The myeloma surface proteome (surfaceome) determines tumor interaction with the microenvironment and serves as an emerging arena for therapeutic development. Here, we use glycoprotein capture proteomics to define the myeloma surfaceome at baseline, in drug resistance, and in response to acute drug treatment. We provide a scoring system for surface antigens and identify CCR10 as a promising target in this disease expressed widely on malignant plasma cells. We engineer proof-of-principle chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells targeting CCR10 using its natural ligand CCL27. In myeloma models we identify proteins that could serve as markers of resistance to bortezomib and lenalidomide, including CD53, CD10, EVI2B, and CD33. We find that acute lenalidomide treatment increases activity of MUC1-targeting CAR-T cells through antigen upregulation. Finally, we develop a miniaturized surface proteomic protocol for profiling primary plasma cell samples with low inputs. These approaches and datasets may contribute to the biological, therapeutic, and diagnostic understanding of myeloma.
© 2022. The Author(s).

h4>ABSTRACT/h4> The myeloma cell surface proteome (“surfaceome”) not only determines tumor interaction with the microenvironment but serves as an emerging arena for therapeutic development. Here, we use glycoprotein capture proteomics to first define surface markers most-enriched on myeloma when compared to B-cell malignancy models, revealing unexpected biological signatures unique to malignant plasma cells. We next integrate our proteomic dataset with existing transcriptome databases, nominating CCR10 and TXNDC11 as possible monotherapeutic targets and CD48 as a promising co-target for increasing avidity of BCMA-directed cellular therapies. We further identify potential biomarkers of resistance to both proteasome inhibitors and lenalidomide including changes in CD53, EVI2B, CD10, and CD33. Comparison of short-term treatment with chronic resistance delineates large differences in surface proteome profile under each type of drug exposure. Finally, we develop a miniaturized version of the surface proteomics protocol and present the first surface proteomic profile of a primary myeloma patient plasma cell sample. Our dataset provides a unique resource to advance the biological, therapeutic, and diagnostic understanding of myeloma.

Chemotherapeutic drugs can enhance an immune response of the host against the tumor in addition to killing cancer cells by direct cytotoxicity. Therefore, the combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy is a promising approach for eliminating tumors, particularly in advanced stages. A strategic medication is to use a bispecific antibody format that is capable of recruiting polyclonal T cells around antibody-target-expressing tumor cells. Recently, we have constructed a bispecific antibody, anti-CD3×anti-CD19, in a diabody configuration. In this study, we measured B7 family members B7.1 (CD80) and B7.2 (CD86) expressed on a CD19(+) human leukemia cell line, Nalm-6, stimulated by cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C). We found that a low concentration of Ara-C could upregulate CD80 expressed on CD19(+) Nalm-6 cells. The cytotoxicity of T lymphocytes against Nalm-6 cells in vitro and in vivo mediated by the anti-CD3×anti-CD19 diabody with or without a low dose of Ara-C was compared. The combination of the anti-CD3×anti-CD19 diabody and Ara-C showed the greatest effectiveness in enhancing the cytotoxicity of T cells against the tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. Activated T cells expressed higher levels of CD25 and CD69 and released more interleukin 2. Both perforin/granzyme B system and Fas/FasL pathway were involved in the diabody-induced T-cell cytotoxicity. Moreover, the activated T cells could upregulate ICAM-3 expression on Nalm-6 cells, and inhibition of LFA-1-ICAM-3 interaction impaired cytotoxicity of T cells. It was noted that Ara-C could upregulate CD80 expressed on two of five specimens of acute B lymphoblastic leukemia patient-derived cells. Cytotoxicity of T cells against these two patient-derived cells was enhanced in the presence of the anti-CD3×anti-CD19 diabody. These findings indicate that treatment strategy using both cytotoxic lymphocyte-based immunotherapy and chemotherapy may have synergistic effects.