Background
This study evaluated the antineoplastic and immunostimulatory effects of inhaled (IH) submicron particle paclitaxel (NanoPac®) in an orthotopic non-small cell lung cancer rodent model.
Conclusion
Tumor regression and immune cell infiltration were observed in all treatment groups, with an increased incidence noted in animals receiving IH submicron particle paclitaxel treatment.
Methods
Male nude rats were whole body irradiated, intratracheally instilled with Calu-3 cancer cells and divided into six treatment arms (n = 20 each): no treatment (Group 1); intravenous nab-paclitaxel at 5.0 mg/kg once weekly for 3 weeks (Group 2); IH NanoPac at 0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg, once weekly for 4 weeks (Groups 3 and 4), or twice weekly for 4 weeks (Groups 5 and 6). Upon necropsy, left lungs were paraffin embedded, serially sectioned, and stained for histopathological examination. A subset was evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC), anti-pan cytokeratin staining AE1/AE3+ tumor cells and CD11b+ staining dendritic cells, natural killer lymphocytes, and macrophage immune cells (n = 2, Group 1; n = 3 each for Groups 2-6). BCL-6 staining identified B lymphocytes (n = 1 in Groups 1, 2, and 6).
Results
All animals survived to scheduled necropsy, exhibited no adverse clinical observations due to treatment, and gained weight at the same rate throughout the study. Histopathological evaluation of Group 1 lung samples was consistent with unabated tumor growth. Group 2 exhibited regression in 10% of animals (n = 2/20). IH NanoPac-treated groups exhibited significantly higher tumor regression incidence per group (n = 11-13/20; p < 0.05, χ2). IHC subset analysis revealed tumor-nodule cluster separation, irregular borders between tumor and non-neoplastic tissue, and an increased density of infiltrating CD11b+ cells in Group 2 animals (n = 2/3) and in all IH NanoPac-treated animals reviewed (n = 3/3 per group). A single animal in Group 4 and Group 6 exhibited signs of pathological complete response at necropsy with organizing stroma and immune cells replacing areas presumed to have previously contained adenocarcinoma nodules.