Inhibiting efferocytosis reverses macrophage-mediated immunosuppression in the leukemia microenvironment.
MERTK
Mertk inhibitors
acute myeloid leukemia
efferocytosis
leukemia associated macrophages
leukemia microenvironment
tumor micro environment (TME)
tumor-associated macrophages
Journal
Frontiers in immunology
ISSN: 1664-3224
Titre abrégé: Front Immunol
Pays: Switzerland
ID NLM: 101560960
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
2023
2023
Historique:
received:
17
01
2023
accepted:
20
02
2023
entrez:
24
3
2023
pubmed:
25
3
2023
medline:
28
3
2023
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
Previous studies show that the spleen and bone marrow can serve as leukemia microenvironments in which macrophages play a significant role in immune evasion and chemoresistance. We hypothesized that the macrophage driven tolerogenic process of efferocytosis is a major contributor to the immunosuppressive leukemia microenvironment and that this was driven by aberrant phosphatidylserine expression from cell turnover and cell membrane dysregulation. Since MerTK is the prototypic efferocytosis receptor, we assessed whether the MerTK inhibitor MRX2843, which is currently in clinical trials, would reverse immune evasion and enhance immune-mediated clearance of leukemia cells. We found that inhibition of MerTK decreased leukemia-associated macrophage expression of M2 markers PD-L1, PD-L2, Tim-3, CD163 and Arginase-1 compared to vehicle-treated controls. Additionally, MerTK inhibition led to M1 macrophage repolarization including elevated CD86 and HLA-DR expression, and increased production of T cell activating cytokines, including IFN-β, IL-18, and IL-1β through activation of NF-κB. Collectively, this macrophage repolarization had downstream effects on T cells within the leukemia microenvironment, including decreased PD-1 These results demonstrate that MerTK inhibition using MRX2843 altered the leukemia microenvironment from tumor-permissive toward immune responsiveness to leukemia and culminated in improved immune-mediated clearance of AML.
Sections du résumé
Background
Previous studies show that the spleen and bone marrow can serve as leukemia microenvironments in which macrophages play a significant role in immune evasion and chemoresistance. We hypothesized that the macrophage driven tolerogenic process of efferocytosis is a major contributor to the immunosuppressive leukemia microenvironment and that this was driven by aberrant phosphatidylserine expression from cell turnover and cell membrane dysregulation.
Methods
Since MerTK is the prototypic efferocytosis receptor, we assessed whether the MerTK inhibitor MRX2843, which is currently in clinical trials, would reverse immune evasion and enhance immune-mediated clearance of leukemia cells.
Results
We found that inhibition of MerTK decreased leukemia-associated macrophage expression of M2 markers PD-L1, PD-L2, Tim-3, CD163 and Arginase-1 compared to vehicle-treated controls. Additionally, MerTK inhibition led to M1 macrophage repolarization including elevated CD86 and HLA-DR expression, and increased production of T cell activating cytokines, including IFN-β, IL-18, and IL-1β through activation of NF-κB. Collectively, this macrophage repolarization had downstream effects on T cells within the leukemia microenvironment, including decreased PD-1
Discussion
These results demonstrate that MerTK inhibition using MRX2843 altered the leukemia microenvironment from tumor-permissive toward immune responsiveness to leukemia and culminated in improved immune-mediated clearance of AML.
Identifiants
pubmed: 36960055
doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1146721
pmc: PMC10027704
doi:
Substances chimiques
c-Mer Tyrosine Kinase
EC 2.7.10.1
Hepatitis A Virus Cellular Receptor 2
0
Types de publication
Journal Article
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
1146721Subventions
Organisme : NCI NIH HHS
ID : P30 CA016086
Pays : United States
Organisme : NCI NIH HHS
ID : P30 CA046934
Pays : United States
Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2023 Cruz Cruz, Allison, Page, Jenkins, Wang, Earp, Frye, Graham, Verneris and Lee-Sherick.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
SF and XW have filed a patent application describing MRX2843. HE, DG, XW, and SF are stockholders in Meryx, Inc. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest
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