Purpose

Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) promotes cell survival by endorsing DNA damage repair and mediates an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Thus, TGFβ activation in response to radiation therapy is potentially targetable because it opposes therapeutic control. Strategies to assess this potential in the clinic are needed.

Methods and materials

We evaluated positron emission tomography (PET) to image ⁸⁹Zr -fresolimumab, a humanized TGFβ neutralizing monoclonal antibody, as a means to detect TGFβ activation in intracranial tumor models. Pathway activity of TGFβ was validated by immunodetection of phosphorylated SMAD2 and the TGFβ target, tenascin. The contribution of TGFβ to radiation response was assessed by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis of mice bearing intracranial murine tumor models GL261 and SB28 glioblastoma and brain-adapted 4T1 breast cancer (4T1-BrA) treated with TGFβ neutralizing monoclonal antibody, 1D11, and/or focal radiation (10 Gy).

Results

⁸⁹Zr-fresolimumab PET imaging detected engineered, physiological, and radiation-induced TGFβ activation, which was confirmed by immunostaining of biological markers. GL261 glioblastoma tumors had a greater PET signal compared with similar-sized SB28 glioblastoma tumors, whereas the widespread PET signal of 4T1-BrA intracranial tumors was consistent with their highly dispersed histologic distribution. Survival of mice bearing intracranial tumors treated with 1D11 neutralizing antibody alone was similar to that of mice treated with control antibody, whereas 1D11 improved survival when given in combination with focal radiation. The extent of survival benefit of a combination of radiation and 1D11 was associated with the degree of TGFβ activity detected by PET.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that ⁸⁹Zr-fresolimumab PET imaging detects radiation-induced TGFβ activation in tumors. Functional imaging indicated a range of TGFβ activity in intracranial tumors, but TGFβ blockade provided survival benefit only in the context of radiation treatment. This study provides further evidence that radiation-induced TGFβ activity opposes therapeutic response to radiation.