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Wilkinson AN, Chen R, Coleborn E, Neilson T, Le K, Bhavsar C, Wang Y, Atluri S, Irgam G, Wong K, Yang D, Steptoe R, Wu SY. Let-7i enhances anti-tumour immunity and suppresses ovarian tumour growth. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2024; 73:80. [PMID: 38554167 PMCID: PMC10981620 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-024-03674-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024]
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy has seen significant success in the last decade for cancer management by enhancing endogenous cancer immunity. However, immunotherapies developed thus far have seen limited success in the majority of high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) ovarian cancer patients. This is largely due to the highly immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment of HGSC and late-stage identification. Thus, novel treatment interventions are needed to overcome this immunosuppression and complement existing immunotherapies. Here, we have identified through analysis of > 600 human HGSC tumours a critical role for Let-7i in modulating the tumoural immune network. Tumoural expression of Let-7i had high positive correlation with anti-cancer immune signatures in HGSC patients. Confirming this role, enforced Let-7i expression in murine HGSC tumours resulted in a significant decrease in tumour burden with a significant increase in tumour T cell numbers in tumours. In concert with the improved tumoural immunity, Let-7i treatment also significantly increased CD86 expression in antigen presenting cells (APCs) in the draining lymph nodes, indicating enhanced APC activity. Collectively, our findings highlight an important role of Let-7i in anti-tumour immunity and its potential use for inducing an anti-tumour effect in HGSC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew N Wilkinson
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Rui Chen
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Elaina Coleborn
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Trent Neilson
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Khang Le
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Chintan Bhavsar
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Yue Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Sharat Atluri
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Gowri Irgam
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Kiefer Wong
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Da Yang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Raymond Steptoe
- Frazer Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Sherry Y Wu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
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Hu X, Bukhari SM, Tymm C, Adam K, Lerrer S, Henick BS, Winchester RJ, Mor A. Inhibition of IL-25/IL-17RA improves immune-related adverse events of checkpoint inhibitors and reveals antitumor activity. J Immunother Cancer 2024; 12:e008482. [PMID: 38519059 PMCID: PMC10961528 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-008482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have improved outcomes and extended patient survival in several tumor types. However, ICIs often induce immune-related adverse events (irAEs) that warrant therapy cessation, thereby limiting the overall effectiveness of this class of therapeutic agents. Currently, available therapies used to treat irAEs might also blunt the antitumor activity of the ICI themselves. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify treatments that have the potential to be administered alongside ICI to optimize their use. METHODS Using a translationally relevant murine model of anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4 antibodies-induced irAEs, we compared the safety and efficacy of prednisolone, anti-IL-6, anti-TNFɑ, anti-IL-25 (IL-17E), and anti-IL-17RA (the receptor for IL-25) administration to prevent irAEs and to reduce tumor size. RESULTS While all interventions were adequate to inhibit the onset of irAEs pneumonitis and hepatitis, treatment with anti-IL-25 or anti-IL-17RA antibodies also exerted additional antitumor activity. Mechanistically, IL-25/IL-17RA blockade reduced the number of organ-infiltrating lymphocytes. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that IL-25/IL-17RA may serve as an additional target when treating ICI-responsive tumors, allowing for better tumor control while suppressing immune-related toxicities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xizi Hu
- Center for Translational Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Shoiab M Bukhari
- Center for Translational Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Carly Tymm
- Center for Translational Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Kieran Adam
- Center for Translational Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Shalom Lerrer
- Center for Translational Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Brian S Henick
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Robert J Winchester
- Center for Translational Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Division of Rheumatology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Adam Mor
- Center for Translational Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Division of Rheumatology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
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Charles J, Vrionis A, Mansur A, Mathias T, Shaikh J, Ciner A, Jiang Y, Nezami N. Potential Immunotherapy Targets for Liver-Directed Therapies, and the Current Scope of Immunotherapeutics for Liver-Related Malignancies. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15092624. [PMID: 37174089 PMCID: PMC10177356 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15092624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver cancer, including hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, is increasing in incidence and mortality across the globe. An improved understanding of the complex tumor microenvironment has opened many therapeutic doors and led to the development of novel pharmaceuticals targeting cellular signaling pathways or immune checkpoints. These interventions have significantly improved tumor control rates and patient outcomes, both in clinical trials and in real-world practice. Interventional radiologists play an important role in the multidisciplinary team given their expertise in minimally invasive locoregional therapy, as the bulk of these tumors are usually in the liver. The aim of this review is to highlight the immunological therapeutic targets for primary liver cancers, the available immune-based approaches, and the contributions that interventional radiology can provide in the care of these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Charles
- Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 560 Channelside Drive, Tampa, FL 33602, USA
| | - Andrea Vrionis
- Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 560 Channelside Drive, Tampa, FL 33602, USA
| | - Arian Mansur
- Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Trevor Mathias
- School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Jamil Shaikh
- Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 560 Channelside Drive, Tampa, FL 33602, USA
- Department of Radiology, Tampa General Hospital, University of South Florida Health, Tampa General Cir, Tampa, FL 33606, USA
| | - Aaron Ciner
- Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Yixing Jiang
- Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Nariman Nezami
- Division of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Experimental Therapeutics Program, University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
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Application of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Gynecological Cancers: What Do Gynecologists Need to Know before Using Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors? Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24020974. [PMID: 36674491 PMCID: PMC9865129 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24020974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Standard treatments for gynecological cancers include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. However, there are limitations associated with the chemotherapeutic drugs used to treat advanced and recurrent gynecological cancers, and it is difficult to identify additional treatments. Therefore, immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy products, including PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors and CTLA-4 inhibitors, are in the spotlight as alternatives for the treatment of advanced gynecological cancers. Although the ICI monotherapy response rate in gynecological cancers is lower than that in melanoma or non-small cell lung cancer, the response rates are approximately 13-52%, 7-22%, and 4-17% for endometrial, ovarian, and cervical cancers, respectively. Several studies are being conducted to compare the outcomes of combining ICI therapy with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and antiangiogenesis agents. Therefore, it is critical to determine the mechanism underlying ICI therapy-mediated anti-tumor activity and its application in gynecological cancers. Additionally, understanding the possible immune-related adverse events induced post-immunotherapy, as well as the appropriate management of diagnosis and treatment, are necessary to create a quality environment for immunotherapy in patients with gynecological cancers. Therefore, in this review, we summarize the ICI mechanisms, ICIs applied to gynecological cancers, and appropriate diagnosis and treatment of immune-related side effects to help gynecologists treat gynecological cancers using immunotherapy.
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Xu Y, Zuo F, Wang H, Jing J, He X. The current landscape of predictive and prognostic biomarkers for immune checkpoint blockade in ovarian cancer. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1045957. [PMID: 36389711 PMCID: PMC9647049 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1045957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy has evoked a prominent shift in anticancer therapy. Durable clinical antitumor activity to ICB has been observed in patients with ovarian cancer (OC). However, only a subset of patients derive clinical benefit, and immune-related adverse events (irAEs) caused by ICB therapy can lead to permanent tissue damage and even fatal consequences. It is thus urgent to develop predictive biomarkers to optimize patient outcomes and minimize toxicity risk. Herein, we review current predictive and prognostic biomarkers for checkpoint immunotherapy in OC and highlight emerging biomarkers to guide treatment with ICB. The prevalent biomarkers, such as PD-L1 expression status, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, mutational burden, and immune gene signatures, are further discussed. We provide a state-of-the-art survey on prognostic and predictive biomarkers for checkpoint immunotherapy and offer valuable information for guiding precision immunotherapy
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jing Jing
- *Correspondence: Jing Jing, ; Xiujing He,
| | - Xiujing He
- *Correspondence: Jing Jing, ; Xiujing He,
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Khatoon E, Parama D, Kumar A, Alqahtani MS, Abbas M, Girisa S, Sethi G, Kunnumakkara AB. Targeting PD-1/PD-L1 axis as new horizon for ovarian cancer therapy. Life Sci 2022; 306:120827. [PMID: 35907493 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2022.120827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is among the deadliest gynecological cancers and the 7th most commonly occurring cancer in women globally. The 5 year survival rate is estimated to be less than 25 %, as in most cases, diagnosis occurs at an advanced stage. Despite recent advancements in treatment, clinical outcomes still remain poor, thus implicating the need for urgent identification of novel therapeutics for the treatment of this cancer. Ovarian cancer is considered a low immune reactive cancer as the tumor cells express insufficient neoantigens to be recognized by the immune cells and thus tend to escape from immune surveillance. Thus, in the recent decade, immunotherapy has gained significant attention and has rejuvenated the understanding of immune regulation in tumor biology. One of the critical immune checkpoints is programmed cell death-1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) axis. Engagement of PD-1 to PD-L1 promotes immunologic tolerance and suppresses the effector T cells and maintains tumor Tregs, thus playing a crucial role in enhancing tumor survival. Recent studies are targeted to develop inhibitors that block this signal to augment the anti-tumor activity of immune cells. Also, compared to monotherapy, the combinatorial treatment of immune checkpoint inhibitors with small molecule inhibitors have shown promising results with improved efficacy and acceptable adverse events. The present review provides an overview of the PD-1/PD-L1 axis and role of non-coding RNAs in regulating this axis. Moreover, we have highlighted the various preclinical and clinical investigations on PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors and have discussed the limitations of immunotherapies in ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elina Khatoon
- Cancer Biology Laboratory, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, Guwahati 781 039, Assam, India
| | - Dey Parama
- Cancer Biology Laboratory, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, Guwahati 781 039, Assam, India
| | - Aviral Kumar
- Cancer Biology Laboratory, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, Guwahati 781 039, Assam, India
| | - Mohammed S Alqahtani
- Radiological Sciences Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia; BioImaging Unit, Space Research Centre, Michael Atiyah Building, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Mohamed Abbas
- Electrical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia; Computers and communications Department, College of Engineering, Delta University for Science and Technology, Gamasa 35712, Egypt
| | - Sosmitha Girisa
- Cancer Biology Laboratory, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, Guwahati 781 039, Assam, India
| | - Gautam Sethi
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117600, Singapore.
| | - Ajaikumar B Kunnumakkara
- Cancer Biology Laboratory, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, Guwahati 781 039, Assam, India.
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The Novel Immune Checkpoint GPR56 Is Expressed on Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes and Selectively Upregulated upon TCR Signaling. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14133164. [PMID: 35804934 PMCID: PMC9264967 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14133164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
High levels of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in the tumor microenvironment (TME) are associated with a survival benefit in various cancer types and the targeted (re)activation of TILs is an attractive therapeutic anti-cancer approach that yields curative responses. However, current T cell targeting strategies directed at known immune checkpoints have not increased objective response rates for all cancer types, including for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). For this reason, the identification of new immune checkpoints that regulate T cell immunity remains of great interest. One yet largely uninvestigated checkpoint of potential interest is the G protein-coupled receptor 56 (GPR56), which belongs to the adhesion GPCR family. GPR56 was originally reported to function in cerebral cortical development and in anti-depressant response, but also in cancer. Recently, GPR56 was identified as an inhibitory receptor expressed on human NK cells that by cis-interaction with the tetraspanin CD81 attenuated the cytotoxic activity of NK cells. This NK cell checkpoint could be blocked by an GPR56 antibody, leading to increased cytotoxicity. Interestingly, GPR56 expression has also been reported on cytokine producing memory CD8 T lymphocytes and may thus represent a T cell checkpoint as well. Here, GPR56 mRNA expression was characterized in the context of TILs, with GPR56 expression being detected predominantly in tumor infiltrating CD8 T cells with a cytotoxic and (pre-)exhausted phenotype. In accordance with this mRNA profile, TILs from ovarian cancer patients expressed GPR56 primarily within the effector memory and central memory T cell subsets. On T cells from healthy donors the expression was limited to effector memory and terminally differentiated T cells. Notably, GPR56 expression further increased on TILs upon T cell receptor (TCR)-mediated stimulation in co-cultures with cancer cells, whereas GPR56 expression on healthy primary human T cells did not. Further, the ectopic expression of GPR56 significantly reduced the migration of GPR56-positive T cells. Taken together, GPR56 is a potential immune-checkpoint in EOC found on (pre-)exhausted CD8 TILs that may regulate migratory behavior.
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Sato S, Matsushita H, Shintani D, Kobayashi Y, Fujieda N, Yabuno A, Nishikawa T, Fujiwara K, Kakimi K, Hasegawa K. Association between effector-type regulatory T cells and immune checkpoint expression on CD8 + T cells in malignant ascites from epithelial ovarian cancer. BMC Cancer 2022; 22:437. [PMID: 35449092 PMCID: PMC9026673 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-09534-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play an important role in the antitumor immune response in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). To understand the immune-inhibitory networks of EOC, we addressed the association between Tregs and immune checkpoint expression on T cells in the tumor microenvironment of EOC. Methods A total of 41 patients with stage IIIC and IV EOC were included in the analysis. We harvested cells from malignant ascites and investigated them using multi-color flow cytometry. We categorized the Tregs into 3 groups: effector-type Tregs, naïve Tregs and non-Tregs, based on the expression patterns of CD45RA and Foxp3 in CD4+ T cells. Furthermore, the relationships between the expression of various immune checkpoint molecules, such as PD-1, on CD8+ T cells and each of the Treg subtypes was also evaluated. Results The median frequency of naïve Tregs, effector-type Tregs and non-Tregs were 0.2% (0–0.8), 2.0% (0–11.4) and 1.5% (0.1–6.3) in CD4+ T cells of malignant ascites from EOC patients, respectively. A high frequency of effector-type Tregs was associated with high-grade serous carcinoma compared with the other histotypes. Patients with higher proportions of effector-type Tregs showed a trend towards increased progression-free survival. We also demonstrated a correlation between a higher proportion of effector-type Tregs and increased PD-1 expression on CD8+ T cells. In addition, C–C chemokine receptor 4 expression was also observed in effector-type Tregs. Conclusion These data suggest that multiple immune-inhibitory networks exist in malignant ascites from EOC patients, suggesting an approach towards combinational immunotherapies for advanced EOC patients. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-022-09534-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sho Sato
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, 1397-1 Yamane, Hidaka, Saitama, 350-1298, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Matsushita
- Department of Immunotherapeutics, The University of Tokyo Hospital, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan. .,Present Address: Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, Aichi, Japan.
| | - Daisuke Shintani
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, 1397-1 Yamane, Hidaka, Saitama, 350-1298, Japan
| | - Yukari Kobayashi
- Department of Immunotherapeutics, The University of Tokyo Hospital, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Nao Fujieda
- Department of Immunotherapeutics, The University of Tokyo Hospital, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Akira Yabuno
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, 1397-1 Yamane, Hidaka, Saitama, 350-1298, Japan
| | - Tadaaki Nishikawa
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, 1397-1 Yamane, Hidaka, Saitama, 350-1298, Japan
| | - Keiichi Fujiwara
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, 1397-1 Yamane, Hidaka, Saitama, 350-1298, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Kakimi
- Department of Immunotherapeutics, The University of Tokyo Hospital, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan.,Cancer Immunology Data Multi-Level Integration Unit, Medical Science Innovation Hub Program, RIKEN, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kosei Hasegawa
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, 1397-1 Yamane, Hidaka, Saitama, 350-1298, Japan.
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Zhao Y, Jiang Y. Remarkable Response to the Triplet Combination of Olaparib with Pembrolizumab and Bevacizumab in the Third-Line Treatment of an Ovarian Clear Cell Carcinoma Patient with an ARID1A Mutation: A Case Report. Onco Targets Ther 2022; 15:323-328. [PMID: 35401005 PMCID: PMC8985820 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s362267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) is a highly aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis, and most patients experience recurrence after primary treatment. Currently, there is no standard treatment option for recurrent OCCC. Herein, we report the case of a 32-year-old female patient with OCCC. The patient received primary cytoreductive surgery with adjuvant chemotherapy and remained disease-free for four months. She then experienced retroperitoneal lymph node recurrence and was treated with liposomal doxorubicin chemotherapy followed by secondary debulking surgery. The patient experienced a second relapse in the lower left lung 11 months later. Genomic profiling of tumor samples revealed a deleterious AT-rich interactive domain 1A (ARID1A) mutation and homologous recombination deficiency. Thus, the triplet combination of the poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, olaparib; the PD-1 inhibitor, pembrolizumab; and the antiangiogenic agent, bevacizumab was administered. The patient achieved partial response, which was sustained for 12 months. Our study provides the first clinical evidence that the combination of olaparib with pembrolizumab and bevacizumab could be an effective treatment for patients with platinum-resistant, recurrent OCCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingchao Zhao
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yao Jiang
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
- Correspondence: Yao Jiang, Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 13797011369, Fax +86-027-85873062, Email
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Andrea AE, Chiron A, Mallah S, Bessoles S, Sarrabayrouse G, Hacein-Bey-Abina S. Advances in CAR-T Cell Genetic Engineering Strategies to Overcome Hurdles in Solid Tumors Treatment. Front Immunol 2022; 13:830292. [PMID: 35211124 PMCID: PMC8861853 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.830292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
During this last decade, adoptive transfer of T lymphocytes genetically modified to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) emerged as a valuable therapeutic strategy in hematological cancers. However, this immunotherapy has demonstrated limited efficacy in solid tumors. The main obstacle encountered by CAR-T cells in solid malignancies is the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). The TME impedes tumor trafficking and penetration of T lymphocytes and installs an immunosuppressive milieu by producing suppressive soluble factors and by overexpressing negative immune checkpoints. In order to overcome these hurdles, new CAR-T cells engineering strategies were designed, to potentiate tumor recognition and infiltration and anti-cancer activity in the hostile TME. In this review, we provide an overview of the major mechanisms used by tumor cells to evade immune defenses and we critically expose the most optimistic engineering strategies to make CAR-T cell therapy a solid option for solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alain E. Andrea
- Laboratoire de Biochimie et Thérapies Moléculaires, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Saint Joseph de Beyrouth, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Andrada Chiron
- Université de Paris, CNRS, INSERM, UTCBS, Unité des technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé, Paris, France
- Clinical Immunology Laboratory, Groupe Hospitalier Universitaire Paris-Sud, Hôpital Kremlin-Bicêtre, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Le-Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Sarah Mallah
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Stéphanie Bessoles
- Université de Paris, CNRS, INSERM, UTCBS, Unité des technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé, Paris, France
| | - Guillaume Sarrabayrouse
- Université de Paris, CNRS, INSERM, UTCBS, Unité des technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé, Paris, France
| | - Salima Hacein-Bey-Abina
- Université de Paris, CNRS, INSERM, UTCBS, Unité des technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé, Paris, France
- Clinical Immunology Laboratory, Groupe Hospitalier Universitaire Paris-Sud, Hôpital Kremlin-Bicêtre, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Le-Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
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11
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Senescence induction dictates response to chemo- and immunotherapy in preclinical models of ovarian cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2117754119. [PMID: 35082152 PMCID: PMC8812522 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2117754119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Efforts to understand and find new treatment options for high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) have been confounded by a paucity of immune-competent models that accurately reflect the genetics and biology of the disease. Here, we leverage somatic tissue engineering to develop a fast and flexible immune-competent mouse model of HGSOC and reveal mechanistic insights into factors that dictate the response of ovarian tumors to conventional chemotherapy and immune checkpoint blockade. Our results identify a genotype-dependent therapy-induced senescence program that mediates sensitivity and resistance to first line chemotherapy and point to strategies to harness the senescence program to sensitize ovarian tumors to immune checkpoint blockade. High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is a cancer with dismal prognosis due to the limited effectiveness of existing chemo- and immunotherapies. To elucidate mechanisms mediating sensitivity or resistance to these therapies, we developed a fast and flexible autochthonous mouse model based on somatic introduction of HGSOC-associated genetic alterations into the ovary of immunocompetent mice using tissue electroporation. Tumors arising in these mice recapitulate the metastatic patterns and histological, molecular, and treatment response features of the human disease. By leveraging these models, we show that the ability to undergo senescence underlies the clinically observed increase in sensitivity of homologous recombination (HR)–deficient HGSOC tumors to platinum-based chemotherapy. Further, cGas/STING-mediated activation of a restricted senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) was sufficient to induce immune infiltration and sensitize HR-deficient tumors to immune checkpoint blockade. In sum, our study identifies senescence propensity as a predictor of therapy response and defines a limited SASP profile that appears sufficient to confer added vulnerability to concurrent immunotherapy and, more broadly, provides a blueprint for the implementation of electroporation-based mouse models to reveal mechanisms of oncogenesis and therapy response in HGSOC.
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Pirš B, Škof E, Smrkolj V, Smrkolj Š. Overview of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Gynecological Cancer Treatment. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14030631. [PMID: 35158899 PMCID: PMC8833536 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14030631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Recently, cancer treatment has been revolutionized by introduction of immunotherapy—drugs that target body’s immune system to attack cancer. Most clinically used drugs stop the mechanisms that dampen immune response. These drugs are called immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). ICIs in gynecological cancers are most effective for treating uterine endometrial cancer, but less so far ovarian, uterine cervical or vulvar cancer. However, combining ICIs with other drugs has yielded good results in some studies in these cancers. Stopping mechanisms that dampen immune response can produce severe side effects, as has been seen with the use of ICIs. Therefore, selection of patients that would benefit the most from ICI therapy is of paramount importance. This can be done by analysing tumour characteristics either by looking at protein expression, genetic changes and even constitution of faecal microbiota, these properties are called biomarkers. It is not entirely known which biomarkers predict response most accurately, and this varies by cancer type. In this article, we review mechanisms of action of ICIs, selected biomarkers and latest clinical trials of ICIs in gynecological cancers. Abstract In the last ten years, clinical oncology has been revolutionized by the introduction of oncological immunotherapy, mainly in the form of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) that transformed the standard of care of several advanced solid malignancies. Using ICIs for advanced gynecological cancers has yielded good results, especially for endometrial cancer. In ovarian or cervical cancer, combining ICIs with other established agents has shown some promise. Concurrently with the clinical development of ICIs, biomarkers that predict responses to such therapy have been discovered and used in clinical trials. The translation of these biomarkers to clinical practice was somewhat hampered by lacking assay standardization and non-comprehensive reporting of biomarker status in trials often performed on a small number of gynecological cancer patients. We can expect increased use of ICIs combined with other agents in gynecological cancer in the near future. This will create a need for reliable response prediction tools, which we believe will be based on biomarker, clinical, and tumor characteristics. In this article, we review the basic biology of ICIs and response prediction biomarkers, as well as the latest clinical trials that focus on subgroup effectiveness based on biomarker status in gynecological cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boštjan Pirš
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (B.P.); (E.Š.); (V.S.)
- Division of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University Medical Centre, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Erik Škof
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (B.P.); (E.Š.); (V.S.)
- Department of Medical Oncology, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Vladimir Smrkolj
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (B.P.); (E.Š.); (V.S.)
| | - Špela Smrkolj
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (B.P.); (E.Š.); (V.S.)
- Division of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University Medical Centre, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Correspondence:
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13
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Guo E, Xiao R, Wu Y, Lu F, Liu C, Yang B, Li X, Fu Y, Wang Z, Li Y, Huang Y, Li F, Wu X, You L, Qin T, Lu Y, Huang X, Ma D, Mills GB, Sun C, Chen G. WEE1 inhibition induces anti-tumor immunity by activating ERV and the dsRNA pathway. J Exp Med 2022; 219:e20210789. [PMID: 34825915 PMCID: PMC8628262 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20210789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Targeted therapies represent attractive combination partners with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) to increase the population of patients who benefit or to interdict the emergence of resistance. We demonstrate that targeting WEE1 up-regulates immune signaling through the double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) viral defense pathway with subsequent responsiveness to immune checkpoint blockade even in cGAS/STING-deficient tumors, which is a typical phenotype across multiple cancer types. WEE1 inhibition increases endogenous retroviral elements (ERVs) expression by relieving SETDB1/H3K9me3 repression through down-regulating FOXM1. ERVs trigger dsRNA stress and interferon response, increasing recruitment of anti-tumor T cells with concurrent PD-L1 elevation in multiple tumor models. Furthermore, combining WEE1 inhibition and PD-L1 blockade induced striking tumor regression in a CD8+ T cell-dependent manner. A WEE1 inhibition-induced viral defense signature provides a potentially informative biomarker for patient selection for combination therapy with WEE1 and ICB. WEE1 inhibition stimulates anti-tumor immunity and enhances sensitivity to ICB, providing a rationale for the combination of WEE1 inhibitors and ICB in clinical trials.
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MESH Headings
- A549 Cells
- Animals
- Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/pharmacology
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/drug effects
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/metabolism
- Cell Cycle Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors
- Cell Cycle Proteins/genetics
- Cell Cycle Proteins/metabolism
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Endogenous Retroviruses/genetics
- Endogenous Retroviruses/metabolism
- Enzyme Inhibitors/administration & dosage
- Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology
- Female
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/drug effects
- HCT116 Cells
- Humans
- Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/administration & dosage
- Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/pharmacology
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Inbred NOD
- Mice, SCID
- Neoplasms, Experimental/drug therapy
- Neoplasms, Experimental/genetics
- Neoplasms, Experimental/immunology
- Protein-Tyrosine Kinases/antagonists & inhibitors
- Protein-Tyrosine Kinases/genetics
- Protein-Tyrosine Kinases/metabolism
- Pyrazoles/administration & dosage
- Pyrazoles/pharmacology
- Pyrimidinones/administration & dosage
- Pyrimidinones/pharmacology
- RNA, Double-Stranded/genetics
- RNA, Double-Stranded/metabolism
- Signal Transduction/drug effects
- Signal Transduction/genetics
- Tumor Burden/drug effects
- Tumor Burden/genetics
- Tumor Burden/immunology
- Mice
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Affiliation(s)
- Ensong Guo
- National Clinical Research Center for Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Rourou Xiao
- National Clinical Research Center for Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yifan Wu
- National Clinical Research Center for Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Funian Lu
- National Clinical Research Center for Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Chen Liu
- National Clinical Research Center for Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Bin Yang
- National Clinical Research Center for Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xi Li
- National Clinical Research Center for Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yu Fu
- National Clinical Research Center for Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zizhuo Wang
- National Clinical Research Center for Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuan Li
- National Clinical Research Center for Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuhan Huang
- National Clinical Research Center for Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Fuxia Li
- Department of Gynecology Oncology, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xue Wu
- National Clinical Research Center for Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Lixin You
- National Clinical Research Center for Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Tianyu Qin
- National Clinical Research Center for Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yiling Lu
- Department of Systems Biology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Xiaoyuan Huang
- National Clinical Research Center for Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ding Ma
- National Clinical Research Center for Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Gordon B. Mills
- Department of Cell, Development and Cancer Biology, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Sciences University, Portland, OR
| | - Chaoyang Sun
- National Clinical Research Center for Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Gang Chen
- National Clinical Research Center for Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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14
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Contos G, Baca Y, Xiu J, Brown J, Holloway R, Korn WM, Herzog TJ, Jones N, Winer I. Assessment of immune biomarkers and establishing a triple negative phenotype in gynecologic cancers. Gynecol Oncol 2021; 163:312-319. [PMID: 34563366 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2021.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Immuno-oncology (IO) has rapidly evolved, with many IO therapies either approved or under investigation for multiple malignancies. Biomarkers exist that can predict response to IO therapies including PD-L1 expression, microsatellite instability (MSI), and total mutation burden (TMB). This paper serves to analyze the presence of these biomarkers across gynecologic cancers. METHODS A total of 16,300 gynecologic cancer specimens submitted for molecular profiling to Caris Life Sciences were reviewed. Immunohistochemistry was performed using the SP142 anti-PD-L1 clone and assessed for intensity. Next-generation sequencing, immunohistochemistry, and fragment analysis were used to determine MSI status. TMB was measured by counting all non-synonymous missense mutations found per tumor not previously described as germline alterations. Chi-Square, Fisher Exact, and the Kruskal-Wallis test were used to compare cohorts. RESULTS Of 16,300 specimens, 54.1% were ovarian, 37.2% uterine, 7.2% cervical, 0.3% vulvar, 1.2% vaginal, with 0.1% unspecified. MSI-H was most frequent in uterine cancer (17.7%) and only 1% of ovarian cancers. PD-L1 expression was present in 38.3% of cervical and 62.5% of vulvar cancers, but less than 8% of ovarian and uterine cancers. TMB-H was present in 21.1% cervical, 19.7% uterine, and 5% ovarian cancers. Few specimens exhibited a "triple positive" phenotype - 0.3% ovarian, 1.5% uterine, and 1.5% cervical. Associations were seen between MSI, TMB, and PD-L1 across all cancer types. CONCLUSIONS The frequency of individual biomarkers pertinent to IO therapy varies by cancer type. HPV-driven genital tract cancers have higher frequencies of PD-L1 expression, MSI-H, and TMBH. Endometrial cancers are characterized by MSI-H and TMB, whereas ovarian cancers have a low frequency of MSI-H and modest PD-L1 or TMBH. The incidence of 'triple positive" cases was less than 2%.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Contos
- Wayne State University and Karmanos Cancer Institute, 4100 John R. St., Detroit, MI 48201, United States of America.
| | - Y Baca
- Caris Life Sciences, 4750 S. 44(th) Pl., Phoenix, AZ 85040, United States of America
| | - J Xiu
- Caris Life Sciences, 4750 S. 44(th) Pl., Phoenix, AZ 85040, United States of America
| | - J Brown
- Levine Cancer Institute, 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. #2100, Charlotte, NC 28204, United States of America.
| | - R Holloway
- Advent Health Medical Group, 2501 N. Orange Ave. Suite 786, Orlando, FL 32804, United States of America
| | - W M Korn
- Caris Life Sciences, 4750 S. 44(th) Pl., Phoenix, AZ 85040, United States of America
| | - T J Herzog
- University of Cincinnati Cancer Institute, 3255 Eden Ave. Suite 250B, Cincinnati, OH 45019, United States of America.
| | - N Jones
- University of South Alabama Mitchell Cancer Institute, 1660 Springhill Avenue, Mobile, AL 36604, United States of America.
| | - I Winer
- Wayne State University and Karmanos Cancer Institute, 4100 John R. St., Detroit, MI 48201, United States of America
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15
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Mann EK, Lee KJ, Chen D, da Silva LM, Dal Zotto VL, Scalici J, Gassman NR. Associations between DNA Damage and PD-L1 Expression in Ovarian Cancer, a Potential Biomarker for Clinical Response. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10050385. [PMID: 33946684 PMCID: PMC8146974 DOI: 10.3390/biology10050385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Simple Summary This work establishes that ovarian tumors contain persistent oxidative DNA damage levels that can be measured using Repair Assisted Damage Detection (RADD). The persistent DNA damage correlates with increased protein expression of PD-L1, establishing a link between genomic instability and PD-L1 expression across ovarian tumors. DNA damage may be a potential biomarker for immunotherapy. Abstract Programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) inhibitors are currently under investigation as a potential treatment option for ovarian cancer. Although this therapy has shown promise, its efficacy is highly variable among patients. Evidence suggests that genomic instability influences the expression of PD-L1, but little is known about this relationship in ovarian cancer. To examine the relationship between PD-L1 expression and genomic instability, we measured DNA damage using Repair Assisted Damage Detection (RADD). We then correlated the presence of persistent DNA damage in the ovarian tumor with protein expression of PD-L1 using immunohistochemistry. Ovarian tumors showed a high prevalence of oxidative DNA damage. As the level of oxidative DNA damage increased, we saw a significant correlation with PD-L1 expression. The highest correlation between DNA damage and PD-L1 expression was observed for mucinous ovarian tumors (r = 0.82), but a strong correlation was also observed for high grade serous and endometrioid tumors (r = 0.67 and 0.69, respectively). These findings link genomic instability to PD-L1 protein expression in ovarian cancer and suggest that persistent DNA damage can be used as a potential biomarker for patient selection for immunotherapy treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise K. Mann
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA; (E.K.M.); (K.J.L.)
- Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36604, USA; (L.M.d.S.); (J.S.)
| | - Kevin J. Lee
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA; (E.K.M.); (K.J.L.)
- Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36604, USA; (L.M.d.S.); (J.S.)
| | - Dongquan Chen
- Division of Preventive Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA;
| | - Luciana Madeira da Silva
- Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36604, USA; (L.M.d.S.); (J.S.)
| | - Valeria L. Dal Zotto
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA;
| | - Jennifer Scalici
- Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36604, USA; (L.M.d.S.); (J.S.)
| | - Natalie R. Gassman
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA; (E.K.M.); (K.J.L.)
- Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36604, USA; (L.M.d.S.); (J.S.)
- Correspondence:
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16
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Dholakia J, Scalise C, Arend RC. Assessing Preclinical Research Models for Immunotherapy for Gynecologic Malignancies. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:1694. [PMID: 33918476 PMCID: PMC8038292 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13071694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Gynecologic malignancies are increasing in incidence, with a plateau in clinical outcomes necessitating novel treatment options. Immunotherapy and modulation of the tumor microenvironment are rapidly developing fields of interest in gynecologic oncology translational research; examples include the PD-1 (programmed cell death 1) and CTLA-4 (cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4) axes and the Wnt pathway. However, clinical successes with these agents have been modest and lag behind immunotherapy successes in other malignancies. A thorough contextualization of preclinical models utilized in gynecologic oncology immunotherapy research is necessary in order to effectively and efficiently develop translational medicine. These include murine models, in vitro assays, and three-dimensional human-tissue-based systems. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of preclinical models for immunotherapy in gynecologic malignancies, including benefits and limitations of each, in order to inform study design and translational research models. Improved model design and implementation will optimize preclinical research efficiency and increase the translational value to positive findings, facilitating novel treatments that improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rebecca C. Arend
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA; (J.D.); (C.S.)
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García-Martínez E, Redondo A, Piulats JM, Rodríguez A, Casado A. Are antiangiogenics a good 'partner' for immunotherapy in ovarian cancer? Angiogenesis 2020; 23:543-557. [PMID: 32691290 PMCID: PMC7524856 DOI: 10.1007/s10456-020-09734-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Ovarian cancer (OC) is associated with poor survival because there are a limited number of effective therapies. Two processes key to OC progression, angiogenesis and immune evasion, act synergistically to promote tumor progression. Tumor-associated angiogenesis promotes immune evasion, and tumor-related immune responses in the peritoneal cavity and tumor microenvironment (TME) affect neovascular formation. Therefore, suppressing the angiogenic pathways could facilitate the arrival of immune effector cells and reduce the presence of myeloid cells involved in immune suppression. To date, clinical studies have shown significant benefits with antiangiogenic therapy as first-line therapy in OC, as well as in recurrent disease, and the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor bevacizumab is now an established therapy. Clinical data with immunomodulators in OC are more limited, but suggest that they could benefit some patients with recurrent disease. The preliminary results of two phase III trials have shown that the addition of immunomodulators to chemotherapy does not improve progression-free survival. For this reason, it could be interesting to look for synergistic effects between immunomodulators and other active drugs in OC. Since bevacizumab is approved for use in OC, and is tolerable when used in combination with immunotherapy in other indications, a number of clinical studies are underway to investigate the use of bevacizumab in combination with immunotherapeutic agents in OC. This strategy seeks to normalize the TME via the anti-VEGF actions of bevacizumab, while simultaneously stimulating the immune response via the immunotherapy. Results of these studies are awaited with interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena García-Martínez
- Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer, IMIB, Avenida Marques de los Velez, 30008, Murcia, Spain.
| | - Andres Redondo
- Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Universitario La Paz-IdiPAZ, Madrid, Spain
| | - Josep Maria Piulats
- Institut Català d'OncologiaMedical Oncology Unit - IDIBELL/OncoBell - CIBERONC, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Antonio Casado
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain
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18
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Iida Y, Okamoto A, Hollis RL, Gourley C, Herrington CS. Clear cell carcinoma of the ovary: a clinical and molecular perspective. Int J Gynecol Cancer 2020; 31:605-616. [PMID: 32948640 DOI: 10.1136/ijgc-2020-001656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Clear cell carcinoma of the ovary has distinct biology and clinical behavior. There are significant geographical and racial differences in the incidence of clear cell carcinoma compared with other epithelial ovarian tumors. Patients with clear cell carcinoma are younger, tend to present at an early stage, and their tumors are commonly associated with endometriosis, which is widely accepted as a direct precursor of clear cell carcinoma and has been identified pathologically in approximately 50% of clear cell carcinoma cases. The most frequent and important specific gene alterations in clear cell carcinoma are mutations of AT-rich interaction domain 1A (ARID1A) (~50% of cases) and phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha (PIK3CA) (~50% cases). More broadly, subgroups of clear cell carcinoma have been identified based on C-APOBEC (apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzyme, catalytic polypeptide-like) and C-AGE (age-related) mutational signatures. Gene expression profiling shows upregulation of hepatocyte nuclear factor 1-beta (HNF1β) and oxidative stress-related genes, and has identified epithelial-like and mesenchymal-like tumor subgroups. Although the benefit of platinum-based chemotherapy is not clearly defined it remains the mainstay of first-line therapy. Patients with early-stage disease have a favorable clinical outcome but the prognosis of patients with advanced-stage or recurrent disease is poor. Alternative treatment strategies are required to improve patient outcome and the development of targeted therapies based on molecular characteristics is a promising approach. Improved specificity of the histological definition of this tumor type is helping these efforts but, due to the rarity of clear cell carcinoma, international collaboration will be essential to design appropriately powered, large-scale clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasushi Iida
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Aikou Okamoto
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Robert L Hollis
- University of Edinburgh Cancer Research UK Centre, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Charlie Gourley
- University of Edinburgh Cancer Research UK Centre, Edinburgh, UK
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19
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James NE, Woodman M, DiSilvestro PA, Ribeiro JR. The Perfect Combination: Enhancing Patient Response to PD-1-Based Therapies in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E2150. [PMID: 32756436 PMCID: PMC7466102 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12082150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy, with an overall 5-year survival of only 47%. As the development of novel targeted therapies is drastically necessary in order to improve patient survival, current EOC clinical trials have heavily focused on immunotherapeutic approaches, centered upon programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) inhibitors. While PD-1 monotherapies have only exhibited modest responses for patients, it has been theorized that in order to enhance EOC patient response to immunotherapy, combinatorial regimens must be investigated. In this review, unique challenges to EOC PD-1 response will be discussed, along with a comprehensive description of both preclinical and clinical studies evaluating PD-1-based combinatorial therapies. Promising aspects of PD-1-based combinatorial approaches are highlighted, while also discussing specific preclinical and clinical areas of research that need to be addressed, in order to optimize EOC patient immunotherapy response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole E. James
- Program in Women’s Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI 02905, USA; (N.E.J.); (M.W.); (P.A.D.)
| | - Morgan Woodman
- Program in Women’s Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI 02905, USA; (N.E.J.); (M.W.); (P.A.D.)
| | - Paul A. DiSilvestro
- Program in Women’s Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI 02905, USA; (N.E.J.); (M.W.); (P.A.D.)
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Warren Alpert School of Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA
| | - Jennifer R. Ribeiro
- Program in Women’s Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI 02905, USA; (N.E.J.); (M.W.); (P.A.D.)
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Warren Alpert School of Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA
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20
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Wang Q, Peng H, Qi X, Wu M, Zhao X. Targeted therapies in gynecological cancers: a comprehensive review of clinical evidence. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2020; 5:137. [PMID: 32728057 PMCID: PMC7391668 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-020-0199-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Advanced and recurrent gynecological cancers are associated with poor prognosis and lack of effective treatment. The developments of the molecular mechanisms on cancer progression provide insight into novel targeted therapies, which are emerging as groundbreaking and promising cancer treatment strategies. In gynecologic malignancies, potential therapeutic targeted agents include antiangiogenic agents, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, tumor-intrinsic signaling pathway inhibitors, selective estrogen receptor downregulators, and immune checkpoint inhibitors. In this article, we provide a comprehensive review of the clinical evidence of targeted agents in gynecological cancers and discuss the future implication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiao Wang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Development and Related Diseases of Women and Children Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, P.R. China
| | - Hongling Peng
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Development and Related Diseases of Women and Children Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, P.R. China
| | - Xiaorong Qi
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Development and Related Diseases of Women and Children Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, P.R. China
| | - Min Wu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, 58203, USA
| | - Xia Zhao
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Development and Related Diseases of Women and Children Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, P.R. China.
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21
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Nishio S, Matsumoto K, Takehara K, Kawamura N, Hasegawa K, Takeshima N, Aoki D, Kamiura S, Arakawa A, Kondo E, Hirakawa T, Yamamoto K, Aoki M, Stein K, Keefe S, Fujiwara K, Ushijima K. Pembrolizumab monotherapy in Japanese patients with advanced ovarian cancer: Subgroup analysis from the KEYNOTE-100. Cancer Sci 2020; 111:1324-1332. [PMID: 32012411 PMCID: PMC7156846 DOI: 10.1111/cas.14340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Revised: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Interim results from the two-cohort, phase 2 KEYNOTE-100 study (NCT02674061) of 376 patients with previously treated advanced recurrent ovarian cancer (ROC) showed that pembrolizumab monotherapy was associated with an objective response rate (ORR) of 8.0% (95% CI, 5.4-11.2). We present outcomes for the Japanese patients (n = 21) enrolled in KEYNOTE-100. Patients with epithelial ROC had received either 1-3 prior chemotherapy lines and had platinum-free interval or treatment-free interval (PFI; TFI) of 3-12 months (cohort A) or 4-6 prior chemotherapy lines and had PFI/TFI of ≥3 months (cohort B). All patients received pembrolizumab 200 mg every 3 weeks as monotherapy for 2 years or until progression, death, unacceptable toxicity or consent withdrawal. Primary objectives were ORR per RECIST v1.1 for each cohort and higher programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) tumor expression. The relationship between PD-L1 expression (measured as combined positive score [CPS]) and ORR was assessed. Twenty-one Japanese patients (cohort A, n = 19; cohort B, n = 2) were treated. The median (range) age was 57 (37-78) years; 19 (90.5%) patients had ECOG status of 0 and 16 (76.2%) patients had stage III-IV disease. ORR was 19.0% (95% CI, 5.4-41.9) and seemed to increase with increasing PD-L1 expression. A total of 13 (61.9%) patients had treatment-related adverse events (TRAE), and 5 (23.8%) had grade 3-4 TRAE. There were no treatment-related deaths in this subpopulation. Pembrolizumab monotherapy was associated with antitumor activity in Japanese patients with ROC, with no new safety signals identified in this subpopulation. The data suggested a trend toward higher PD-L1 expression among some patients with higher ORR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin Nishio
- Kurume University School of MedicineKurumeJapan
| | | | | | | | - Kosei Hasegawa
- Saitama Medical University International Medical CenterHidakaJapan
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Keiichi Fujiwara
- Saitama Medical University International Medical CenterHidakaJapan
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22
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CTLA-4 blockade boosts the expansion of tumor-reactive CD8 + tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in ovarian cancer. Sci Rep 2020; 10:3914. [PMID: 32127601 PMCID: PMC7054305 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60738-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) with autologous tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) can induce durable complete tumor regression in patients with advanced melanoma. Efforts are currently underway to expand this treatment modality to other cancer types. In the microenvironment of ovarian cancer, the engagement of co-inhibitory immune checkpoint molecules such as CTLA-4 can lead to the inactivation of TILs. Thus, approaches that directly manipulate co-inhibitory pathways within the tumor microenvironment might improve the expansion of tumor-reactive TILs. The initial expansion of TILs for ACT from tumor fragments provides a window of opportunity to manipulate an intact tumor microenvironment and improve CD8+ T-cell output and TIL tumor reactivity. To exploit this, we used a CTLA-4-blocking antibody, added during the initial TIL culture, and found that the blockade of CTLA-4 favored the propagation of CD8+ TILs from ovarian tumor fragments. Interestingly, adding the CTLA-4 blocking antibody in the initial phase of the TIL culture resulted in more potent anti-tumor TILs in comparison to standard TIL cultures. This phenotype was preserved during the rapid expansion phase. Thus, targeting CTLA-4 within the intact tumor microenvironment of tumor fragments enriches tumor-reactive TILs and may improve clinical outcome of TIL-based ACT in ovarian cancer.
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23
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Le Saux O, Dubois B, Stern MH, Terme M, Tartour E, Classe JM, Chopin N, Trédan O, Caux C, Ray-Coquard I. [Current advances in immunotherapy in ovarian cancer]. Bull Cancer 2020; 107:465-473. [PMID: 32089245 DOI: 10.1016/j.bulcan.2019.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Ovarian cancers express highly immunogenic tissue-specific antigens. The resulting immune infiltration is a major prognostic factor. There is therefore a strong biological rationale for the development of immunotherapy in ovarian cancer. However, based on Phase I and II clinical trials data, the efficacy of anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPIs) remains limited in monotherapy in heavily pre-treated patients. Currently, the identification of predictive biomarkers of response and resistance is one of the major areas of research. Identifying effective combination of anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 with other anticancer agents is another clinical need. Several combinations were evaluated. The association of ICPIs with chemotherapy (anthracyclines or carboplatin+paclitaxel) is disappointing (JAVELIN studies). The association with PARP inhibitors, anti-angiogenic agents and CTLA-4 inhibitors seems promising. Other immune therapies such as cell therapies (adoptive transfer of intra-tumor lymphocytes, CAR T cells or vaccines from dendritic cells) could be the future of immunotherapy in ovarian cancer but only early phase studies clinical data is available at this time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Le Saux
- Hospices civils de Lyon, service d'oncologie médicale, 165, chemin du grand Revoyet, 69495 Pierre-Bénite, France; Université Claude-Bernard Lyon I, centre de recherche en cancérologie de Lyon, CNRS 5286, centre Léon-Bérard, Inserm 1052, 69008 Lyon, France.
| | - Bertrand Dubois
- Université Claude-Bernard Lyon I, centre de recherche en cancérologie de Lyon, CNRS 5286, centre Léon-Bérard, Inserm 1052, 69008 Lyon, France
| | - Marc-Henri Stern
- Université de recherche PSL, institut Curie, DNA repair and uveal melanoma (D.R.U.M.), équipe labellisée par la Ligue nationale contre le cancer, Inserm U830, 75248 Paris, France; Institut Curie, département de biologie des tumeurs, Paris, France
| | - Magali Terme
- PARCC (Paris-Cardiovascular Research Center), Inserm U970, Paris, France; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, faculté de médecine, Paris, France
| | - Eric Tartour
- PARCC (Paris-Cardiovascular Research Center), Inserm U970, Paris, France; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, faculté de médecine, Paris, France; AP-HP, Hôpital Européen Georges-Pompidou, service d'immunologie biologique, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Marc Classe
- Institut de cancérologie de l'Ouest, Saint-Herblain, départment de chirurgie carcinologique, Loire Atlantique, France
| | | | | | - Christophe Caux
- Université Claude-Bernard Lyon I, centre de recherche en cancérologie de Lyon, CNRS 5286, centre Léon-Bérard, Inserm 1052, 69008 Lyon, France
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Rossi G, Zullo L, Cerbone L, Coco S, Longo L, Tagliamento M, Dal Bello MG, Boccardo S, Alama A, Genova C. ADP ribose polymerase inhibitors for treating non-small cell lung cancer: new additions to the pharmacotherapeutic armamentarium. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2020; 21:679-686. [PMID: 32073315 DOI: 10.1080/14656566.2020.1724283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) are already part of the armamentarium of drugs available against ovarian and breast cancer. There is less data available on the efficacy of these drugs in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). AREAS COVERED The authors have analyzed the preclinical studies that justified the use of PARPi in NSCLC. They then evaluate the in vivo efficacy of the combination of these drugs with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy. EXPERT OPINION Data from clinical trials available to date have discouraged the use of PARPi in association with chemotherapy or radiotherapy in NSCLC. The knowledge available to date opens the door to the use of PARPi in association with immunotherapy. In fact, the activity of these drugs would not be based only on direct cytotoxic action, but also on the modification of the intra-tumor microenvironment, in particular by increasing the expression of PD-L1 on tumor cells. This action might potentially enhance available treatments with a modest increase in toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Rossi
- Lung Cancer Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino , Genoa, Italy.,Department of Medical, Surgical and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari , Italy
| | - Lodovica Zullo
- Lung Cancer Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino , Genoa, Italy
| | - Luigi Cerbone
- Lung Cancer Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino , Genoa, Italy
| | - Simona Coco
- Lung Cancer Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino , Genoa, Italy
| | - Luca Longo
- Lung Cancer Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino , Genoa, Italy
| | - Marco Tagliamento
- Lung Cancer Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino , Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Simona Boccardo
- Lung Cancer Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino , Genoa, Italy
| | - Angela Alama
- Lung Cancer Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino , Genoa, Italy
| | - Carlo Genova
- Lung Cancer Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino , Genoa, Italy
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25
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Tian W, Shan B, Zhang Y, Ren Y, Liang S, Zhao J, Zhao Z, Wang G, Zhao X, Peng D, Bi R, Cai S, Bai Y, Wang H. Association between DNA damage repair gene somatic mutations and immune-related gene expression in ovarian cancer. Cancer Med 2020; 9:2190-2200. [PMID: 31991061 PMCID: PMC7064027 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.2849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Defects in DNA damage repair (DDR) system may lead to genomic instability and manifest as increased immunogenicity. DDR deficiency is prevalent in ovarian cancer (OvCa); however, the association of DDR mutation with immune profiles in OvCa remains largely unknown. This knowledge will provide an essential basis to the rational design of biomarker-guided immune combination therapy of OvCa in the future. METHODS Whole-exome sequencing data of 587 OvCa from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were used to determine the expression profiles of 47 immune-related genes and the abundance of tumor-infiltrating immune cells. A Chinese OvCa cohort (n = 220) tested by next-generation sequencing (NGS) was used to validate the association between DDR status and tumor mutation burden (TMB). RESULTS A total of 19.3% in TCGA cohort and 25.9% in Chinese cohort harbored at least one DDR somatic mutation. DDR deficiency exhibited a distinct immune profile with significant higher expression levels of PTPRCAP, CCL5, IFI16, LAG3, IL15RA, and GBP1 in OvCa in the TCGA cohort. Different DDR pathway deficiency displayed various immune profiles. Increased levels of Th1 cells, TMB, and neoantigen were also observed in DDR-deficient tumors. CONCLUSIONS DDR deficiency was associated with specific immune signatures in OvCa. Our findings emphasize the urgent need for biomarker-guided rational immune combination therapy to maximize the OvCa patients who could benefit from immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjuan Tian
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Boer Shan
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuzi Zhang
- The Medical Department, 3D Medicines Inc, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Yulan Ren
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Shanhui Liang
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Zhao
- The Medical Department, 3D Medicines Inc, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhengyi Zhao
- The Medical Department, 3D Medicines Inc, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Guoqiang Wang
- The Medical Department, 3D Medicines Inc, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaochen Zhao
- The Medical Department, 3D Medicines Inc, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Dongxian Peng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Rui Bi
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Shangli Cai
- The Medical Department, 3D Medicines Inc, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuezong Bai
- The Medical Department, 3D Medicines Inc, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Huaying Wang
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
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Mechanisms of Resistance to Checkpoint Blockade Therapy. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2020; 1248:83-117. [PMID: 32185708 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-15-3266-5_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint blockades (ICBs), as a major breakthrough in cancer immunotherapy, target CTLA-4 and the PD-1/PD-L1 axis and reinvigorate anti-tumor activities by disrupting co-inhibitory T-cell signaling. With unprecedented performance in clinical trials, ICBs have been approved by FDA for the treatment of malignancies such as melanoma, non-small-cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma. However, while ICBs are revolutionizing therapeutic algorithms for cancers, the frequently observed innate, adaptive or acquired drug resistance remains an inevitable obstacle to a durable antitumor activity, thus leading to non-response or tumor relapse. Researches have shown that resistance could occur at each stage of the tumor's immune responses. From the current understanding, the molecular mechanisms for the resistance of ICB can be categorized into the following aspects: 1. Tumor-derived mechanism, 2. T cell-based mechanism, and 3. Tumor microenvironment-determined resistance. In order to overcome resistance, potential therapeutic strategies include enhancing antigen procession and presentation, reinforcing the activity and infiltration of T cells, and destroying immunosuppression microenvironment. In future, determining the driving factors behind ICB resistance by tools of precision medicine may maximize clinical benefits from ICBs. Moreover, efforts in individualized dosing, intermittent administration and/or combinatory regimens have opened new directions for overcoming ICB resistance.
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27
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Hassan R, Thomas A, Nemunaitis JJ, Patel MR, Bennouna J, Chen FL, Delord JP, Dowlati A, Kochuparambil ST, Taylor MH, Powderly JD, Vaishampayan UN, Verschraegen C, Grote HJ, von Heydebreck A, Chin K, Gulley JL. Efficacy and Safety of Avelumab Treatment in Patients With Advanced Unresectable Mesothelioma: Phase 1b Results From the JAVELIN Solid Tumor Trial. JAMA Oncol 2019; 5:351-357. [PMID: 30605211 DOI: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2018.5428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Importance Patients with malignant mesothelioma whose disease has progressed after platinum and pemetrexed treatment have limited options. Anti-programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) antibodies have antitumor activity in this disease, but little is known about the activity of anti-programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibodies in patients with mesothelioma. Objective To assess the efficacy and safety of avelumab in a cohort of patients with previously treated mesothelioma. Design, Setting, and Participants Phase 1b open-label study (JAVELIN Solid Tumor) in patients with unresectable mesothelioma that progressed after platinum and pemetrexed treatment, enrolled at 25 sites in 3 countries between September 9, 2014, and July 22, 2015. Interventions Participants received avelumab, 10 mg/kg, every 2 weeks until disease progression, unacceptable toxic effects, or withdrawal from the study. Main Outcomes and Measures Prespecified end points included confirmed best overall response based on Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors, version 1.1; duration of response; progression-free survival (PFS); overall survival (OS); PD-L1 expression-based analyses; and safety. Results Of 53 patients treated with avelumab, the median age was 67 (range, 32-84) years; 32 (60%) were male. As of December 31, 2016, median follow-up was 24.8 (range, 16.8-27.8) months. Twenty patients (38%) had 3 or more previous lines of therapy (median, 2; range, 1-8). The confirmed objective response rate (ORR) was 9% (5 patients; 95% CI, 3.1%-20.7%), with complete response in 1 patient and partial response in 4 patients. Responses were durable (median, 15.2 months; 95% CI, 11.1 to not estimable months) and occurred in patients with PD-L1-positive tumors (3 of 16; ORR, 19%; 95% CI, 4.0%-45.6%) and PD-L1-negative tumors (2 of 27; ORR, 7%; 95% CI, 0.9%-24.3%) based on a 5% or greater PD-L1 cutoff. Disease control rate was 58% (31 patients). Median PFS was 4.1 (95% CI, 1.4-6.2) months, and the 12-month PFS rate was 17.4% (95% CI, 7.7%-30.4%). Median OS was 10.7 (95% CI, 6.4-20.2) months, and the median 12-month OS rate was 43.8% (95% CI, 29.8%-57.0%). Five patients (9%) had a grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse event, and 3 (6%) had a grade 3 or 4 immune-related, treatment-related adverse event. There were no treatment-related deaths. Conclusions and Relevance Avelumab showed durable antitumor activity and disease control with an acceptable safety profile in a heavily pretreated cohort of patients with mesothelioma. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01772004.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffit Hassan
- Thoracic and GI Malignancies Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Anish Thomas
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - John J Nemunaitis
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Toledo College of Medicine, Toledo, Ohio
| | - Manish R Patel
- Florida Cancer Specialists/Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Sarasota
| | - Jaafar Bennouna
- Department of Pneumology, Thoracic Oncology Unit, University Hospital of Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Franklin L Chen
- Novant Health Oncology Specialists, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | | | - Afshin Dowlati
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | | | - Matthew H Taylor
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland
| | - John D Powderly
- Carolina BioOncology Institute, Huntersville, North Carolina
| | | | - Claire Verschraegen
- Division of Medical Oncology, Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus
| | | | | | | | - James L Gulley
- Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.,Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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28
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Gitto SB, Kim H, Rafail S, Omran DK, Medvedev S, Kinose Y, Rodriguez-Garcia A, Flowers AJ, Xu H, Schwartz LE, Powell DJ, Simpkins F. An autologous humanized patient-derived-xenograft platform to evaluate immunotherapy in ovarian cancer. Gynecol Oncol 2019; 156:222-232. [PMID: 31818495 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2019.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2019] [Revised: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to "humanize" ovarian cancer patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models by autologous transfer of patient-matched tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) to evaluate immunotherapies. METHODS Orthotopic high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) PDX models were established from three patient donors. Models were molecularly and histologically validated by immunohistochemistry. TILs were expanded from donor tumors using a rapid expansion protocol. Ex vivo TIL and tumor co-cultures were performed to validate TIL reactivity against patient-matched autologous tumor cells. Expression of TIL activation markers and cytokine secretion was quantitated by flow cytometry and ELISA. As proof of concept, the efficacy of anti-PD-1 monotherapy was tested in autologous TIL/tumor HGSOC PDX models. RESULTS Evaluation of T-cell activation in autologous TIL/tumor co-cultures resulted in an increase in HLA-dependent IFNγ production and T-cell activation. In response to increased IFNγ production, tumor cell expression of PD-L1 was increased. Addition of anti-PD-1 antibody to TIL/tumor co-cultures increased autologous tumor lysis in a CCNE1 amplified model. Orthotopic HGSOC PDX models from parallel patient-matched tumors maintained their original morphology and molecular marker profile. Autologous tumor-reactive TIL administration in patient-matched PDX models resulted in reduced tumor burden and increased survival, in groups that also received anti-PD-1 therapy. CONCLUSIONS This study validates a novel, clinically relevant model system for in vivo testing of immunomodulating therapeutic strategies for ovarian cancer, and provides a unique platform for assessing patient-specific T-cell response to immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah B Gitto
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Division of Gynecology Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA; Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Hyoung Kim
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Division of Gynecology Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Stavros Rafail
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Division of Gynecology Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Dalia K Omran
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Division of Gynecology Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Sergey Medvedev
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Division of Gynecology Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Yasuto Kinose
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Division of Gynecology Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Alba Rodriguez-Garcia
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Division of Gynecology Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA; Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Ahron J Flowers
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Division of Gynecology Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Haineng Xu
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Division of Gynecology Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Lauren E Schwartz
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Daniel J Powell
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Division of Gynecology Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA; Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Fiona Simpkins
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Division of Gynecology Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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Liu YL, Zhou Q, Iasonos A, Emengo VN, Friedman C, Konner JA, O'Cearbhaill RE, Aghajanian C, Zamarin D. Subsequent therapies and survival after immunotherapy in recurrent ovarian cancer. Gynecol Oncol 2019; 155:51-57. [PMID: 31421916 PMCID: PMC6788969 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2019.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2019] [Revised: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have modest activity in ovarian cancer (OC), yet little is known about their effects on subsequent treatment. Preclinical studies suggest immunotherapy may enhance response to chemotherapy. We sought to evaluate the impact of ICIs on subsequent therapies and survival in recurrent OC. METHODS A retrospective review was conducted to identify women with recurrent OC who received ICI from 01/2013 to 5/2017 and ≥1 subsequent treatment. Treatment duration after ICI was calculated using time-to-event analysis. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate overall survival (OS) from first treatment after ICI and to assess survival differences by clinical benefit from ICI, defined by long (≥24 weeks) versus short (<24 weeks) ICI treatment duration. RESULTS Of 79 evaluable women identified, 66 (84%) had platinum-resistant OC. Median age at diagnosis was 57 years. Median time from diagnosis to ICI was 39.7 months, with median of 4 prior treatments (range, 1-12). Median number of treatments after ICI was 2 (range, 1-8). Median duration of first-line treatment after ICI was 3.7 months (95% CI, 2.9-6.0) and declined with each subsequent line. The most common therapies after ICI were taxanes, platinum-based regimens, and pegylated liposomal doxorubicin. Bevacizumab was used in 47 women (59%). Median OS after ICI was 18.3 months (95% CI, 11.8-22.7) and did not differ between long versus short ICI. CONCLUSIONS In this heavily pretreated population of patients with recurrent OC, therapies after ICI resulted in promising survival, suggesting that ICI may improve efficacy of subsequent chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying L Liu
- Gynecologic Medical Oncology Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Qin Zhou
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Alexia Iasonos
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Vivian N Emengo
- Gynecologic Medical Oncology Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Claire Friedman
- Gynecologic Medical Oncology Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States of America; Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Jason A Konner
- Gynecologic Medical Oncology Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States of America; Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Roisin E O'Cearbhaill
- Gynecologic Medical Oncology Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States of America; Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Carol Aghajanian
- Gynecologic Medical Oncology Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States of America; Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Dmitriy Zamarin
- Gynecologic Medical Oncology Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States of America; Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States of America.
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Current Possibilities of Gynecologic Cancer Treatment with the Use of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20194705. [PMID: 31547532 PMCID: PMC6801535 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20194705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the ongoing progress in cancer research, the global cancer burden has increased to 18.1 million new cases and 9.6 million deaths in 2018. Gynecological cancers, such as ovarian, endometrial, and cervical cancers, considerably contribute to global cancer burden, leading to $5,862.6, $2,945.7, and $1,543.9 million of annual costs of cancer care, respectively. Thus, the development of effective therapies against gynecological cancers is still a largely unmet medical need. One of the novel therapeutic approaches is to induce anti-cancer immunity by the inhibition of the immune checkpoint pathways using monoclonal antibodies. The molecular targets for monoclonal antibodies are cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein-4 (CTLA-4), programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1), and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1). The rationale for the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with gynecological cancers was based on the immunohistological studies showing high expression levels of PD-1 and PD-L1 in those cancers. Currently available immune checkpoint inhibitors include nivolumab, pembrolizumab, atezolizumab, avelumab, durvalumab, and ipilimumab. The efficacy and safety of these inhibitors, used as monotherapy and with combination with chemotherapy, is being currently evaluated in several clinical studies. As the results are promising, more clinical trials are being planned, which may lead to the development of efficient therapies for gynecological cancer patients.
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31
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Wang JJ, Siu MK, Jiang YX, Leung TH, Chan DW, Cheng RR, Cheung AN, Ngan HY, Chan KK. Aberrant upregulation of PDK1 in ovarian cancer cells impairs CD8 + T cell function and survival through elevation of PD-L1. Oncoimmunology 2019; 8:e1659092. [PMID: 31646108 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2019.1659092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Revised: 07/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Blockade of the programmed cell death 1(PD-1)/PD-1 ligand-1(PD-L1) pathway has been exploited therapeutically in many cancer types. Upregulation of PD-L1 in tumor cells contributes to malignancy through suppression of the T cell-mediated antitumor response. Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1), a glycolytic gate-keeping enzyme, is also known to promote tumor development. Here, we have uncovered a mechanism of regulation of PD-L1 by PDK1 through activation of c-Jun-NH2-kinase (JNK)-c-Jun in ovarian cancer cells. Elevated PDK1 expression was correlated with that of PD-L1 in the TCGA ovarian cancer dataset and ovarian cancer tissue array. Overexpression of PDK1 in ovarian cancer cells impaired CD8+ T cell function by suppressing IFN-γ secretion through the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway. Conversely, knockdown of PDK1 in ovarian cancer cells relieved suppression of CD8+ T cell function. CD8+ T cell apoptosis induced by binding of PD-1 with PD-L1 was increased after co-culture with ovarian cancer cells overexpressing PDK1, while depletion of PDK1 exerted the opposite effect. In vivo experiments revealed synergistic improved overall survival and enhanced inhibition of tumor growth upon co-treatment with dichloroacetate (DCA), a PDK inhibitor, and PD-L1 antibody, accompanied by increased IFN-γ secretion by monocytes infiltrating tumor islets. Moreover, PDK1 expression and CD8+ T cell infiltration were inversely correlated in the ovarian cancer tissue array. Our collective findings provide a novel explanation of how PDK1 contributes to upregulation of PD-L1 in ovarian cancer and highlight its potential as a target therapeutic molecule that cooperates with the immune checkpoint blockade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Jing Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Michelle K Siu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Yu-Xin Jiang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Thomas H Leung
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China
| | - David W Chan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Ran-Ran Cheng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Annie N Cheung
- Department of Pathology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Hextan Y Ngan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Karen K Chan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China
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Dötzer K, Schlüter F, Schoenberg MB, Bazhin AV, von Koch FE, Schnelzer A, Anthuber S, Grab D, Czogalla B, Burges A, Werner J, Mahner S, Mayer B. Immune Heterogeneity Between Primary Tumors and Corresponding Metastatic Lesions and Response to Platinum Therapy in Primary Ovarian Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11091250. [PMID: 31455033 PMCID: PMC6769550 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11091250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
CD3+ and CD8+ lymphocytes are well known prognostic markers in primary ovarian cancer. In contrast, the predictive value of the immune infiltrate concerning treatment response and the involvement of immune heterogeneity between primary and metastatic lesions are poorly understood. In this study, the immune infiltrate of 49 primary tumors and 38 corresponding lesions in the omentum (n = 23) and the peritoneum (n = 15) was immunohistochemically analyzed and correlated with clinicopathological factors and platinum-sensitivity. Immune heterogeneity was observed between paired primary and metastatic lesions for all immune cell phenotypes. The stromal immune infiltrate was higher in the omental lesions than in the primary tumors, which was reflected by CD45 (p=0.007), CD3 (p=0.005), CD8 (p=0.012), and PD-1 (programmed cell-death protein 1) (p=0.013). A higher stromal infiltrate of both CD45+ and CD3+ cells in the omental lesions was associated with the detection of lymph node metastasis (CD45, p=0.018; CD3, p=0.037). Platinum-sensitive ovarian cancers revealed a higher intratumoral CD8+ infiltrate in the peritoneal lesions compared to the primary tumors (p=0.045). In contrast, higher counts of stromal PD-1+ cells in the peritoneal lesions have been associated with reduced platinum-sensitivity (p=0.045). Immune heterogeneity was associated with platinum response and might represent a selection marker for personalized therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Dötzer
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Marchioninistraße 15, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Friederike Schlüter
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Marchioninistraße 15, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Markus Bo Schoenberg
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Marchioninistraße 15, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Alexandr V Bazhin
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Marchioninistraße 15, 81377 Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Pettenkoferstraße 8a, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Franz Edler von Koch
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Klinikum Dritter Orden, Menzinger Straße 44, 80638 Munich, Germany
| | - Andreas Schnelzer
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, Ismaninger Straße 22, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Sabine Anthuber
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Clinic Starnberg, Oßwaldstraße 1, 82319 Starnberg, Germany
| | - Dieter Grab
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Clinic Harlaching, Sanatoriumsplatz 2, 81545 Munich, Germany
| | - Bastian Czogalla
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Marchioninistraße 15, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Alexander Burges
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Marchioninistraße 15, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Jens Werner
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Marchioninistraße 15, 81377 Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Pettenkoferstraße 8a, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Sven Mahner
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Marchioninistraße 15, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Barbara Mayer
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Marchioninistraße 15, 81377 Munich, Germany.
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Pettenkoferstraße 8a, 80336 Munich, Germany.
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Park J, Lee JY, Kim S. How to use immune checkpoint inhibitor in ovarian cancer? J Gynecol Oncol 2019; 30:e105. [PMID: 31328467 PMCID: PMC6658602 DOI: 10.3802/jgo.2019.30.e105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Junsik Park
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Women's Life Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jung Yun Lee
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Women's Life Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
| | - Sunghoon Kim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Women's Life Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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34
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Xue G, Cui ZJ, Zhou XH, Zhu YX, Chen Y, Liang FJ, Tang DN, Huang BY, Zhang HY, Hu ZH, Yuan XY, Xiong J. DNA Methylation Biomarkers Predict Objective Responses to PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibition Blockade. Front Genet 2019; 10:724. [PMID: 31475034 PMCID: PMC6707807 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment could bring long-lasting clinical benefits to patients with metastatic cancer. However, only a small proportion of patients respond to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade, so predictive biomarkers are needed. Here, based on DNA methylation profiles and the objective response rates (ORRs) of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibition therapy, we identified 269 CpG sites and developed an initial CpG-based model by Lasso to predict ORRs. Notably, as measured by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), our model can produce better performance (AUC = 0.92) than both a model based on tumor mutational burden (TMB) (AUC = 0.77) and a previously reported TMB model (AUC = 0.71). In addition, most CpGs also have additional synergies with TMB, which can achieve a higher prediction accuracy when joined with TMB. Furthermore, we identified CpGs that are associated with TMB at the individual level. DNA methylation modules defined by protein networks, Kyoto Encylopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways, and ligand-receptor gene pairs are also associated with ORRs. This method suggested novel immuno-oncology targets that might be beneficial when combined with PD-1/PD-L1 blockade. Thus, DNA methylation studies might hold great potential for individualized PD1/PD-L1 blockade or combinatory therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Xue
- SPACEnter Space Science and Technology Institute, Shenzhen, China.,College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ze-Jia Cui
- College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,State Key Laboratory of Space Medicine Fundamentals and Application, China Astronaut Research and Training Center, Beijing, China
| | - Xiong-Hui Zhou
- College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yue-Xing Zhu
- SPACEnter Space Science and Technology Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ying Chen
- SPACEnter Space Science and Technology Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Feng-Ji Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Space Medicine Fundamentals and Application, China Astronaut Research and Training Center, Beijing, China
| | - Da-Nian Tang
- Gastro-Intestinal Surgery Department, Beijing Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Bing-Yang Huang
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Strategic Support Force Medical Center of PLA. No. 9, Beijing, China
| | - Hong-Yu Zhang
- College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhi-Huang Hu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Xi-Yu Yuan
- Department of General Surgery, Dongguan People's Hospital affiliated to Southern Medical University, Dongguan, China
| | - Jianghui Xiong
- SPACEnter Space Science and Technology Institute, Shenzhen, China.,State Key Laboratory of Space Medicine Fundamentals and Application, China Astronaut Research and Training Center, Beijing, China
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Konstantinopoulos PA, Waggoner S, Vidal GA, Mita M, Moroney JW, Holloway R, Van Le L, Sachdev JC, Chapman-Davis E, Colon-Otero G, Penson RT, Matulonis UA, Kim YB, Moore KN, Swisher EM, Färkkilä A, D’Andrea A, Stringer-Reasor E, Wang J, Buerstatte N, Arora S, Graham JR, Bobilev D, Dezube BJ, Munster P. Single-Arm Phases 1 and 2 Trial of Niraparib in Combination With Pembrolizumab in Patients With Recurrent Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Carcinoma. JAMA Oncol 2019; 5:1141-1149. [PMID: 31194228 PMCID: PMC6567832 DOI: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2019.1048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 335] [Impact Index Per Article: 67.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Patients with recurrent ovarian carcinoma frequently develop resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy, at which time treatment options become limited. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor niraparib combined with pembrolizumab in patients with recurrent ovarian carcinoma. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS The TOPACIO/KEYNOTE-162 (Niraparib in Combination With Pembrolizumab in Patients With Triple-Negative Breast Cancer or Ovarian Cancer) trial, an open-label, single-arm phases 1 and 2 study enrolled women with advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) or recurrent ovarian carcinoma, irrespective of BRCA mutation status. Median follow-up was 12.4 months (range, 1.2 to ≥23.0 months). Data were collected from April 15, 2016, through September 4, 2018, with September 4, 2018, as a data cutoff, and analyzed from September 4, 2018, through January 30, 2019. INTERVENTIONS The recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) was 200 mg of oral niraparib once daily and 200 mg of intravenous pembrolizumab on day 1 of each 21-day cycle. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary objectives of phase 1 were to evaluate dose-limiting toxic effects and establish the RP2D and dosing schedule. The primary objective of phase 2 was to assess objective response rate (ORR; complete plus partial responses). Results from the phase 1 ovarian carcinoma and TNBC cohorts and phase 2 ovarian carcinoma cohort are reported. Because of the similarity in the phase 1 and 2 ovarian carcinoma populations, the data were pooled to perform an integrated efficacy analysis. RESULTS Fourteen patients (9 with ovarian carcinoma and 5 with TNBC) in phase 1 and 53 patients with ovarian carcinoma in phase 2 were enrolled, for a pooled ovarian carcinoma cohort of 62 patients (median age, 60 years [range, 46-83 years]). In the integrated efficacy phases 1 and 2 ovarian carcinoma population (60 of 62 evaluable patients), ORR was 18% (90% CI, 11%-29%), with a disease control rate of 65% (90% CI, 54%-75%), including 3 (5%) with confirmed complete responses, 8 (13%) with confirmed partial responses, 28 (47%) with stable disease, and 20 (33%) with progressive disease. The ORRs were consistent across subgroups based on platinum-based chemotherapy sensitivity, previous bevacizumab treatment, or tumor BRCA or homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) biomarker status. Median duration of response was not reached (range, 4.2 to ≥14.5 months). At data cutoff, 2 patients with a response and 1 patient with stable disease continued to receive treatment. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Niraparib in combination with pembrolizumab is tolerable, with promising antitumor activity for patients with ovarian carcinoma who have limited treatment options regardless of platinum status, biomarker status, or prior treatment with bevacizumab. Responses in patients without tumor BRCA mutations or non-HRD cancers were higher than expected with either agent as monotherapy. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02657889.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiotis A. Konstantinopoulos
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Center for DNA Damage and Repair, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Steven Waggoner
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, University Hospitals of Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Gregory A. Vidal
- Division of Medical Oncology, West Cancer Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Monica Mita
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - John W. Moroney
- Section of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Robert Holloway
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Florida Hospital Gynecologic Oncology, Florida Hospital Cancer Institute, Orlando
- Global Robotics Institute, Orlando, Florida
| | - Linda Van Le
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chapel Hill
| | - Jasgit C. Sachdev
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center Clinical Trials, HonorHealth Research Institute, Scottsdale, Arizona
- Translational Genomics Research Institute, Scottsdale, Arizona
| | - Eloise Chapman-Davis
- Weill Cornell Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cornell University, New York, New York
| | | | - Richard T. Penson
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Ursula A. Matulonis
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Young Bae Kim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Kathleen N. Moore
- Stephenson Cancer Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City
- Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Elizabeth M. Swisher
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Anniina Färkkilä
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Alan D’Andrea
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Erica Stringer-Reasor
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Research & Early Development, TESARO: A GSK Company, Waltham, Massachusetts
| | - Nathan Buerstatte
- Department of Clinical Operations, TESARO: A GSK Company, Waltham, Massachusetts
| | - Sujata Arora
- Department of Biostatistics, TESARO: A GSK Company, Waltham, Massachusetts
| | - Julie R. Graham
- Department of Clinical Science, TESARO: A GSK Company, Waltham, Massachusetts
| | - Dmitri Bobilev
- Department of Clinical Science, TESARO: A GSK Company, Waltham, Massachusetts
| | - Bruce J. Dezube
- Department of Clinical Science, TESARO: A GSK Company, Waltham, Massachusetts
| | - Pamela Munster
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, Medical Center at Mount Zion, San Francisco
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36
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McGray AJR, Huang RY, Battaglia S, Eppolito C, Miliotto A, Stephenson KB, Lugade AA, Webster G, Lichty BD, Seshadri M, Kozbor D, Odunsi K. Oncolytic Maraba virus armed with tumor antigen boosts vaccine priming and reveals diverse therapeutic response patterns when combined with checkpoint blockade in ovarian cancer. J Immunother Cancer 2019; 7:189. [PMID: 31315674 PMCID: PMC6637574 DOI: 10.1186/s40425-019-0641-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer immunotherapies are emerging as promising treatment strategies for ovarian cancer patients that experience disease relapse following first line therapy. As such, identifying strategies to bolster anti-tumor immunity and limit immune suppression, while recognizing diverse patterns of tumor response to immunotherapy is critical to selecting treatment combinations that lead to durable therapeutic benefit. METHODS Using a pre-clinical mouse model, we evaluated a heterologous prime/boost vaccine in combination with checkpoint blockade to treat metastatic intraperitoneal ovarian cancer. Vaccine-elicited CD8+ T cell responses and changes in the tumor microenvironment following treatment were analyzed and compared to treatment outcome. Kinetics of intraperitoneal tumor growth were assessed using non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). RESULTS Vaccine priming followed by antigen-armed oncolytic Maraba virus boosting elicited robust tumor-specific CD8+ T cell responses that improved tumor control and led to unique immunological changes in the tumor, including a signature that correlated with improved clinical outcome of ovarian cancer patients. However, this treatment was not curative and T cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) were functionally suppressed. Combination PD-1 blockade partially overcame the adaptive resistance in the tumor observed in response to prime/boost vaccination, restoring CD8+ T cell function in the TME and enhancing the therapeutic response. Non-invasive MRI of tumors during the course of combination treatment revealed heterogeneous radiologic response patterns following treatment, including pseudo-progression, which was associated with improved tumor control prior to relapse. CONCLUSIONS Our findings point to a key hierarchical role for PD-1 signaling and adaptive immune resistance in the ovarian TME in determining the functional fate of tumor-specific CD8+ T cells, even in the context of robust therapy mediated anti-tumor immunity, as well as the ability of multiple unique patterns of therapeutic response to result in durable tumor control.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J Robert McGray
- Center for Immunotherapy, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm and Carlton Sts, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA
| | - Ruea-Yea Huang
- Center for Immunotherapy, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm and Carlton Sts, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA
| | - Sebastiano Battaglia
- Center for Immunotherapy, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm and Carlton Sts, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA
| | - Cheryl Eppolito
- Center for Immunotherapy, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm and Carlton Sts, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA
| | - Anthony Miliotto
- Center for Immunotherapy, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm and Carlton Sts, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA
| | - Kyle B Stephenson
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Turnstone Biologics, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Amit A Lugade
- Center for Immunotherapy, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm and Carlton Sts, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA
| | - Gill Webster
- Innate Immunotherapeutics, Auckland, NZ, New Zealand
| | - Brian D Lichty
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Turnstone Biologics, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Mukund Seshadri
- Department of Dentistry and Maxillofacial Prosthetics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Danuta Kozbor
- Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Kunle Odunsi
- Center for Immunotherapy, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm and Carlton Sts, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA.
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Matulonis UA, Shapira-Frommer R, Santin AD, Lisyanskaya AS, Pignata S, Vergote I, Raspagliesi F, Sonke GS, Birrer M, Provencher DM, Sehouli J, Colombo N, González-Martín A, Oaknin A, Ottevanger PB, Rudaitis V, Katchar K, Wu H, Keefe S, Ruman J, Ledermann JA. Antitumor activity and safety of pembrolizumab in patients with advanced recurrent ovarian cancer: results from the phase II KEYNOTE-100 study. Ann Oncol 2019; 30:1080-1087. [PMID: 31046082 DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdz135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 421] [Impact Index Per Article: 84.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Advanced recurrent ovarian cancer (ROC) is the leading cause of gynecologic cancer-related death in developed countries and new treatments are needed. Previous studies of immune checkpoint blockade showed low objective response rates (ORR) in ROC with no identified predictive biomarker. PATIENTS AND METHODS This phase II study of pembrolizumab (NCT02674061) examined two patient cohorts with ROC: cohort A received one to three prior lines of treatment with a platinum-free interval (PFI) or treatment-free interval (TFI) between 3 and 12 months and cohort B received four to six prior lines with a PFI/TFI of ≥3 months. Pembrolizumab 200 mg was administered intravenously every 3 weeks until cancer progression, toxicity, or completion of 2 years. Primary end points were ORR by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 per blinded independent central review by cohort and by PD-L1 expression measured as combined positive score (CPS). Secondary end points included duration of response (DOR), disease control rate (DCR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety. RESULTS Cohort A enrolled 285 patients; the first 100 served as the training set for PD-L1 biomarker analysis. Cohort B enrolled 91 patients. ORR was 7.4% for cohort A and 9.9% for cohort B. Median DOR was 8.2 months for cohort A and not reached for cohort B. DCR was 37.2% and 37.4%, respectively, in cohorts A and B. Based on the training set analysis, CPS 1 and 10 were selected for evaluation in the confirmation set. In the confirmation set, ORR was 4.1% for CPS <1, 5.7% CPS ≥1, and 10.0% for CPS ≥10. PFS was 2.1 months for both cohorts. Median OS was not reached for cohort A and was 17.6 months for cohort B. Toxicities were consistent with other single-agent pembrolizumab trials. CONCLUSIONS Single-agent pembrolizumab showed modest activity in patients with ROC. Higher PD-L1 expression was correlated with higher response. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02674061.
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MESH Headings
- Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell/drug therapy
- Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell/pathology
- Aged
- Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/adverse effects
- Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/therapeutic use
- Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological/adverse effects
- Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological/therapeutic use
- Cohort Studies
- Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous/drug therapy
- Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous/pathology
- Female
- Follow-Up Studies
- Humans
- Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/drug therapy
- Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/pathology
- Ovarian Neoplasms/drug therapy
- Ovarian Neoplasms/pathology
- Prognosis
- Survival Rate
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Affiliation(s)
- U A Matulonis
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, USA.
| | - R Shapira-Frommer
- Oncology Institute and Ella Lemelbaum Institute for Immuno-Oncology, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - A D Santin
- Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, USA
| | - A S Lisyanskaya
- Department of Gynaecological Oncology, City Clinical Oncology Dispensary, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - S Pignata
- Department of Urogynaecological Oncology, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori "Fondazione G Pascale", IRCCS, Naples, Italy
| | - I Vergote
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Gynaecologic Oncology, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - F Raspagliesi
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - G S Sonke
- Department of Medical Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M Birrer
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA
| | - D M Provencher
- Hôpital Notre-Dame - Pavillon L-C Simard, Centre Hospitalier de L'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Canada
| | - J Sehouli
- Gynecology and Obstetrics, Charité-Medical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - N Colombo
- Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca and European Institute of Oncology, Milano, Italy
| | - A González-Martín
- Medical Oncology, Clinica Universidad de Navarra; formerly of MD Anderson International España, Madrid
| | - A Oaknin
- Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Barcelona, Spain
| | - P B Ottevanger
- Medical Oncology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - V Rudaitis
- Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vilnius University Institute of Clinical Medicine, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - K Katchar
- Companion Diagnostics, Merck & Co., Inc, Kenilworth, USA
| | - H Wu
- BARDS, MSD China, Beijing, China
| | - S Keefe
- Clinical Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, USA
| | - J Ruman
- Clinical Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, USA
| | - J A Ledermann
- UCL Cancer Institute and UCL Hospitals, Department of Oncology, University College London, London, UK
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Crawford A, Haber L, Kelly MP, Vazzana K, Canova L, Ram P, Pawashe A, Finney J, Jalal S, Chiu D, Colleton CA, Garnova E, Makonnen S, Hickey C, Krueger P, DelFino F, Potocky T, Kuhnert J, Godin S, Retter MW, Duramad P, MacDonald D, Olson WC, Fairhurst J, Huang T, Martin J, Lin JC, Smith E, Thurston G, Kirshner JR. A Mucin 16 bispecific T cell–engaging antibody for the treatment of ovarian cancer. Sci Transl Med 2019; 11:11/497/eaau7534. [DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aau7534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Advanced ovarian cancer is frequently treated with combination chemotherapy, but high recurrence rates show the need for therapies that can produce durable responses and extend overall survival. Bispecific antibodies that interact with tumor antigens on cancer cells and activating receptors on immune cells offer an innovative immunotherapy approach. Here, we describe a human bispecific antibody (REGN4018) that binds both Mucin 16 (MUC16), a glycoprotein that is highly expressed on ovarian cancer cells, and CD3, thus bridging MUC16-expressing cells with CD3+ T cells. REGN4018 induced T cell activation and killing of MUC16-expressing tumor cells in vitro. Binding and cytotoxicity of REGN4018 in vitro were minimally affected by high concentrations of CA-125, the shed form of MUC16, which is present in patients. In preclinical studies with human ovarian cancer cells and human T cells in immunodeficient mice, REGN4018 potently inhibited growth of intraperitoneal ovarian tumors. Moreover, in a genetically engineered immunocompetent mouse expressing human CD3 and human MUC16 [humanized target (HuT) mice], REGN4018 inhibited growth of murine tumors expressing human MUC16, and combination with an anti–PD-1 antibody enhanced this efficacy. Immuno-PET imaging demonstrated localization of REGN4018 in MUC16-expressing tumors and in T cell–rich organs such as the spleen and lymph nodes. Toxicology studies in cynomolgus monkeys showed minimal and transient increases in serum cytokines and C-reactive protein after REGN4018 administration, with no overt toxicity. Collectively, these data demonstrate potent antitumor activity and good tolerability of REGN4018, supporting clinical evaluation of REGN4018 in patients with MUC16-expressing advanced ovarian cancer.
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39
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Ovarian Cancer Immunotherapy: Turning up the Heat. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20122927. [PMID: 31208030 PMCID: PMC6628106 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20122927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Revised: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the leading cause of death among gynecological malignancies. Despite surgery and chemotherapy, 5-years survival rates have improved only modestly over the past few decades remaining at 45% for advanced stages. Therefore, novel therapies are urgently needed. The presence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in OC tumor microenvironment (TME) has already proved to be correlated with overall survival (OS), while immune evasion mechanisms are associated with poor prognosis. Although these data indicate that immunotherapy has a strong rationale in OC, single agent immune-checkpoints inhibitors (ICIs) have shown only modest results in this malignancy. In this review, we will discuss immune-targeting combination therapies and adoptive cell therapy (ACT), highlighting the challenges represented by these strategies, which aim at disrupting the stroma-tumor barrier to boost immune system against ovarian cancer.
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40
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Ghahremanloo A, Soltani A, Modaresi SMS, Hashemy SI. Recent advances in the clinical development of immune checkpoint blockade therapy. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2019; 42:609-626. [PMID: 31201647 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-019-00456-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The discovery of immune checkpoint proteins and the mechanisms by which cancer cells utilize them to evade the immune system has transformed our approach to cancer immunotherapy. Checkpoint blockade antibodies targeting cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4), programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and its ligands such as programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) have already revolutionized the treatment of multiple types of cancer and have significantly improved treatment and survival outcomes of patients affected by these malignancies. CONCLUSIONS Herein, we summarize current knowledge about the role of, and the mechanisms underlying PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathways in antitumor immune responses, with particular emphasis on clinical studies evaluating the efficacy of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 blockade in various tumor types. Preliminary clinical investigations with immune-checkpoint blockers highlight broad opportunities with a high potential to enhance antitumor immunity and, as such, to generate significant clinical responses. These preliminary successes open up new avenues towards efficient therapeutics offered to patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atefeh Ghahremanloo
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
- Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Arash Soltani
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
- Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | | | - Seyed Isaac Hashemy
- Surgical Oncology Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
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41
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Long-term oncologic outcome and its prognostic indicators in reproductive-age women with ovarian clear-cell carcinoma. Arch Gynecol Obstet 2019; 300:717-724. [PMID: 31165243 DOI: 10.1007/s00404-019-05203-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clear-cell carcinoma (CCC) in reproductive-age women is likely to become an increasingly critical issue regarding possibilities of infertility, hormonal dysfunction, and mortality. The aim of this study was to examine the long-term oncologic outcome and its prognostic indicators based on a multicentric cohort of young patients with CCC. PATIENTS AND METHODS During the period of 1990-2015, a total of 164 patients aged 45-year-old or younger were enrolled in the study. Clinicopathologic data of these young patients with CCC collected under a centralized pathological review system were subjected to uni- and multivariable analyses to evaluate overall survival (OS). RESULTS The median follow-up was 73.8 months (range 5.2-244.2) in the surviving patients. Among these patients, 104 (63.4%) had FIGO I disease, and 22 (13.4%), 31 (18.9%), and 7 (4.3%) had II, III, and IV disease, respectively. The 5-year OS rate was 74.5%. On stratification by the FIGO stage, the 5-year OS rates were as follows: stage I (90.2%), stage II (57.9%), and stage III/IV (39.3%), respectively (P < 0.0001). Confining analysis to stage I patients, there was no difference in OS between those who underwent fertility-sparing surgery and those who received radical surgery (P = 0.1593). In relapsed patients, the median survival after recurrence was 11.6 months. In multivariable analysis of stage I patients, the capsule status was an independent prognostic indicator of OS {IC2/IC3 vs. IA/IC1: HR 4.293 (95% CI 1.140-16.422), P = 0.0318}. CONCLUSION CCC patients staged greater than IC2/IC3 show a markedly increased risk of mortality. Thus, it is important to diagnose patients staged under IC2/IC3.
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42
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Corrado G, Palluzzi E, Bottoni C, Pietragalla A, Salutari V, Ghizzoni V, Distefano M, Scambia G, Ferrandina G. New medical approaches in advanced ovarian cancer. Minerva Med 2019; 110:367-384. [PMID: 31124637 DOI: 10.23736/s0026-4806.19.06139-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among women and the most lethal gynecologic malignancy. Most women with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer will experience many episodes of recurrent disease with progressively shorter disease-free intervals. For women whose disease continues to respond to platinum-based drugs, the disease can often be controlled for 5 years or more. Enormous progress has been made in the management of this disease, and new targeted treatments such as antiangiogenic drugs, poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase inhibitors, and immune checkpoint inhibitors offer potential for improved survival. A variety of combination strategies are being evaluated to leverage these agents. The objective of this review is to summarize results from clinical trials that tested cytotoxic drugs and target strategies for the treatment of ovarian cancer with particular attention to Phase III and ongoing trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Corrado
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Women and Children's Health, A. Gemelli University Hospital and Institute for Research and Care, Rome, Italy -
| | - Eleonora Palluzzi
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Women and Children's Health, A. Gemelli University Hospital and Institute for Research and Care, Rome, Italy
| | - Carolina Bottoni
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Women and Children's Health, A. Gemelli University Hospital and Institute for Research and Care, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonella Pietragalla
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Women and Children's Health, A. Gemelli University Hospital and Institute for Research and Care, Rome, Italy
| | - Vanda Salutari
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Women and Children's Health, A. Gemelli University Hospital and Institute for Research and Care, Rome, Italy
| | - Viola Ghizzoni
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Women and Children's Health, A. Gemelli University Hospital and Institute for Research and Care, Rome, Italy
| | - Mariagrazia Distefano
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Women and Children's Health, A. Gemelli University Hospital and Institute for Research and Care, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Scambia
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Women and Children's Health, A. Gemelli University Hospital and Institute for Research and Care, Rome, Italy.,Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Sacred Heart Catholic University, Policlinico A. Gemelli Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriella Ferrandina
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Women and Children's Health, A. Gemelli University Hospital and Institute for Research and Care, Rome, Italy.,Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Sacred Heart Catholic University, Policlinico A. Gemelli Foundation, Rome, Italy
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43
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De Nola R, Menga A, Castegna A, Loizzi V, Ranieri G, Cicinelli E, Cormio G. The Crowded Crosstalk between Cancer Cells and Stromal Microenvironment in Gynecological Malignancies: Biological Pathways and Therapeutic Implication. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20102401. [PMID: 31096567 PMCID: PMC6567055 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20102401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Revised: 05/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment plays a pillar role in the progression and the distance dissemination of cancer cells in the main malignancies affecting women-epithelial ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer and cervical cancer. Their milieu acquires specific properties thanks to intense crosstalk between stromal and cancer cells, leading to a vicious circle. Fibroblasts, pericytes, lymphocytes and tumor associated-macrophages orchestrate most of the biological pathways. In epithelial ovarian cancer, high rates of activated pericytes determine a poorer prognosis, defining a common signature promoting ovarian cancer proliferation, local invasion and distant spread. Mesenchymal cells also release chemokines and cytokines under hormonal influence, such as estrogens that drive most of the endometrial cancers. Interestingly, the architecture of the cervical cancer milieu is shaped by the synergy of high-risk Human Papilloma Virus oncoproteins and the activity of stromal estrogen receptor α. Lymphocytes represent a shield against cancer cells but some cell subpopulation could lead to immunosuppression, tumor growth and dissemination. Cytotoxic tumor infiltrating lymphocytes can be eluded by over-adapted cancer cells in a scenario of immune-tolerance driven by T-regulatory cells. Therefore, the tumor microenvironment has a high translational potential offering many targets for biological and immunological therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosalba De Nola
- Department of Tissues and Organs Transplantation and Cellular Therapies, D.E.O.T., University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Piazza G. Cesare, 11-Policlinico 70124 Bari, Italy.
| | - Alessio Menga
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Via E. Orabona, 4, 70125 Bari, Italy.
| | - Alessandra Castegna
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Via E. Orabona, 4, 70125 Bari, Italy.
| | - Vera Loizzi
- Department of Biomedical and Human Oncological Science, 2nd Unit of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Piazza G. Cesare, 11-Policlinico 70124 Bari, Italy.
| | - Girolamo Ranieri
- Interventional Oncology Unit with Integrate Section of Translational Medical Oncology, IRCCS, Istituto Tumori Giovanni Paolo II, 70124 Bari, Italy.
| | - Ettore Cicinelli
- Department of Biomedical and Human Oncological Science, 2nd Unit of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Piazza G. Cesare, 11-Policlinico 70124 Bari, Italy.
| | - Gennaro Cormio
- Department of Biomedical and Human Oncological Science, 2nd Unit of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Piazza G. Cesare, 11-Policlinico 70124 Bari, Italy.
- Gynaecologic Oncology Unit, IRCCS, Istituto Tumori Giovanni Paolo II, 70142 Bari, Italy.
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Immune Checkpoint Ligand Reverse Signaling: Looking Back to Go Forward in Cancer Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11050624. [PMID: 31060225 PMCID: PMC6563035 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11050624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The so-called immune checkpoints are pathways that regulate the timing and intensity of the immune response to avoid an excessive reaction and to protect the host from autoimmunity. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are designed to target the negative regulatory pathways of T cells, and they have been shown to restore anti-tumor immune functions and achieve considerable clinical results. Indeed, several clinical trials have reported durable clinical response in different tumor types, such as melanoma, renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Nonetheless, after the initial enthusiasm, it is now evident that the majority of patients do not benefit from ICIs, due to innate or acquired tumor resistance. It is therefore mandatory to find ways to identify those patients who will respond and to find ways to induce response in those who at present do not benefit from ICIs. In this regard, the expression of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) on neoplastic cells was the first, and most obvious, biomarker exploited to predict the activity of anti-programmed death 1 (PD-1) and/or anti-PD-L1 antibodies. As expected, a correlation was confirmed between the levels of PD-L1 and the efficacy of anti-PD-1 therapy in melanoma, NSCLC and RCC. However, further results from clinical trials showed that some patients display a clinical response regardless of tumor cell PD-L1 expression levels, while others do not benefit from ICI treatment despite the expression of PD-L1 on neoplastic elements. These findings strongly support the notion that other factors may be relevant for the efficacy of ICI-based treatment regimens. Furthermore, although the current dogma indicates that the PD-1/PD-L1 axis exerts its regulatory effects via the signal transduced in PD-1-expressing T cells, recent evidence suggests that a reverse signaling may also exist downstream of PD-L1 in both tumor and immune cells. The reverse signaling of PD-L1, but also of other immune checkpoints, might contribute to the pro-tumoral/immune suppressive environment associated with tumor development and progression. Clarifying this aspect could facilitate the prediction of patients’ clinical outcomes, which are so far unpredictable and result in response, resistance or even hyper-progressive disease in some cases.
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45
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Cho Y, Milane L, Amiji MM. Genetic and epigenetic strategies for advancing ovarian cancer immunotherapy. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2019; 19:547-560. [DOI: 10.1080/14712598.2019.1602605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Youngwoo Cho
- School of Pharmacy, Bouve College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lara Milane
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Bouve College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mansoor M. Amiji
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Pharmacy, Bouve College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
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46
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Abstract
The phenotype and functionalities of the major immune cell subsets including myeloid cells, macrophages, dendritic cells, and T cells are altered in the ovarian cancer microenvironment. Immunosuppressive networks including inhibitory B7 family members and regulatory T cell-associated adenosine pathway have been defined in human ovarian cancer. In this review, the authors integrate emerging information on immunosuppressive mechanisms and T cell phenotype and discuss strategies of immunotherapeutic and vaccine regimens. Finally, crucial points regarding design of immuno-oncology clinical trials are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weimin Wang
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan School of Medicine, BSRB 5448, 109 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0669, USA
| | - Janice Rebecca Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, L4604 WH, 1500 East Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Weiping Zou
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan School of Medicine, BSRB 5071, 109 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0669, USA.
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47
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Lheureux S, Gourley C, Vergote I, Oza AM. Epithelial ovarian cancer. Lancet 2019; 393:1240-1253. [PMID: 30910306 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(18)32552-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 958] [Impact Index Per Article: 191.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Revised: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Epithelial ovarian cancer generally presents at an advanced stage and is the most common cause of gynaecological cancer death. Treatment requires expert multidisciplinary care. Population-based screening has been ineffective, but new approaches for early diagnosis and prevention that leverage molecular genomics are in development. Initial therapy includes surgery and adjuvant therapy. Epithelial ovarian cancer is composed of distinct histological subtypes with unique genomic characteristics, which are improving the precision and effectiveness of therapy, allowing discovery of predictors of response such as mutations in breast cancer susceptibility genes BRCA1 and BRCA2, and homologous recombination deficiency for DNA damage response pathway inhibitors or resistance (cyclin E1). Rapidly evolving techniques to measure genomic changes in tumour and blood allow for assessment of sensitivity and emergence of resistance to therapy, and might be accurate indicators of residual disease. Recurrence is usually incurable, and patient symptom control and quality of life are key considerations at this stage. Treatments for recurrence have to be designed from a patient's perspective and incorporate meaningful measures of benefit. Urgent progress is needed to develop evidence and consensus-based treatment guidelines for each subgroup, and requires close international cooperation in conducting clinical trials through academic research groups such as the Gynecologic Cancer Intergroup.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Lheureux
- Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Charlie Gourley
- Nicola Murray Centre for Ovarian Cancer Research, Edinburgh Cancer Research UK Centre, MRC IGMM, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK; Edinburgh Cancer Centre, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ignace Vergote
- Division of Gynaecological Oncology, Leuven Cancer Institute, Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Universitaire Ziekenhuizen Leuven, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Amit M Oza
- Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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48
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Madariaga A, Lheureux S, Oza AM. Tailoring Ovarian Cancer Treatment: Implications of BRCA1/2 Mutations. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:E416. [PMID: 30909618 PMCID: PMC6468364 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11030416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Revised: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
High grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is the most common epithelial ovarian cancer, harbouring more than 20% germline or somatic mutations in the tumour suppressor genes BRCA1 and BRCA2. These genes are involved in both DNA damage repair process via homologous recombination (HR) and transcriptional regulation. BRCA mutation confers distinct characteristics, including an increased response to DNA-damaging agents, such us platinum chemotherapy and poly-ADP ribose polymerase inhibitors (PARPi). However, several mechanisms of resistance to these agents have been described, including increased HR capacity through reverse BRCA mutations, non-homologous end-joint (NHEJ) repair alterations and drug efflux pumps. Current treatments of ovarian cancer including surgery, chemotherapy, targeted treatment and maintenance strategies, as well as resistance mechanisms will be reviewed, focusing on future trends with respect to BRCA mutation carriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ainhoa Madariaga
- Division of Medical Oncology & Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Center, Toronto, ON M5G 2M9, Canada.
| | - Stephanie Lheureux
- Division of Medical Oncology & Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Center, Toronto, ON M5G 2M9, Canada.
| | - Amit M Oza
- Division of Medical Oncology & Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Center, Toronto, ON M5G 2M9, Canada.
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Immunotherapy of gynecological cancers. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol 2019; 60:97-110. [PMID: 31003902 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2019.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Oncology treatments have evolved from intuitive, via empiric, to the present precision medicine, with the integration of molecular targeted therapies in our treatment arsenal. The use of the patients' powerful immune system has long been contemplated and recently led to the integration of immunotherapy to overturn the well-documented inhibitory effects of the tumor on the immune system and restore it to a state of activity against the cancer. Recent favorable results have shown the value and effectiveness of immunotherapy against gynecological cancers. In particular, the checkpoint inhibitors, targeting the programmed death-1 (PD-1) pathway, have shown durable clinical responses with manageable toxicity. Several phase II and III clinical trials testing the association of different regimen of chemotherapy and immunotherapy are ongoing in gynecological cancers, and important results are expected. In this chapter, we outline the main principles of immunotherapy for gynecological cancers and summarize the current strategies used in clinical trials.
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50
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Pawłowska A, Suszczyk D, Okła K, Barczyński B, Kotarski J, Wertel I. Immunotherapies based on PD-1/PD-L1 pathway inhibitors in ovarian cancer treatment. Clin Exp Immunol 2019; 195:334-344. [PMID: 30582756 PMCID: PMC6378380 DOI: 10.1111/cei.13255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapies based on anti-programmed death 1/programmed death ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) pathway inhibitors may turn out effective in ovarian cancer (OC) treatment. They can be used in combination with standard therapy and are especially promising in recurrent and platinum-resistant OC. There is growing evidence that the mechanism of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway can be specific for a particular histological cancer type. Interestingly, the data have shown that the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway blockade may be effective, especially in the endometrioid type of OC. It is important to identify the cause of anti-tumor immune response suppression and exclude its other mechanisms in OC patients. It is also necessary to conduct subsequent studies to confirm in which OC cases the treatment is effective and how to select patients and combine drugs to improve patient survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Pawłowska
- Tumor Immunology Laboratory, 1st Chair and Department of Oncological Gynaecology and GynaecologyMedical University of LublinLublinPoland
| | - D. Suszczyk
- Tumor Immunology Laboratory, 1st Chair and Department of Oncological Gynaecology and GynaecologyMedical University of LublinLublinPoland
| | - K. Okła
- Tumor Immunology Laboratory, 1st Chair and Department of Oncological Gynaecology and GynaecologyMedical University of LublinLublinPoland
| | - B. Barczyński
- Tumor Immunology Laboratory, 1st Chair and Department of Oncological Gynaecology and GynaecologyMedical University of LublinLublinPoland
| | - J. Kotarski
- Tumor Immunology Laboratory, 1st Chair and Department of Oncological Gynaecology and GynaecologyMedical University of LublinLublinPoland
| | - I. Wertel
- Tumor Immunology Laboratory, 1st Chair and Department of Oncological Gynaecology and GynaecologyMedical University of LublinLublinPoland
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