The ability of tumor cells to avoid immune destruction (immune escape) as well as their acquired resistance to anti-cancer drugs constitute important barriers to the successful management of cancer. Interaction between the Programmed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) on the surface of tumor cells with the Programmed Death-1 (PD-1) receptor on cytotoxic T lymphocytes leads to inactivation of these immune effectors and, consequently, immune escape. Here we show that the PD-1/PD-L1 axis also leads to tumor cell resistance to conventional chemotherapeutic agents. Using a panel of PD-L1-expressing human and mouse breast and prostate cancer cell lines, we found that incubation of breast and prostate cancer cells in the presence of purified recombinant PD-1 resulted in resistance to doxorubicin and docetaxel as determined using clonogenic survival assays. Co-culture with PD-1-expressing Jurkat T cells also promoted chemoresistance and this was prevented by antibody blockade of either PD-L1 or PD-1 or by silencing of the PD-L1 gene. Moreover, inhibition of the PD-1/PD-L1 axis using anti-PD-1 antibody enhanced doxorubicin chemotherapy to inhibit metastasis in a syngeneic mammary orthotopic mouse model of metastatic breast cancer. To further investigate the mechanism of tumor cell survival advantage upon PD-L1 ligation, we show that exposure to rPD-1 promoted ERK and mTOR growth and survival pathways leading to increased cell proliferation. Overall, the findings of this study indicate that combinations of chemotherapy and immune checkpoint blockade may limit chemoresistance and progression to metastatic disease.
The acquired ability of tumour cells to avoid destruction by immune effector mechanisms (immune escape) is important for malignant progression. Also associated with malignant progression is tumour hypoxia, which induces aggressive phenotypes such as invasion, metastasis and drug resistance in cancer cells. Our studies revealed that hypoxia contributes to escape from innate immunity by increasing tumour cell expression of the metalloproteinase ADAM10 in a manner dependent on accumulation of the alpha subunit of the transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1α). Increased ADAM10 expression leads to shedding of the NK cell-activating ligand, MICA, from the surface of tumour cells, thereby resulting in resistance to NK cell-mediated lysis. Our more recent studies demonstrated that hypoxia, also via HIF-1α accumulation, increases the expression of the inhibitory co-stimulatory ligand PD-L1 on tumour cells. Elevated PD-L1 expression leads to escape from adaptive immunity via increased apoptosis of CD8 cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Accumulating evidence indicates that hypoxia-induced acquisition of malignant phenotypes, including immune escape, is in part due to impaired nitric oxide (NO)-mediated activation of cGMP signalling and that restoration of cGMP signalling prevents such hypoxic responses. We have shown that NO/cGMP signalling inhibits hypoxia-induced malignant phenotypes likely in part by interfering with HIF-1α accumulation via a mechanism involving calpain. These findings indicate that activation of NO/cGMP signalling may have useful applications in cancer therapy.
The acquired ability of tumour cells to avoid destruction by immune effector mechanisms (immune escape) is important to malignant progression. Also associated with malignant progression is tumour hypoxia, which induces aggressive phenotypes such as invasion, metastasis and drug resistance in cancer cells. Our studies revealed that hypoxia contributes to escape from innate immunity by increasing tumour cell expression of the metalloproteinase ADAM10 in a manner dependent on accumulation of the alpha subunit of the transcription factor hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1 (HIF‐1α). Increased ADAM10 expression leads to shedding of the NK cell‐activating ligand, MICA, from the surface of tumour cells, thereby resulting in resistance to NK cell‐mediated lysis. Our more recent studies demonstrated that hypoxia, also via HIF‐1α accumulation, increases the expression of the inhibitory co‐stimulatory ligand PD‐L1 on tumour cells. Elevated PD‐L1 expression leads to escape from adaptive immunity via increased apoptosis of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes. We have also shown that activation of nitric oxide signalling inhibits hypoxia‐induced escape from innate and adaptive immunity at least partly by interfering with HIF‐1α accumulation. These findings indicate that approaches designed to interfere with tumour cell adaptations to hypoxia may have useful applications as adjuvants to immunotherapy.
No abstract
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.