LCOR mediates interferon-independent tumor immunogenicity and responsiveness to immune-checkpoint blockade in triple-negative breast cancer. Author Iván Pérez-Núñez, Catalina Rozalén, José Palomeque, Irene Sangrador, Mariona Dalmau, Laura Comerma, Anna Hernández-Prat, David Casadevall, Silvia Menendez, Daniel Liu, Minhong Shen, Jordi Berenguer, Irene Ruiz, Raul Peña, José Montañés, M Mar Albà, Sarah Bonnin, Julia Ponomarenko, Roger Gomis, Juan Cejalvo, Sonia Servitja, Diego Marzese, Lluis Morey, Leonie Voorwerk, Joaquín Arribas, Begoña Bermejo, Marleen Kok, Lajos Pusztai, Yibin Kang, Joan Albanell, Toni Celià-Terrassa Publication Year 2022 Type Journal Article Abstract Ligand-dependent corepressor (LCOR) mediates normal and malignant breast stem cell differentiation. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) generate phenotypic heterogeneity and drive therapy resistance, yet their role in immunotherapy is poorly understood. Here we show that immune-checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy selects for LCOR CSCs with reduced antigen processing/presentation machinery (APM) driving immune escape and ICB resistance in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). We unveil an unexpected function of LCOR as a master transcriptional activator of APM genes binding to IFN-stimulated response elements (ISREs) in an IFN signaling-independent manner. Through genetic modification of LCOR expression, we demonstrate its central role in modulation of tumor immunogenicity and ICB responsiveness. In TNBC, LCOR associates with ICB clinical response. Importantly, extracellular vesicle (EV) Lcor-messenger RNA therapy in combination with anti-PD-L1 overcame resistance and eradicated breast cancer metastasis in preclinical models. Collectively, these data support LCOR as a promising target for enhancement of ICB efficacy in TNBC, by boosting of tumor APM independently of IFN. Keywords Repressor Proteins, Humans, Interferons, Immunotherapy, Melanoma, Skin Neoplasms, Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms, Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Journal Nat Cancer Volume 3 Issue 3 Pages 355-370 Date Published 2022 Mar ISSN Number 2662-1347 DOI 10.1038/s43018-022-00339-4 Alternate Journal Nat Cancer PMCID 5391692 PMID 35301507 PubMedPubMed CentralGoogle ScholarBibTeXEndNote X3 XML