Macropinocytosis of Nab-paclitaxel Drives Macrophage Activation in Pancreatic Cancer.

TitleMacropinocytosis of Nab-paclitaxel Drives Macrophage Activation in Pancreatic Cancer.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2017
AuthorsCullis J, Siolas D, Avanzi A, Barui S, Maitra A, Bar-Sagi D
JournalCancer Immunol Res
Volume5
Issue3
Pagination182-190
Date Published2017 03
ISSN2326-6074
KeywordsAlbumins, Animals, Antineoplastic Agents, Cell Line, Tumor, Disease Models, Animal, Female, Humans, Macrophage Activation, Macrophages, Paclitaxel, Pancreatic Neoplasms, Pinocytosis, Toll-Like Receptor 4, Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
Abstract

Pancreatic cancer is a devastating disease that is largely refractory to currently available treatment strategies. Therapeutic resistance is partially attributed to the dense stromal reaction of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tumors that includes a pervasive infiltration of immunosuppressive (M2) macrophages. Nab-paclitaxel (trade name Abraxane) is a nanoparticle albumin-bound formulation of paclitaxel that, in combination with gemcitabine, is currently the first-line treatment for pancreatic cancer. Here, we show that macrophages internalized nab-paclitaxel via macropinocytosis. The macropinocytic uptake of nab-paclitaxel induced macrophage immunostimulatory (M1) cytokine expression and synergized with IFNγ to promote inducible nitric oxide synthase expression in a TLR4-dependent manner. Nab-paclitaxel was internalized by tumor-associated macrophages in vivo, and therapeutic doses of nab-paclitaxel alone, and in combination with gemcitabine, increased the MHCII+CD80+CD86+ M1 macrophage population. These data revealed an unanticipated role for nab-paclitaxel in macrophage activation and rationalized its potential use to target immune evasion in pancreatic cancer. Cancer Immunol Res; 5(3); 182-90. ©2017 AACR.

DOI10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-16-0125
Alternate JournalCancer Immunol Res
PubMed ID28108630
PubMed Central IDPMC5570452
Grant ListT32 CA009161 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States
P30 CA016087 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States
R35 CA210263 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States
T32 HL007151 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
T32 AI100853 / AI / NIAID NIH HHS / United States