Susceptibility of Melanoma Cells to Targeted Therapy Correlates with Protection by Blood Neutrophils

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Simone Wendlinger - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Jonas Wohlfarth - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Claudia Siedel - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Sophia Kreft - , University of Würzburg, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust (Author)
  • Teresa Kilian - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Sarah Junker - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Luisa Schmid - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Tobias Sinnberg - , University of Tübingen, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Author)
  • Ulrich Dischinger - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Markus V. Heppt - , Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (Author)
  • Kilian Wistuba-Hamprecht - , German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg University  (Author)
  • Friedegund Meier - , Department of Dermatology, Skin Tumor Center, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden (Author)
  • Luise Erpenbeck - , University of Münster (Author)
  • Elsa Neubert - , Leiden University, University of Göttingen (Author)
  • Matthias Goebeler - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Anja Gesierich - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • David Schrama - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Corinna Kosnopfel - , University of Würzburg, University of Münster (Author)
  • Bastian Schilling - , University of Würzburg (Author)

Abstract

Elevated levels of peripheral blood and tumor tissue neutrophils are associated with poorer clinical response and therapy resistance in melanoma. The underlying mechanism and the role of neutrophils in targeted therapy is still not fully understood. Serum samples of patients with advanced melanoma were collected and neutrophil-associated serum markers were measured and correlated with response to targeted therapy. Blood neutrophils from healthy donors and patients with advanced melanoma were isolated, and their phenotypes, as well as their in vitro functions, were compared. In vitro functional tests were conducted through nonadherent cocultures with melanoma cells. Protection of melanoma cell lines by neutrophils was assessed under MAPK inhibition. Blood neutrophils from advanced melanoma patients exhibited lower CD16 expression compared to healthy donors. In vitro, both healthy-donor- and patient-derived neutrophils prevented melanoma cell apoptosis upon dual MAPK inhibition. The effect depended on cell–cell contact and melanoma cell susceptibility to treatment. Interference with protease activity of neutrophils prevented melanoma cell protection during treatment in cocultures. The negative correlation between neutrophils and melanoma outcomes seems to be linked to a protumoral function of neutrophils. In vitro, neutrophils exert a direct protective effect on melanoma cells during dual MAPK inhibition. This study further hints at a crucial role of neutrophil-related protease activity in protection.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number1767
JournalCancers
Volume16
Issue number9
Publication statusPublished - May 2024
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0003-4340-9706/work/169643423

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

  • MAPK inhibition, melanoma, neutrophils, resistance