Abstract GS5-07: Estradiol represses anti-tumoral immune response to promote progression of triple-negative breast cancer brain metastases
Authors: Cittelly Diana , Contreras-Zarate Maria J. , ALvarez-Eraso Karen , Tesic Vesna , Tsuji Nicole , Chafee Leanna , Karam Sana , Ormond D. Ryan , Kabos Peter 
Published: March 2023

Background: Younger women with breast cancer have increased risk of development of brain metastases irrespective of the tumor subtype. We have shown that pre-menopausal levels of 17-β-Estradiol (E2) contributes to the promotion of brain metastases by influencing the tumor microenvironment. E2 promotes brain metastasis (BM) of estrogen receptor negative (ER¯) BC cells by inducing neuroinflammatory ER+ astrocytes in the brain niche to secrete pro-metastatic factors critical for early brain colonization. Ovarieoctomy (OVX) in combination with the aromatase inhibitor (Letrozole) prevented brain colonization of triple negative (TNBC) (ER-PR-HER2-) human xenografts (MDA231BR/NSG) and murine models (E0711/C57Bl6, 4T1/BALBc) through paracrine activation of EGFR and TRKB, pathways involved in increased invasion and early tumor initiation. Yet, the extent to which E2-depletion therapies can decrease progression of established BM in combination with current standard of care for brain metastasis remains unknown. Goal: Current standard of care (SOC) for patients with TNBC brain metastasis includes irradiation (SRS, whole brain) and immunotherapy (PD-1/PDL-1 inhibitors). The goal of this study was to assess how E2-depletion therapies affects brain immune function in the context of SOC for brain metastatic progression of TNBC. Results: To assess whether E2-depletion could decrease BM progression in a model that mimics standard of care for BM, TNBC E0771-GFP-luc cells were injected intracardially in syngeneic ovariectomized (OVX)-female C57Bl6 mice supplemented with pre-menopausal levels of E2. Seven days after injection (when cancer cells have colonized), mice received a single 15Gy dose brain irradiation and were randomized to continue receiving E2, E2 withdrawal (E2WD) or E2WD plus the aromatase-inhibitor letrozole (E2WD+LET). Brain metastatic burden significantly decreased in E2WD and E2WD+Letrozole treated mice as compared to E2-treated mice. Injection of E0711 cells in immunocompromised NSG mice or in the absence of brain irradiation abolished this effect, suggesting that E2-depletion therapies decrease BM progression through boosting radiation-induced anti-tumor immunity. Accordingly, there were no differences in BM progression in E2, E2WD or E2WD+let treated mice in a xenograft model (F2-7 TNBC cells) in NSG mice, even in the presence of brain irradiation. Immune-profiling of brains from OVX+E2, OVX and OVX+Let C57BL6 mice carrying BMs showed dynamic changes in immune populations at early and late stages of brain metastatic colonization. At early stages post brain colonization (3 days post ic injection) E2-treated mice showed a decreased fraction of CD11b+CD45Int CD206+ microglia/CNS macrophages as compared to OVX+LET-treated mice, without significant changes in the fraction of infiltrated lymphocytes, suggesting E2 represses early immunosurveillance through repression of microglia/CNS macrophage activation. At later stages of brain colonization (7 days post ic injection), E2-treated mice showed an increased fraction of proinflammatory microglia and decreased fraction of T and B cells as compared to OVX or OVX+let treated mice. While E2-depletion increased the recruitment of T cells to the brain niche, the fraction of CD279 (PD1+) brain T cells was similar among groups. Ongoing studies assess the efficacy of E2-depletion therapies in combination with brain radiation and PD-1 inhibitors to decrease metastatic burden and improve survival in preclinical models. Conclusion: Our results support the hypothesis that estradiol promotes brain metastatic progression by stimulating an immunosuppressive brain microenvironment. As such, FDA-approved E2-depletion therapies (aromatase inhibitors and selective-estrogen modulators) could be used in combination with brain irradiation and PD-1 inhibitors to promote a more effective anti-tumoral immune response.

Citation Format: Diana Cittelly, Maria J. Contreras-Zarate, Karen ALvarez-Eraso, Vesna Tesic, Nicole Tsuji, Leanna Chafee, Sana Karam, D. Ryan Ormond, Peter Kabos. Estradiol represses anti-tumoral immune response to promote progression of triple-negative breast cancer brain metastases [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr GS5-07.