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Genetic engineering of platelets to neutralize circulating tumor cells.

ABSTRACT: Mounting experimental evidence demonstrates that platelets support cancer metastasis. Within the circulatory system, platelets guard circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from immune elimination and promote their arrest at the endothelium, supporting CTC extravasation into secondary sites. Neutralization of CTCs in blood circulation can potentially attenuate metastases to distant organs. Therefore, extensive studies have explored the blockade of platelet-CTC interactions as an anti-metastatic strategy. Such an intervention approach, however, may cause bleeding disorders since the platelet-CTC interactions inherently rely on the blood coagulation cascade including platelet activation. On the other hand, platelets have been genetically engineered to correct inherited bleeding disorders in both animal models and human clinical trials. In this study, inspired by the physical association between platelets and CTCs, platelets were genetically modified to express surface-bound tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), a cytokine known to induce apoptosis specifically in tumor cells. The TRAIL-expressing platelets were demonstrated to kill cancer cells in vitro and significantly reduce metastases in a mouse model of prostate cancer metastasis. Our results suggest that using platelets to produce and deliver cancer-specific therapeutics can provide a Trojan-horse strategy of neutralizing CTCs to attenuate metastasis.

SUBMITTER: Li J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4828270 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Genetic engineering of platelets to neutralize circulating tumor cells.

Li Jiahe J Sharkey Charles C CC Wun Brittany B Liesveld Jane L JL King Michael R MR

Journal of controlled release : official journal of the Controlled Release Society 20160226

Mounting experimental evidence demonstrates that platelets support cancer metastasis. Within the circulatory system, platelets guard circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from immune elimination and promote their arrest at the endothelium, supporting CTC extravasation into secondary sites. Neutralization of CTCs in blood circulation can potentially attenuate metastases to distant organs. Therefore, extensive studies have explored the blockade of platelet-CTC interactions as an anti-metastatic strategy. ...[more]

PMID: 26921521

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Project description:BackgroundImmune checkpoint inhibition is effective in several cancers. Expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) on circulating tumor or immune effector cells could provide insights into selection of patients for immune checkpoint inhibition.MethodsWhole blood was collected at serial timepoints from metastatic breast cancer patients and healthy donors for circulating tumor cell (CTC) and platelet PD-L1 analysis with a phycoerythrin-labeled anti-human PD-L1 monoclonal antibody (Biolegend clone 29E.2A3) using the CellSearch® assay. CTC PD-L1 was considered positive if detected on at least 1% of the cells; platelet PD-L1 was considered positive if ≥100 platelets per CellSearch frame expressed PD-L1.ResultsA total of 207 specimens from 124 metastatic breast cancer patients were collected. 52/124 (42%) samples at timepoint-1 (at or close to time of progressive disease) had ≥5 CTC/7.5ml whole blood. Of those, 21 (40%) had positive CTC PD-L1. In addition, platelet PD-L1 expression was observed in 35/124 (28%) at timepoint-1. Platelet PD-L1 was not detected in more than 70 specimens from 12 healthy donors. Platelet PD-L1 was associated with ≥5 CTC/7.5ml whole blood (p = 0.0002), less likely in patients with higher red blood cell counts (OR = 0.72, p<0.001) and a history of smoking tobacco (OR = 0.76, p<0.001). Platelet PD-L1 staining was not associated with tumor marker status, recent procedures or treatments, platelet-affecting drugs, or CTC PD-L1 expression.ConclusionPD-L1 expression was found in metastatic breast cancer patients on both CTC and platelets in an independent fashion. Inter-patient platelet PD-L1 expression was highly heterogeneous suggesting that it is a biological event associated with cancer in some but not all patients. Taken together, our data suggest that CTC and platelet PD-L1 expression could play a role in predicting which patients should receive immune checkpoint inhibition and as a pharmacodynamics biomarker during treatment.

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Genetic engineering of platelets to neutralize circulating tumor cells.

Publications

Genetic engineering of platelets to neutralize circulating tumor cells.

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