Potentiating the radiation-induced type I interferon anti-tumoral immune response by ATM inhibition in pancreatic cancer

Radiotherapy induces a Type I interferon (T1IFN)-mediated anti-tumoral immune response that we hypothesized could be potentiated by a first-in-class ATM inhibitor leading to enhanced innate immune signaling, T1IFN expression, and sensitization to immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer. We evaluated the effects of AZD1390 or a structurally related compound AZD0156 on innate immune signaling and found that both inhibitors enhanced radiation-induced T1IFN expression via the POLIII/RIG-I/MAVS pathway. In immunocompetent syngeneic mouse models of pancreatic cancer, ATM inhibitor enhanced radiation-induced anti-tumoral immune responses and sensitized to anti-PD-L1, producing immunogenic memory and durable tumor control. Therapeutic responses were associated with increased intratumoral CD8+ T cell frequency and effector function. Tumor control was dependent on CD8+ T cells as therapeutic efficacy was blunted in CD8+ T cell-depleted mice. Adaptive immune responses to combination therapy provided systemic control of contralateral tumors outside of the radiation field. Taken together, we show that a clinical candidate ATM inhibitor enhances radiation-induced T1IFN leading to both innate and subsequent adaptive anti-tumoral immune responses and sensitization of otherwise resistant pancreatic cancer to immunotherapy.