Abstract PR-001: Beta-adrenergic blockade licenses the use of immunotherapy in primary brain tumors and brain metastases

Immunotherapy is less effective against intracranial metastases compared to extracranial metastases and ineffective against primary brain tumors such as glioblastoma. Brain tumors present a unique challenge to in the context of immunotherapy, as these patients are immunosuppressed not just locally at the tumor, but also outside the CNS. Importantly, systemic immunosuppression observed in brain tumor patients limits the capacity of the immune system to respond to immunotherapy. Through this work we present a novel axis of immunosuppression in patients with intracranial tumors and demonstrate that overactive adrenergic signaling is a major barrier to immunotherapeutic success. Our data indicate that combining beta-adrenergic blockade with immunotherapy provides a survival benefit in the setting of brain tumors, where immunotherapy alone has proven ineffective. We demonstrate that this survival benefit is driven by a remodeling of the tumor microenvironment, increasing NF-kB activity and resulting in an increase in cDC1s and CD8+ T cells, as well as an increase in CD40-CD40L signaling, suggesting the immune system is poised to respond to immunotherapy. Further, we demonstrate that beta-adrenergic blockade can overcome systemic immunosuppression to restore the capacity of T cells to respond to an immune stimulus. Using the SEER-Medicaid database, we retrospectively examined outcomes in patients with melanoma and lung adenocarcinoma brain metastasis who received checkpoint blockade therapy alone vs those concurrently receiving beta-blocker therapy. We found that patients receiving combination therapy showed increased overall survival compared to those receiving checkpoint blockade alone. We then validated these findings in preclinical models of glioma, demonstrating that combining immunotherapy and propranolol, a widely prescribed FDA-approved beta-blocker, extended survival. Moving forward, we proffer that combination therapy with beta-blocker and immunotherapy, particularly checkpoint blockade, represents a promising translational treatment platform for patients with primary or metastatic intracranial malignancies.Citation Format: Selena Lorrey, Lucas Wachsmuth, Mackenzie Price, Corey Neff, Quinn Ostrom, Peter Fecci. Beta-adrenergic blockade licenses the use of immunotherapy in primary brain tumors and brain metastases [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Brain Cancer; 2023 Oct 19-22; Minneapolis, Minnesota. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(5 Suppl_1):Abstract nr PR-001.

Duke Scholars

Author Quinn Ostrom Neurosurgery, Neuro-Oncology