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Targeted therapies prime oncogene-driven lung cancers for macrophage-mediated destruction
Kyle Vaccaro, … , Aaron N. Hata, Kipp Weiskopf
Kyle Vaccaro, … , Aaron N. Hata, Kipp Weiskopf
Published March 14, 2024
Citation Information: J Clin Invest. 2024;134(9):e169315. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI169315.
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Research Article Oncology

Targeted therapies prime oncogene-driven lung cancers for macrophage-mediated destruction

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Abstract

Macrophage immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as anti-CD47 antibodies, show promise in clinical trials for solid and hematologic malignancies. However, the best strategies to use these therapies remain unknown, and ongoing studies suggest they may be most effective when used in combination with other anticancer agents. Here, we developed an unbiased, high-throughput screening platform to identify drugs that render lung cancer cells more vulnerable to macrophage attack, and we found that therapeutic synergy exists between genotype-directed therapies and anti-CD47 antibodies. In validation studies, we found that the combination of genotype-directed therapies and CD47 blockade elicited robust phagocytosis and eliminated persister cells in vitro and maximized antitumor responses in vivo. Importantly, these findings broadly applied to lung cancers with various RTK/MAPK pathway alterations — including EGFR mutations, ALK fusions, or KRASG12C mutations. We observed downregulation of β2-microglobulin and CD73 as molecular mechanisms contributing to enhanced sensitivity to macrophage attack. Our findings demonstrate that dual inhibition of the RTK/MAPK pathway and the CD47/SIRPa axis is a promising immunotherapeutic strategy. Our study provides strong rationale for testing this therapeutic combination in patients with lung cancers bearing driver mutations.

Authors

Kyle Vaccaro, Juliet Allen, Troy W. Whitfield, Asaf Maoz, Sarah Reeves, José Velarde, Dian Yang, Anna Meglan, Juliano Ribeiro, Jasmine Blandin, Nicole Phan, George W. Bell, Aaron N. Hata, Kipp Weiskopf

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Figure 3

Combining TKIs with anti-CD47 antibodies eliminates EGFR mutant persister cells in long-term cocultures assays with primary human macrophages.

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Combining TKIs with anti-CD47 antibodies eliminates EGFR mutant persiste...
GFP+ EGFR mutant lung cancer cells were cocultured with primary human macrophages and treated as indicated with vehicle control (PBS), an anti-CD47 antibody (10 μg/mL), and/or EGFR TKIs (1 μM). GFP+ area was measured over time as a metric of cancer cell growth or elimination. (A) Representative images of GFP+ PC9 cells on day 6.5 of coculture, with macrophages showing GFP+ area (purple). Scale bar: 800 μm. (B) Growth of GFP+ PC9 cells in coculture with macrophages using the indicated therapies. Data represent mean ± SEM with statistical analysis performed on day 14. (C) Growth of GFP+ PC9 cells in coculture with macrophages with or without an anti-CD47 antibody and/or EGFR TKIs as indicated. (D) Growth of GFP+ MGH119-1 patient-derived cells in coculture with macrophages with or without an anti-CD47 antibody and/or EGFR TKIs as indicated. (E) Growth of GFP+ MGH134-1 patient-derived cells in coculture with macrophages with or without an anti-CD47 antibody and/or the EGFR TKIs as indicated. MGH134-1 cells are resistant to first-generation EGFR TKIs (erlotinib, gefitinib) but sensitive to third-generation TKIs (osimertinib). (F) Growth of GFP+ PC9 cells in coculture with macrophages and the indicated macrophage immune checkpoint inhibitors (10 μg/mL). Cells were cocultured with the antibodies alone or in combination with osimertinib (100 nM). Data depict GFP+ area on day 6.5. (B–F) Data represent 3–4 cocultures per donor from experiments performed using a total of n = 3–9 independent macrophage donors. (C–F) Points represent individual cocultures, bars represent the mean. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0. 001, ****P < 0.0001 by 1-way (B–E) or 2-way (F) ANOVA with Holm-Šidák’s multiple comparisons test.

Copyright © 2025 American Society for Clinical Investigation
ISSN: 0021-9738 (print), 1558-8238 (online)

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