2. Academic Validation
  3. Radiotherapy combined with TLR7/8 activation induces strong immune responses against gastrointestinal tumors

Radiotherapy combined with TLR7/8 activation induces strong immune responses against gastrointestinal tumors

  • Oncotarget. 2015 Mar 10;6(7):4663-76. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.3081.
Sebastian Schölch 1 2 3,  Conrad Rauber 4 2 3,  Alexandra Tietz 2 3,  Nuh N Rahbari 1,  Ulrich Bork 1,  Thomas Schmidt 4,  Christoph Kahlert 1,  Uwe Haberkorn 5,  Mark A Tomai 6,  Kenneth E Lipson 7,  Rafael Carretero 8,  Jürgen Weitz 1,  Moritz Koch 1,  Peter E Huber 2 3
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Gastrointestinal, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Medizinische Fakultät Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
  • 2 CCU Molecular and Radiation Oncology, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
  • 3 Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
  • 4 Department of General, Gastrointestinal and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
  • 5 Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
  • 6 3M, Inc., St. Paul, Minnesota 55121, USA.
  • 7 Fibrogen Inc., San Francisco, California 94158, USA.
  • 8 Division of Molecular Immunology, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
PMID: 25609199 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.3081
Abstract

In addition to local cytotoxic activity, radiotherapy may also elicit local and systemic antitumor immunity, which may be augmented by immunotherapeutic agents including Toll-like Receptor (TLR) 7/8 agonists. Here, we investigated the ability of 3M-011 (854A), a TLR7/8 agonist, to boost the antigen-presenting activity of dendritic cells (DC) as an adjuvant to radiotherapy. The combined treatment induced marked local and systemic responses in subcutaneous and orthotopic mouse models of colorectal and pancreatic Cancer. In vitro cytotoxicity assays as well as in vivo depletion experiments with monoclonal Antibodies identified NK and CD8 T cells as the cell populations mediating the cytotoxic effects of the treatment, while in vivo depletion of CD11c+ dendritic cells (DC) in CD11c-DTR transgenic mice revealed DC as the pivotal immune hub in this setting. The specificity of the immune reaction was confirmed by ELISPOT assays. TLR7/8 agonists therefore seem to be potent adjuvants to radiotherapy, inducing strong local and profound systemic immune responses to tumor antigens released by conventional therapy.

Keywords

TLR7/8 ligand; colorectal cancer; immunotherapy; pancreatic cancer; radiotherapy.

Figures
Products