ABBV-319: A CD19-targeting glucocorticoid receptor modulator antibody-drug conjugate therapy for B-cell malignancies.

Glucocorticoids are key components of the current standard-of-care regimens (e.g., R-CHOP, EPOCH-R, Hyper-CVAD) for treatment of B-cell malignancy. However, systemic glucocorticoid treatment is associated with several adverse events. CD19 displays restricted expression in normal B-cells and is up-regulated in B-cell malignancies. ABBV-319 is a CD19-targeting antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) engineered to reduce glucocorticoid-associated toxicities while possessing three distinct mechanisms of action (MOA) to increase therapeutic efficacy: (1) antibody-mediated delivery of glucocorticoid receptor modulator (GRM) payload to activate apoptosis, (2) inhibition of CD19 signaling, and (3) enhanced Fc-mediated effector function via afucosylation of the antibody backbone. ABBV-319 elicited potent GRM-driven anti-tumor activity against multiple malignant B-cell lines in vitro as well as in cell line-derived xenografts (CDXs) and patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) in vivo. Remarkably, a single-dose of ABBV-319 induced sustained tumor regression and enhanced anti-tumor activity compared to repeat dosing of systemic prednisolone at the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) in mice. The unconjugated CD19 monoclonal antibody (mAb) also displayed anti-proliferative activity on a subset of B-cell lymphoma cell lines through the inhibition of PI3K signaling. Moreover, afucosylation of the CD19 mAb enhanced Fc-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), and this activity was maintained after conjugation with GRM payloads. Notably, ABBV-319 displayed superior efficacy compared to afucosylated CD19 mAb in human CD34+ PBMC-engrafted NSG-tg(Hu-IL15) transgenic mice, demonstrating enhanced anti-tumor activity when multiple MOAs are enabled. ABBV-319 also showed durable anti-tumor activity across multiple B-cell lymphoma PDX models, including non-germinal center B-cell (GCB) DLBCL and relapsed lymphoma post R-CHOP treatment. Collectively, these data support the ongoing evaluation of ABBV-319 in Phase I clinical trial (NCT05512390).

Phase I study of ABBV-428, a mesothelin-CD40 bispecific, in patients with advanced solid tumors.

BACKGROUND: CD40 agonist immunotherapy can potentially license antigen-presenting cells to promote antitumor T-cell activation and re-educate macrophages to destroy tumor stroma. Systemic administration of CD40 agonists has historically been associated with considerable toxicity, providing the rationale for development of tumor-targeted immunomodulators to improve clinical safety and efficacy. This phase I study assessed the safety, tolerability, preliminary antitumor activity, and preliminary biomarkers of ABBV-428, a first-in-class, mesothelin-targeted, bispecific antibody designed for tumor microenvironment-dependent CD40 activation with limited systemic toxicity. METHODS: ABBV-428 was administered intravenously every 2 weeks to patients with advanced solid tumors. An accelerated titration (starting at a 0.01 mg/kg dose) and a 3+3 dose escalation scheme were used, followed by recommended phase II dose cohort expansions in ovarian cancer and mesothelioma, tumor types associated with high mesothelin expression. RESULTS: Fifty-nine patients were treated at doses between 0.01 and 3.6 mg/kg. The maximum tolerated dose was not reached, and 3.6 mg/kg was selected as the recommended phase II dose. Seven patients (12%) reported infusion-related reactions. Treatment-related grade ≥3 treatment-emergent adverse events were pericardial effusion, colitis, infusion-related reaction, and pleural effusion (n=1 each, 2%), with no cytokine release syndrome reported. The pharmacokinetic profile demonstrated roughly dose-proportional increases in exposure from 0.4 to 3.6 mg/kg. Best response was stable disease in 9/25 patients (36%) treated at the recommended phase II dose. CD40 receptor occupancy >90% was observed on peripheral B-cells starting from 0.8 mg/kg; however, no consistent changes from baseline in intratumoral CD8+ T-cells, programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1+) cells, or immune-related gene expression were detected post-ABBV-428 treatment (cycle 2, day 1). Mesothelin membrane staining showed greater correlation with progression-free survival in ovarian cancer and mesothelioma than in the broader dose escalation population. CONCLUSIONS: ABBV-428 monotherapy exhibited dose-proportional pharmacokinetics and an acceptable safety profile, particularly for toxicities characteristic of CD40 agonism, illustrating that utilization of a tumor-targeted, bispecific antibody can improve the safety of CD40 agonism as a therapeutic approach. ABBV-428 monotherapy had minimal clinical activity in dose escalation and in a small expansion cohort of patients with advanced mesothelioma or ovarian cancer. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02955251.

Tissue- and stimulus-dependent role of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase isoforms for neutrophil recruitment induced by chemoattractants in vivo.

PI3K plays a fundamental role in regulating neutrophil recruitment into sites of inflammation but the role of the different isoforms of PI3K remains unclear. In this study, we evaluated the role of PI3Kgamma and PI3Kdelta for neutrophil influx induced by the exogenous administration or the endogenous generation of the chemokine CXCL1. Administration of CXCL1 in PI3Kgamma(-/-) or wild-type (WT) mice induced similar increases in leukocyte rolling, adhesion, and emigration in the cremaster muscle when examined by intravital microscopy. The induction of neutrophil recruitment into the pleural cavity or the tibia-femoral joint induced by the injection of CXCL1 was not significantly different in PI3Kgamma(-/-) or WT mice. Neutrophil influx was not altered by treatment of WT mice with a specific PI3Kdelta inhibitor, IC87114, or a specific PI3Kgamma inhibitor, AS605240. The administration of IC87114 prevented CXCL1-induced neutrophil recruitment only in presence of the PI3Kgamma inhibitor or in PI3Kgamma(-/-) mice. Ag challenge of immunized mice induced CXCR2-dependent neutrophil recruitment that was inhibited by wortmannin or by blockade of and PI3Kdelta in PI3Kgamma(-/-) mice. Neutrophil recruitment to bronchoalveolar lavage induced by exogenously added or endogenous production of CXCL1 was prevented in PI3Kgamma(-/-) mice. The accumulation of the neutrophils in lung tissues was significantly inhibited only in PI3Kgamma(-/-) mice treated with IC87114. Neutrophil recruitment induced by exogenous administration of C5a or fMLP appeared to rely solely on PI3Kgamma. Altogether, our data demonstrate that there is a tissue- and stimulus-dependent role of PI3Kgamma and PI3Kdelta for neutrophil recruitment induced by different chemoattractants in vivo.

Requirement for phosphoinositide 3-kinase p110delta signaling in B cell antigen receptor-mediated antigen presentation.

The BCR serves to both signal cellular activation and enhance uptake and presentation of Ags by B cells; however, the intracellular signaling mechanisms linking the BCR to Ag presentation functions have been controversial. PI3Ks are critical signaling enzymes controlling many cellular processes, with the p110delta isoform playing a critical role in BCR signaling. In this study, we used pharmacological and genetic approaches to evaluate the role of p110delta signaling in Ag presentation by primary B lymphocytes. It was found that activation of allogeneic T cells is significantly reduced when B cells are pretreated with global PI3K inhibitors, but was intact when p110delta signaling was specifically inactivated. In contrast, inactivation of p110delta significantly impaired the ability of B cells to activate T cells in a BCR-mediated Ag uptake and presentation model. Prestimulation of p110delta-inactivated B cells with anti-CD40 or LPS could not rescue their BCR-mediated Ag presentation ability to normal levels. p110delta signaling was required for efficient presentation of either anti-Ig or protein Ag via a lysozyme-specific BCR. p110delta-inactivated B cells were able to internalize Ag normally, and no defects in association of Ag with lysosome-associated membrane protein 1(+) late endosomes were observed; however, these cells were less effective in forming polarized conjugates with Ag-specific T cells. Our data demonstrate a role for p110delta signaling in B cell Ag presentation function, implicating 3-phosphoinositides and their targets in the latter stages of this process.

Birth and life of tissue macrophages and their migration in embryogenesis and inflammation in medaka.

Macrophages detecting and migrating toward sites of injury and infection represent one of the first steps in an immune response. Here we directly image macrophage birth and migration in vivo in transgenic medaka fish. Macrophages are born as frequently dividing, immotile cells with spherical morphology that differentiate into flat, highly motile cells. They retain mitotic activity while spreading over the entire body. Cells follow restricted paths not only in directed migration, but also during patrolling. Along those paths the macrophages rapidly patrol the tissue and respond to wounding and bacterial infection from long distances. Upon injury they increase their speed and migratory persistence. Specifically targeting PI3-kinase isoforms efficiently blocks the wounding response and results in a distinct inhibition of cell motility and chemotaxis. Our study provides in situ insights into the properties of immature and migratory macrophages and presents a unique model to further test modulating compounds in vivo.

The p110delta isoform of PI3K differentially regulates beta1 and beta2 integrin-mediated monocyte adhesion and spreading and modulates diapedesis.

OBJECTIVE: Leukocyte diapedesis is misregulated in inflammatory disease and depends on the binding of monocytic LFA-1 and VLA-4 to endothelial ICAM-1 and VCAM-1, respectively. The authors hypothesized that these different molecular interactions elicit specific signaling cascades within monocytes regulating specific steps in adhesion, motility, and diapedesis. METHODS: The authors employed the PI3K p110delta catalytic subunit specific inhibitor IC87114 (2 microM) and the broad-spectrum PI3K inhibitory agents LY294002 (50 microM) and wortmannin (100 nM), to examine the role of PI3Kdelta in monocyte diapedesis through endothelial monolayers and its role in monocyte adhesion and spreading upon carpets of ICAM-1 or VCAM-1. They further explored the effects of PI3Kdelta inhibition on the activation state of beta1 and beta2 integrins with immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry. RESULTS: In human peripheral blood monocytes IC87114 was as effective as wortmannin and LY294002 at inhibiting diapedesis, however, in THP-1 cells LY294002 and wortmannin caused a 5-fold reduction in diapedesis, while IC87114 only decreased diapedesis 2-fold. PI3Kdelta activity was specifically required for THP-1 cell adhesion and spreading on VCAM-1, but not on ICAM-1 protein substrates. Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated that PI3Kdelta inhibition decreased the amount of conformationally active beta 1-integrins, while having no effect on the prevalence of conformationally active beta 2-integrins expressed on the cell surface. In addition, PI3Kdelta inhibition resulted in a 4-fold decrease in the activation state of Rac-1 and Cdc42. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate the specific necessity of PI3Kdelta in regulating monocytic integrin activation and the general role of PI3K signaling during diapedesis, implicating PI3K as a target for therapeutic intervention.

Inhibition of phosphoinositide 3-kinase delta attenuates allergic airway inflammation and hyperresponsiveness in murine asthma model.

P110delta phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) plays a pivotal role in the recruitment and activation of certain inflammatory cells. Recent findings revealed that the activity of p110delta also contributes to allergen-IgE-induced mast cell activation and vascular permeability. We investigated the role of p110delta in allergic airway inflammation and hyperresponsiveness using IC87114, a selective p110delta inhibitor, in a mouse asthma model. BALB/c mice were sensitized with OVA and, upon OVA aerosol challenge, developed airway eosinophilia, mucus hypersecretion, elevation in cytokine and chemokine levels, up-regulation of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression, and airway hyperresponsiveness. Intratracheal administration of IC87114 significantly (P<0.05) attenuated OVA-induced influx into lungs of total leukocytes, eosinophils, neutrophils, and lymphocytes, as well as levels of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, and RANTES in a dose-dependent manner. IC87114 also significantly (P<0.05) reduced the serum levels of total IgE and OVA-specific IgE and LTC(4) release into the airspace. Histological studies show that IC87114 inhibited OVA-induced lung tissue eosinophilia, airway mucus production, and inflammation score. In addition, IC87114 significantly (P<0.05) suppressed OVA-induced airway hyperresponsiveness to inhaled methacholine. Western blot analyses of whole lung tissue lysates shows that IC87114 markedly attenuated the OVA-induced increase in expression of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, ICAM-1, VCAM-1, RANTES, and eotaxin. Furthermore, IC87114 treatment markedly attenuated OVA-induced serine phosphorylation of Akt, a downstream effector of PI3K signaling. Taken together, our findings implicate that inhibition of p110delta signaling pathway may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of allergic airway inflammation.

Upregulated function of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase in genetically hypertensive rats: a moderator of arterial hypercontractility.

1. The growth enzyme phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) was recently implicated in the mediation of arterial spontaneous tone, an event observed in arteries from hypertensive, but not normotensive, subjects that contributes to changes in total peripheral resistance in the hypertensive state. We have shown this occurrence in experimentally induced models of hypertension. However, because the majority of hypertension is genetically based, it is important to demonstrate a similar change in genetically hypertensive animals. 2. Aorta from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR; systolic blood pressure = 183 +/- 4 mmHg) and Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats (115 +/- 2 mmHg) were isolated for the measurement of isometric contractile force. Aorta from SHR displayed small increases (approximately 5% maximum phenylephrine (PE)-induced contraction) in spontaneous tone, whereas aorta from WKY rats displayed none. The non-selective PI3K inhibitor LY294002 (20 micromol/L) and the selective inhibitor of the p110delta catalytic subunit of PI3K IC87114 (20 micromol/L) caused a fall of basal tone in SHR aorta (20 +/- 7 and 24 +/- 6% of the initial PE contraction, respectively), but did not alter tone in arteries from WKY rats. LY294002, but not IC87114, normalized the increased potency of noradrenaline (NA) observed in aorta from SHR (-log EC50 values for NA in the presence of vehicle in WKY rats and SHR 7.5 +/- 0.1 and 7.8 +/- 0.1, respectively (P < 0.05); -log EC(50) values for NA in the presence of LY294002 in WKY rats and SHR 7.0 +/- 0.1 and 7.0 +/- 0.1, respectively). 3. Biochemical expression of the p110 catalytic and p85 regulator subunits of PI3K in western analyses revealed no difference in expression of the regulatory p85alpha or p110alpha protein subunits between WKY rats and SHR; p110gamma was not detected. In contrast, p110delta expression was increased greater than 30% in aorta from SHR compared with WKY rats (827.6 +/- 88.5 vs 576.8 +/- 53.4 arbitrary densitometry units, respectively). Immunohistochemical analyses revealed expression of the p110delta isoform in the smooth muscle of arteries. 4. These data underscore the relevance of an enzyme historically classified as one committed to growth/anti-apoptosis in modifying contractility and supports involvement of PI3K in genetically based hypertension.

Essential role for the p110delta isoform in phosphoinositide 3-kinase activation and cell proliferation in acute myeloid leukemia.

The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway has been shown to be frequently activated in blast cells from patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and to contribute to survival and proliferation of these cells. Of the 8 distinct mammalian isoforms of PI3K, it is the class I PI3Ks (p110alpha, p110beta, p110gamma, and p110delta) that are responsible for Akt activation. It is not known which PI3K isoform is critical in AML. Here we show that the p110delta isoform of PI3K is consistently expressed at a high level in blast cells from AML, in contrast to the other class I isoforms, the expression of which was very variable among patients. IC87114, a p110delta-selective inhibitor, suppressed both constitutive and Flt-3-stimulated Akt activation in blasts to the same extent as Ly294002, an inhibitor of all PI3K isoforms. Moreover, IC87114 inhibited AML cell proliferation without affecting the proliferation of normal hematopoietic progenitor cells. These observations identify p110delta as a potential therapeutic target in AML.

The role of endothelial PI3Kgamma activity in neutrophil trafficking.

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase gamma (PI3Kgamma) in neutrophils plays a critical role in the directed migration of these cells into inflamed tissues. In this study, we demonstrate the importance of the endothelial component of PI3Kgamma activity relative to its leukocyte counterpart in supporting neutrophil interactions with the inflamed vessel wall. Despite the reconstitution of class-Ib PI3K function in neutrophils of p110gamma-/- mice, we observed a 45% reduction in accumulation of these cells in an acute lung injury model. Mechanistically, this appears to result from a perturbation in selectin-mediated adhesion as manifested by a 70% reduction in wild-type (WT) neutrophil attachment to and 17-fold increase in rolling velocities on p110gamma-/- microvessels in vivo in response to tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha). This alteration in adhesion was further augmented by a deficiency in p110delta, suggesting that the activity of both catalytic subunits is required for efficient capture of neutrophils by cytokine-stimulated endothelium. Interestingly, E-selectin-mediated adhesion in p110gamma-/-) mice was impaired by more than 95%, but no defect in nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB)-induced gene expression was observed. These findings suggest a previously unrecognized partnership between class-I PI3Ks expressed in leukocytes and endothelium, the combination of which is required for the efficient trafficking of immunocompetent cells to sites of inflammation.

A specific antagonist of the p110delta catalytic component of phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase, IC486068, enhances radiation-induced tumor vascular destruction.

The phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase (PI3k)/protein kinase B (PKB/Akt) signal transduction pathway plays a critical role in mediating endothelial cell survival and function during oxidative stress. The role of the PI3k/Akt signaling pathway in promoting cell viability was studied in vascular endothelial cells treated with ionizing radiation. Western blot analysis showed that Akt was rapidly phosphorylated in response to radiation in primary culture endothelial cells (human umbilical vascular endothelial cells) in the absence of serum or growth factors. PI3k consists of p85 and p110 subunits, which play a central upstream role in Akt activation in response to exogenous stimuli. The delta isoform of the p110 subunit is expressed in endothelial cells. We studied the effects of the p110delta specific inhibitor IC486068, which abrogated radiation-induced phosphorylation of Akt. IC486068 enhanced radiation-induced apoptosis in endothelial cells and reduced cell migration and tubule formation of endothelial cells in Matrigel following irradiation. In vivo tumor growth delay was studied in mice with Lewis lung carcinoma and GL261 hind limb tumors. Mice were treated with daily i.p. injections (25 mg/kg) of IC486068 during 6 days of radiation treatment (18 Gy). Combined treatment with IC486068 and radiation significantly reduced tumor volume as compared with either treatment alone. Reduction in vasculature was confirmed using the dorsal skinfold vascular window model. The vascular length density was measured by use of the tumor vascular window model and showed IC486068 significantly enhanced radiation-induced destruction of tumor vasculature as compared with either treatment alone. IC486068 enhances radiation-induced endothelial cytotoxicity, resulting in tumor vascular destruction and tumor control when combined with fractionated radiotherapy in murine tumor models. These findings suggest that p110delta is a therapeutic target to enhance radiation-induced tumor control.

PI3-kinase upregulation and involvement in spontaneous tone in arteries from DOCA-salt rats: is p110delta the culprit?

Increased expression of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) mediates elevated tone in the aorta from hypertensive deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt rats. In this article, we hypothesized that (1) alterations observed with respect to PI3-kinase observed in the aorta would also occur in mesenteric resistance arteries responsible for determining total peripheral resistance (TPR) and (2) p110delta activity was increased and localized to vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), and was responsible for the increase in spontaneous tone in aortae from DOCA-salt rats. Mesenteric resistance arteries and aorta were isolated from DOCA-salt (190+/-3 mm Hg) and sham (121+/-2 mm Hg) rats. Myograph experiments revealed LY294002 (20 micromol/L), a PI3-kinase inhibitor, significantly decreased tone in mesenteric resistance arteries from DOCA-salt rats as compared with sham (-49+/-12 mg versus -10+/-7 mg). Western analyses of resistance artery protein homogenate revealed p85alpha and p110delta subunit protein, with significantly elevated levels of p110delta protein in the DOCA-salt compared with sham rats (0.30+/-0.07 versus 0.16+/-0.04% smooth muscle alpha-actin arbitrary units). Immunohistochemistry revealed p110delta-specific staining in VSMCs, with more intense staining in aortae from DOCA-salt rats. Compared with aortae from sham, p110delta-associated PI3-kinase activity was increased in DOCA-salt (158% of sham) and likely responsible for spontaneous tone because the p110delta specific inhibitor IC87114 decreased spontaneous tone in a concentration-dependent manner. Collectively, these data further implicate the p110delta isoform of PI3-kinase in arterial hyperresponsiveness in hypertension at the level of both large and small arteries.

Mechanisms and implications of phosphoinositide 3-kinase delta in promoting neutrophil trafficking into inflamed tissue.

The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) catalytic subunit p110 delta is expressed in neutrophils and is thought to play a role in their accumulation at sites of inflammation by contributing to chemoattractant-directed migration. We report here that p110 delta is present in endothelial cells and participates in neutrophil trafficking by modulating the proadhesive state of these cells in response to tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha). Specifically, administration of the selective inhibitor of PI3K delta, IC87114, to animals reduced neutrophil tethering to and increased rolling velocities on cytokine-activated microvessels in a manner similar to that observed in mice deficient in p110 delta. These results were confirmed in vitro as inhibition of this isoform in endothelium, but not neutrophils, diminished cell attachment in flow. A role for PI3K delta in TNF alpha-induced signaling is demonstrated by a reduction in Akt-phosphorylation and phosphatidylinositol-dependent kinase 1 (PDK1) enzyme activity upon treatment of this cell type with IC87114. p110 delta expressed in neutrophils also contributes to trafficking as demonstrated by the impaired movement of these cells across inflamed venules in animals in which this catalytic subunit was blocked or genetically deleted, results corroborated in transwell migration assays. Thus, PI3K delta may be a reasonable therapeutic target in specific inflammatory conditions as blockade of its activity reduces neutrophil influx into tissues by diminishing their attachment to and migration across vascular endothelium.