Checking immunotoxicity risks of checkpoint blockade

Recent Advances in Photosensitizer Materials for Light-Mediated Tumor Therapy

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) as an emerging therapeutic method has drawn much attention in the treatment field for cancer. Photosensitizer, which can convert photon energy into cytotoxic species under light irradiation, is the core component in PDT. The design of photosensitizers still faces problems of light absorption, targeting, penetration and oxygen dependence. With the rapid progress of material science, various photosensitizers have been developed to produce cytotoxic species for treatment of tumor with high selectivity, safety, and noninvasiveness. Besides, the applications of photosensitizers have been expanded to diverse cancer treatments such as drug release, optogenetics and immune checkpoint blockade. In this review, we summarize the recent advances of photosensitizers in various therapeutic methods for cancer. Prevailing challenges and further prospects associated with photosensitizers are also discussed.

Association of Baseline Tumor-Specific Neoantigens and CD8+ T-Cell Infiltration With Immune-Related Adverse Events Secondary to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

PURPOSE

Recent evidence has shown that higher tumor mutational burden strongly correlates with an increased risk of immune-related adverse events (irAEs). By using an integrated multiomics approach, we further studied the association between relevant tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) features and irAEs.

METHODS

Leveraging the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System, we extracted cases of suspected irAEs to calculate the reporting odds ratios (RORs) of irAEs for cancers treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). TIME features for 32 cancer types were calculated on the basis of the cancer genomic atlas cohorts and indirectly correlated with each cancer's ROR for irAEs. A separate ICI-treated cohort of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was used to evaluate the correlation between tissue-based immune markers (CD8+, PD-1/L1+, FOXP3+, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes [TILs]) and irAE occurrence.

RESULTS

The analysis of 32 cancers and 33 TIME features demonstrated a significant association between irAE RORs and the median number of base insertions and deletions (INDEL), neoantigens (r = 0.72), single-nucleotide variant neoantigens (r = 0.67), and CD8+ T-cell fraction (r = 0.51). A bivariate model using the median number of INDEL neoantigens and CD8 T-cell fraction had the highest accuracy in predicting RORs (adjusted r2 = 0.52, P = .002). Immunoprofile assessment of 156 patients with NSCLC revealed a strong trend for higher baseline median CD8+ T cells within patients' tumors who experienced any grade irAEs. Using machine learning, an expanded ICI-treated NSCLC cohort (n = 378) further showed a treatment duration-independent association of an increased proportion of high TIL (>median) in patients with irAEs (59.7% v 44%, P = .005). This was confirmed by using the Fine-Gray competing risk approach, demonstrating higher baseline TIL density (>median) associated with a higher cumulative incidence of irAEs (P = .028).

CONCLUSION

Our findings highlight a potential role for TIME features, specifically INDEL neoantigens and baseline-immune infiltration, in enabling optimal irAE risk stratification of patients.