Abstract 7525: Investigating B7-H3 as a checkpoint and antibody drug conjugate target across prostate cancer variants- both androgen receptor dependent and independent
Authors: Mundhara Nikita , Sharma Shivang , Tekoglu Emirhan , Baraban Ezra G. , Lack Nathan A. , Shenderov Eugene 
Published: March 2024

Background: CD276 (B7-H3) has recently emerged as a promising presumptive immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) and antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) target for PCa. Unfortunately, current immunotherapy trials have yielded few objective responses in PCa and hormonal therapy seldom cures necessitating the need to develop new immunotherapy or targeted antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) treatment options for PCa, including B7-H3 targeted approaches.

Method: In this work, we evaluated important ADC targets and immune checkpoints (PD-1, PD-L1, PD-L2, LAG3, TIGIT, OX40, 4-1BB, CTLA4, STEAP1, STEAP2, PSMA, NECTIN1, TROP-2, DLL3 and B7-H3) in various PCa cell lines and multiple patients spanning various subtypes of PCa using publicly available bulk RNA sequencing data and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data respectively. The results were validated at RNA and protein levels in listed cell lines. Further, the impact of androgen receptor (AR) signaling on B7-H3 expression was quantified using charcoal stripped media, AR agonist (R1881) and antagonist (enzalutamide) using real-time PCR and flow cytometry at RNA and protein levels respectively.

Results: We found that B7-H3 shows high expression and very low variability compared to other ADC targets and immune checkpoints in AR-positive (LnCAP), hormone-refractory (VCAP), Castrate resistant (22RVI), AR negative (PC3, DU145), and neuroendocrine (H660) cell lines, as well as in—PCa cells and tumor microenvironment (TME) myeloid cells—of multiple patients spanning various subtypes of PCa. Western blotting confirms the ubiquitous presence of B7-H3 in all these cell lines, even when PSMA is absent. Furthermore, B7-H3 expression was modifiable via androgen depletion, R1881 supplementation, or addition of the AR antagonist enzalutamide. These changes were significant in AR-positive LnCAP cells compared to AR-negative DU145 cells further endorsing the crosstalk between AR and B7-H3 signaling pathways, which will be presented in greater detail.

Conclusion: This work explores the therapeutic relevance of important ADC targets and immune checkpoints for Prostate Cancer (PCa), highlighting B7-H3 as a unique therapeutic ADC and ICI candidate across the continuum of PCa—androgen sensitive, castration resistant, and neuroendocrine—due to its stable expression across various subtypes and on TME myeloid cells. The relationship between AR and B7-H3 opens the possibility of future combination therapies based on this interaction.

Citation Format: Nikita Mundhara, Shivang Sharma, Emirhan Tekoglu, Ezra G. Baraban, Nathan A. Lack, Eugene Shenderov. Investigating B7-H3 as a checkpoint and antibody drug conjugate target across prostate cancer variants- both androgen receptor dependent and independent [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 7525.