HSP90 inhibition enhances cancer immunotherapy by upregulating interferon response genes

Nat Commun. 2017 Sep 6;8(1):451. doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-00449-z.

Abstract

T-cell-based immunotherapies are promising treatments for cancer patients. Although durable responses can be achieved in some patients, many patients fail to respond to these therapies, underscoring the need for improvement with combination therapies. From a screen of 850 bioactive compounds, we identify HSP90 inhibitors as candidates for combination with immunotherapy. We show that inhibition of HSP90 with ganetespib enhances T-cell-mediated killing of patient-derived human melanoma cells by their autologous T cells in vitro and potentiates responses to anti-CTLA4 and anti-PD1 therapy in vivo. Mechanistic studies reveal that HSP90 inhibition results in upregulation of interferon response genes, which are essential for the enhanced killing of ganetespib treated melanoma cells by T cells. Taken together, these findings provide evidence that HSP90 inhibition can potentiate T-cell-mediated anti-tumor immune responses, and rationale to explore the combination of immunotherapy and HSP90 inhibitors.Many patients fail to respond to T cell based immunotherapies. Here, the authors, through a high-throughput screening, identify HSP90 inhibitors as a class of preferred drugs for treatment combination with immunotherapy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Profiling / methods
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / drug effects
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / genetics*
  • HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy
  • Interferons / pharmacology
  • Ipilimumab / pharmacology*
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Melanoma / genetics
  • Melanoma / metabolism
  • Melanoma / therapy*
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • T-Lymphocytes / drug effects
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Triazoles / pharmacology*
  • Tumor Burden / drug effects
  • Tumor Burden / genetics
  • Up-Regulation
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays*

Substances

  • HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins
  • Ipilimumab
  • STA 9090
  • Triazoles
  • Interferons