In:
Clinical Cancer Research, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), Vol. 30, No. 15 ( 2024-08-01), p. 3298-3315
Abstract:
Anti-EGFR antibodies show limited response in breast cancer, partly due to activation of compensatory pathways. Furthermore, despite the clinical success of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitors in hormone receptor–positive tumors, aggressive triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) are largely resistant due to CDK2/cyclin E expression, whereas free CDK2 inhibitors display normal tissue toxicity, limiting their therapeutic application. A cetuximab-based antibody drug conjugate (ADC) carrying a CDK inhibitor selected based on oncogene dysregulation, alongside patient subgroup stratification, may provide EGFR-targeted delivery. Experimental Design: Expressions of G1/S-phase cell cycle regulators were evaluated alongside EGFR in breast cancer. We conjugated cetuximab with CDK inhibitor SNS-032, for specific delivery to EGFR-expressing cells. We assessed ADC internalization and its antitumor functions in vitro and in orthotopically grown basal-like/TNBC xenografts. Results: Transcriptomic (6,173 primary, 27 baseline, and matched post-chemotherapy residual tumors), single-cell RNA sequencing (150,290 cells, 27 treatment-naïve tumors), and spatial transcriptomic (43 tumor sections, 22 TNBCs) analyses confirmed expression of CDK2 and its cyclin partners in basal-like/TNBCs, associated with EGFR. Spatiotemporal live-cell imaging and super-resolution confocal microscopy demonstrated ADC colocalization with late lysosomal clusters. The ADC inhibited cell cycle progression, induced cytotoxicity against high EGFR-expressing tumor cells, and bystander killing of neighboring EGFR-low tumor cells, but minimal effects on immune cells. Despite carrying a small molar fraction (1.65%) of the SNS-032 inhibitor, the ADC restricted EGFR-expressing spheroid and cell line/patient-derived xenograft tumor growth. Conclusions: Exploiting EGFR overexpression, and dysregulated cell cycle in aggressive and treatment-refractory tumors, a cetuximab–CDK inhibitor ADC may provide selective and efficacious delivery of cell cycle–targeted agents to basal-like/TNBCs, including chemotherapy-resistant residual disease.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1078-0432
,
1557-3265
DOI:
10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-23-3110
Language:
English
Publisher:
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
Publication Date:
2024
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1225457-5
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2036787-9
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