Molecular adaptation to neoadjuvant immunotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Carsten Denkert - , University Hospital Gießen and Marburg (Author)
  • Andreas Schneeweiss - , German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) (Author)
  • Julia Rey - , German Breast Group (GBG) Forschungs GmbH (Author)
  • Thomas Karn - , University Hospital Frankfurt (Author)
  • Akira Hattesohl - , University Hospital Gießen and Marburg (Author)
  • Karsten E. Weber - , German Breast Group (GBG) Forschungs GmbH (Author)
  • Sivaramakrishna Rachakonda - , German Breast Group (GBG) Forschungs GmbH (Author)
  • Michael Braun - , Red Cross Hospital Munich (Author)
  • Jens Huober - , Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen (Author)
  • Paul Jank - , University Hospital Gießen and Marburg (Author)
  • Hans Peter Sinn - , Heidelberg University  (Author)
  • Dirk Michael Zahm - , SRH Waldklinikum Gera (Author)
  • Bärbel Felder - , German Breast Group (GBG) Forschungs GmbH (Author)
  • Claus Hanusch - , Red Cross Hospital Munich (Author)
  • Julia Teply-Szymanski - , University Hospital Gießen and Marburg (Author)
  • Frederik Marmé - , Heidelberg University  (Author)
  • Tanja Fehm - , Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf (CIO ABCD) (Author)
  • Jörg Thomalla - , Practice for hematology and oncology (Author)
  • Bruno V. Sinn - , Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Author)
  • Thorsten Stiewe - , University Hospital Gießen and Marburg, Justus Liebig University Giessen (Author)
  • Michal Marczyk - , Silesian University of Technology, Yale University (Author)
  • Jens Uwe Blohmer - , Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Author)
  • Marion van Mackelenbergh - , University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel (Author)
  • Christian Schem - , Jerusalem Hospital (Author)
  • Peter Staib - , St.-Antonius-Hospital Eschweiler (Author)
  • Theresa Link - , Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden (Author)
  • Volkmar Müller - , University of Hamburg (Author)
  • Elmar Stickeler - , RWTH Aachen University (Author)
  • Daniel G. Stover - , Ohio State University (Author)
  • Christine Solbach - , University Hospital Frankfurt (Author)
  • Otto Metzger-Filho - , Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Author)
  • Christian Jackisch - , Sana Clinics Group (Author)
  • Charles E. Geyer - , University of Pittsburgh (Author)
  • Peter A. Fasching - , Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (Author)
  • Lajos Pusztai - , Yale University (Author)
  • Valentina Nekljudova - , German Breast Group (GBG) Forschungs GmbH (Author)
  • Michael Untch - , Fresenius AG (Author)
  • Sibylle Loibl - , German Breast Group (GBG) Forschungs GmbH (Author)

Abstract

Therapy-induced molecular adaptation of triple-negative breast cancer is crucial for immunotherapy response and resistance. We analyze tumor biopsies from three different time points in the randomized neoadjuvant GeparNuevo trial (NCT02685059), evaluating the combination of durvalumab with chemotherapy, for longitudinal alterations of gene expression. Durvalumab induces an activation of immune and stromal gene expression as well as a reduction of proliferation-related gene expression. Immune genes are positive prognostic factors irrespective of treatment, while proliferation genes are positive prognostic factors only in the durvalumab arm. We identify stromal-related gene expression as a contributor to immunotherapy resistance and poor therapy response. The results provide evidence from clinical trial cohorts suggesting a role for stromal reorganization in therapy resistance to immunotherapy and in the generation of an immune-suppressive microenvironment, which might be relevant for future therapy approaches targeting the tumor stroma parallel to immunotherapy, such as combinations of immunotherapy with anti-angiogenic therapy.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number101825
JournalCell Reports Medicine
Volume5
Issue number11
Publication statusPublished - 19 Nov 2024
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 39566464

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

Keywords

  • gene expression, immunotherapy, neoadjuvant, pathway analysis, PD-L1, triple-negative breast cancer