmented melanoma.

An engineered PD-1-based and MMP-2/9-oriented fusion protein exerts potent antitumor effects against melanoma

Recent studies showed that the PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint blockade is a dramatic therapy for melanoma by enhancing antitumor immune activity. Currently, major strategies for the PD-1/PD-L1 blockade have mainly focused on the use of antibodies and compounds. Seeking an alternative approach, others employ endogenous proteins as blocking agents. The extracellular domain of PD-1 (ePD1) includes the binding site with PD-L1. Accordingly, we constructed a PD-1-based recombinantly tailored fusion protein (dFv-ePD1) that consists of bivalent variable fragments (dFv) of an MMP-2/9-targeted antibody and ePD1. The melanoma-binding intensity and antitumor activity were also investigated. We found the intense and selective binding capability of the protein dFv-ePD1 to human melanoma specimens was confirmed by a tissue microarray. In addition, dFv-ePD1 significantly suppressed the migration and invasion of mouse melanoma B16-F1 cells, and displayed cytotoxicity to cancer cells in vitro. Notably, dFv-ePD1 significantly inhibited the growth of mouse melanoma B16-F1 tumor cells in mice and in vivo fluorescence imaging showed that dFv-ePD was gradually accumulated into the B16-F1 tumor. Also the B16-F1 tumor fluorescence intensity at the tumor site was stronger than that of dFv. This study indicates that the recombinant protein dFv-ePD1 has an intensive melanoma-binding capability and exerts potent therapeutic efficacy against melanoma. The novel format of the PD-L1-blocked agent may play an active role in antitumor immunotherapy.

Switchable Photoacoustic Imaging of Glutathione Using MnO2 Nanotubes for Cancer Diagnosis.

Glutathione is overexpressed in tumor cells and regulates cancer growth, metastasis, and drug resistance. Therefore, detecting glutathione levels may greatly facilitate cancer diagnosis and treatment response monitoring. Photoacoustic (PA) imaging is a noninvasive modality for high-sensitivity, high-resolution, deep-tissue optical imaging. Switchable PA probes that offer signal on/off responses to tumor targets would further improve the detection sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio of PA imaging. Here, we explore the use of MnO2 nanotubes as a switchable and biodegradable PA probe for dynamic imaging of glutathione in cancer. Glutathione reduces black MnO2 nanotubes into colorless Mn2+ ions, leading to decreased and signal off PA amplitude. In phantoms, we observed a linear response of reduced PA signals of MnO2 nanotubes to increased glutathione concentrations. Using melanoma as the disease model, we demonstrated that MnO2 nanotube-based PA imaging of glutathione successfully distinguished B16F10 melanoma cells from BEAS-2B normal cells and discriminated B16F10 tumors from healthy skin tissues. Our results showed that MnO2 nanotubes are a potent switchable and biodegradable PA probe for glutathione imaging in cancer diagnosis.

The fibrinolytic factor tPA drives LRP1-mediated melanoma growth and metastasis.

The multifunctional endocytic receptor low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP)1 has recently been identified as a hub within a biomarker network for multicancer clinical outcome prediction. The mechanism how LRP1 modulates cancer progression is poorly understood. In this study we found that LRP1 and one of its ligands, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), are expressed in melanoma cells and control melanoma growth and lung metastasis in vivo. Mechanistic studies were performed on 2 melanoma cancer cell lines, B16F10 and the B16F1 cells, both of which form primary melanoma tumors, but only B16F10 cells metastasize to the lungs. Tumor-, but not niche cell-derived tPA, enhanced melanoma cell proliferation in tPA-/- mice. Gain-of-function experiments revealed that melanoma LRP1 is critical for tumor growth, recruitment of mesenchymal stem cells into the tumor bed, and metastasis. Melanoma LRP1 was found to enhance ERK activation, resulting in increased matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 RNA, protein, and secreted activity, a well-known modulator of melanoma metastasis. Restoration of LRP1 and tPA in the less aggressive, poorly metastatic B16F1 tumor cells enhanced tumor cell proliferation and led to massive lung metastasis in murine tumor models. Antimelanoma drug treatment induced tPA and LRP1 expression. tPA or LRP1 knockdown enhanced chemosensitivity in melanoma cells. Our results identify the tPA-LRP1 pathway as a key switch that drives melanoma progression, in part by modulating the cellular composition and proteolytic makeup of the tumor niche. Targeting this pathway may be a novel treatment strategy in combination treatments for melanoma.-Salama, Y., Lin, S.-Y., Dhahri, D., Hattori, K., Heissig, B. The fibrinolytic factor tPA drives LRP1-mediated melanoma growth and metastasis.

Characterization of a B16-F10 melanoma model locally implanted into the ear pinnae of C57BL/6 mice.

The common experimental use of B16-F10 melanoma cells focuses on exploring their metastatic potential following intravenous injection into mice. In this study, B16-F10 cells are used to develop a primary tumor model by implanting them directly into the ears of C57BL/6J mice. The model represents a reproducible and easily traceable tool for local tumor growth and for making additional in vivo observations, due to the localization of the tumors. This model is relatively simple and involves (i) surgical opening of the ear skin, (ii) removal of a square-piece of cartilage followed by (iii) the implantation of tumor cells with fibrin gel. The remodeling of the fibrin gel within the cartilage chamber, accompanying tumor proliferation, results in the formation of blood vessels, lymphatics and tissue matrix that can be readily distinguished from the pre-existing skin structures. Moreover, this method avoids the injection-enforced artificial spread of cells into the pre-existing lymphatic vessels. The tumors have a highly reproducible exponential growth pattern with a tumor doubling time of around 1.8 days, reaching an average volume of 85mm3 16 days after implantation. The melanomas are densely cellular with proliferative indices of between 60 and 80%. The induced angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis resulted in the development of well-vascularized tumors. Different populations of immunologically active cells were also present in the tumor; the population of macrophages decreases with time while the population of T cells remained quasi constant. The B16-F10 tumors in the ear frequently metastasized to the cervical lymph nodes, reaching an incidence of 75% by day 16. This newly introduced B16-F10 melanoma model in the ear is a powerful tool that provides a new opportunity to study the local tumor growth and metastasis, the associated angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis and tumor immune responses. It could potentially be used to test different treatment strategies.