Platelets stimulate programmed death-ligand 1 expression by cancer cells: Inhibition by anti-platelet drugs

Platelets facilitate hematogenous metastasis in part by promoting cancer cell immunoevasion, although our understanding of platelet function in modulating the adaptive immune system in cancer is limited. A major negative regulator of the adaptive response is the immune checkpoint protein Programmed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1).

As platelets secrete factors that may increase PD-L1 expression, we investigated whether they up-regulate cancer cell PD-L1, thus promoting immunoevasion, and whether common anti-platelet drugs inhibit this process.

Platelets were isolated from human volunteers. A549 lung, PD-L1 null A549, and 786-O renal cancer cells were incubated with and without platelets, and cancer cell PD-L1 expression was measured by qPCR and flow cytometry. Additionally, platelet-cancer cell incubations were performed in the presence of common anti-platelet drugs, and with growth factor neutralizing antibodies. Following incubation with platelets, A549 were co-cultured with T-cells and interleukin-2 (IL-2) levels were measured by flow cytometry as a marker of T-cell activation.

Platelets increased PD-L1 mRNA and surface protein expression by A549 and 786-0 cells. Combined neutralization of VEGF and PDGF prevented the platelet-induced up-regulation of PD-L1 by A549, as did the anti-platelet drug eptifibatide. A549 incubated with platelets demonstrated a reduced ability to activate human T-cells, an effect reversed by eptifibatide.

As platelets promote immunoevasion of the adaptive immune response by increasing cancer cell PD-L1 expression and as anti-platelet drugs prevent this immunoevasive response, the investigation of anti-platelet drugs as adjuvant therapy to immune checkpoint inhibitors may be warranted in the treatment of cancer.