
==== Front
bioRxiv
BIORXIV
bioRxiv
2692-8205
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

10.1101/2024.08.14.607933
preprint
1
Article
Immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment does not impair ovarian or endocrine function in a mouse model of triple negative breast cancer
De La Cruz Payton
Woodman-Sousa Morgan F.
McAdams Julia N.
Sweeney Ellia
Hakim Lola
Aquino Melanie Morales
Grive Kathryn J. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7102-817X

19 8 2024
2024.08.14.607933https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/ This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. The license allows for commercial use.
http://biorxiv.org/lookup/doi/10.1101/2024.08.14.607933
nihpp-2024.08.14.607933.pdf
ABSTRACT

Background

Representing 15-20% of all breast cancer cases, triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is diagnosed more frequently in reproductive-age women and exhibits higher rates of disease metastasis and recurrence when compared with other subtypes. Few targeted treatments exist for TNBC, and many patients experience infertility and endocrine disruption as a result of frontline chemotherapy treatment. While they are a promising option for less toxic therapeutic approaches, little is known about the effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors on reproductive and endocrine function.

Results

Our findings in a syngeneic TNBC mouse model revealed that therapeutically relevant immunotherapies targeting PD-1, LAG-3, and TIM-3 had no effect on the quality and abundance of ovarian follicles, estrus cyclicity, or hormonal homeostasis. Similarly, in a tumor-free mouse model, we found that ovarian architecture, follicle abundance, estrus cyclicity, and ovulatory efficiency remain unchanged by PD-1 blockade.

Conclusions

Taken together, our results suggest that immunotherapy may be a promising component of fertility-sparing therapeutic regimens for patients that wish to retain ovarian and endocrine function after cancer treatment.
==== Body
pmc
