Funding
National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia
Cancer Council of Queensland
Principal Research Fellowship
National Health and Medical Research Council
Find out more...Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científi co
ARTICLE ABSTRACT
CD96 has recently been shown as a negative regulator of mouse natural killer (NK)–cell activity, with Cd96−/− mice displaying hyperresponsive NK cells upon immune challenge. In this study, we have demonstrated that blocking CD96 with a monoclonal antibody inhibited experimental metastases in three different tumor models. The antimetastatic activity of anti-CD96 was dependent on NK cells, CD226 (DNAM-1), and IFNγ, but independent of activating Fc receptors. Anti-CD96 was more effective in combination with anti–CTLA-4, anti–PD-1, or doxorubicin chemotherapy. Blocking CD96 in Tigit−/− mice significantly reduced experimental and spontaneous metastases compared with its activity in wild-type mice. Co-blockade of CD96 and PD-1 potently inhibited lung metastases, with the combination increasing local NK-cell IFNγ production and infiltration. Overall, these data demonstrate that blocking CD96 is a new and complementary immunotherapeutic strategy to reduce tumor metastases.Significance: This article illustrates the antimetastatic activity and mechanism of action of an anti-CD96 antibody that inhibits the CD96–CD155 interaction and stimulates NK-cell function. Targeting host CD96 is shown to complement surgery and conventional immune checkpoint blockade. Cancer Discov; 6(4); 446–59. ©2016 AACR.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 331
