The Capacity of the Ovarian Cancer Tumor Microenvironment to Integrate Inflammation Signaling Conveys a Shorter Disease-free Interval

Clin Cancer Res. 2020 Dec 1;26(23):6362-6373. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-20-1762. Epub 2020 Sep 14.

Abstract

Purpose: Ovarian cancer has one of the highest deaths to incidence ratios across all cancers. Initial chemotherapy is effective, but most patients develop chemoresistant disease. Mechanisms driving clinical chemo-response or -resistance are not well-understood. However, achieving optimal surgical cytoreduction improves survival, and cytoreduction is improved by neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). NACT offers a window to profile pre- versus post-NACT tumors, which we used to identify chemotherapy-induced changes to the tumor microenvironment.

Experimental design: We obtained matched pre- and post-NACT archival tumor tissues from patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer (patient, n = 6). We measured mRNA levels of 770 genes (756 genes/14 housekeeping genes, NanoString Technologies), and performed reverse phase protein array (RPPA) on a subset of matched tumors. We examined cytokine levels in pre-NACT ascites samples (n = 39) by ELISAs. A tissue microarray with 128 annotated ovarian tumors expanded the transcriptional, RPPA, and cytokine data by multispectral IHC.

Results: The most upregulated gene post-NACT was IL6 (16.79-fold). RPPA data were concordant with mRNA, consistent with elevated immune infiltration. Elevated IL6 in pre-NACT ascites specimens correlated with a shorter time to recurrence. Integrating NanoString (n = 12), RPPA (n = 4), and cytokine (n = 39) studies identified an activated inflammatory signaling network and induced IL6 and IER3 (immediate early response 3) post-NACT, associated with poor chemo-response and time to recurrence.

Conclusions: Multiomics profiling of ovarian tumor samples pre- and post-NACT provides unique insight into chemo-induced changes to the tumor microenvironment. We identified a novel IL6/IER3 signaling axis that may drive chemoresistance and disease recurrence.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use*
  • Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / mortality*
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Cytoreduction Surgical Procedures / mortality*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Inflammation / immunology
  • Inflammation / mortality*
  • Inflammation / pathology
  • Inflammation / therapy
  • Neoadjuvant Therapy / mortality*
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / immunology
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / mortality*
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / pathology
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / therapy
  • Prognosis
  • Survival Rate
  • Tumor Microenvironment / immunology*