Abstract PO3-07-10: Advanced CD8 ImmunoPET imaging predicts radiation response in primary TNBC
Authors: Song Patrick , Lynch Shannon , DeMellier Chloe , Mascioni Alessandro , Jia Fang , Sorace Anna 
Published: May 2024

Background: Tumor immunology and immunosuppression has been observed to drive changes in intratumoral response to cytotoxic and immunotherapy in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). While radiation therapy is standard of care for TNBC, there is a lack of research into the relationship between long term treatment response and CD8 immune infiltration in the context of a radiation resistant model. Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging allows for noninvasive monitoring of the tumor microenvironment that can precede changes in tumor volume, including approaches that allow for immune imaging of CD8 T-cell trafficking. Noninvasive PET imaging of radiation response has the potential to identify windows of enhanced response to secondary therapy and can guide interventional therapy. The goal of this study is to understand how radiation can prime the tumor microenvironment to be combined with other therapeutics in TNBC through changes in CD8 immune infiltration with [89Zr]-CD8 ImmunoPET imaging. Methods: Syngeneic parental 4T1 (radiation sensitive) and a developed radiation-resistant 4T1 sub-cell line were orthotopically injected into BALB/c mice (N = 5 control, N = 9-10 radiation treated for each model). After reaching a tumor volume of ~100 mm3, mice began treatment with 2 Gy fractionated radiation daily from day 0-5. On day 6, mice were injected with ~50 µCi of [89Zr]-CD8 minibody (IAB42) and imaged 24 hours post injection. The mean standardized uptake value (SUV) was quantified and normalized to heart SUV to extract out a tumor:heart SUVratio that describe the CD8 infiltration within tumors. Following imaging, tumors were either excised immediately for immunofluorescence against CD8 or monitored for longitudinal changes in tumor volume. A non-parametric T-test was used to assess for significance between groups. Results: In radiation sensitive 4T1 tumors, [89Zr]-CD8 ImmunoPET imaging indicated a 23% increase in CD8 immune infiltration, in radiation-treated tumors compared to control tumors on day 7 (p = 0.02). These immune alterations occurred prior to any changes in tumor volume (p = 0.63). Longitudinally, radiation treated tumors exhibited significant changes in tumor volume beginning on day 20 (p = 0.02), which is sustained until study endpoint on day 41 (p &lt; 0.01). In radiation resistant 4T1 tumors, no significant change was observed in short term CD8 immune infiltration (p = 0.43) or in longitudinal tumor volume (p = 0.31) in response to radiation therapy, when compared to untreated tumors. Conclusions: [89Zr]-CD8 ImmunoPET imaging reveals significant increases in CD8 immune infiltration that is predictive of eventual response to radiation therapy in radiation sensitive models of TNBC. [89Zr]-CD8 PET imaging of radiation therapy response has the potential to increase the efficacy of precision medicine and prime the tumor microenvironment for secondary therapeutics, thereby improving tumor kill and reducing patient toxicity.

Citation Format: Patrick Song, Shannon Lynch, Chloe DeMellier, Alessandro Mascioni, Fang Jia, Anna Sorace. Advanced CD8 ImmunoPET imaging predicts radiation response in primary TNBC [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO3-07-10.