STING activation normalizes the intraperitoneal vascular-immune microenvironment and suppresses peritoneal carcinomatosis of colon cancer

J Immunother Cancer. 2021 Jun;9(6):e002195. doi: 10.1136/jitc-2020-002195.

Abstract

Background: Peritoneal carcinomatosis is a fatal clinical presentation of colon cancer, characterized by unresponsiveness to conventional anticancer therapies, including immune checkpoint inhibitors. Here, we elucidated the immune-evasion mechanisms during the peritoneal carcinomatosis of colon cancer and developed a novel immunotherapy by activating the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway.

Methods: We generated a syngeneic peritoneal carcinomatosis model of colon cancer. Mice were intraperitoneally treated with either STING agonist (MIW815, also known as ADU-S100) or PD-1 blockade or both. The tumor microenvironment was comprehensively analyzed using multiplexed immunofluorescence imaging, flow cytometry, and NanoString immune profiling.

Results: Intraperitoneal colon cancer cells induce a massive influx of immunosuppressive M2-like macrophages, upregulate immune checkpoints, and impair effector T cell functions during peritoneal dissemination; these collectively create a highly angiogenic and immunosuppressive milieu that is resistant to anti-PD-1 monotherapy. Intraperitoneal administration of a STING agonist suppressed aberrant angiogenesis, increased pericyte coverage, and normalized tumor vessels, thereby facilitating the infiltration of activated CD8+ T cells into peritoneal tumor nodules. Moreover, STING activation reprogramed tumor-associated macrophages toward the M1 phenotype. STING activation converted immunologically cold peritoneal tumors into T-cell-inflamed tumors in a type-I interferon-dependent manner. Lastly, the STING agonist synergistically cooperated with PD-1 and/or COX2 blockade to further suppress the peritoneal dissemination of colon cancer, resulting in complete eradication of tumor and ascites, and inducing durable antitumor immunity.

Conclusions: STING activation can normalize the peritoneal vascular and immune microenvironment, providing a rationale for a novel combination therapeutic strategy for peritoneal carcinomatosis in colon cancer.

Keywords: immune evation; immune reconstitution; immunotherapy; interferon inducers; tumor microenvironment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Colonic Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy / methods*
  • Membrane Proteins / pharmacology
  • Membrane Proteins / therapeutic use*
  • Mice
  • Peritoneal Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Tumor Microenvironment / genetics*

Substances

  • Membrane Proteins
  • STING1 protein, human