Title | Macropinocytosis of Nab-paclitaxel Drives Macrophage Activation in Pancreatic Cancer. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2017 |
Authors | Cullis J, Siolas D, Avanzi A, Barui S, Maitra A, Bar-Sagi D |
Journal | Cancer Immunol Res |
Volume | 5 |
Issue | 3 |
Pagination | 182-190 |
Date Published | 2017 03 |
ISSN | 2326-6074 |
Keywords | Albumins, 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. |
DOI | 10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-16-0125 |
Alternate Journal | Cancer Immunol Res |
PubMed ID | 28108630 |
PubMed Central ID | PMC5570452 |
Grant List | T32 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 |