Abstract 1344: Small molecule inhibitor of CD38 modulates its intra- and extracellular functions leading to antitumor activity
Authors: Shambharkar Prashant , Blackwell Danielle J. , Vasbinder Melissa M. , Schenkel Laurie B. , Kunii Kaiko , Lemera Jenkins L. , Kuplast-Barr Kristy G. , Ren Yue , Bamberg Ellen , Church W. David , Majer Christina R. , Utley Luke , McEachern Kristen , Niepel Mario , Wigle Tim J. , Kuntz Kevin W. , Richon Victoria M. , Keilhack Heike , Gozgit Joseph M. 
Published: July 2021

CD38 is an ADP-ribosyl cyclase that converts NAD+ to ADP-ribose (ADPR) or cyclic ADPR (cADPR) and nicotinamide. The enzyme can exist in either an ecto- or endo-catalytic orientation with different sub-cellular localization, and therefore can regulate internal and external NAD+ pools. Both NAD+ and cADPR can impact T cell fitness and effector function, and CD38 has been shown to be increased in settings of chronic T cell activation. CD38 can mediate the non-canonical generation of the immune suppressive adenosine by catabolizing extracellular NAD+ resulting in immunosuppression in the microenvironment. Upon immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy, CD38 is upregulated on cancer cells to drive ICI resistance. Therefore CD38, through its catalytic activity, has been implicated in tumor immune suppression and ICI resistance. Genetic knockout of CD38 has been shown to prevent tumor growth and improve T cell fitness. Here, we describe the effects of CD38 inhibition using a small molecule inhibitor on these key metabolites in various cellular and tumor models.

RBN013209 is a potent and selective small molecule inhibitor of CD38 catalytic function. We demonstrate that inhibition of CD38 with RBN013209 prevents conversion of extracellular NAD+ to ADPR or cADPR in cancer cell lines and PBMCs. Similarly, RBN013209 inhibited intracellular CD38 activity and elevated intracellular NAD+ levels in cultured human primary T cells. Oral administration of RBN013209 to naïve mice resulted in dose-dependent elevation of NAD+ and reduction of ADPR in various tissues such as spleen and liver. We next assessed the expression of CD38 protein by immunohistochemistry following ICI treatment in various syngeneic cancer models to select a model for efficacy studies. We observed increases in CD38 expression on tumor cells and infiltrating immune cells in MC38 colon cancer and B16-F10 and Cloudman S91 melanoma models. In the MC38 tumor model, we observed single agent antitumor activity with RBN013209 that was associated with changes in NAD+ and ADPR. In B16-F10 tumor-bearing mice, we observed antitumor activity with RBN013209 in combination with anti-PD-L1 therapy. To evaluate CD38 as a biomarker in clinical samples, we assessed and confirmed the tumor expression of CD38 protein from lung, prostate and kidney cancer patients.

Here, we show that inhibition of CD38 with a small molecule affects both intra- and extra-cellular CD38 activity and modulates key metabolites playing an important role in immunomodulation. Further, our data indicate that CD38 is increased by ICI treatment and that inhibition of CD38 can lead to antitumor activity.

Citation Format: Prashant Shambharkar, Danielle J. Blackwell, Melissa M. Vasbinder, Laurie B. Schenkel, Kaiko Kunii, Jenkins L. Lemera, Kristy G. Kuplast-Barr, Yue Ren, Ellen Bamberg, W. David Church, Christina R. Majer, Luke Utley, Kristen McEachern, Mario Niepel, Tim J. Wigle, Kevin W. Kuntz, Victoria M. Richon, Heike Keilhack, Joseph M. Gozgit. Small molecule inhibitor of CD38 modulates its intra- and extracellular functions leading to antitumor activity [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 1344.