Necroptosis-dependent Immunogenicity of Cisplatin: Implications for Enhancing the Radiation-induced Abscopal Effect

Cisplatin induces antitumor immunity through necroptosis-mediated ICD. Our findings may help explain the benefits of cisplatin in chemo(radio)immunotherapies and develop clinical trials to investigate whether cisplatin enhances the abscopal effect in patients.

Cisplatin is increasingly used in chemoimmunotherapy and may enhance the T cell-dependent radiation-induced abscopal effect, but how it promotes antitumor immunity is poorly understood. We investigated whether and why cisplatin is immunogenic, and the implications for the cisplatin-enhanced abscopal effect. Experimental design: Cisplatin, carboplatin, and the well-known immunogenic cell death (ICD) inducer oxaliplatin were compared for their potency to enhance the abscopal effect and induce type I IFN (IFN-I) and extracellular ATP, danger signals of ICD. The hypothetical role of necroptosis and associated damage-associated molecular patterns for cisplatin-induced ICD was investigated by inhibitors and knockout cells in vitro and in two tumor models in mice. A novel necroptosis signature for tumor immune cell infiltration and therapy response was developed.

Cisplatin enhanced the abscopal effect more strongly than oxaliplatin or carboplatin. This correlated with higher induction of IFN-I and extracellular ATP by cisplatin, in a necroptosis-dependent manner. Cisplatin triggered receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 (RIPK3)-dependent tumor cell necroptosis causing cytosolic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) release, initiating the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of interferon genes pathway and IFN-I secretion promoting T-cell cross-priming by dendritic cells (DC). Accordingly, tumor cell RIPK3 or mtDNA deficiency and loss of IFN-I or ATP signaling diminished the cisplatin-enhanced abscopal effect. Cisplatin-treated tumor cells were immunogenic in vaccination experiments, depending on RIPK3 and mtDNA. In human tumor transcriptome analysis, necroptotic features correlated with abundant CD8+ T cells/DCs, sparse immunosuppressive cells, and immunotherapy response. Conclusions: Cisplatin induces antitumor immunity through necroptosis-mediated ICD. Our findings may help explain the benefits of cisplatin in chemo(radio)immunotherapies and develop clinical trials to investigate whether cisplatin enhances the abscopal effect in patients.