1RO1 CA111985-01 Title: Cancer immunotherapy by targeting A2 adenosine receptor. It is believed that cancer immunotherapy applications are limited because anti-tumor T cells are inhibited in the immunosuppressive microenvironment of solid tumors. The overall goal of this proposal is to render cancer immunotherapies more effective by inactivating mechanisms that inhibit anti-tumor T cells near or within tumors. The central hypothesis of this proposal is that genetic deletion or pharmacological inactivation of immunosuppressive, Gs protein coupled A2 adenosine receptor subtypes A2A and A2B (A2AR and A2BR, respectively) should prevent the inhibition of anti-tumor T cells and thus facilitate their complete rejection. This hypothesis was prompted by our earlier findings that A2AR and A2BR play a critical role in the protection of normal tissues (e.g., liver and lung) from overactive immune cells in acutely inflamed and hypoxic areas. Our preliminary results confirmed this hypothesis by demonstrating the complete or much improved rejection of large tumors in -60%mice with genetically inactivated A2AR. Our data strongly suggest that both A2AR and A2BR should be inactivated in order to eliminate tumor protection in 100% of mice. Here we propose to take advantage of this new understanding to accomplish the complete rejection of tumors by making anti-tumor T cells resistant to inhibition by tumor-produced adenosine. This will be done via genetic deletion of both A2AR and A2BR in mice, or by treatments of tumor-bearing mice with novel antagonists selective for both A2AR and A2BR or by negative selection of """"""""inhibitable"""""""" anti-tumor T cells during expansion in vitro. Unique types of mice-deficient in A2AR or A2BR or both?will be used to test this novel and feasible strategy to improve the immunotherapy of cancer.
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