Abstract 2377: HER2-ADC efficacy is rooted in its induction of immunogenic cell death with FcGR activation and a systemic bystander effect
Authors: Tsao Li-Chung , Ma Xingru , Wang John S. , Trotter Timothy N. , Wang Tao , Wei Jun-Ping , Lei Gang-jun , McBane Jason , Fan Ping , Spasojevic Ivan , Hartman Zachary C. 
Published: March 2024

Background: T-DXd is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting HER2 that has demonstrated superior clinical efficacy over previous HER2-targeting agent Trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1). Notably, T-Dxd is clinically effective in breast cancers (BC) with a range of HER2 expression. While its purported mechanism of action (MOA) involves its cleavable linker leading to bystander killing, it remains unclear how this potential MOA accounts for efficacy in HER2-low cancers or the role FCGR-mediated signaling and immune induction plays in its clinical efficacy.

Method: In vitro studies utilized co-culture, internalization, FCGR activation, ADCP, flow cytometry, and gene expression by QRT-PCR and ELISA assays. Assessments of tumor antigen-specific T cell stimulation involved JEDI T cells. In vivo studies were conducted using in vivo implantation of HER2+ and HER2- cells, PK assessments of T-Dxd/DM1 and therapeutic effects determined using an endogenous HER2 transgenic mouse model that measured HER2-specific adaptive immune responses, in combination with immune checkpoint blockade anti-CD47.

Results: T-Dxd elicited a systemic bystander effect that was only partially dependent on HER2 expression, mediated by specific cathepsins in the extracellular TME. Notably, T-Dxd cytotoxicity induced immunogenic cell death (ICD), while also retaining the ability to engage FCGRs to promote ADCP and innate immune activation. ICD was mediated by secretion of specific Dxd driven DAMPs (HMGB1 and eATP), resulting in TLR4/STING activation. ICD and FCGR activation along with antigen ADCP together elicited myeloid cell activation (CD80, CD40) and antigen presentation, resulting in effective expansion of tumor antigen-specific T cells responses, demonstrated by co-culture assays using EGFP/HER2+ BC cells and CD8+ JEDI T cells. T cell activation required TLR4 and STING pathways while in vivo, T-Dxd anti-tumor responses associated with augmented HER2-specific T and B cell responses. However, T-Dxd also induced CD47 to limit phagocytosis. But, the use of CD47/SIRPa blocking antibodies dramatically enhanced CD8+ T cell expansion in vitro and anti-tumor efficacy in vivo upon T-Dxd treatment.

Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that T-Dxd is cleavable in HER2 negative BC in vivo, which permits more widespread Dxd activity against HER2 low BC. Critically, Dxd elicits ICD, resulting in innate immune stimulation of myeloid cells, which when combined with FCGR activation and ADCP, leads to a striking induction of tumor-specific adaptive immunity. This combination was unique to T-Dxd, which may underlie its clinical superior efficacy. However, T-Dxd activity also elicits suppressive CD47 expression which could be negated using CD47/SIRPA blockade. We found that this combination dramatically enhanced T-Dxd resulted therapeutic efficacy, thus supporting clinical exploration of these combinations.

Citation Format: Li-Chung Tsao, Xingru Ma, John S. Wang, Timothy N. Trotter, Tao Wang, Jun-Ping Wei, Gang-jun Lei, Jason McBane, Ping Fan, Ivan Spasojevic, Zachary C. Hartman. HER2-ADC efficacy is rooted in its induction of immunogenic cell death with FcGR activation and a systemic bystander effect [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 2377.