Depletion of tumor-associated macrophages with a CSF-1R kinase inhibitor enhances antitumor immunity and survival induced by DC immunotherapy.

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Depletion of tumor-associated macrophages with a CSF-1R kinase inhibitor enhances antitumor immunity and survival induced by DC immunotherapy.

Cancer Immunol Res. 2017 May 23;:

Authors: Dammeijer F, Lievense LA, Kaijen-Lambers MEH, van Nimwegen M, Bezemer K, Hegmans JP, van Hall T, Hendriks RW, Aerts JG

Abstract
New immunotherapeutic strategies are needed to induce effective anti-tumor immunity in all cancer patients. Malignant mesothelioma is characterized by a poor prognosis and resistance to conventional therapies. Infiltration of tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) is prominent in mesothelioma and is linked to immune suppression, angiogenesis and tumor aggressiveness. Therefore, TAM depletion could potentially reactivate anti-tumor immunity. We show that M-CSFR-inhibition using the CSF-1R kinase inhibitor PLX3397 (pexidartinib) effectively reduced numbers of TAMs, circulating nonclassical monocytes, as well as amount of neo-angiogenesis and ascites in mesothelioma mouse models, but did not improve survival. When combined with dendritic cell vaccination, survival was synergistically enhanced with a concomitant decrease in TAMs and an increase in CD8(+) T-cell numbers and functionality. Total as well as tumor antigen-specific CD8(+) T cells in tumor tissue of mice treated with combination therapy showed reduced surface expression of the programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1), a phenomenon associated with T-cell exhaustion. Finally, mice treated with combination therapy were protected from tumor rechallenge and displayed superior T-cell memory responses. We report that decreasing local TAM-mediated immune suppression without immune activation does not improve survival. However, combination of TAM-mediated immune suppression with dendritic cell immunotherapy generates robust and durable antitumor immunity. These findings provide insights into the interaction between immunotherapy induced anti-tumor T cells and TAMs and offers a therapeutic strategy for mesothelioma treatment.

PMID: 28536100 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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