Repurposed ethoxzolamide reprograms antitumor immunity through β-TrCP-dependent PD-L1 ubiquitination

Despite the clinical efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 blockade in solid tumors, resistance mediated by PD-L1 protein stabilization necessitates alternative strategies. Our study identifies ethoxzolamide (EZA), a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, as a negative regulator of PD-L1. EZA binds to the Leu387 residue of the E3 ubiquitin ligase β-TrCP, triggering K48-linked polyubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of PD-L1. Functionally, EZA downregulates tumor cell PD-L1, restoring T cell-mediated cytotoxicity in vitro. In Lewis lung carcinoma and MC38 murine models, EZA reprograms the tumor immune microenvironment (reducing MDSC/Treg infiltration while bolstering cytotoxic response). EZA synergizes with anti-CTLA-4 therapy to overcome treatment resistance. Clinical analysis of a neoadjuvant immunotherapy cohort of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients reveals that high PD-L1 with low β-TrCP expression associates with superior response, suggesting that this axis may warrant further investigation. Our findings elucidate an antitumor mechanism of EZA and expand its therapeutic potential.