Targeting the bicarbonate transporter SLC4A4 overcomes immunosuppression and immunotherapy resistance in pancreatic cancer
(2022) Nature cancer — Vol. 3, n° 12, p. 1464-1483 (2022)
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- Solid tumors are generally characterized by an acidic tumor microenvironment (TME) that favors cancer progression, therapy resistance, and immune evasion. By single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis in PDAC patients, we reveal hereby Solute Carrier Family 4 Member 4 (SLC4A4) as the most abundant bicarbonate transporter, predominantly expressed by epithelial ductal cells. Functionally, SLC4A4 inhibition in PDAC cancer cells mitigates the acidosis of the TME due to bicarbonate accumulation in the extracellular space and decrease in lactate production by cancer cells as the result of reduced glycolysis. In PDAC-bearing mice, genetic or pharmacological SLC4A4 targeting improves T cell-mediated immune response and breaches macrophage-mediated immunosuppression, thus inhibiting tumor growth and metastases. In addition, Slc4a4 targeting in combination with immune-checkpoint blockade is able to overcome immunotherapy resistance and prolong survival. Overall, our data propose SLC4A4 as a therapeutic target to unleash an anti-tumor immune response in PDAC.
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Cappellesso, F., Orban, M.-P., Shirgaonkar, N., Berardi, E., Serneels, J., Neveu, M.-A., di Molfetta, D., Piccapane, F., Caroppo, R., Debellis, L., Ostyn, T., Joudiou, N., Mignion, L., Richiardone, E., Jordan, B., Gallez, B., Corbet, C., Roskams, T., Dasgupta, R., et al. (2022). Targeting the bicarbonate transporter SLC4A4 overcomes immunosuppression and immunotherapy resistance in pancreatic cancer. Nature cancer, 3(12), 1464-1483. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43018-022-00470-2 (Original work published 2022)