IL-15 promotion of antitumor immune response against breast cancer in combination with cetuximab in vitro and ex vivo

JULIÁ, ESTEFANÍA PAULA; PAMPENA, MARÍA BETINA; FABIANO, VERÓNICA; LOZA, CARLOS MARTÍN; CAPUCCIO, FLORENCIA; MORDOH, JOSÉ; LEVY, ESTRELLA MARIEL

Congreso; Segunda Reunión Conjunta de Sociedades de BioCiencias; 2017

SOCIEDAD ARGENTINA DE INVESTIGACIÓN CLÍNICA; SOCIEDAD ARGENTINA DE INVESTIGACIÓN BIOQUÍMICA Y BIOLOGÍA MOLECULAR; SOCIEDAD ARGENTINA DE INMUNOLOGÍA;

EGFR is a potential target for Breast Cancer (BC) therapy, especiallyfor Triple Negative BC (TNBC) subtype. Cetuximab, an IgG1anti-EGFR mAb, was not effective in clinical trials in combinationwith chemotherapy. We propose that Cetuximab exerts antitumoreffects mediated by the immune system that need combination withproinflammatory cytokines due to the immunosuppressive nature oftumor microenvironment. The aim of this study was to investigate invitro the role of IL-15 on dendritic cell (DC) and Natural Killer (NK)cell interaction promoted by Cetuximab-coated TNBC cells; and exvivo the effects of IL-15 on phenotype and function of lymphocytes,particularly NK cells, that infiltrate BC tumors.First, human monocyte-derived DCs were co-cultured with autologousisolated NK cells, TNBC cells, Cetuximab and/or IL-15 invitro for 24hs. IL-15 enhanced NK cell activation in the presence ofCetuximab coated TNBC cells showing an increased CD25 expressionand IFN-y production (p