Abstract C009: MK2 knockout and radiation enhances immune cell influx in a mouse model of HPV+ head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Deri Morgan, Colby Spiess, Alyssa Schmidt, Dakota D.D. Okuwone, Harmony Saunders, Chris E. Lominska, Mary A. Markiewicz, Yelder Tonia, Devin Shrock, Yuting Lin, Hao Gao, Gregory N Gan
Journal: Cancer Research (2024)

Abstract Introduction: HPV mediated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has an immunosuppressive microenvironment which contributes to local and distant failures. We have previously shown that MAPKAPK2 (MK2) inhibition (MK2i) in HNSCC results in improved response to irradiation (RT). MK2i was synergistic with RT resulting in better control than monotherapy. To understand the mechanism behind the improvement of RT in MK2i treated mice we tested the hypothesis that MK2 ablation can enhance the radiotherapy mediated immunogenic response in a solid tumor. Methods: We used CRISPR gene editing to knockout the MK2 gene in the highly metastatic murine cell line, MLM3 (KO). We implanted tumors into c57bl6 and NSG mice and compared tumor growth compared to wild type (WT) with and without radiation. At end point, tumors were excised, digested and immunophenotyped utilizing labelled antibodies and flow cytometry. Before immunophenotyping, 8 mgs of tumor were cut off and incubated in media for 24 hours to assess cytokine release by cytokine array analysis. Results: We found that the differences in tumor growth between WT and KO cells in c57bl6 mice were significantly greater than those seen in NSG mice. Survival studies with c57bl6 mice implanted with WT or KO tumors with and without RT showed that MLM3 KO implanted mice had significantly greater survival (58.5 days) compared to WT (35.5 days). WT tumors treated with RT improved median overall survival with the WT + RT group surviving longer than WT (56 days) and the MK2 KO + RT had the longest survival overall (65 days). Immunophenotyping WT v KO tumors grown in c57bl6 mice showed an increase in CD45 cells in the KO tumors compared to WT. The cells that were increased in number in the KO tumors were labelled by Ly6G (neutrophils), F4/80 (macrophages), CD14+MD11c (dendritic cells), CD4 (Th), CD8 (Tc), CD3+NK1.1 (NKt) and NK1.1 (NK cells). Irradiating the tumors accentuated the influx of immune cells causing a greater influx of CD45 cells at 3 days post-RT which included increases in F4/80+CD80 (M1 macrophages), CD14 (monocytes), CD11c+MHCII, NK1.1, NK1.1+CD3 and CD4 cells. However, the influx of CD8 cells were reduced at 3 days. At 8 days post RT, many cell types remained elevated in the KO tumors compared to wildtype and there was a partial recovery of CD8 cell influx. However, there was also an increase in immune suppressor cells into the tumors including Ly6C+arginase (M-MDSCs), Ly6C+arginase (PMN-MDSCs) and CD4+T-bet (Th1) cells. The cytokine analysis showed that six cytokines were differentially secreted from tumors: Dkk-1, IL-2, IGFBP-5, IL-3, IL-17a and CD14. All these cytokines were suppressed in the KO with respect to the WT tumors. Conclusion: Here we show evidence that genetic ablation of MK2 in a mouse model of HPV mediated HNSCC results in an increase in immune cells infiltrate into tumors. Irradiation enhances this difference by stimulating a greater influx of immune cells. These data suggest that tumoral MK2 may aid in the immunosuppression of tumors in HNSCC. Citation Format: Deri Morgan, Colby Spiess, Alyssa Schmidt, Dakota D.D. Okuwone, Harmony Saunders, Chris E. Lominska, Mary A. Markiewicz, Yelder Tonia, Devin Shrock, Yuting Lin, Hao Gao, Gregory N Gan. MK2 knockout and radiation enhances immune cell influx in a mouse model of HPV+ head and neck squamous cell carcinoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: Tumor-body Interactions: The Roles of Micro- and Macroenvironment in Cancer; 2024 Nov 17-20; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(22_Suppl):Abstract nr C009.