Blockade of VLA4 sensitizes leukemic and myeloma tumor cells to CD3 redirection in the bone marrow microenvironment

Blood Cancer J. 2020 Jun 1;10(6):65. doi: 10.1038/s41408-020-0331-4.

Abstract

Redirecting T cells to specifically kill malignant cells has been validated as an effective anti-cancer strategy in the clinic with the approval of blinatumomab for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. However, the immunosuppressive nature of the tumor microenvironment potentially poses a significant hurdle to T cell therapies. In hematological malignancies, the bone marrow (BM) niche is protective to leukemic stem cells and has minimized the efficacy of several anti-cancer drugs. In this study, we investigated the impact of the BM microenvironment on T cell redirection. Using bispecific antibodies targeting specific tumor antigens (CD123 and BCMA) and CD3, we observed that co-culture of acute myeloid leukemia or multiple myeloma cells with BM stromal cells protected tumor cells from bispecific antibody-T cell-mediated lysis in vitro and in vivo. Impaired CD3 redirection cytotoxicity was correlated with reduced T cell effector responses and cell-cell contact with stromal cells was implicated in reducing T cell activation and conferring protection of cancer cells. Finally, blocking the VLA4 adhesion pathway in combination with CD3 redirection reduced the stromal-mediated inhibition of cytotoxicity and T cell activation. Our results lend support to inhibiting VLA4 interactions along with administering CD3 redirection therapeutics as a novel combinatorial regimen for robust anti-cancer responses.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Bispecific / pharmacology
  • Antibodies, Bispecific / therapeutic use
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological / pharmacology*
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological / therapeutic use
  • B-Cell Maturation Antigen / antagonists & inhibitors
  • B-Cell Maturation Antigen / immunology
  • Bone Marrow / drug effects*
  • Bone Marrow / immunology
  • Bone Marrow / pathology
  • CD3 Complex / antagonists & inhibitors
  • CD3 Complex / immunology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Integrin alpha4beta1 / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Integrin alpha4beta1 / immunology
  • Interleukin-3 Receptor alpha Subunit / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Interleukin-3 Receptor alpha Subunit / immunology
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / drug therapy*
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / immunology
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / pathology
  • Mice
  • Multiple Myeloma / drug therapy*
  • Multiple Myeloma / immunology
  • Multiple Myeloma / pathology
  • T-Lymphocytes / drug effects
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes / pathology
  • Tumor Microenvironment / drug effects

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bispecific
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological
  • B-Cell Maturation Antigen
  • CD3 Complex
  • IL3RA protein, human
  • Integrin alpha4beta1
  • Interleukin-3 Receptor alpha Subunit
  • TNFRSF17 protein, human