Investigation of a tamoxifen-RACK7/KDM5C-IFN-I axis for ER+ breast cancer immunomodulation.

Authors

null

Marvin Angelo Esteban Aberin

Taiwan International Graduate Program in Molecular Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei City, Taiwan

Marvin Angelo Esteban Aberin , Saurabh Singh , Yu-Ling Lee , Kun-Yuan Lin , Yao-Ming Chang , Chandan Guha , Shu-Ping Wang

Organizations

Taiwan International Graduate Program in Molecular Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei City, Taiwan, Department of Radiation Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, Pharmacology Discovery Services Ltd., New Taipei City, Taiwan, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei City, Taiwan, Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center, Bronx, NY

Research Funding

No funding sources reported

Background: ER+ breast cancer patients generally have good prognosis. However, significant relapse rates (i.e., hormone drugs, Tamoxifen/TMX) and the poor response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) remain critical issues to be addressed. Thus, exploration of anti-ICB resistant mechanisms and alternative targets is needed to improve therapeutic efficacy. Methods: To investigate potential cross-resistant mechanisms between hormone and ICB therapy, ER+ cell lines T47D and MCF7 cells were chronically-treated with TMX for 6 months, and subjected to RNA-Seq and pathway enrichment analysis. Dysregulation of identified factors were validated via western blotting, RT-qPCR, and flow cytometry. Target factors were then inhibited or depleted by shRNA knockdown (KD) or small-compound inhibition. Identified ICB resistance mechanisms were further elaborated by in vitro co-culture assays, syngeneic mouse models, and immune-profiling of tumor microenvironment (TME). Results: Chronic exposure to TMX activates Type I interferon (IFN-I) signaling, induces IFN I-stimulated gene (ISG) expression, and downregulates the H3K4 demethylase and ISG repressor complex known as RACK7/KDM5C. Chronic TMX also upregulates CEACAM1, a well-known ligand for the immune checkpoint receptor TIM3. Results prompt us to evaluate whether loss of RACK7 combined with TMX treatment may modulate a lymphocyte-attractive (via IFN-I), but T-cell exhaustive (via CEACAM1-TIM3) TME. Indeed, in vitro treatment of TMX under RACK7-KD conditions triggers STING upregulation, TBK1 hyperphosphorylation, and a more pronounced activation of ISGs and CEACAM1. In vivo, TMX combined with RACK7-KD enhances tumor growth in the TS/A (ER+) syngeneic mouse model, while immune-profiling reveal that this combination promotes lymphocyte infiltration with a higher population of terminally exhausted CD8+ T-cells in the TME. Conclusions: Our data demonstrate that the TMX-induced activation of cGAS/STING pathway and RACK7 downregulation coordinately shape the IFN-I and immune checkpoint signaling axes in ER+ breast cancer. This TMX–RACK7–IFN-I regulatory network promotes a lymphocyte-attractive TME via IFN-I signaling activation, whereas induction of inhibitory ligands renders T-cells to be terminally-exhausted and unable to kill tumors. These findings highlight the potential use of TMX’s STING-agonistic effect in re-shaping the “cold” breast cancer TME, and the use of combined TMX and anti-TIM3 or anti-CEACAM1 blockade to improve ICB therapy.

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2024 ASCO Breakthrough

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

Poster Session B

Track

Thoracic Cancers,Breast Cancer,Gynecologic Cancer,Head and Neck Cancer,Hematologic Malignancies,Genetics/Genomics/Multiomics,Healthtech Innovations,Models of Care and Care Delivery,Viral-Mediated Malignancies,Other Malignancies or Topics

Sub Track

Immuno-therapies

Citation

J Clin Oncol 42, 2024 (suppl 23; abstr 9)

DOI

10.1200/JCO.2024.42.23_suppl.9

Abstract #

9

Poster Bd #

A8

Abstract Disclosures