Abstract 6433: Anti-CD36 monoclonal antibody can sensitize the neoadjuvant chemotherapy response in PDAC by eliminating the senescent tertiary lymphatic structure
Authors: Yan Jingrui , Zhou Tianxing , Yang Chao , Xie Yongjie , Yu Jun , Hao Jihui 
Published: March 2024

Objective: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is deadly and aggressive. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) may reduce tumor volume and alter the resectability of the tumor. The efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients is still limited. Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) develop in peripheral non-lymphoid tissues and are essential for the immune response and correlate with chemotherapy in various tumor types. However, more research is needed to determine how TLSs affect neoadjuvant chemotherapy in PDAC. We aim to determine how neoadjuvant chemotherapy affects tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TLSs) in PDAC patients. We also want to find a biomarker to boost PDAC neoadjuvant chemotherapy response.

Methods: We retrospectively collected formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissues from 115 PDAC patients without preoperative treatment and 72 patients pretreated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Multispectral images were processed using AI-powered image analysis software (Tissue Gnostics; Zeiss, Germany). The 10X Genomics platform was used to sequence single cells in tissue samples from five patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and five patients who had not received any treatment before analysis (pretreatment naïve, PN). TLS was separated using Laser Microdissection. The mouse model was created by orthotopically injecting tumor cells into the pancreas.

Results: Patients who received NAC have a senescent microenvironment. High-throughput single-cell sequencing showed that the senescent gene signature score was enriched in the NAC group, especially in immune cells. The percentage of p16+ CD20+ B cells and P16+ CD3+ T cells in TLSs also increased in the NAC group. Spatial transcriptomics analysis exhibited that CD36 is highly expressed in senescent TLSs, which suggested that CD36 may be a marker for senescent TLSs. Moreover, CD36+ TLSs induced the infiltration of MDSCs and regulatory T cells. CD36+ TLSs were an independent prognostic factor for poor overall survival (OS) (HR=0.67, p=0.002) and progression-free survival (PFS) (HR=0.71, p=0.003). A mice orthotopic xenograft model showed that an anti-CD36 monoclonal antibody eliminated senescent TLSs in pancreatic tissue. MDSCs and Tregs in the surrounding tissue also decreased. Additionally, in vivo KPC mice model showed that the combination of an anti-CD36 and chemotherapy reduced tumor volume and increased survival compared to chemotherapy alone.

Conclusion: NAC has the potential to induce the senescence of tumor-associated TLSs, a phenomenon that has been linked to unfavorable prognosis in PDAC. CD36 serves as a viable marker for senescent TLSs that can be targeted. The administration of an anti-CD36 monoclonal antibody can potentially enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy in PDAC by selectively eliminating CD36+ senescent TLSs in mouse models.

Citation Format: Jingrui Yan, Tianxing Zhou, Chao Yang, Yongjie Xie, Jun Yu, Jihui Hao. Anti-CD36 monoclonal antibody can sensitize the neoadjuvant chemotherapy response in PDAC by eliminating the senescent tertiary lymphatic structure [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 6433.