BackgroundTriple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) treatment is currently restricted to chemotherapy. Hence, tumor-specific molecular targets and/or alternative therapeutic strategies for TNBC are urgently needed. Immunotherapy is emerging as an exciting treatment option for TNBC patients. The aspartic protease cathepsin D (cath-D), a marker of poor prognosis in breast cancer (BC), is overproduced and hypersecreted by human BC cells. This study explores whether cath-D is a tumor cell-associated extracellular biomarker and a potent target for antibody-based therapy in TNBC.MethodsCath-D prognostic value and localization was evaluated by transcriptomics, proteomics and immunohistochemistry in TNBC. First-in-class anti-cath-D human scFv fragments binding to both human and mouse cath-D were generated using phage display and cloned in the human IgG1 λ format (F1 and E2). Anti-cath-D antibody biodistribution, antitumor efficacy and in vivo underlying mechanisms were investigated in TNBC MDA-MB-231 tumor xenografts in nude mice. Antitumor effect was further assessed in TNBC patient-derived xenografts (PDXs).ResultsHigh CTSD mRNA levels correlated with shorter recurrence-free survival in TNBC, and extracellular cath-D was detected in the tumor microenvironment, but not in matched normal breast stroma. Anti-cath-D F1 and E2 antibodies accumulated in TNBC MDA-MB-231 tumor xenografts, inhibited tumor growth and improved mice survival without apparent toxicity. The Fc function of F1, the best antibody candidate, was essential for maximal tumor inhibition in the MDA-MB-231 model. Mechanistically, F1 antitumor response was triggered through natural killer cell activation via IL-15 upregulation, associated with granzyme B and perforin production, and the release of antitumor IFNγ cytokine. The F1 antibody also prevented the tumor recruitment of immunosuppressive tumor-associated macrophages M2 and myeloid-derived suppressor cells, a specific effect associated with a less immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment highlighted by TGFβ decrease. Finally, the antibody F1 inhibited tumor growth of two TNBC PDXs, isolated from patients resistant or not to neo-adjuvant chemotherapy.ConclusionCath-D is a tumor-specific extracellular target in TNBC suitable for antibody-based therapy. Immunomodulatory antibody-based strategy against cath-D is a promising immunotherapy to treat patients with TNBC.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s40425-019-0498-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The aim of this work was to study the differential behavior shown by Candida antarctica lipase B during the O-acylation and N-acylation of monofunctional alcohols and monofunctional amines. To achieve this, 2-butanol and sec-butylamine were used as model molecules. Yields, kinetics and enantioselectivity were studied for both reactions. Although a steady-state ordered ternary complex bi-bi mechanism was obtained for the O-acylation of 2butanol, a ping-pong bi-bi mechanism was obtained for the N-acylation in case of low secbutylamine concentrations. The values of apparent kinetics parameters were calculated: the enantiomeric ratios (E) were evaluated and confirmed the preference of Candida antarctica lipase B for the (R)-enantiomer, which was consistent with the literature. The enantioselectivity was calculated for the alcohol (E ≈ 3.17) and for the amine (E ≈ 1.34). Concerning the O-acylation, the yields were found to be very similar for both enantiomers R and S. However, both initial rates and yields of the (R)-enantiomer N-acylation were higher than those of the (S)-enantiomer. In the last part of our study, the chemoselectivity of Candida antarctica lipase B was evaluated, showing that Candida antarctica lipase B was a chemoselective enzyme that preferentially catalyzed the O-acylation to the detriment of the N-acylation (C ≈ 92, for the selective acylation of (R)-enantiomers). These results provide new insights for the synthesis of products issued from the selective acylation of multifunctional substrates such as amino-alcohols.

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