Bone metastases occur in ~70% of metastatic breast cancer patients often leading to skeletal injuries. Current treatments are mainly palliative and underscore the unmet clinical need for improved therapies. In this study, we provide preclinical evidence for an antimetastatic therapy based on targeting integrin β3 (β3) which is selectively induced on breast cancer cells in bone by the local bone microenvironment. In a preclinical model of breast cancer, β3 was strongly expressed on bone metastatic cancer cells but not primary mammary tumors or visceral metastases. In tumor tissue from breast cancer patients, β3 was significantly elevated on bone metastases relative to primary tumors from the same patient (n=42). Mechanistic investigations revealed that TGF-β signaling through SMAD2/SMAD3 was necessary for breast cancer induction of β3 within the bone. Using a micelle-based nanoparticle therapy that recognizes integrin αvβ3 (αvβ3-MPs of ~12.5nm), we demonstrated specific localization to breast cancer bone metastases in mice. Using this system for targeted delivery of the chemotherapeutic docetaxel, we showed that bone tumor burden could be reduced significantly with less bone destruction and less hepatotoxicity compared to equimolar doses of free docetaxel. Furthermore, mice treated with αvβ3-MP-docetaxel exhibited a significant decrease in bone-residing tumor cell proliferation compared to free docetaxel. Taken together, our results offer preclinical proof of concept for a method to enhance delivery of chemotherapeutics to breast cancer cells within the bone by exploiting their selective expression of integrin αvβ3 at that metastatic site.

Integrin beta3 is critical for tumor invasion, neoangiogenesis, and inflammation making it a promising cancer target. However, preclinical and clinical data of integrin beta3 antagonists have demonstrated no benefit or worse outcomes. We hypothesized that integrin beta3 could affect tumor immunity and evaluated tumors in mice integrin beta3 could affect tumor immunity and evaluated tumors in mice with deletion of integrin beta3 in macrophage lineage cells (β3KOM). β3KOM mice had increased melanoma and breast cancer growth with increased tumor-promoting M2 macrophages and decreased CD8+ T-cells. Integrin beta3 antagonist, cilengitide, also enhanced tumor growth and increased M2 function. We uncovered a negative feedback loop in M2 myeloid cells wherein integrin beta3 signaling favored STAT1 activation, an M1 polarizing signal, and suppressed M2 polarizing STAT6 activation. Finally, disruption of CD8+ T-cells, macrophages, or macrophage integrin beta3 signaling blocked the tumor-promoting effects of integrin beta3 antagonism. These results suggest that effects of integrin beta3 therapies on immune cells should be considered to improve outcomes.

Background Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are at risk of developing COVID-19 due to underlying immune abnormalities and regular use of immunosuppressant medications. We aimed to evaluate the presence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in patients with SLE with or without previous COVID-19-related symptoms or RT-PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods For this analysis, we included patients with SLE from two cohorts based in New York City: the Web-based Assessment of Autoimmune, Immune-Mediated and Rheumatic Patients during the COVID-19 pandemic (WARCOV) study; and the NYU Lupus Cohort (a prospective registry of patients at NYU Langone Health and NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue). Patients in both cohorts were tested for SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies via commercially available immunoassays, processed through hospital or outpatient laboratories. Patients recruited from the NYU Lupus Cohort, referred from affiliated providers, or admitted to hospital with COVID-19 were tested for SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies as part of routine surveillance during follow-up clinical visits. Findings 329 patients with SLE were included in this analysis, 146 from the WARCOV study and 183 from the NYU Lupus Cohort, and were tested for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies between April 29, 2020, and Feb 9, 2021. 309 (94%) were women and 91 (28%) were of Hispanic ethnicity. 51 (16%) of 329 patients had a positive SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody test. Seropositive patients were more likely than seronegative patients to be Hispanic (24 [47%] of 51 vs 67 [24%] of 278). Other demographic variables, SLE-specific factors, and immunosuppressant use were not associated with SARS-CoV-2 positivity. Of the 29 patients with COVID-19 previously confirmed by RT-PCR, 18 (62%) were on immunosuppressants; 24 (83%) of 29 patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies. Of 17 patients who had symptoms of COVID-19 but negative concurrent RT-PCR testing, one (6%) developed an antibody response. Of 26 patients who had COVID-19-related symptoms but did not undergo RT-PCR testing, six (23%) developed an antibody response. Of 83 patients who had no symptoms of COVID-19 and no RT-PCR testing, four (5%) developed an antibody response. Among 36 patients who were initially SARS-CoV-2 IgG positive, the majority maintained reactivity serially (88% up to 10 weeks, 83% up to 20 weeks, and 80% up to 30 weeks). Seven (70%) of ten patients with confirmed COVID-19 had antibody positivity beyond 30 weeks from disease onset.Interpretation Most patients with SLE and confirmed COVID-19 were able to produce and maintain a serological response despite the use of a variety of immunosuppressants, providing reassurance about the efficacy and durability of humoral immunity and possible protection against re-infection with SARS-CoV-2.

Measurement of the concentration of hippurate in the inferior vena cava and renal blood samples performed in 13 subjects with normal or near‐normal serum creatinine concentrations confirmed the prediction that endogenous hippurate was cleared on a single pass through the kidney with the same avidity as that reported for infused para‐amino hippurate. This suggests that a timed urine collection without infusion would provide a measure of effective renal plasma flow. Comparison of the arteriovenous concentration differences for a panel of protein‐bound solutes identified solutes that were secreted by the renal tubule and solutes that were subjected to tubular reabsorption.