A CD40 Agonist and PD-1 Antagonist Antibody Reprogram the Microenvironment of Nonimmunogenic Tumors to Allow T-cell-Mediated Anticancer Activity.

In cancers with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that block immune checkpoints such as CTLA-4 and PD-1/PD-L1 promote antitumor T-cell immunity. Unfortunately, most cancers fail to respond to single-agent immunotherapies. T regulatory cells, myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and extensive stromal networks within the tumor microenvironment (TME) dampen antitumor immune responses by preventing T-cell infiltration and/or activation.

Entinostat Converts Immune-Resistant Breast and Pancreatic Cancers into Checkpoint-Responsive Tumors by Reprogramming Tumor-Infiltrating MDSCs.

Immune-checkpoint inhibition (ICI) has revolutionized treatment in cancers that are naturally immunogenic by enabling infiltration of T cells into the tumor microenvironment (TME) and promoting cytotoxic signaling pathways. Tumors possessing complex immunosuppressive TMEs such as breast and pancreatic cancers present unique therapeutic obstacles as response rates to ICI remain low. Such tumors often recruit myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), whose functioning prohibits both T-cell activation and infiltration.

Adaptation to TKI Treatment Reactivates ERK Signaling in Tyrosine Kinase-Driven Leukemias and Other Malignancies.

FMS-like tyrosine kinase-3 (FLT3) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) have been tested extensively to limited benefit in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We hypothesized that FLT3/internal tandem duplication (ITD) leukemia cells exhibit mechanisms of intrinsic signaling adaptation to TKI treatment that are associated with an incomplete response. Here, we identified reactivation of ERK signaling within hours following treatment of FLT3/ITD AML cells with selective inhibitors of FLT3.

Potential role for all- retinoic acid in nonpromyelocytic acute myeloid leukemia.

All- retinoic acid (ATRA) has been very successful in the subtype of acute myelogenous leukemia known as acute promyelocytic leukemia due to targeted reactivation of retinoic acid signaling. There has been great interest in applying this form of differentiation therapy to other cancers, and numerous clinical trials have been initiated. However, ATRA as monotherapy has thus far shown little benefit in nonacute promyelocytic leukemia acute myelogenous leukemia.

All-trans retinoic acid synergizes with FLT3 inhibition to eliminate FLT3/ITD+ leukemia stem cells in vitro and in vivo.

FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3)-mutant acute myeloid leukemia (AML) portends a poor prognosis, and ineffective targeting of the leukemic stem cell (LSC) population remains one of several obstacles in treating this disease. All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) has been used in several clinical trials for the treatment of nonpromyelocytic AML with limited clinical activity observed. FLT3 tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) used as monotherapy also achieve limited clinical responses and are thus far unable to affect cure rates in AML patients.

FLT3 kinase inhibitor TTT-3002 overcomes both activating and drug resistance mutations in FLT3 in acute myeloid leukemia.

There have been a number of clinical trials testing the efficacy of FMS-like tyrosine kinase-3 (FLT3) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) harboring a constitutively activating mutation in FLT3. However, there has been limited efficacy, most often because of inadequate achievement of FLT3 inhibition through a variety of mechanisms. In a previous study, TTT-3002 was identified as a novel FLT3 inhibitor with the most potent activity to date against FLT3 internal tandem duplication (FLT3/ITD) mutations.

FLT3/D835Y mutation knock-in mice display less aggressive disease compared with FLT3/internal tandem duplication (ITD) mice.

FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) is mutated in approximately one third of acute myeloid leukemia cases. The most common FLT3 mutations in acute myeloid leukemia are internal tandem duplication (ITD) mutations in the juxtamembrane domain (23%) and point mutations in the tyrosine kinase domain (10%). The mutation substituting the aspartic acid at position 838 (equivalent to the human aspartic acid residue at position 835) with a tyrosine (referred to as FLT3/D835Y hereafter) is the most frequent kinase domain mutation, converting aspartic acid to tyrosine.