The Immunotoxicity, but Not Anti-tumor Efficacy, of Anti-CD40 and Anti-CD137 Immunotherapies is Dependent on the Gut Microbiota

Immune agonist antibodies (IAAs) are promising immunotherapies that target co-stimulatory receptors to induce potent anti-tumor immune responses, particularly when combined with checkpoint inhibitors. Unfortunately, their clinical translation is hampered by serious dose-limiting, immune-mediated toxicities, including high-grade and sometimes fatal liver damage, cytokine release syndrome (CRS), and colitis. We show that the immunotoxicity, induced by the IAAs anti-CD40 and anti-CD137, is dependent on the gut microbiota. Germ-free or antibiotic-treated mice have significantly reduced colitis, CRS, and liver damage following IAA treatment compared with conventional mice or germ-free mice recolonized via fecal microbiota transplant. MyD88 signaling is required for IAA-induced CRS and for anti-CD137-induced, but not anti-CD40-induced, liver damage. Importantly, antibiotic treatment does not impair IAA anti-tumor efficacy, alone or in combination with anti-PD1. Our results suggest that microbiota-targeted therapies could overcome the toxicity induced by IAAs without impairing their anti-tumor activity.