Abstract 2316
Background
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is the treatment option for locally advanced breast cancer (BC). However, more than half of the patients have no response. Thus, there is an urgent need to find biomarkers of NACT response and personalized therapies for non-responders. Recently, we described a biomarker of NACT response, assessed both in biopsy and blood - HLA-DR expressing cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) with a sensitivity and specificity of 94.12% and 100%, respectively. HLA-DR is associated with CTLs’ cytotoxicity, and it was only observed in NACT-responders, suggesting that functional CTLs are required in the tumor for NACT success. Now, we are validating these results in an independent cohort. Simultaneously, we are establishing 3D spheroid co-culture platforms to tackle new therapeutic options for NACT non-responders.
Methods
MCF7 BC cell line was used to spontaneously form a spheroid in agarose coated plates. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from NACT-responders or non-responders were added after spheroid formation and they were able to infiltrate the structure. Doxorubicin (doxo), anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 were added in different combinations.
Results
The validation of HLA-DR level in CTLs to predict NACT response has been in agreement with the first cohort. Regarding the BC spheroids, doxo alone or in combination with NACT non-responders PBMCs (low HLA-DR in CTLs) did not affect them. However, when PBMCs from NACT responders (high HLA-DR in CTLs) were added in combination with doxo, the viability and proliferation of MCF7 cells reduced significantly. Notably, when PBMCs from NACT non-responders were stimulated ex vivo, to increase CTLs’ HLA-DR level and IFN-γ production (p = 0.002), MCF7 cells viability decreased (p = 0.0007). Considering that in biopsies of non-responders, the low HLA-DR level in CTLs was negatively correlated with the expression of tumor PD-L1, we are also exploring this platform to inhibit the PD-1/PD-L1 axis in order to stimulate the PBMCs and decrease BC cells viability.
Conclusions
Besides determining if BC patients will respond to NACT, by analysing HLA-DR levels in CTLs, we will now be able to define the best therapy to NACT non-responders, hopefully improving the BC treatment.
Clinical trial identification
Editorial acknowledgement
Legal entity responsible for the study
The authors.
Funding
Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) - PD/BD/114023/2015 and PTDC/BBB-BMD/4497/2014. Liga Portuguesa Contra o Cancro - LPCC-NRS/Terry Fox 2019/2020.
Disclosure
All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.
Resources from the same session
3489 - Overall Survival (OS) and Metastasis-Free Survival (MFS) in men with Biochemically Relapsed (BCR) Prostate Cancer after radical prostatectomy (RP) managed with deferred Androgen Deprivation Treatment (ADT): A combined Johns Hopkins and CPDR study
Presenter: Catherine Marshall
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
4606 - ARCHES – the role of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with enzalutamide (ENZA) or placebo (PBO) in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC): Post hoc analyses of high and low disease volume and risk groups
Presenter: Arnulf Stenzl
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
2975 - Updated survival analyses of a multicentric phase II randomized trial of docetaxel (D) plus enzalutamide (E) versus docetaxel (D) as first line chemotherapy for patients (pts) with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) (CHEIRON study).
Presenter: Orazio Caffo
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
2708 - Real-world analysis of patients (pts) with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) receiving vs not receiving chemotherapy in the treatment sequence
Presenter: Alicia Morgans
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
2134 - Baseline fracture risk in men with prostate cancer starting the STAMPEDE trial
Presenter: Janet Brown
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
3504 - Risk of falls and fractures in patients with castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) treated with new hormonal agents – a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Presenter: Rodrigo Coutinho Mariano
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
2342 - Pain progression at initiation of chemotherapy in metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (mCRPC) is associated with a poor prognosis: a post-hoc analysis of FIRSTANA
Presenter: Nicolas Delanoy
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
5331 - Pain evaluation in patients (pts) with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) treated with radium-223 (Ra-223) in the PARABO observation study
Presenter: Holger Palmedo
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
2823 - Time to castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and the risk of developing immune disorders
Presenter: Vincenza Conteduca
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
1500 - Retrospective evaluation of neutropenic admission events in metastatic or high-risk hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (HSPC) patients having docetaxel chemotherapy upfront or for castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) in STAMPEDE
Presenter: Harriet Mintz
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract