Abstract 1789: Pre-clinical studies to advance anti-ROR1 CAR-T cell therapy for metastatic prostate cancer
Authors: Jamieson Christina A.M. , Murtadha Jamillah , Oh Christopher S. , Muldong Michelle , Koutouan Evodie , Kim JOngwook , Etemadfard Niloofar , Choo Hae Soo , Sinha Navyaa , Lee Sanghee , Wu Christina , Pineda Gabriel , Lennon Kathleen , Willert Karl , Jamieson Catriona H. , Gaasterland Terry , Mckay Rana , Kane Christopher J. , Kipps Thomas J. , Kulidjian Anna A. , Cacalano Nicholas A. , Prussak Charles 
Published: April 2023

Background: Alterations in WNT signaling are frequently associated with tumorigenesis and metastasis in many cancers including prostate cancer (PCa). The Wnt ligand, WNT5A, is required for normal prostate gland development and is increased in bone metastatic, castration resistant PCa (CRPC) patients. WNT5A signaling is mediated in part through ROR1, a non-canonical Wnt receptor and fetal oncoprotein for which the therapeutic inhibitory antibody, Zilovertamab, has been developed. Its safety has been clinically proven in trials for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and metastatic breast cancer. We sought to investigate Zilovertamab-based anti-ROR1 therapies for metastatic prostate cancer.Our Hypothesis is that WNT5A may activate a stem-cell-like program via ROR1 which leads to therapy resistance in metastatic prostate cancer. The anti-ROR1 biologic, Zilovertamab, may inhibit this mechanism of resistance. The expression of ROR1 on CRPC and NEPC tumors and its lack of expression on normal adult tissues makes it a promising CART cell target.

Methods: We used the patient-derived xenograft (PDX), PCSD13, small cell bone metastatic prostate cancer model and the neuroendocrine PCa cell lines, PC3 and DU145, to test the effect of Zilovertamab and Zilovertamab-CART cells in vitro using the real time cell viability, proliferation, and cell cycle tracking assays in an Incucyte S3. We used in vivo bioluminescence and tumor caliper measurements to monitor effects in vivo.

Results: Studies using RNASeq, qRT-PCR, FACS and Westerns showed high expression of ROR1 in PC3, DU145, and in PCSD13. CRISPR-Cas9 Knock out of ROR1 in PC3 and DU145 cells showed increased inhibition of proliferation at lower docetaxel concentrations. Treatment of PCSD13 PDX in vivo with Zilovertamab increased docetaxel-mediated tumor growth inhibition. Mice bearing PC3 xenografts injected intravenously with Zilovertamab anti-ROR1 CAR-T cells showed durable, tumor ablation in 67% of mice compared to 22% of mice injected with activated T cells from the same donor and 0% of untreated mice. Survival of mice at Day 70 injected with CART was 78% compared to 0% of mice injected with control donor T cells and 0% of untreated mice. Zilovertamab antibody could inhibit Zilovertamab CART cell tumor cell killing.

Conclusions: ROR1 was expressed at high levels on castration resistant small cell PCa and neuroendocrine PCa cell lines and PDX models. Zilovertamab synergized with docetaxel to inhibit tumor growth in patient derived xenograft in vivo and in organoid cultures. Zilovertamab-based CART cells durably eradicated ROR1+ prostate cancer xenograft tumors. These studies supported the recently launched Phase 1b clinical trial of Zilovertamab plus docetaxel in metastatic CRPC patients. Clinical development of GMP Zilovertamab CART cells for a clinical trial in CLL is in progress and may lead to rapid progression to a clinical trial for metastatic CRPC and NEPC.

Citation Format: Christina A.M. Jamieson, Jamillah Murtadha, Christopher S. Oh, Michelle Muldong, Evodie Koutouan, JOngwook Kim, Niloofar Etemadfard, Hae Soo Choo, Navyaa Sinha, Sanghee Lee, Christina Wu, Gabriel Pineda, Kathleen Lennon, Karl Willert, Catriona H. Jamieson, Terry Gaasterland, Rana Mckay, Christopher J. Kane, Thomas J. Kipps, Anna A. Kulidjian, Nicholas A. Cacalano, Charles Prussak. Pre-clinical studies to advance anti-ROR1 CAR-T cell therapy for metastatic prostate cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 1789.