Department of Medicine, Thoracic Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Mortimer B. Zuckerman Research Center, Office: Z1701, 417 E 68th St, New York, NY 10065, USA.
Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Center for Molecular Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.
Cell Rep. 2022 May 17;39(7):110814. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110814.
Small cell lung cancers (SCLCs) have high mutational burden but are relatively unresponsive to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). Using SCLC models, we demonstrate that inhibition of WEE1, a G2/M checkpoint regulator induced by DNA damage, activates the STING-TBK1-IRF3 pathway, which increases type I interferons (IFN-α and IFN-β) and pro-inflammatory chemokines (CXCL10 and CCL5), facilitating an immune response via CD8 cytotoxic T cell infiltration. We further show that WEE1 inhibition concomitantly activates the STAT1 pathway, increasing IFN-γ and PD-L1 expression. Consistent with these findings, combined WEE1 inhibition (AZD1775) and PD-L1 blockade causes remarkable tumor regression, activation of type I and II interferon pathways, and infiltration of cytotoxic T cells in multiple immunocompetent SCLC genetically engineered mouse models, including an aggressive model with stabilized MYC. Our study demonstrates cell-autonomous and immune-stimulating activity of WEE1 inhibition in SCLC models. Combined inhibition of WEE1 plus PD-L1 blockade represents a promising immunotherapeutic approach in SCLC.
小细胞肺癌(SCLC)具有较高的突变负担,但对免疫检查点阻断(ICB)的反应相对较低。我们使用 SCLC 模型证明,抑制 DNA 损伤诱导的 G2/M 检查点调节剂 WEE1,可激活 STING-TBK1-IRF3 途径,增加 I 型干扰素(IFN-α 和 IFN-β)和促炎趋化因子(CXCL10 和 CCL5),通过 CD8 细胞毒性 T 细胞浸润促进免疫反应。我们进一步表明,WEE1 抑制同时激活 STAT1 途径,增加 IFN-γ 和 PD-L1 的表达。与这些发现一致,联合 WEE1 抑制(AZD1775)和 PD-L1 阻断在多种免疫功能正常的 SCLC 基因工程小鼠模型中引起显著的肿瘤消退、I 型和 II 型干扰素途径的激活以及细胞毒性 T 细胞的浸润,包括一种具有稳定 MYC 的侵袭性模型。我们的研究表明,WEE1 抑制在 SCLC 模型中具有细胞自主和免疫刺激活性。联合抑制 WEE1 加 PD-L1 阻断代表了 SCLC 有前途的免疫治疗方法。
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