Abstract LB-180: Targeting galectin-1 in combination with radiation and immune checkpoint therapy in head and neck cancers
Authors: Nambiar Dhanya K. , Aguilera Todd , Bloomstein Joshua Daniel , Cao Hongbin , Koong Albert , Le Quynh Thu 
Published: July 2017

Head and neck cancers (HNC) development shows significant changes in the immune profile, with lower systemic lymphocyte counts and reduced tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, which inversely correlate with survival. Galectin-1 (Gal-1) is secreted at high level by cancer cells, including HNC, and contributes to tumor-immune escape and disease progression. Previously, we have shown that both hypoxia and radiotherapy (RT) can stimulate Gal-1 secretion. Immune checkpoint therapies, specifically targeting the PD1 pathway, allows T cells to be effective in shrinking tumors and lengthen survival in patients with metastatic HNC. However, these therapies work only in a small number of patients with tumors showing significant T cell infiltration. Targeting Gal-1 in HNC therefore, could be a useful therapeutic approach, as it may synergize with radiation and immunotherapy. Using the CRISPR/Cas9 deletion approach, we developed an orthotopic model of HNC with/without Gal-1 expression. We found that in both subcutaneous and orthotopic model of oral cancer, Gal-1 KO (knock-out) tumors showed marked decrease in tumor growth and nodal metastases. These differences were attributed to enhanced infiltration of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, in the absence of Gal-1. Using a series of transendothelial migration assays in vitro and tracking adoptively transferred T cells in vivo, we show that presence of Gal-1 in the tumor microenvironment strongly suppresses T cell infiltration into tumors. We found that Gal-1 secretion led to a systemic immune suppressive response not just intra-tumorally but also in the circulating blood compartment, resulting in reduction of both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Concurrently, we detected higher levels of IFN-γ secretion in mice with Gal-1 KO tumors. We also observed a higher expression of PD-L1 and Gal-9 on the endothelium of WT-Gal1 compared to Gal-1 KO tumors, leading to T cell exhaustion and ineffective systemic immune response. In addition, there was noteworthy increase in the PD1+ and Tim3+ T cells in Gal-1 WT tumors compared to Gal-1 KO tumors, suggesting a role of Gal-1 in T cell anergy. Finally, we show that knocking out Gal-1 either genetically or by a blocking antibody, we could convert an anti-PD1 Ab non-responsive tumor into a responsive tumor with a significant decrease in tumor burden. In summary, our study shows Gal-1 in the tumor microenvironment could hamper immune response by impeding transendothelial T cell migration into the tumor, blocking pro-inflammatory cytokine secretions and up-regulating inhibitory immune checkpoints ligands in both tumor endothelial and T cells. Our data suggests that Gal-1 may mediate poor-response or resistance to anti-PD1 therapy and combinatorial approaches of galectin-1 inhibition with PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors may enhance therapeutic efficacy in HNC. (Acknowledgements: BMS for Anti-PD1 and Anti-Gal1 Abs. Dr R. Uppaluri, for MOC-2 oral cancer cells).

Citation Format: Dhanya K. Nambiar, Todd Aguilera, Joshua Daniel Bloomstein, Hongbin Cao, Albert Koong, Quynh Thu Le. Targeting galectin-1 in combination with radiation and immune checkpoint therapy in head and neck cancers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-180. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-LB-180