MFG-E8 Blockade Enhances Tumor Immunity in a Murine Breast Cancer Model

Abstract

Milk fat globule - epidermal growth factor - factor 8 protein (MFG-E8) is an important mediator of the tolerogenic functions of GM-CSF, and a dominant-negative RGE mutant augments the therapeutic potential of irradiated, GM-CSF-secreting tumor vaccines (GVAX) in the MFG-E8-negative B16 melanoma model. The frequent expression of MFG-E8 in various solid and hematological malignancies, however, prompted us to investigate the effect of the RGE mutant in a MFG-E8-positive transplantable breast tumor model. Here, we report that MFG-E8 blockade augmented anti-tumor humoral responses and modulated immune infiltrates at vaccination sites, which was associated with defective phagocytosis and clearance of apoptotic tumor cells. The RGE mutant enhanced the therapeutic potential of two irradiated, GM-CSF-secreting vaccines and improved protection correlated with augmented tumor-specific IgG1 and IgG2a antibody responses as well as increased ratios of T effectors to Tregs in TILs. These findings are consistent with the notion that MFG-E8 blockade potentiates anti-tumor responses through the preferential expansion of effector over regulatory T cells. Our data also validate the use of the RGE mutant to achieve therapeutically effective MFG-E8 blockade even in the context of tumors and vaccines that express high levels of endogenous MFG-E8.