Experimental Therapeutics Unit, Oncology Department, Hospital Clínico San Carlos (HCSC), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria San Carlos (IdISSC), 28040 Madrid, Spain.
START MadridCentro Integral Oncológico Clara Campal, 28050 Madrid, Spain.
Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Feb 13;25(4):2222. doi: 10.3390/ijms25042222.
The identification of surfaceome proteins is a main goal in cancer research to design antibody-based therapeutic strategies. T cell engagers based on KLK2, a kallikrein specifically expressed in prostate cancer (PRAD), are currently in early clinical development. Using genomic information from different sources, we evaluated the immune microenvironment and genomic profile of prostate tumors with high expression of KLK2. KLK2 was specifically expressed in PRAD but it was not significant associated with Gleason score. Additionally, KLK2 expression did not associate with the presence of any immune cell population and T cell activating markers. A mild correlation between the high expression of KLK2 and the deletion of TMPRSS2 was identified. KLK2 expression associated with high levels of surface proteins linked with a detrimental response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) including CHRNA2, FAM174B, OR51E2, TSPAN1, PTPRN2, and the non-surface protein TRPM4. However, no association of these genes with an outcome in PRAD was observed. Finally, the expression of these genes in PRAD did not associate with an outcome in PRAD and any immune populations. We describe the immunologic microenvironment on PRAD tumors with a high expression of KLK2, including a gene signature linked with an inert immune microenvironment, that predicts the response to ICIs in other tumor types. Strategies targeting KLK2 with T cell engagers or antibody-drug conjugates will define whether T cell mobilization or antigen release and stimulation of immune cell death are sufficient effects to induce clinical activity.
鉴定表面蛋白组学是癌症研究的主要目标,旨在设计基于抗体的治疗策略。基于 KLK2 的 T 细胞衔接子,一种在前列腺癌(PRAD)中特异性表达的激肽释放酶,目前处于早期临床开发阶段。利用来自不同来源的基因组信息,我们评估了高表达 KLK2 的前列腺肿瘤的免疫微环境和基因组特征。KLK2 在 PRAD 中特异性表达,但与 Gleason 评分无显著相关性。此外,KLK2 表达与任何免疫细胞群和 T 细胞激活标志物的存在均无相关性。鉴定到 KLK2 高表达与 TMPRSS2 缺失之间存在轻度相关性。KLK2 表达与高水平的表面蛋白相关,这些蛋白与免疫检查点抑制剂(ICI)的有害反应相关,包括 CHRNA2、FAM174B、OR51E2、TSPAN1、PTPRN2 和非表面蛋白 TRPM4。然而,在 PRAD 中没有观察到这些基因与结局的相关性。最后,在 PRAD 中,这些基因的表达与 PRAD 和任何免疫细胞群的结局均无相关性。我们描述了高表达 KLK2 的 PRAD 肿瘤的免疫微环境,包括与惰性免疫微环境相关的基因特征,该特征预测了其他肿瘤类型对 ICI 的反应。使用 T 细胞衔接子或抗体药物偶联物靶向 KLK2 的策略将确定 T 细胞动员或抗原释放和刺激免疫细胞死亡是否足以诱导临床活性。