Susana S Najera, Christopher J Ricketts, Laura S Schmidt, Julia I Medina, Keita Saito, Lilia Ileva, Jeffrey R Brender, Amy M James, Cody J Peer, Brad Gouker, Baktiar O Karim, Olga Chernova, Catherine Wells, Ming-Hui Wei, Youfeng Yang, Xiaohu Zhang, Carleen Klumpp-Thomas, Jameson Travers, Lu Chen, Kelli M Wilson, Sameer H Issaq, William D Figg, Simone Difilippantonio, Joseph D Kalen, Murali C Krishna, Craig J Thomas, Michele Ceribelli, Christine M Heske, Daniel R Crooks, Jordan L Meier
{"title":"Targeting NAD+ Metabolism Vulnerability in FH-Deficient Hereditary Leiomyomatosis and Renal Cell Carcinoma with the Novel NAMPT Inhibitor OT-82.","authors":"Susana S Najera, Christopher J Ricketts, Laura S Schmidt, Julia I Medina, Keita Saito, Lilia Ileva, Jeffrey R Brender, Amy M James, Cody J Peer, Brad Gouker, Baktiar O Karim, Olga Chernova, Catherine Wells, Ming-Hui Wei, Youfeng Yang, Xiaohu Zhang, Carleen Klumpp-Thomas, Jameson Travers, Lu Chen, Kelli M Wilson, Sameer H Issaq, William D Figg, Simone Difilippantonio, Joseph D Kalen, Murali C Krishna, Craig J Thomas, Michele Ceribelli, Christine M Heske, Daniel R Crooks, Jordan L Meier","doi":"10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-24-0225","DOIUrl":"10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-24-0225","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer (HLRCC) is an inherited cancer syndrome caused by germline pathogenic variants in the fumarate hydratase (FH) gene. Affected individuals are at risk for developing cutaneous and uterine leiomyomas and aggressive FH-deficient renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with a papillary histology. Due to a disrupted tricarboxylic acid cycle, FH-deficient kidney cancers rely on aerobic glycolysis for energy production, potentially creating compensatory metabolic vulnerabilities. This study conducted a high-throughput drug screen in HLRCC cell lines, which identified a critical dependency on nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), a redox cofactor produced by the biosynthetic enzyme nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT). Human HLRCC tumors and HLRCC-derived cell lines exhibited elevated NAMPT expression compared with controls. FH-deficient HLRCC cells, but not FH-restored HLRCC or normal kidney cells, were sensitive to NAMPT inhibition. HLRCC cell line viability was significantly decreased in both 2D and 3D in vitro cultures in response to the clinically relevant NAMPT inhibitor OT-82. NAMPT inhibition in vitro significantly decreased the total amount of NAD+, NADH, NADP, NADPH, and poly-ADP-ribose levels, and the effects of NAMPT inhibition could be rescued by the downstream NAD precursor nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), confirming the on-target activity of OT-82. Moreover, NAMPT inhibition by OT-82 in two HLRCC xenograft models resulted in severely reduced tumor growth. OT-82 treatment of HLRCC xenograft tumors in vivo inhibited glycolytic flux as demonstrated by reduced lactate/pyruvate ratio in hyperpolarized 13C-pyruvate magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging experiments. Overall, our data define NAMPT inhibition as a potential therapeutic approach for FH-deficient HLRCC-associated RCC.</p>","PeriodicalId":18791,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Cancer Therapeutics","volume":" ","pages":"200-213"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142470225","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Liana Hayrapetyan, Selina M Roth, Aurélie Quintin, Lusine Hovhannisyan, Matúš Medo, Rahel Riedo, Julien G Ott, Joachim Albers, Daniel M Aebersold, Yitzhak Zimmer, Michaela Medová
{"title":"HPV and p53 Status as Precision Determinants of Head and Neck Cancer Response to DNA-PKcs Inhibition in Combination with Irradiation.","authors":"Liana Hayrapetyan, Selina M Roth, Aurélie Quintin, Lusine Hovhannisyan, Matúš Medo, Rahel Riedo, Julien G Ott, Joachim Albers, Daniel M Aebersold, Yitzhak Zimmer, Michaela Medová","doi":"10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-23-0794","DOIUrl":"10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-23-0794","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Major risk factors of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are tobacco use and human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV E6 oncoprotein leads to p53 degradation, whereas HPV-negative cancers are frequently associated with TP53 mutations. Peposertib is a potent and selective, orally administered small-molecule inhibitor of the catalytic subunit of the DNA-dependent kinase (DNA-PKcs), a key regulator of nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ). NHEJ inhibition along with irradiation (IR)-induced DNA double-strand breaks has the potential to increase antitumor treatment efficacy. In this study, we investigated the responses of a panel of HNSCC models with distinct HPV and p53 status to treatments with IR, DNA-PKcs inhibition, and their combination in vitro and in vivo. IR-induced DNA damage combined with peposertib administration shortly before IR results in decreased cell viability and proliferation and causes DNA repair delay in all studied HNSCC cell lines. However, our data confirm that the actual cell fate upon this treatment is determined by cellular p53 and/or HPV status. Cells lacking functional p53 due to its degradation by HPV or due to a loss-of-function mutation are arrested in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle and eliminated by apoptosis, whereas p53-proficient HNSCC cell lines preferentially undergo senescence. This is also recapitulated in vivo, where HPV+ UD-SCC-2 xenografts display stronger and more durable responses to the combined treatment as compared with p53 wild-type UM-SCC-74A tumors. In conclusion, DNA-PKcs inhibitor peposertib should be further studied as a potential radiosensitizer for HNSCCs, taking into consideration the genetic background and the HPV status of a particular tumor.</p>","PeriodicalId":18791,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Cancer Therapeutics","volume":" ","pages":"214-229"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11791480/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142605519","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Darwin A Garcia, Sneha Rathi, Margaret A Connors, Michael Grams, Rachael A Vaubel, Katrina K Bakken, Lauren L Ott, Brett L Carlson, Zeng Hu, Paul A Decker, Jeanette E Eckel-Passow, Danielle M Burgenske, Wei Zhong, Joshua D Trzasko, Michael G Herman, William F Elmquist, Nicholas B Remmes, Jann N Sarkaria
{"title":"Modeling the Acute Mucosal Toxicity of Fractionated Radiotherapy Combined with the ATM Inhibitor WSD0628.","authors":"Darwin A Garcia, Sneha Rathi, Margaret A Connors, Michael Grams, Rachael A Vaubel, Katrina K Bakken, Lauren L Ott, Brett L Carlson, Zeng Hu, Paul A Decker, Jeanette E Eckel-Passow, Danielle M Burgenske, Wei Zhong, Joshua D Trzasko, Michael G Herman, William F Elmquist, Nicholas B Remmes, Jann N Sarkaria","doi":"10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-24-0664","DOIUrl":"10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-24-0664","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ataxia Telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) inhibitors are being developed as radiosensitizers to improve the antitumor effects of radiotherapy, but ATM inhibition can also radiosensitize normal tissues. Therefore, understanding the elevated risk of normal tissue toxicities is critical for radiosensitizer development. This study focused on modeling the relationship between acute mucosal toxicity, radiation dose, fractionation schedule, and radiosensitizer exposure. The ATM inhibitor WSD0628 was combined with single or fractionated doses of radiation delivered to the oral cavity or esophagus of Friend Leukemia virus B (FVB) mice. The potentiation by WSD0628 was quantified by a sensitizer enhancement ratio (SER), which describes the changes in radiation tolerance for radiation combined with WSD0628 relative to radiation-only regimens. WSD0628 profoundly enhanced radiation-induced acute oral and esophageal toxicities. For oral mucosal toxicity, the enhancement by WSD0628 with 3 fractions of radiation resulted in an SER ranging from 1.3 (0.25 mg/kg) to 3.1 (7.5 mg/kg). For the 7.5 mg/kg combination, the SER increased with increasing number of fractions from 2.2 (1 fraction) to 4.3 (7 fractions) for oral toxicity and from 2.2 (1 fraction) to 3.6 (3 fractions) for esophageal toxicity, which reflects a loss of the normal tissue sparing benefit of fractionated radiation. These findings were used to develop a modified biologically effective dose model to determine alternative radiation schedules with or without WSD0628 that result in similar levels of toxicity. Successful radiosensitizer dose escalation to a maximally effective therapeutic dose will require careful deliberation of tumor site and reduction of radiation dose volume limits for organs at risk.</p>","PeriodicalId":18791,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Cancer Therapeutics","volume":" ","pages":"299-309"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11791477/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142668022","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fanny Volat, Ragini Medhi, Lauren Z Maggs, Marcel A Deken, Alice Price, Lauren Andrews, Jonathan Clark, Diane Taylor, Alan Carruthers, Ewan Taylor-Smith, Natalia Pacheco, Simon A Rudge, Amy Fraser, Andrea F Lopez-Clavijo, Bebiana C Sousa, Zoë Johnson, Giusy Di Conza, Lars van der Veen, Pritom Shah, Hilary Sandig, Hayley J Sharpe, Stuart Farrow
{"title":"Pancreatic CAF-Derived Autotaxin Drives Autocrine CTGF Expression to Modulate Protumorigenic Signaling.","authors":"Fanny Volat, Ragini Medhi, Lauren Z Maggs, Marcel A Deken, Alice Price, Lauren Andrews, Jonathan Clark, Diane Taylor, Alan Carruthers, Ewan Taylor-Smith, Natalia Pacheco, Simon A Rudge, Amy Fraser, Andrea F Lopez-Clavijo, Bebiana C Sousa, Zoë Johnson, Giusy Di Conza, Lars van der Veen, Pritom Shah, Hilary Sandig, Hayley J Sharpe, Stuart Farrow","doi":"10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-23-0522","DOIUrl":"10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-23-0522","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Autotaxin (ATX), encoded by ENPP2, is a clinical target in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). ATX catalyzes the production of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), an important regulator within the tumor microenvironment (TME), yet the protumorigenic action of the ATX/LPA axis in PDAC remains unclear. In this study, by interrogating patient samples and cell line datasets, we show that the PDAC TME, rather than cancer cells, is responsible for the majority of ENPP2 expression and highlight a key role for cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF)-derived ATX in autocrine and paracrine protumorigenic signaling. Using the clinical-stage ATX inhibitor, IOA-289, we identified connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), also known as CCN2, as a downstream mediator of ATX signaling in the PDAC CAF-derived cell line, 0082T. Genetic ablation or pharmacologic inhibition of ATX in 0082T CAFs reduced CTGF secretion via modulation of LPA/LPA receptor signaling. Despite the loss of ATX function, extracellular levels of LPA were paradoxically increased, indicating a role for ATX beyond its enzymatic activity and suggesting a role for its LPA chaperone function in the LPA/LPA receptor signaling in CAFs. As CAFs are the main source for CTGF in the PDAC TME, these findings suggest a role for ATX in promoting a protumorigenic microenvironment via modulation of CAF secretion not only via its LPA-producing activity but also via its LPA chaperone function, providing a potential mechanism for the antitumor effects of ATX inhibition.</p>","PeriodicalId":18791,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Cancer Therapeutics","volume":" ","pages":"230-241"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142682268","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ahmad Joshkon, Wael Traboulsi, Magali Terme, Richard Bachelier, Hussein Fayyad-Kazan, Françoise Dignat-George, Alexandrine Foucault-Bertaud, Aurelie S Leroyer, Nathalie Bardin, Marcel Blot-Chabaud
{"title":"Soluble CD146 Cooperates with VEGFa to Generate an Immunosuppressive Microenvironment in CD146-Positive Tumors: Interest of a Combined Antibody-Based Therapy.","authors":"Ahmad Joshkon, Wael Traboulsi, Magali Terme, Richard Bachelier, Hussein Fayyad-Kazan, Françoise Dignat-George, Alexandrine Foucault-Bertaud, Aurelie S Leroyer, Nathalie Bardin, Marcel Blot-Chabaud","doi":"10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-24-0008","DOIUrl":"10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-24-0008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Tumor development necessitates immune escape through different mechanisms. To counteract these effects, the development of therapies targeting immune checkpoints (ICP) has generated interest as they have produced lasting objective responses in patients with advanced metastatic tumors. However, many tumors do not respond to inhibitors of ICPs, necessitating to further study the underlying mechanisms of exhaustion. VEGFa, a proangiogenic molecule secreted by tumors, was described to participate to tumor immune exhaustion by increasing ICPs, justifying in part the use of an anti-VEGFa mAb, bevacizumab, in patients. However, recent studies from our group have demonstrated that tumors can escape anti-VEGFa therapy through the secretion of soluble CD146 (sCD146). In this study, we show that both VEGFa and sCD146 cooperate to create an immunosuppressive microenvironment by increasing the expression of ICPs. In addition, sCD146 favors protumoral M2-type macrophages and induces the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines. An anti-sCD146 mAb reverses these effects and displays additive effects with the anti-VEGFa antibody to eliminate tumors in a syngeneic murine model grafted with melanoma cells. Combining bevacizumab with mucizumab could thus be of major therapeutic interest to prevent immune escape in malignant melanoma and other CD146-positive tumors.</p>","PeriodicalId":18791,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Cancer Therapeutics","volume":" ","pages":"275-285"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142470224","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Seema Kantak, Raffaella Faggioni, Allen G Cai, Maryam M Bhatti, Jing Li, Inna Vainshtein, Jackie Cheng, Brian A Mendelsohn, Jacques Gaudreault, Thi-Sau Migone, Jan-Willem Theunissen
{"title":"Preclinical Characterization of XB002, an Anti-Tissue Factor Antibody-Drug Conjugate for the Treatment of Solid Tumors.","authors":"Seema Kantak, Raffaella Faggioni, Allen G Cai, Maryam M Bhatti, Jing Li, Inna Vainshtein, Jackie Cheng, Brian A Mendelsohn, Jacques Gaudreault, Thi-Sau Migone, Jan-Willem Theunissen","doi":"10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-24-0002","DOIUrl":"10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-24-0002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Tissue factor (TF) is overexpressed in various cancers and is typically associated with poor clinical outcomes. XB002 is an anti-TF antibody-drug conjugate designed to selectively deliver a cytotoxic payload to TF-expressing tumors while minimizing TF-related adverse events, particularly bleeding. The conjugate consists of a zovodotin linker-payload attached to a mAb (clone 25A3) that binds TF with high affinity (KD = 0.86 nmol/L). In vitro coagulation assays confirmed that 25A3 does not interfere with the clotting cascade; even at a concentration of 100 nmol/L, it did not affect the activation of coagulation factor X or thrombin generation. XB002 demonstrated efficient internalization in TF-expressing cancer cell lines, exhibiting potent cytotoxicity at subnanomolar concentrations. In the HPAF-II xenograft model, a regimen of XB002 (1.5 mg/kg, i.v.) administered once weekly for two weeks achieved complete tumor regression, with no detectable tumor growth up to five weeks after the second dose. In murine patient-derived xenograft models, a single dose of XB002 (10 mg/kg, i.v.) inhibited tumor growth across multiple cancer models, including bladder, cervical, gastric, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, and non-small cell lung cancers. Remarkably, complete tumor regression was observed in the cervical cancer and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma models within 30 days of treatment. In nonhuman primate studies, XB002 demonstrated favorable pharmacokinetics with exposure in the desired therapeutic range and no signs of bleeding or neutropenia. Collectively, these data highlight XB002's broad-spectrum antitumor activity and strongly support its further clinical development.</p>","PeriodicalId":18791,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Cancer Therapeutics","volume":" ","pages":"251-260"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11791478/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142568661","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Development and Characterization of a Lysosome-Targeting SLC3A2/PD-L1 Bispecific Antibody-Drug Conjugate for Enhanced Antitumor Efficacy in Solid Tumors.","authors":"Zeng Wang, Meijun Zheng, Mengyao Li, Huaqing Lu, Nanxi Liu, Yongdong Chen, Nian Yang, Wanqin Zeng, Yijun Dong, Jia Li, Zhixiong Zhu, Chen Yang, Zongliang Zhang, Qizhong Lu, Hexian Li, Liangxue Zhou, Hui Yang, Aiping Tong","doi":"10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-24-0319","DOIUrl":"10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-24-0319","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bispecific antibodies (BsAb) and antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) have shown significant promise in cancer treatment, enhancing drug selectivity and therapeutic efficacy as demonstrated in multiple clinical studies. Bispecific antibody-drug conjugates (BsADC), which combine the targeting capabilities of BsAbs with the cytotoxic potential of ADCs, offer a novel approach to overcoming several challenges associated with ADCs, including limited internalization, off-target toxicity, and drug resistance. In this study, we identified solute carrier family 3 member 2 (SLC3A2) as a highly expressed protein in a variety of solid tumors, making it a promising therapeutic target. We developed a BsAb targeting SLC3A2 and PD-L1 and conjugated it to monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) to create the SLC3A2/PD-L1 BsADC. The SLC3A2/PD-L1 BsAb effectively blocked PD-1 binding to PD-L1 and activated T cells while also facilitating lysosomal targeting and degradation of poorly internalized PD-L1 antibodies. The SLC3A2/PD-L1 BsADC demonstrated superior antitumor efficacy in PD-L1 low-expressing tumor cells compared with single-target ADCs in both in vitro studies and in multiple xenograft and immunocompetent mouse models. Overall, our engineered SLC3A2/PD-L1 BsADC exhibited enhanced internalization and improved tumor cell targeting, highlighting the potential of lysosome-targeting BsAbs in advancing ADC therapeutic strategies for solid tumors.</p>","PeriodicalId":18791,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Cancer Therapeutics","volume":" ","pages":"261-274"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142730737","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Shan Lu, Xiao Pan, Eva Volckova, Anjali Shinde, Schuyler R Fuller, Regina Egan, Jianli Ma, Jong Kung, Christopher J Ott, Aaron N Hata, Cyril H Benes, Jing X Kang, Henning Willers
{"title":"Targeting Monounsaturated Fatty Acid Metabolism for Radiosensitization of KRAS Mutant 3D Lung Cancer Models.","authors":"Shan Lu, Xiao Pan, Eva Volckova, Anjali Shinde, Schuyler R Fuller, Regina Egan, Jianli Ma, Jong Kung, Christopher J Ott, Aaron N Hata, Cyril H Benes, Jing X Kang, Henning Willers","doi":"10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-24-0213","DOIUrl":"10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-24-0213","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mutations in the KRAS oncogene can mediate resistance to radiation. KRAS mutation (mut) driven tumors have been reported to express cancer stem cell (CSC)-like features and may harbor metabolic liabilities through which CSC-associated radioresistance can be overcome. We established a radiation/drug screening approach that relies on the growth of 3D spheres under anchorage-independent and lipid-limiting culture conditions, which promote stemness and lipogenesis. In this format, we screened 32 KRASmut-enriched lung cancer models. As predicted from published data, CB-839, a glutaminase inhibitor, displayed the highest degree of radiosensitization in KRASmut models with LKB1 co-mutations. Radiosensitization by inhibition of stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1, SCD1, displayed a similar genotype preference though the data also implicated KEAP1 co-mutation and SCD1 expression as potential predictors of radiosensitization. In an isogenic model, KRASmut cells were characterized by increased SCD1 expression and a higher ratio of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) to saturated fatty acids. Accordingly, pharmacological inhibition or depletion of SCD1 radiosensitized isogenic KRASmut but not wild-type cells. The radiosensitizing effect was notably small, especially compared to several DNA repair inhibitors. As an alternative strategy to targeting MUFA metabolism, adding polyunsaturated FAs (PUFA) phenocopied some aspects of SCD1 inhibition, suppressed tumor growth in vivo, and opposed the CSC-like phenotype of KRASmut cells. In conclusion, we report a 3D screening approach that recapitulates clinically relevant features of KRASmut tumors and can be leveraged for therapeutic targeting of metabolic vulnerabilities. Our data highlight pronounced inter-tumoral heterogeneity in radiation/drug responses and the complexity of underlying genomic dependencies.</p>","PeriodicalId":18791,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Cancer Therapeutics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143008570","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jordan A Stinson, Allison Sheen, Brianna M Lax, Grace N Yang, Lauren Duhamel, Luciano Santollani, Elizabeth Fink, Joseph R Palmeri, Karl Dane Wittrup
{"title":"Tumor Integrin-Targeted Glucose Oxidase Enzyme Promotes ROS-Mediated Cell Death that Combines with Interferon Alpha Therapy for Tumor Control.","authors":"Jordan A Stinson, Allison Sheen, Brianna M Lax, Grace N Yang, Lauren Duhamel, Luciano Santollani, Elizabeth Fink, Joseph R Palmeri, Karl Dane Wittrup","doi":"10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-24-0163","DOIUrl":"10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-24-0163","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Although heightened intratumoral levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are typically associated with a suppressive tumor microenvironment, under certain conditions ROS contribute to tumor elimination. Treatment approaches, including some chemotherapy and radiation protocols, increase cancer cell ROS levels that influence their mechanism of cell death and subsequent recognition by the immune system. Furthermore, activated myeloid cells rapidly generate ROS upon encounter with pathogens or infected cells to eliminate disease, and recently, this effector function has been noted in cancer contexts as well. Collectively, ROS-induced cancer cell death may help initiate adaptive antitumor immune responses that could synergize with current approved immunotherapies, for improved control of solid tumors. In this work, we explore the use of glucose oxidase, an enzyme which produces hydrogen peroxide, a type of ROS, to therapeutically mimic the endogenous oxidative burst from myeloid cells to promote antigen generation within the tumor microenvironment. We engineer the enzyme to target pan-tumor-expressed integrins both as a tumor-agnostic therapeutic approach and as a strategy to prolong local enzyme activity following intratumoral administration. We found the targeted enzyme potently induced cancer cell death and enhanced cross-presentation by dendritic cells in vitro and further combined with interferon alpha for long-term tumor control in murine MC38 tumors in vivo. Optimizing the single-dose administration of this enzyme overcomes limitations with immunogenicity noted for other prooxidant enzyme approaches. Overall, our results suggest ROS-induced cell death can be harnessed for tumor control and highlight the potential use of designed enzyme therapies alongside immunotherapy against cancer.</p>","PeriodicalId":18791,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Cancer Therapeutics","volume":" ","pages":"118-130"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11695183/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142391894","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Richard Harrop, Daniel G Blount, Naeem Khan, Mayowa Soyombo, Laura Moyce, Mark T Drayson, Jenny Down, Michelle A Lawson, Deirdre O'Connor, Rachael Nimmo, Yatish Lad, Bernard Souberbielle, Kyriacos Mitrophanous, Anna Ettorre
{"title":"Targeting Tumor Antigen 5T4 Using CAR T Cells for the Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia.","authors":"Richard Harrop, Daniel G Blount, Naeem Khan, Mayowa Soyombo, Laura Moyce, Mark T Drayson, Jenny Down, Michelle A Lawson, Deirdre O'Connor, Rachael Nimmo, Yatish Lad, Bernard Souberbielle, Kyriacos Mitrophanous, Anna Ettorre","doi":"10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-24-0052","DOIUrl":"10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-24-0052","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells represent a novel targeted approach to overcome deficits in the ability of the host immune system to detect and subsequently eradicate tumors. The identification of antigens expressed specifically on the surface of tumor cells is a critical first step for a targeted therapy that selectively targets cancer cells without affecting normal tissues. 5T4 is a tumor-associated antigen expressed on the cell surface of most solid tumors. However, very little is known about its expression in hematologic malignancies. In this study, we assess the expression of 5T4 in different types of leukemias, specifically acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and normal hematopoietic stem cells (HSC). We also provide an in vitro assessment of safety and efficacy of 5T4-targeting CAR T cells against HSCs and AML tumor cell lines. 5T4 expression was seen in about 50% of AML cases; AML with mutated nucleophosmin 1, AML-myelodysplasia-related, and AML not otherwise specified showed the highest percentage of 5T4+ cases. 5T4 CAR T cells efficiently and specifically killed AML tumor cell lines, including leukemic stem cells. Coculture of 5T4 CAR T cells with HSCs from healthy donors showed no impact on subsequent colony formation, thus confirming the safety profile of 5T4. A proof-of-concept study using a murine model for AML demonstrated that CAR T cells recognize 5T4 expressed on cells and can kill tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo. These results highlight 5T4 as a promising target for immune intervention in AML and that CAR T cells can be considered a powerful personalized therapeutic approach to treat AML.</p>","PeriodicalId":18791,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Cancer Therapeutics","volume":" ","pages":"93-104"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142470226","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}