2. Academic Validation
  3. Augmenting Immunotherapy Impact by Lowering Tumor TNF Cytotoxicity Threshold

Augmenting Immunotherapy Impact by Lowering Tumor TNF Cytotoxicity Threshold

  • Cell. 2019 Jul 25;178(3):585-599.e15. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.06.014.
David W Vredevoogd 1,  Thomas Kuilman 1,  Maarten A Ligtenberg 1,  Julia Boshuizen 1,  Kelly E Stecker 2,  Beaunelle de Bruijn 1,  Oscar Krijgsman 1,  Xinyao Huang 1,  Juliana C N Kenski 1,  Ruben Lacroix 1,  Riccardo Mezzadra 1,  Raquel Gomez-Eerland 1,  Mete Yildiz 1,  Ilknur Dagidir 1,  Georgi Apriamashvili 1,  Nordin Zandhuis 1,  Vincent van der Noort 3,  Nils L Visser 1,  Christian U Blank 4,  Maarten Altelaar 5,  Ton N Schumacher 1,  Daniel S Peeper 6
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
  • 2 Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
  • 3 Division of Statistics, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
  • 4 Division of Medical Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
  • 5 Proteomics Facility, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
  • 6 Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Electronic address: [email protected].
PMID: 31303383 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.06.014
Abstract

New opportunities are needed to increase immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) benefit. Whereas the interferon (IFN)γ pathway harbors both ICB resistance factors and therapeutic opportunities, this has not been systematically investigated for IFNγ-independent signaling routes. A genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 screen to sensitize IFNγ receptor-deficient tumor cells to CD8 T cell elimination uncovered several hits mapping to the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) pathway. Clinically, we show that TNF antitumor activity is only limited in tumors at baseline and in ICB non-responders, correlating with its low abundance. Taking advantage of the genetic screen, we demonstrate that ablation of the top hit, TRAF2, lowers the TNF cytotoxicity threshold in tumors by redirecting TNF signaling to favor RIPK1-dependent Apoptosis. TRAF2 loss greatly enhanced the therapeutic potential of pharmacologic inhibition of its interaction partner cIAP, another screen hit, thereby cooperating with ICB. Our results suggest that selective reduction of the TNF cytotoxicity threshold increases the susceptibility of tumors to immunotherapy.

Keywords

TNF; TRAF2; birinapant; immune checkpoint blockade; immunotherapy; lung cancer; melanoma.

Figures
Products