STK11/LKB1 Deficiency Promotes Neutrophil Recruitment and Proinflammatory Cytokine Production to Suppress T-cell Activity in the Lung Tumor Microenvironment Journal Article

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Authors: Koyama, S.; Akbay, E. A.; Li, Y. Y.; Aref, A. R.; Skoulidis, F.; Herter-Sprie, G. S.; Buczkowski, K. A.; Liu, Y; Awad, M. M.; Denning, W. L.; Diao, L.; Wang, J; Parra-Cuentas, E. R.; Wistuba, I. I.; Soucheray, M; Thai, T.; Asahina, H.; Kitajima, S.; Altabef, A.; Cavanaugh, J. D.; Rhee, K.; Gao, P.; Zhang, H; Fecci, P. E.; Shimamura, T; Hellmann, M. D.; Heymach, J. V.; Hodi, F. S.; Freeman, G. J.; Barbie, D. A.; Dranoff, G.; Hammerman, P. S.; Wong, K. K.
Article Title: STK11/LKB1 Deficiency Promotes Neutrophil Recruitment and Proinflammatory Cytokine Production to Suppress T-cell Activity in the Lung Tumor Microenvironment
Abstract: STK11/LKB1 is among the most commonly inactivated tumor suppressors in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), especially in tumors harboring KRAS mutations. Many oncogenes promote immune escape, undermining the effectiveness of immunotherapies, but it is unclear whether the inactivation of tumor suppressor genes, such as STK11/LKB1, exerts similar effects. In this study, we investigated the consequences of STK11/LKB1 loss on the immune microenvironment in a mouse model of KRAS-driven NSCLC. Genetic ablation of STK11/LKB1 resulted in accumulation of neutrophils with T-cell-suppressive effects, along with a corresponding increase in the expression of T-cell exhaustion markers and tumor-promoting cytokines. The number of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes was also reduced in LKB1-deficient mouse and human tumors. Furthermore, STK11/LKB1-inactivating mutations were associated with reduced expression of PD-1 ligand PD-L1 in mouse and patient tumors as well as in tumor-derived cell lines. Consistent with these results, PD-1-targeting antibodies were ineffective against Lkb1-deficient tumors. In contrast, treating Lkb1-deficient mice with an IL6-neutralizing antibody or a neutrophil-depleting antibody yielded therapeutic benefits associated with reduced neutrophil accumulation and proinflammatory cytokine expression. Our findings illustrate how tumor suppressor mutations can modulate the immune milieu of the tumor microenvironment, and they offer specific implications for addressing STK11/LKB1-mutated tumors with PD-1-targeting antibody therapies. Cancer Res; 76(5); 999-1008. (c)2016 AACR.
Journal Title: Cancer research
Volume: 76
Issue: 5
ISSN: 1538-7445; 0008-5472
Publisher: American Association for Cancer Research  
Journal Place: United States
Date Published: 2016
Start Page: 999
End Page: 1008
Language: eng
DOI/URL:

10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-15-1439
Notes: LR: 20160303; CI: (c)2016; GR: R01 CA140594/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States; GR: R01 CA163896/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States; GR: R01 CA166480/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States; GR: R01 CA190394/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States; GR: R01 CA195740/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States; JID: 2984705R; NIHMS750011; OID: NLM: NIHMS750011 [Available on 03/01/17]; OID: NLM: PMC4775354 [Available on 03/01/17]; PMCR: 2017/03/01 00:00; 2015/05/29 [received]; 2015/12/06 [accepted]; 2016/02/01 [aheadofprint]; ppublish