Decitabine enhances anti-CD33 monoclonal antibody BI 836858-mediated natural killer ADCC against AML blasts

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common type of acute leukemia, affecting older individuals at a median age of 67 years. Resistance to intensive induction chemotherapy is the major cause of death in elderly AML; hence, novel treatment strategies are warranted. CD33-directed antibody-drug conjugates (gemtuzumab ozogamicin) have been shown to improve overall survival, validating CD33 as a target for antibody-based therapy of AML. Here, we report the in vitro efficacy of BI 836858, a fully human, Fc-engineered, anti-CD33 antibody using AML cell lines and primary AML blasts as targets. BI 836858-opsonized AML cells significantly induced both autologous and allogeneic natural killer (NK)-cell degranulation and NK-cell-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). In vitro treatment of AML blasts with decitabine (DAC) or 5-azacytidine, 2 hypomethylating agents that show efficacy in older patients, did not compromise BI 836858-induced NK-cell-mediated ADCC. Evaluation of BI 836858-mediated ADCC in serial marrow AML aspirates in patients who received a 10-day course of DAC (pre-DAC, days 4, 11, and 28 post-DAC) revealed significantly higher ADCC in samples at day 28 post-DAC when compared with pre-DAC treatment. Analysis of ligands to activating receptors (NKG2D) showed significantly increased NKG2D ligand [NKG2DL] expression in day 28 post-DAC samples compared with pre-DAC samples; when NKG2DL receptor was blocked using antibodies, BI 836858-mediated ADCC was significantly decreased, suggesting that DAC enhances AML blast susceptibility to BI 836858 by upregulating NKG2DL. These data provide a rationale for combination therapy of Fc-engineered antibodies such as BI 836858 with azanucleosides in elderly patients with AML.