Abstract LB156: Targeting epigenetic activity of beta-catenin/CBP impedes oral cancer progression
Authors: Fisher Emily , Spinella Anthony , Matsui Junji , Nomoto Kenichi , Varelas Xaralabos , Bais Manish , Kukuruzinska Maria 
Published: April 2024

Head and neck cancer is a complex malignancy with its major anatomical subsite, cancer of the oral cavity, ranking among the most deadly and disfiguring cancers. Oral cancer presents primarily as HPV-negative oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) whose etiology is associated with tobacco and alcohol use and for which there are limited treatments. Whereas immunotherapies, such as anti-PD-1 antibodies, have become a promising therapeutic option, only ~20% of head neck cancer patients benefit from anti-PD-1 immunotherapy.

We and others have shown that non-mutational epigenetic reprogramming mediated by the β-catenin/CBP complex promotes aggressive cell phenotypes in OSCC by establishing open chromatin at the transcription start sites of genes associated with cancer stemness. Accordingly, pharmacological inhibition of this complex dramatically inhibits OSCC evolution in a syngeneic mouse model of OSCC. Here, we evaluated whether the inhibition of β-catenin/CBP epigenetic activity would enhance the effects of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy.

We adapted a syngeneic mouse model of tobacco-associated oral carcinogenesis that utilizes a mouse cell line, 4MOSC1, derived from 4-nitroquinoline-1 oxide- (4NQO)-induced tongue tumors of C57BL/6J mice. After tumors developed for 7 days, mice were blindly separated into treatment cohorts (n=13, each) to receive vehicle control (PBS), monotherapy (either 10 mg/kg anti-PD-1 EOD IP, or 100 mg/kg E7386, a Wnt signaling pathway modulator, QD oral gavage) or combination therapy (anti-PD-1 + E7386). Tumor isografts were harvested 11 days post initiation of treatments and processed for histopathology, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence analyses.

Measurements of tumor volumes showed that combination therapy resulted in a statistically significant reduction by ~80% compared to control mice and that it surpassed tumor decrease by either monotherapy. These results were confirmed by histopathology analyses. Evaluation of tumor tissues by immunofluorescence revealed statistically significant decreases in Cbp, H3K4me3, Keratin 14, and Podoplanin expression in response to E7386 alone and in combination with anti PD-1. Collectively our results suggest that a combination therapy comprising anti PD-1 treatment with E7386-targeting β-catenin/CBP epigenetic signaling is likely to impede OSCC evolution to advanced disease.

Supported by Eisai, Co Ltd Research Award (MAK), NIH 5R01 DE030350 (MAK, SM, XV) and 5R01 DE031413 (MVB).

Citation Format: Emily Fisher, Anthony Spinella, Junji Matsui, Kenichi Nomoto, Xaralabos Varelas, Manish Bais, Maria Kukuruzinska. Targeting epigenetic activity of beta-catenin/CBP impedes oral cancer progression [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 2 (Late-Breaking, Clinical Trial, and Invited Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(7_Suppl):Abstract nr LB156.