title: Trastuzumab triggers phagocytic killing of high HER2 cancer cells in vitro and in vivo by interaction with Fcγ receptors on macrophages.
abstract: Trastuzumab has been used for the treatment of HER2-overexpressing breast cancer for more than a decade, but the mechanisms of action for the therapy are still being actively investigated. Ab-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity mediated by NK cells is well recognized as one of the key mechanisms of action for trastuzumab, but trastuzumab-mediated Ab-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP) has not been established. In this study, we demonstrate that macrophages, by way of phagocytic engulfment, can mediate ADCP and cancer cell killing in the presence of trastuzumab. Increased infiltration of macrophages in the tumor tissue was associated with enhanced efficacy of trastuzumab whereas depletion of macrophages resulted in reduced antitumor efficacy in mouse xenograft tumor models. Among the four mouse FcγRs, FcγRIV exhibits the strongest binding affinity to trastuzumab. Knockdown of FcγRIV in mouse macrophages reduced cancer cell killing and ADCP activity triggered by trastuzumab. Consistently, an upregulation of FcγRIV expression by IFN-γ triggered an increased ADCP activity by trastuzumab. In an analogous fashion, IFN-γ priming of human macrophages increased the expression of FcγRIII, the ortholog of murine FcγRIV, and increased trastuzumab-mediated cancer cell killing. Thus, in two independent systems, the results indicated that activation of macrophages in combination with trastuzumab can serve as a therapeutic strategy for treating high HER2 breast cancer by boosting ADCP killing of cancer cells.
authors: Texas Therapeutics Institute, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030; National Engineering Research Center of Immunological Products, Department of Microbiology and Biochemical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, People's Republic of China; and.
authors: Yun
authors: Y
authors: Shi
authors: Texas Therapeutics Institute, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030;
authors: Xuejun
authors: X
authors: Fan
authors: Texas Therapeutics Institute, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030;
authors: Hui
authors: H
authors: Deng
authors: Biologics Research, Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Spring House, PA 19002.
authors: Randall J
authors: RJ
authors: Brezski
authors: Biologics Research, Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Spring House, PA 19002.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Rycyzyn
authors: Biologics Research, Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Spring House, PA 19002.
authors: Robert E
authors: RE
authors: Jordan
authors: Biologics Research, Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Spring House, PA 19002.
authors: William R
authors: WR
authors: Strohl
authors: National Engineering Research Center of Immunological Products, Department of Microbiology and Biochemical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, People's Republic of China; and.
authors: Quanming
authors: Q
authors: Zou
authors: Texas Therapeutics Institute, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030; zhiqiang.an@uth.tmc.edu Ningyan.zhang@uth.tmc.edu.
authors: Ningyan
authors: N
authors: Zhang
authors: Texas Therapeutics Institute, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030; zhiqiang.an@uth.tmc.edu Ningyan.zhang@uth.tmc.edu.
authors: Zhiqiang
authors: Z
authors: An
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000920:Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000276:immunology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015870:Gene Expression; D064593:Heterografts; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017452:Receptors, IgG / Q000378:metabolism*; D000068878:Trastuzumab
chemical_list: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D017452:Receptors, IgG; D000068878:Trastuzumab