[Fam-] trastuzumab deruxtecan (DS-8201a)-induced antitumor immunity is facilitated by the anti-CTLA-4 antibody in a mouse model

PLoS One. 2019 Oct 1;14(10):e0222280. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0222280. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

[Fam-] trastuzumab deruxtecan (DS-8201a) is a HER2 (ERBB2)-targeting antibody-drug conjugate, composed of a HER2-targeting antibody and a topoisomerase I inhibitor, exatecan derivative, that has antitumor effects in preclinical xenograft models and clinical trials. Recently, [fam-] trastuzumab deruxtecan was reported to enhance antitumor immunity and was beneficial in combination with an anti-PD-1 antibody in a mouse model. In this study, the antitumor effect of [fam-] trastuzumab deruxtecan in combination with an anti-CTLA-4 antibody was evaluated. [Fam-] trastuzumab deruxtecan monotherapy had antitumor activity in an immunocompetent mouse model with EMT6 human HER2-expressing mouse breast cancer cells (EMT6-hHER2). [Fam-] trastuzumab deruxtecan in combination with the anti-CTLA-4 antibody induced more potent antitumor activity than that by monotherapy with either agent. The combination therapy increased tumor-infiltrating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in vivo. Mechanistically, cured mice with treatment of [fam-] trastuzumab deruxtecan and an anti-CTLA-4 antibody completely rejected EMT6-mock cells similar to EMT6-hHER2 cells, and splenocytes from the cured mice responded to both EMT6-hHER2 and EMT6-mock cells as measured by interferon-gamma release. Taken together, these results indicate that antitumor immunity is induced by [fam-] trastuzumab deruxtecan and is facilitated in combination with anti-CTLA-4 antibody.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies / drug effects
  • Antibodies / immunology
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / pharmacology*
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics
  • Breast Neoplasms / immunology
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / drug effects
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / drug effects
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • CTLA-4 Antigen / antagonists & inhibitors
  • CTLA-4 Antigen / immunology*
  • Camptothecin / analogs & derivatives*
  • Camptothecin / pharmacology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Innate / drug effects*
  • Immunoconjugates / pharmacology*
  • Mice
  • Receptor, ErbB-2 / genetics
  • Trastuzumab

Substances

  • Antibodies
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
  • CTLA-4 Antigen
  • Immunoconjugates
  • trastuzumab deruxtecan
  • ERBB2 protein, human
  • Receptor, ErbB-2
  • Trastuzumab
  • Camptothecin

Grants and funding

Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd, a global pharmaceutical company, provided support for this study in the form of salaries to all the authors. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, or preparation of the manuscript. The specific roles of these authors are articulated in the ‘author contributions’ section.