CXCR4 Inhibition by Ulocuplumab Prevents EMT of pNET Cells in Vitro

#1847

Introduction: Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) overexpress CXCR4. We have previously shown that stimulation of CXCR4 by its ligand SDF-1 promotes the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and increases distant tumor spread. Ulocuplumab (Ulo) is a fully human IgG4 mAb designed to inhibit the binding of CXCR4 to SDF-1.

Aim(s): We investigated the effect of CXCR4 inhibition in preventing pNET spreading in vitro.

Materials and methods: Complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC), Ab-dependent cell cytotoxicity (ADCC), Ab-dependent cell phagocytosis (ADCP) and direct Ab-induced apoptosis were investigated in vitro using three pNET cell lines (BON1, CM, QGP1) treated with Ulo. Following their incubation with SDF-1, RNAseq was used to profile the transcriptome before and after treatment with the mAb. The effects of Ulo on pNET cell morphology, as well as migration and invasion towards liver and bone fragments were also studied.

Conference: 14th Annual ENETSConcerence (2017)

Presenting Author: Quaresmini D

Authors: Quaresmini D, Cives M, Pellè E, Ungaro A, Felici C,

Keywords: pNET, CXCR4, EMT, Ulocuplumab,

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