Killing Cancer Research Articles

Natural and revolutionary tumor-specific T-cell therapy

Recently the FDA conducted a risk investigation and labeled the Boxed Warning for all BCMA- and CD19-directed CAR-T cell therapy, so does it mean that the public must take risk of secondary cancer to receive cell therapy? Here, without lentivirus and professional antigen presenting cell application, a novel tumor-specific T-cell therapy was successfully developed only by co-culturing MHC+ cancer cells and Naïve-T cells under the CD28 co-stimulatory signals. These tumor-specific T-cells could be separated through cell size and abundantly produced from peripheral blood, and would spontaneously attack target cells that carrying the same tumor antigen while avoiding others in vitro test. Moreover, it markedly decreased 90% tumor nodules companying with greatly improving overall survival (76 days vs 30 days) after twice infusion back to mice. This work maximally avoided the risks of secondary cancer and non-specific killing, and might open a revolutionary beginning of natural tumor-specific T-cell therapy.Graphical

THE INFLUENCE OF ACTORS' ONSCREEN ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AND SMOKING ON THEIR FANS FROM SOCIAL LEARNING PERSPECTIVE

In recent years, every movie has begun with the statutory warning saying, “Smoking Causes Cancer and Smoking Kills; Liquor Drinking is Injurious to Health." These statutory warnings are shown to the cinema audience to raise awareness that drinking and smoking are not socially accepted behaviours. This research aims to find out whether the actors' on-screen alcohol consumption and smoking in films had an influence on their fans. The study was conducted between the period August 2023 to October 2023.This study adopted a quantitative method with purposive sampling technique and the responses were collected through a survey from 254 male respondents from the state of Tamil Nādu. The study has found that such as age and locality are found to have high influence on the behaviour change at 0.01 level, Besides the age, locality, educational qualification, and occupation has high chances of fans Imitation by watching films 0.01 level. The impact of age, locality, and educational qualification on reinforcement and self-efficacy has significant relationships at the 0.01 level of significance thus shows how fans support and oppose actors' similar actions. Movie watching in theatre compared with self-efficacy does not have significant relationship because fans does not resist in influencing by watching their favourite actors. The findings revealed many significant associations and thus shows the relationship between movie-watching habits had influence on adoption of onscreen behaviours of their favourite actors. As a result, the representations of drinking and smoking by the actors have the potential to have a negative influence on fans health and lifestyle.

Effect of oncolytic Newcastle disease virus harboring PTEN gene on pancreatic adenocarcinoma growth through inhibition of PI3K/mTOR signaling and promotion of apoptosis.

49 Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive and intractable cancer, warranting the need for more effective therapies. Cell proliferation, progression, and severity in PDAC are highly activated owing to KRAS mutations and low PTEN expression. Methods: A recombinant Newcastle disease virus (rNDV) harboring PTEN (rNDV-PTEN) was constructed to infect PDAC cells to artificially induce PTEN expression. The cancer killing effect of the rNDV-PTEN virus was observed in an in vitro assay, and 107.0 pfu/dose(0.1 ml) of the rNDV-PTEN virus was inoculated through intravenous injection into a PANC-1 cell transplanted mouse to prove the tumor growth inhibition effect. Apoptotic signaling-related proteins were analyzed with Western blotting and qPCR assays based on the mRNA. During the treatment, biomarkers were also analyzed. Results: Factitious PTEN expression in KRAS-mutated PDAC cells following rNDV-PTEN infection lowered PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling, induced PDAC cell death, and suppressed tumor growth. PTEN overexpression promoted apoptotic and autophagic signaling pathways in PANC-1 cells and orthotopic xenograft mice. rNDV-PTEN has substantial cancer cell-killing effects and inhibits tumor growth. rNDV-PTEN injection into animals did not elicit an immune response against rNDV and improved blood parameters, such as glucose, triglyceride, and total cholesterol levels. Conclusions: rNDV-PTEN showed a strong tumor-suppressive effect on PDAC, which was caused by an abnormally activated PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway due to KRAS mutations and PTEN loss. We also showed that rNDV-PTEN is relatively safe for use in cancer therapy. Further studies using patient-derived PDAC cells with the same genetic background, as well as more extensive animal safety tests, are required to demonstrate rNDV-PTEN as a PDAC therapeutic. However, PTEN gene-containing rNDV may be a very promising therapeutic candidate for pancreatic cancer treatment.

Small-Molecule Inhibition of CBX4/7 Hypersensitises Homologous Recombination-Impaired Cancer to Radiation by Compromising CtIP-Mediated DNA End Resection.

The therapeutic targeting of DNA repair pathways is an emerging concept in cancer treatment. Compounds that target specific DNA repair processes, such as those mending DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), are therefore of therapeutic interest. UNC3866 is a small molecule that targets CBX4, a chromobox protein, and a SUMO E3 ligase. As a key modulator of DNA end resection-a prerequisite for DSB repair by homologous recombination (HR)-CBX4 promotes the functions of the DNA resection factor CtIP. Here, we show that treatment with UNC3866 markedly sensitises HR-deficient, NHEJ-hyperactive cancer cells to ionising radiation (IR), while it is non-toxic in selected HR-proficient cells. Consistent with UNC3866 targeting CtIP functions, it inhibits end-resection-dependent DNA repair including HR, alternative end joining (alt-EJ), and single-strand annealing (SSA). These findings raise the possibility that the UNC3866-mediated inhibition of end resection processes we define highlights a distinct vulnerability for the selective killing of HR-ineffective cancers.

Local delivery of accutox® synergises with immune-checkpoint inhibitors at disrupting tumor growth

BackgroundThe Accum® platform was initially designed to accumulate biomedicines in target cells by inducing endosomal-to-cytosol escape. Interestingly however, the use of unconjugated Accum® was observed to trigger cell death in a variety of cancer cell lines; a property further exploited in the development of Accum®-based anti-cancer therapies. Despite the impressive pro-killing abilities of the parent molecule, some cancer cell lines exhibited resistance. This prompted us to test additional Accum® variants, which led to the identification of the AccuTOX® molecule.MethodsA series of flow-cytometry and cell-based assays were used to assess the pro-killing properties of AccuTOX® along with its ability to trigger the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), endosomal breaks and antigen presentation. RNA-seq was also conducted to pinpoint the most prominent processes modulated by AccuTOX® treatment in EL4 T-cell lymphoma. Finally, the therapeutic potency of intratumorally-injected AccuTOX® was evaluated in three different murine solid tumor models (EL4, E0771 and B16) both as a monotherapy or in combination with three immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICI).ResultsIn total, 7 Accum® variants were screened for their ability to induce complete cell death in 3 murine (EL4, B16 and E0771) and 3 human (MBA-MD-468, A549, and H460) cancer cell lines of different origins. The selected compound (hereafter refereed to as AccuTOX®) displayed an improved killing efficiency (~ 5.5 fold compared to the parental Accum®), while retaining its ability to trigger immunogenic cell death, ROS production, and endosomal breaks. Moreover, transcriptomic analysis revealed that low dose AccuTOX® enhances H2-Kb cell surface expression as well as antigen presentation in cancer cells. The net outcome culminates in impaired T-cell lymphoma, breast cancer and melanoma growth in vivo especially when combined with anti-CD47, anti-CTLA-4 or anti-PD-1 depending on the animal model.ConclusionsAccuTOX® exhibits enhanced cancer killing properties, retains all the innate characteristics displayed by the parental Accum® molecule, and synergizes with various ICI in controlling tumor growth. These observations will certainly pave the path to continue the clinical development of this lead compound against multiple solid tumor indications.Graphical

Review article: The Role of Probiotic Strains in Cancer Prevention

Probiotics are living microorganisms that confer health benefits when administered in adequate amounts. One main way that probiotics may help fight cancer is by changing bacteria in the gut. Some types of probiotics have been shown to stop the growth of harmful bacteria, make chemicals that stop cancer cells from spreading, and boost the production of short-chain fatty acids that fight inflammation and cell growth. Probiotics may also strengthen the intestinal epithelial barrier, stopping the movement of compounds that can cause cancer and stopping chronic inflammation, which is known to increase the risk of cancer. Probiotics can also change the way your immune system works. For example, some types can make natural killer cells, dendritic cells, and T cells work harder, which is very important for finding and killing cancer. Some probiotics have also been shown to lower oxidative stress and DNA damage. This makes it less likely that genetic changes that can cause cancer will occur. Although more research needs to be done on how probiotics can help prevent cancer, several clinical studies have shown encouraging results, especially when it comes to colorectal cancer. The burgeoning field of probiotics and cancer prevention holds potential for transforming our understanding of the role of the gut microbiome in cancer development and progression. Continued research is essential to optimize the use of probiotics as a complementary approach to cancer prevention and treatment.

Preliminary results from a phase I study of IMM0306 in patients with relapsed or refractory CD20-positive B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

7060 Background: IMM0306 is a fusion protein of CD20 monoclonal antibody with the CD47 binding domain of SIRPα on both heavy chains. It exerts excellent cancer killing efficacy by activating both macrophages and NK cells via blockade of CD47-SIRPα interaction and FcɣR engagement. Here, we report the safety, pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD), and efficacy results of phase I study in patients (pts) with relapsed or refractory (R/R) CD20-positive B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (B-NHL). Methods: Eligible pts with R/R CD20-positive B-NHL were enrolled in this multicenter phase I study (NCT05805943). IMM0306 was administered as monotherapy at escalating doses of 0.04, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 0.8, 1.2, 1.6, 2.0 mg/kg intravenously once a week until disease progression or intolerable toxicity. Dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) was evaluated in the first 28 days. Safety was evaluated per CTCAE 5.0, PK and PD analysis were also assessed, tumor assessments performed once every 8 weeks by Lugano 2014 criteria. Results: As of Nov 21, 2023, 48 pts were enrolled. The median age was 56 years with 30 (62.5%) males. The median prior lines of therapy were 2. All pts received previous anti-CD20 therapy. No DLTs were observed. Recommended phase II dose was determined as 2.0 mg/kg. The most frequent treatment related adverse events (TRAEs) were WBC decreased (66.7%), anemia (64.6%), lymphocyte decreased (58.3%), ANC decreased (47.9%), PLT decreased (45.8%), infusion-related reactions (35.4%). ≥grade 3 TRAEs occurred in 33 (68.8%) pts, with the most common being lymphocyte decreased (56.3%), WBC decreased (18.8%), ANC decreased (18.8%). 8 (16.7%) pts experienced treatment related serious adverse event. Discontinuation due to AEs occurred in 1 pt (grade 4 PLT decreased at 1.6mg/kg without bleeding). No AE led to death. IMM0306 exhibited approximate dose-proportional increase in PK exposure from 0.5 to 2.0 mg/kg and no obvious accumulation was observed after repeated dosing. At 1.2 mg/kg and higher dose, CD47 receptor occupancy on peripheral lymphocytes was saturated, suggesting IMM0306 is well tolerated from perspective of CD47 engagement. B-cell depleted rapidly at doses ≥ 0.8 mg/kg. Elevated cytokines levels were observed after first dosing of IMM0306, but multiple dosing did not stimulate further cytokine activation. Among 33 pts who received doses ≥ 0.8 mg/kg, 5 CR (4 follicular lymphoma [FL], 1 marginal zone lymphoma [MZL]), 5 PR (3 FL, 1 MZL, 1 diffuse large B cell lymphoma) and 11 SD were seen; the median PFS was 10.58 months (95% CI, 2.2, NA) and the median OS was not reached. Among 17 FL pts, 7 (41%) responded including 4 CR and 3 PR; among 6 MZL pts, 2 (33.3%) responded including 1 CR and 1 PR. Conclusions: IMM0306 was well-tolerated and with promising preliminary anti-tumor activity especially in pts with R/R FL and MZL. The phase Ⅱ study is ongoing. Clinical trial information: NCT05805943 .

Format-tuning of in vivo-launched bispecific T cell engager enhances efficacy against renal cell carcinoma

BackgroundAdvanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a prevalent kidney cancer for which long-term survival rates are abysmal, though immunotherapies are showing potential. Not yet clinically vetted are bispecific...

Phase I safety and preliminary efficacy of IMM0306 in combination with lenalidomide in patients with relapsed or refractory CD20-positive B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

e19040 Background: The combination of rituximab (anti-CD20 mAb) and lenalidomide was approved for use in relapsed or refractory (R/R) indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (iNHL). IMM0306 is a fusion protein of CD20 monoclonal antibody with the CD47 binding domain of SIRPα on both heavy chains. It exerts excellent cancer killing efficacy by activating both macrophages and NK cells via blockade of CD47-SIRPα interaction and FcɣR engagement. Here, we report on a Phase I study of 8 patients (pts) with R/R CD20-positive B-cell NHL. Methods: This is an open-label, multicenter phase I study (NCT05771883). The study is designed to use "3+3" scheme for dose escalation exploring in 2 dose levels of IMM0306 (1.6 mg/kg, 2.0 mg/kg), intravenously administered each week in each 28-day cycle; while lenalidomide will be administered as fixed dose of 20 mg for NHL, taken orally once daily for the first 21 days of each 28-day cycle to determinate maximum tolerated dose (MTD). Dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) was evaluated in the first 28 days of the combination therapy. Safety was evaluated per CTCAE 5.0, tumor assessments performed once every 8 weeks by Lugano 2014. Results: As of Jan 5, 2024, 8 pts with R/R follicular lymphoma (FL, n=6) and marginal zone lymphoma (MZL, n=2) were enrolled. The median age was 52.5 years with 7 (87.5%) males. The median prior line of therapy was 1. All pts received previous anti-CD20 therapy. Among 7 efficacy evaluable pts, 1 CR (FL), 4 PR (2 FL, 2 MZL), and 1 SD were seen. The ORR and DCR were 71.4% and 85.7%, respectively. Two DLTs (grade 4 PLT decreased without bleeding) were observed at 2.0 mg/kg IMM0306 + 20 mg Lenalidomide dose level, but none at the dose level of 1.6 mg/kg IMM0306 + 20 mg Lenalidomide. The most common treatment related adverse events (TRAEs) were lymphocyte decreased (62.5%), ANC decreased (62.5%), WBC decreased (50%), anemia (50%), bilirubin increased (50%), PLT decreased (37.5%), infusion-related reactions (37.5%). Grade ≥3 TRAEs occurred in 6 pts, including lymphocyte decreased (62.5%), PLT decreased (25%), WBC decreased (12.5%), ANC decreased (12.5%) and pneumonia (12.5%). One pt experienced treatment related serious adverse event. 5 patients experienced TRAEs, leading to the study drug interruption, while no patients experienced TRAEs leading to the study drug discontinuation or death. 2 pts had a dose reduction of IMM0306 (2.0 mg/kg dose level), 3 pts had dose reductions of lenalidomide due to TRAEs. Pharmacodynamics analysis demonstrated IMM0306 combine lenalidomide effectively depleted B cell in peripheral blood within 24 hours. Conclusions: 1.6 mg/kg IMM0306 in combination with 20 mg lenalidomide was well-tolerated and with a robust preliminary anti-tumor activity in pts with R/R FL and MZL. The phase I study is ongoing. Clinical trial information: NCT05771883 .

Harnessing natural killer cells engineering for cancer immunotherapy

The use of genetically modified immune cells for cancer therapy is one of the most significant achievements in biotechnology in recent years. Although currently approved cell therapies are dominated by CAR-T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, with their unique cancer killing properties and safety of use, set the stage for the development of more convenient allogeneic therapies. Herein, we reviewed the challenges and strategies in harnessing NK cells for cancer immunotherapy. Various sources for NK cell acquisition are discussed, and genetic engineering methods, including retroviral vectors, lentiviral vectors, adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors, and non-viral transfection, are explored. NK cells have the potential to address limitations associated with CAR-T therapy, and the paper addresses the need for innovative solutions to overcome technical hurdles associated with NK cell immunotherapy.

DNA Reaction Circuits to Establish Designated Biological Functions in Multicellular Community.

In multicellular organisms, individual cells are coordinated through complex communication networks to accomplish various physiological tasks. Aiming to establish new biological functions in the multicellular community, we used DNA as the building block to develop a cascade of nongenetic reaction circuits to establish a dynamic cell-cell communication network. Utilizing membrane-anchored amphiphilic DNA tetrahedra (TDN) as the nanoscaffold, reaction circuits were incorporated into three unrelated cells in order to uniquely regulate their sense-and-response behaviors. As a proof-of-concept, this step enabled these cells to simulate significant biological events involved in T cell-mediated anticancer immunity. Such events included cancer-associated antigen recognition and the presentation of antigen-presenting cells (APCs), APC-facilitated T cell activation and dissociation, and T cell-mediated cancer targeting and killing. By combining the excellent programmability and molecular recognition ability of DNA, our cell-surface reaction circuits hold promise for mimicking and manipulating many biological processes.

Abstract CT173: Preliminary results from a phase I study of IMM0306 in patients with relapsed or refractory CD20-positive B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Abstract Background: IMM0306 is a fusion protein of CD20 monoclonal antibody with the CD47 binding domain of SIRPα on both heavy chains. It exerts excellent cancer killing efficacy by activating both macrophages and NK cells via blockade of CD47-SIRPα interaction and FcɣR engagement. Here, we report the safety, pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD), and efficacy results of phase I in patients (pts) with relapsed or refractory (R/R) CD20-positive B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (B-NHL). Methods: Eligible pts with R/R CD20-positive B-NHL were enrolled in this open-label, multicenter phase I/II study (NCT05805943). IMM0306 was administered as monotherapy at escalating doses of 0.04, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 0.8, 1.2, 1.6, 2.0 mg/kg intravenously once a week after a 2-week single-dose observation period, until disease progression or intolerable toxicity. Dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) was evaluated in the first 28 days. Safety was evaluated per CTCAE 5.0, PK and PD analysis were also assessed, tumor assessments performed once every 8 weeks by Lugano 2014. Results: As of Nov 21, 2023, 48 pts were enrolled. The median age was 56 years with 30 (62.5%) males. The median prior lines of therapy was 2. All pts received previous anti-CD20 therapy. No DLTs were observed. Recommended phase II dose (RP2D) was determined as 2.0 mg/kg. The most frequent treatment related adverse events (TRAEs) were WBC decreased (66.7%), anemia (64.6%), lymphocyte decreased (58.3%), ANC decreased (47.9%), PLT decreased (45.8%), infusion-related reactions (35.4%). Grade ≥3 TRAEs occurred in 33 (68.8%) pts, the most frequent grade ≥ 3 TRAEs were lymphocyte decreased (56.3%), WBC decreased (18.8%), ANC decreased (18.8%). Eight (16.7%) pts experienced treatment related serious adverse event, including PLT decreased, chest pain and pneumonia. Drug discontinuation due to AEs occurred in 1 pt (G4 PLT decreased occurred at 1.6mg/kg without any bleeding). No AE led to death. IMM0306 exhibited approximate dose-proportional increase in PK exposure from 0.5 to 2.0 mg/kg and no obvious accumulation was observed after repeated dosing. At 1.2 mg/kg, CD47 receptor occupancy on peripheral lymphocytes was saturated, suggesting IMM0306 is well tolerated from perspective of CD47 engagement in high dose cohorts. B-cell counts depleted rapidly at doses ≥ 0.8 mg/kg. Elevated cytokines levels were observed after first dosing of IMM0306, but multiple dosing did not stimulate further cytokine activation. Among 33 pts who received active doses ≥ 0.8 mg/kg, 5 CR (4 follicular lymphoma [FL], 1 marginal zone lymphoma [MZL]), 5 PR (3 FL, 1 MZL, 1 diffuse large B cell lymphoma) and 11 SD were seen. Among 17 FL pts, 7 (41%) responded including 4 CR and 3 PR; among 6 MZL pts, 2 (33.3%) responded including 1 CR and 1 PR. Conclusions: IMM0306 was well-tolerated and with a robust preliminary anti-tumor activity especially in pts with R/R FL and MZL. The phase II study is ongoing. Citation Format: Yuankai Shi, Jianliang Yang, Yongping Song, Keshu Zhou, Zhiming Li, Mingzhi Zhang, Hongmei Jing, Zhen Wang, Li Yu, Qiying Lu, Frank Gan, Wenzhi Tian. Preliminary results from a phase I study of IMM0306 in patients with relapsed or refractory CD20-positive B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 2 (Late-Breaking, Clinical Trial, and Invited Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(7_Suppl):Abstract nr CT173.

Abstract 2918: Potential for a novel therapeutic target: Effects of lactate & lactylation in expression of key regulatory cancer proteins

Abstract The purpose of our study is to investigate the immunologic, metastatic, and gene regulation effects of lactate in the context of cancer in normoxic and hypoxic conditions to identify novel biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets. We aim to modify the in-vitro cancer microenvironment to show how lactate and lactylation can be exploited using existing cancer treatments. While hyperlactatemia is defined as lactate levels between 2 mmol/L and 4 mmol/L (Foucher et al 2023), tumor biopsies have demonstrated extracellular concentrations as high as 40 mM (Pérez-Tomás et al 2020). Through CTG viability assays we identified lactate concentrations that PANC1 cells can survive, which are in agreement with the in-vivo findings of Brizel et al (2001). We observed pancreatic cancer cells achieving over 50% viability for 5 days at 50 mM lactate concentrations while at 30 mM on day 5 they proliferated past their initial plating numbers. Furthermore, Brizel et al (2001) found that patients with high tumor lactate concentrations had a significantly higher incidence of metastatic relapse. Through our scratch assay, we show qualitative evidence of increased mobility and inferred migration potential of PANC1 at 7.5mM [lactate] compared to the absence of lactate. We have also observed increased migration at higher lactate concentrations for which we are pursuing quantitative measurements to evaluate significance. Migration experiments will be followed by the investigation of gene regulation (eg. mRNA seq, lactylation profile) involved in the observed increased mobility. Lactate has been shown to affect immune regulation, namely suppression of iNKT (Fu et al, 2020), macrophages (Yang et al, 2020), dendritic cell differentiation and antigen recognition/presentation (Wang et al, 2022), however not much is known about its effect on NK cells and their cytokine expression. Through NK92MI/PANC1 cocultures we show the effects of lactate concentration on the killing ability of NK cells (in the works). And plan on investigating the cytokine profile leading to the phenotypic killing differences. Lastly, via lactate-titrated incubation of PANC1 cells in normoxia we have demonstrated a positive correlation of HIF1a expression, pan-lactyllysine lactylation, and microenvironment lactate concentration. We speculate HIF1a inhibition post-lactate-sensitization may induce cancer killing and we will investigate this theory in normoxia and hypoxia using existing treatment options. Citation Format: Christos P. Costeas, Connor Purcell, Wafik S. El-Deiry. Potential for a novel therapeutic target: Effects of lactate & lactylation in expression of key regulatory cancer proteins [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 2918.

Abstract 485: Cancer killing effect of ultrasound-responsive mechanophore nanoparticles

Abstract Radiotherapy, a mainstay in cancer treatment, often inadvertently damages healthy tissues while targeting malignancies with free radicals. As an alternative, Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) employs non-ionizing photons to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) in tumors, offering precise targeting with minimal long-term effects. However, its efficacy is constrained to superficial tumors due to the limited penetration of light. Sonodynamic Therapy (SDT), an evolution of PDT, uses ultrasound to enhance tissue penetration while maintaining its non-invasive nature. Initial SDT studies suggest that ultrasound can activate PDT's photosensitizers to produce ROS, offering a potential pathway for tumor eradication. Nevertheless, the principal mechanisms of ROS generation in SDT, namely pyrolysis and sonoluminescence, raise concerns about potential tissue injury. In our research, we introduce an innovative approach employing mechanophores into nanoparticles. Mechanophores, molecular units within polymers sensitive to mechanical stress, undergo transformations under such conditions, including the release of small molecules or free radicals. We have developed injectable nano-sized mechanophore nanoparticles, designed to respond to high-frequency ultrasound (>100 kHz) more efficiently and with reduced energy requirements. This study focuses on nano-engineering the echogenicity of these mechanophore nanoparticles to enhance ROS generation. When agitated with focused ultrasound (FUS), these nanoparticles successfully induced ROS, leading to significant cell death, a result not observed with FUS alone in the absence of nanoparticles. In vivo experiments using mouse orthotopic cancer models demonstrated these nanoparticles' ability to inhibit tumor growth effectively. Under biocompatible ultrasound conditions, the nanoparticles cause effective cancer cell eradication with minimal impact on surrounding healthy tissues. Our findings not only introduce a novel approach to cancer treatment but also pave the way for broader applications of mechanophore nanoparticles in biomedicine. This study underscores the potential of ultrasound-activatable mechanophore nanoparticles as a versatile, effective, and safe option for cancer therapy. Citation Format: Jian Wang, Shensheng Zhao, Junxi Yi, Yunyan Sun, Megha Agrawal, King Li, Jeffrey S. Moore, Michael Oelze, Yun-Sheng Chen. Cancer killing effect of ultrasound-responsive mechanophore nanoparticles [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 485.

Cancer-oocyte SAS1B protein is expressed at the cell surface of multiple solid tumors and targeted with antibody-drug conjugates

BackgroundSperm acrosomal SLLP1 binding (SAS1B) protein is found in oocytes, which is necessary for sperm-oocyte interaction, and also in uterine and pancreatic cancers. Anti-SAS1B antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) arrested growth in...

NIR Responsive Drug Cocktail Using J‐Aggregates of Indocyanine Green Loaded Polydopamine Nanoparticles for Chemo‐Phototherapy of Cancer

AbstractCo‐loading of drugs/dyes onto nanoparticles is a widely adapted strategy to achieve synergistic/combinatorial effects. However, one of the co‐loaded drugs may show dominant loading which reduces the loading efficiency of the other depending on the properties of the drug/dye loaded. Cisplatin (CDDP), a potent chemotherapeutic drug has very limited usage because of its poor aqueous solubility and systemic toxicity. A novel J‐aggregate is formulated using indocyanine green (ICG) and CDDP called the ICG J‐aggregate (IJA) which coordinates CDDP with ICG and enhances its water solubility resulting in higher loading. Further, polydopamine nanoparticles (PDA NPs) are used, which has shown excellent loading efficiency of IJA to form P‐IJA nano formulation. The results for the first time provide evidence of 2–4 folds increase in CDDP's loading in IJA formulation in comparison to loading of free CDDP under the same conditions. The overall P‐IJA formulation is capable of multi‐modal cancer therapy, i.e., chemotherapy, photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy, and ferroptosis‐like selective cancer killing. The formulated P‐IJA is also found to be biocompatible, hemocompatible, and stable. The finding of the study suggests that P‐IJA can be effectively activated under NIR laser/pH as stimuli for deep‐tissue synergistic therapy.

NY-ESO-1-specific T cell receptor-engineered T cells and Tranilast, a TRPV2 antagonist bivalent treatment enhances the killing of esophageal cancer: a dual-targeted cancer therapeutic route

BackgroundEsophageal cancer (EC) is a global canker notorious for causing high mortality due to its relentless incidence rate, convoluted with unyielding recurrence and metastasis. However, these intricacies of EC are associated with an immoderate expression of NY-ESO-1 antigen, presenting a lifeline for adoptive T cell therapy. We hypothesized that naturally isolated higher-affinity T cell receptors (TCRs) that bind to NY-ESO-1 would allow T lymphocytes to target EC with a pronounced antitumor response efficacy. Also, targeting TRPV2, which is associated with tumorigenesis in EC, creates an avenue for dual-targeted therapy. We exploited the dual-targeting antitumor efficacy against EC.MethodsWe isolated antigen-specific TCRs (asTCRs) from a naive library constructed with TCRs obtained from enriched cytotoxic T lymphocytes. The robustness of our asTCRs and their TCR-T cell derivatives, Tranilast (TRPV2 inhibitor), and their bivalent treatment were evaluated with prospective cross-reactive human-peptide variants and tumor cells.ResultsOur study demonstrated that our naive unenhanced asTCRs and their TCR-Ts perpetuated their cognate HLA-A*02:01/NY-ESO-1(157–165) specificity, killing varying EC cells with higher cytotoxicity compared to the known affinity-enhanced TCR (TCRe) and its wild-type (TCR0) which targets the same NY-ESO-1 antigen. Furthermore, the TCR-Ts and Tranilast bivalent treatment showed superior EC killing compared to any of their monovalent treatments of either TCR-T or Tranilast.ConclusionOur findings suggest that dual-targeted immunotherapy may have a superior antitumor effect. Our study presents a technique to evolve novel, robust, timely therapeutic strategies and interventions for EC and other malignancies.

Abstract B040: Trispecific killer engagers against IGF1R and fetal form of insulin receptor induce human natural killer cell mediated killing of hormone receptor positive breast cancer in vitro and in vivo

Abstract Patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancers frequently recur with metastatic disease 5-20 years after the initial diagnosis and completion of chemotherapy and prolonged treatment with hormonal therapy. Thus, patients with metastatic HR+ breast cancer need new therapeutic options. A potential mechanism of therapeutic resistance in HR+ patients is the presence of slow-growing, well-differentiated cancer cells that result in clinically detectable metastases after a prolonged latency. One way to eliminate these cancer cells is with immunotherapy (IT). Unfortunately HR+ breast cancers have not responded to current T-cell based IT. The objective of this study is to target HR+ breast cancers using a natural killer (NK) cell based approach that targets cell surface receptors in HR+ breast cancer. The type I IGF receptor (IGF1R) is expressed on HR+ breast cancers and its expression is tightly related to ER function. Endocrine therapy resistance is associated with increased expression of the A-isoform or fetal form of IR (IR-A) and depend on IR signaling. We hypothesized that a drug that would target NK cells to IGF1R or IR-A expressing HR+ cells will be effective in killing them. We generated IGF1R or IR-A specific Tri specific Killer Engagers (TriKE) that leverage expression of IGF1R and IR-A on HR+ cells to cause NK directed death. The IGF1R TriKE consists of humanized single domain antibody (VHH) sequence of a CD16 nanobody to engage and activate NK cells, a humanized VHH of a nanobody against IGF1R to target HR+ breast cancer cells, and an IL-15 molecule between them to drive NK cell expansion and survival. The IGF1R TriKE did not bind embryonal fibroblasts from IGF1R knock out mice (R- cells) but bound R-/IGF1R cells (R- cells engineered to express human IGF1R) and to IGF1R+ MCF-7 and T47D breast cancer cells indicating specific binding to IGF1R on cells. It did not cause downregulation of IGF1R levels in multiple HR+ breast cancer cells and did not inhibit signaling via IGF1R. It specifically induced NK cell degranulation, measured by surface CD107a expression and intracellular IFNγ, against IGF1R+ target breast cancer cells (MCF-7, T-47D, ZR-75-1) in a functional assay compared to the anti-IGF1R nanobody. It did not induce degranulation of NK cells against IGF1R negative cells suggesting that the functionality was specific for IGF1R expressing targets. The IGF1R TriKE enhanced cell killing of HR+ breast cancer cells as measured by cytotoxicity assays. IGF1R TriKE combined with human NK cells inhibited tumor growth of MCF-7 tumors in NSG mice compared to control groups. Human NK cells persisted in peripheral blood three weeks after final NK infusion based on flow cytometry assessment. The IR-A TriKE incorporated a novel engineered non-immunoglobulin IR-A specific peptide binder. Our preliminary data show that the IR-A TriKE degranulated NK cells against breast cancer cells overexpressing IR-A. These data indicate that this strategy could be an effective treatment for HR+ metastatic breast cancer and make them responsive to IT. Citation Format: Courtney Baar, Emily Chiu, Yvette Soignier, Behiye Kodal, Jeffrey S Miller, Martin Felices, Deepali Sachdev. Trispecific killer engagers against IGF1R and fetal form of insulin receptor induce human natural killer cell mediated killing of hormone receptor positive breast cancer in vitro and in vivo [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: Advances in Breast Cancer Research; 2023 Oct 19-22; San Diego, California. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(3 Suppl_1):Abstract nr B040.

Current Development Status of Cytokines for Cancer Immunotherapy.

Cytokines influence the overall cancer immune cycle by triggering tumor antigen expression, antigen presenting, immune cell priming and activation, effector immune cell recruitment and infiltration to cancer, and cancer killing in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Therefore, cytokines have been considered potential anti-cancer immunotherapy, and cytokine-based anti-cancer therapies continue to be an active area of research and development in the field of cancer immunotherapy, with ongoing clinical trials exploring new strategies to improve efficacy and safety. In this review, we examine past and present clinical developments for major anticancer cytokines, including interleukins (IL-2, IL-15, IL-12, IL-21), interferons, TGF-beta, and GM-CSF. We identify the current status and changes in the technology platform being applied to cytokine-based immune anti-cancer therapeutics. Through this, we discuss the opportunities and challenges of cytokine-based immune anti-cancer treatments in the current immunotherapy market and suggest development directions to enhance the clinical use of cytokines as immuno-anticancer drugs in the future.

A Review of New Anticancer Nanoformulations based on Cyanobacteria and Microalgae and its Application in Medical Sciences, Dentistry and Pharmacy

Introduction: Nanoparticles are widely used in various fields of pharmaceuticals, dentistry, medicine, biology and materials engineering due to their special features, including high surface-to-volume ratio, homogeneous particle size distribution, high stability, and ease of production. The formation of coatings is driven by the existence of numerous pathogenic bacteria that give rise to diverse infections, weaken the immune system in humans, and pose significant risks in areas such as food packaging, synthetic textiles, medical and dental equipment, as well as public health concerns related to drinking water and sewage treatment. The formation of coatings is driven by the existence of numerous pathogenic bacteria that give rise to diverse infections, weaken the immune system in humans, and pose significant risks in areas such as food packaging, synthetic textiles, medical and dental equipment, as well as public health concerns related to drinking water and sewage treatment. More than 50% of marine cyanobacteria can potentially be used to extract bioactive substances and are known to be very effective in killing cancer by inducing apoptotic death. In this review article, recent researches in the field of drugs or compounds based on microalgae and also their biomedical applications are emphasized. Likewise, recent advances in the field of discovering anticancer compounds, commercialization of microalgae anticancer drugs, production of nanoformulated drugs based on microalgae, and production of formulations for high loading drug delivery and its application in medical sciences, pharmacy and dentistry are emphasized.
 Conclusion: The development and improvement of nanoparticle biosynthesis processes using cyanobacteria may leads to the discovery of new biogenic nanoparticles with unique properties that can significantly increase the effectiveness of medical treatments and reduce side effects.