230 Single cell PIK3 gene expression patterns support duvelisib (PI3K-delta, gamma inhibitor) treatment of melanoma and other tumors after checkpoint inhibitor therapy. (9th November 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hidy, Samantha; Weaver, David
• Is Part Of: Journal for immunotherapy of cancer. Volume 8(2020)Supplement 3
• Page Start: A248
• Page End: A248
• Publication Date: 2020-11-09
• Subjects: Cancer -- Immunotherapy -- Periodicals; Cancer -- Immunological aspects -- Periodicals; Tumors -- Immunological aspects -- Periodicals; Immunotherapy -- Periodicals; 616.99406105
• DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2020-SITC2020.0230
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2051-1426

Abstract

Abstract : Background: Duvelisib, an FDA-approved oral phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-δ, γ inhibitor, targets tumor cells of B/T cell malignancies, but may modulate non-malignant immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of many cancers. PI3K–δ and PI3K–γ downmodulate immunosuppressive Tregs and myeloid cells in solid tumors. 1, 2, 3 We used single-cell RNA analysis of PIK3CD and PIK3CG to explore resistance mechanisms to checkpoint inhibitors (CPI). Methods: Single-cell melanoma (SKCM) RNAseq datasets: GSE120575; 4 CD45+ cells from 48 CPI responders and non-responder tumors, and GSE115978; 5 33 treatment-naïve and CPI-progressing (resistant) tumors. Cancer cells and CD45+ TME subpopulations, specified by gene expression signatures and tSNE plots, had PI3K gene expressions profiled. Differential gene expression (DE) was gated in MAST/Seurat. Fishers test Odds Ratio (OR) was calculated for 'high' expression. Results: PIK3CD expression is higher in SKCM than most cancers (10.8 median RSEM log 2). 7 By single-cell analysis, PIK3CD (> 0.3 log2 TPM) occurs in 68.2% of cancer cells, with PIK3CB, PIK3CA, and PIK3CG expressed in 32.3%, 12.0%, and 7.2% respectively. PIK3CD-high cancer cells (>4 log2 TPM) have a 711-gene DE gene signature mostly related to immune processes. A higher proportion of cancer cells in CPI resistant tumors express PIK3CD, than untreated tumors (OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.65–2.48, p=3.04 × 10–12), as do PIK3CD+PIK3CG-expressing cancer cells (OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.47–3.13, p=4.2 × 10-5). Additionally, in PI3K–δ or PI3K–γ high melanoma cell lines duvelisib inhibited proliferation, p-AKT and c-myc. 7 PIK3CD and PIK3CG are prominently expressed in many SKCM CD45+ TME cells (84.5% and 31.7% CD45+ respectively). PIK3CD (>0.3 log2 TPM) occurs in a high fraction of T (85.7%), CD8+ T (86.3%), CD4+ T (86.9%), B (78.5%), macrophages (88%), and NK (85%). PIK3CG is highest in B, dendritic, cycling lymphocytes and plasma cells. Strikingly, a significantly higher proportion of PIK3CD+ cells occur in resistant tumors compared to untreated for all CD45+ cells, (OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.40–1.94, p=4.79 × 10-10), CD8+ T (OR 2.15, 95% CI 1.61–2.86, p=6.5 × 10-8), and an exhausted C8+ T subpopulation (OR 3.17, 95% CI 1.89–5.37, p=2.95 × 10-6). PIK3CD+PIK3CG-expressing CD45+ cells are significantly increased in CPI-resistant tumors (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.07–1.39, p=0.002). Conclusions: These findings support a mechanism where CPI therapies may contribute to modulation of PI3Kδ expression in cancer cells and the immune TME. The PI3K-δ, γ inhibitor duvelisib is being investigated in combination with CPI and evaluated in the context of CPI resistance in clinical trials: pembrolizumab (HNSC, NCT04193293 ), and nivolumab (Richter's Syndrome, NCT03892044 ). 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