Increased indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase activity and expression in prostate cancer following targeted immunotherapy.
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ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:We previously found that PD-L1 expression is increased on tumor cells following vaccination treatments that lead to increased tumor-specific T cells that secrete IFN?. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is another IFN? inducible gene that has potent immunosuppressive effects. There have been reports of IDO expression in prostate cancer; however, it is unknown whether IDO expression might similarly increase in prostate tumors following T-cell-based immunotherapy. METHODS:Blood samples from normal male blood donors (n?=?12) and patients with different stages of prostate cancer (n?=?89), including patients with metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer treated with a DNA vaccine and/or pembrolizumab, were evaluated for IDO activity by kynurenine and tryptophan levels. Metastatic tissue biopsies obtained pre- and post-treatments were evaluated for IDO expression. IDO suppression of vaccine-induced T-cell function was assessed by ELISPOT. RESULTS:Overall, IDO activity was increased in patients with more advanced prostate cancer. This activity, and IDO expression as detected immunohistochemically, increased following treatment with either a DNA vaccine encoding the prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) tumor antigen or PD-1 blockade with pembrolizumab. Increased IDO activity after treatment was associated with the absence of clinical effect, as assessed by lack of PSA decline following treatment. Increased antigen-specific T-cell response, as measured by IFN? release, to the vaccine target antigen was detected following in vitro stimulation of peripheral blood cells with 1-methyltryptophan. CONCLUSIONS:These findings suggest that IDO expression is a mechanism of immune evasion used by prostate cancer and that future clinical trials using T-cell-based immune strategies might best include IDO inhibition.
SUBMITTER: Zahm CD
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7111534 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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