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Vounckx M, Tijtgat J, Stevens L, Dirven I, Ilsen B, Vandenbroucke F, Raeymaeckers S, Vekens K, Forsyth R, Geeraerts X, Van Riet I, Schwarze JK, Tuyaerts S, Decoster L, De Ridder M, Dufait I, Neyns B. A randomized phase II clinical trial of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and systemic pembrolizumab with or without intratumoral avelumab/ipilimumab plus CD1c (BDCA-1) +/CD141 (BDCA-3) + myeloid dendritic cells in solid tumors. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2024; 73:167. [PMID: 38954010 PMCID: PMC11219623 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-024-03751-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Radiotherapy (RT) synergizes with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). CD1c(BDCA-1)+/CD141(BDCA-3)+ myeloid dendritic cells (myDC) in the tumor microenvironment are indispensable at initiating effector T-cell responses and response to ICB. METHODS In this phase II clinical trial, anti-PD-1 ICB pretreated oligometastatic patients (tumor agnostic) underwent a leukapheresis followed by isolation of CD1c(BDCA-1)+/CD141(BDCA-3)+ myDC. Following hypofractionated stereotactic body RT (3 × 8 Gy), patients were randomized (3:1). Respectively, in arm A (immediate treatment), intratumoral (IT) ipilimumab (10 mg) and avelumab (40 mg) combined with intravenous (IV) pembrolizumab (200 mg) were administered followed by IT injection of myDC; subsequently, IV pembrolizumab and IT ipilimumab/avelumab were continued (q3W). In arm B (contemporary control arm), patients received IV pembrolizumab, with possibility to cross-over at progression. Primary endpoint was 1-year progression-free survival rate (PFS). Secondary endpoints were safety, feasibility, objective response rate, PFS, and overall survival (OS). RESULTS Thirteen patients (10 in arm A, eight non-small cell lung cancer, and five melanoma) were enrolled. Two patients crossed over. One-year PFS rate was 10% in arm A and 0% in arm B. Two patients in arm A obtained a partial response, and one patient obtained a stable disease as best response. In arm B, one patient obtained a SD. Median PFS and OS were 21.8 weeks (arm A) versus 24.9 (arm B), and 62.7 versus 57.9 weeks, respectively. An iatrogenic pneumothorax was the only grade 3 treatment-related adverse event. CONCLUSION SBRT and pembrolizumab with or without IT avelumab/ipilimumab and IT myDC in oligometastatic patients are safe and feasible with a clinically meaningful tumor response rate. However, the study failed to reach its primary endpoint. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT04571632 (09 AUG 2020). EUDRACT 2019-003668-32. Date of registration: 17 DEC 2019, amendment 1: 6 MAR 2021, amendment 2: 4 FEB 2022.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon Vounckx
- Department of Medical Oncology, Laboratory for Medical and Molecular Oncology (LMMO), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel), Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Jens Tijtgat
- Department of Medical Oncology, Laboratory for Medical and Molecular Oncology (LMMO), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel), Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Latoya Stevens
- Department of Medical Oncology, Laboratory for Medical and Molecular Oncology (LMMO), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel), Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Iris Dirven
- Department of Medical Oncology, Laboratory for Medical and Molecular Oncology (LMMO), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel), Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Bart Ilsen
- Department of Radiology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel), Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Frederik Vandenbroucke
- Department of Radiology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel), Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Steven Raeymaeckers
- Department of Radiology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel), Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Karolien Vekens
- Department of Medical Oncology, Laboratory for Medical and Molecular Oncology (LMMO), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel), Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ramses Forsyth
- Department of Pathology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel), Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Xenia Geeraerts
- Department of Medical Oncology, Laboratory for Medical and Molecular Oncology (LMMO), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel), Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ivan Van Riet
- Department of Hematology, Stem Cell Laboratory, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel), Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Julia Katharina Schwarze
- Department of Medical Oncology, Laboratory for Medical and Molecular Oncology (LMMO), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel), Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sandra Tuyaerts
- Department of Medical Oncology, Laboratory for Medical and Molecular Oncology (LMMO), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel), Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Lore Decoster
- Department of Medical Oncology, Laboratory for Medical and Molecular Oncology (LMMO), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel), Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mark De Ridder
- Department of Radiotherapy, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel), Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ines Dufait
- Department of Radiotherapy, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel), Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Bart Neyns
- Department of Medical Oncology, Laboratory for Medical and Molecular Oncology (LMMO), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel), Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
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Kluge A, Baum RP, Bitterlich N, Kulkarni HR, Schorr-Neufing U, van Echteld CJA. Immune Response to Molecular Radiotherapy with 177Lu-DOTATOC: Predictive Value of Blood Cell Counts for Therapy Outcome. Cancer Biother Radiopharm 2024. [PMID: 38905126 DOI: 10.1089/cbr.2024.0031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose: In a prior, retrospective study, 76% of patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumors undergoing 177Lu-DOTATOC molecular radiotherapy (MRT) showed their best response within 8 months from the first MRT cycle. In 24% of patients, latency was much greater up to >22 months after the first cycle, and long after near-complete decay of 177Lu from the last cycle. An immune response induced by MRT seems a likely explanation. As a crude measure of immunocompetence, the authors investigated whether blood cell counts (BCCs) may have predictive value for MRT outcome with 177Lu-DOTATOC. Methods: 56 Patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NET) were administered 177Lu-DOTATOC (mean 2.1 cycles; range 1-4) with median radioactivity of 7.0 GBq/cycle at 3-month intervals. Patients' BCCs were evaluated for four responder categories: CR, PR, SD, and PD (RECIST 1.1). Furthermore, baseline BCCs were correlated with progression-free survival (PFS). Finally, BCCs of patients with (PMT+) and without prior medical therapy (PMT-) were compared. Results: Significant differences between responder categories were found for baseline hemoglobin (Hb), erythrocytes, neutrophils, lymphocytes, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and LEHN-score, integrating lymphocyte, erythrocyte, and neutrophil counts, and Hb level, but not for leukocytes and platelets. LEHN-score yielded an almost complete separation between CR and PD groups. In analogy, PFS times showed significant correlations with baseline Hb, erythrocytes, neutrophils, lymphocytes, NLR, PLR, and LEHN-score, the LEHN-score showing the strongest correlation, but not with leukocytes and platelets. For PMT- patients, median PFS was 34.5 months, compared with 20.8 months in PMT+ patients, with corresponding baseline lymphocyte (32.1 ± 9.6% vs. 24.5 ± 11.6%, p = 0.028) and neutrophil (54.9 ± 11.6% vs. 63.5 ± 13.7%, p = 0.039) counts. Conclusion: These findings emphasize the significance of an immune response to MRT for obtaining optimal therapy efficacy and support concepts to enhance the immune response of less immunocompetent patients before MRT. It seems advisable to avoid prior or concomitant immunosuppressant medical therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Kluge
- ABX-CRO Advanced Pharmaceutical Services, Dresden, Germany
| | - Richard P Baum
- Theranostics Center for Molecular Radiotherapy and Molecular Imaging, Zentralklinik Bad Berka, Bad Berka, Germany
- CURANOSTICUM Wiesbaden-Frankfurt-Advanced Theranostics Center for Radiomolecular Precision Oncology, HELIOS DKD Klinik, Wiesbaden, Germany
| | | | - Harshad R Kulkarni
- Theranostics Center for Molecular Radiotherapy and Molecular Imaging, Zentralklinik Bad Berka, Bad Berka, Germany
- BAMF Health, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
| | | | - Cees J A van Echteld
- ABX-CRO Advanced Pharmaceutical Services, Dresden, Germany
- Helacor Consultancy, Hillegom, The Netherlands
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Guo W, Jia L, Xie L, Kiang JG, Wang Y, Sun F, Lin Z, Wang E, Zhang Y, Huang P, Sun T, Zhang X, Bian Z, Tang T, Guo J, Ferrone S, Wang X. Turning anecdotal irradiation-induced anticancer immune responses into reproducible in situ cancer vaccines via disulfiram/copper-mediated enhanced immunogenic cell death of breast cancer cells. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:298. [PMID: 38678042 PMCID: PMC11055882 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06644-3] [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: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
Irradiation (IR) induces immunogenic cell death (ICD) in tumors, but it rarely leads to the abscopal effect (AE); even combining IR with immune checkpoint inhibitors has shown only anecdotal success in inducing AEs. In this study, we aimed to enhance the IR-induced immune response and generate reproducible AEs using the anti-alcoholism drug, disulfiram (DSF), complexed with copper (DSF/Cu) to induce tumor ICD. We measured ICD in vitro and in vivo. In mouse tumor models, DSF/Cu was injected intratumorally followed by localized tumor IR, creating an in situ cancer vaccine. We determined the anticancer response by primary tumor rejection and assessed systemic immune responses by tumor rechallenge and the occurrence of AEs relative to spontaneous lung metastasis. In addition, we analyzed immune cell subsets and quantified proinflammatory and immunosuppressive chemokines/cytokines in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and blood of the vaccinated mice. Immune cell depletion was investigated for its effects on the vaccine-induced anticancer response. The results showed that DSF/Cu and IR induced more potent ICD under hypoxia than normoxia in vitro. Low-dose intratumoral (i.t.) injection of DSF/Cu and IR(12Gy) demonstrated strong anti-primary and -rechallenged tumor effects and robust AEs in mouse models. These vaccinations also increased CD8+ and CD4+ cell numbers while decreasing Tregs and myeloid-derived suppressor cells in the 4T1 model, and increased CD8+, dendritic cells (DC), and decreased Treg cell numbers in the MCa-M3C model. Depleting both CD8+ and CD4+ cells abolished the vaccine's anticancer response. Moreover, vaccinated tumor-bearing mice exhibited increased TNFα levels and reduced levels of immunosuppressive chemokines/cytokines. In conclusion, our novel approach generated an anticancer immune response that results in a lack of or low tumor incidence post-rechallenge and robust AEs, i.e., absence of or decreased spontaneous lung metastasis in tumor-bearing mice. This approach is readily translatable to clinical settings and may increase IR-induced AEs in cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Guo
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lin Jia
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ling Xie
- Division of Pathology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Juliann G Kiang
- Radiation Combined Injury Program, AFRRI USU F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yangyang Wang
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Fengfei Sun
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zunwen Lin
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Enwen Wang
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yida Zhang
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Peigen Huang
- Edwin L. Steele Laboratories, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ting Sun
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xiao Zhang
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Tiejun Tang
- China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | | | - Soldano Ferrone
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Xinhui Wang
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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Colangelo NW, Gerber NK, Vatner RE, Cooper BT. Harnessing the cGAS-STING pathway to potentiate radiation therapy: current approaches and future directions. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1383000. [PMID: 38659582 PMCID: PMC11039815 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1383000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
In this review, we cover the current understanding of how radiation therapy, which uses ionizing radiation to kill cancer cells, mediates an anti-tumor immune response through the cGAS-STING pathway, and how STING agonists might potentiate this. We examine how cGAS-STING signaling mediates the release of inflammatory cytokines in response to nuclear and mitochondrial DNA entering the cytoplasm. The significance of this in the context of cancer is explored, such as in response to cell-damaging therapies and genomic instability. The contribution of the immune and non-immune cells in the tumor microenvironment is considered. This review also discusses the burgeoning understanding of STING signaling that is independent of inflammatory cytokine release and the various mechanisms by which cancer cells can evade STING signaling. We review the available data on how ionizing radiation stimulates cGAS-STING signaling as well as how STING agonists may potentiate the anti-tumor immune response induced by ionizing radiation. There is also discussion of how novel radiation modalities may affect cGAS-STING signaling. We conclude with a discussion of ongoing and planned clinical trials combining radiation therapy with STING agonists, and provide insights to consider when planning future clinical trials combining these treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas W. Colangelo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Naamit K. Gerber
- Department of Radiation Oncology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Ralph E. Vatner
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Benjamin T. Cooper
- Department of Radiation Oncology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
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Viswanath D, Park J, Misra R, Pizzuti VJ, Shin SH, Doh J, Won YY. Nanotechnology-enhanced radiotherapy and the abscopal effect: Current status and challenges of nanomaterial-based radio-immunotherapy. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. NANOMEDICINE AND NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY 2024; 16:e1924. [PMID: 37632203 DOI: 10.1002/wnan.1924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Rare but consistent reports of abscopal remission in patients challenge the notion that radiotherapy (RT) is a local treatment; radiation-induced cancer cell death can trigger activation and recruitment of dendritic cells to the primary tumor site, which subsequently initiates systemic immune responses against metastatic lesions. Although this abscopal effect was initially considered an anomaly, combining RT with immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies has been shown to greatly improve the incidence of abscopal responses via modulation of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that nanomaterials can further improve the reliability and potency of the abscopal effect for various different types of cancer by (1) altering the cell death process to be more immunogenic, (2) facilitating the capture and transfer of tumor antigens from the site of cancer cell death to antigen-presenting cells, and (3) co-delivering immune checkpoint inhibitors along with radio-enhancing agents. Several unanswered questions remain concerning the exact mechanisms of action for nanomaterial-enhanced RT and for its combination with immune checkpoint inhibition and other immunostimulatory treatments in clinically relevant settings. The purpose of this article is to summarize key recent developments in this field and also highlight knowledge gaps that exist in this field. An improved mechanistic understanding will be critical for clinical translation of nanomaterials for advanced radio-immunotherapy. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic Disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhushyanth Viswanath
- Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Jeehun Park
- SOFT Foundry Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Rahul Misra
- Analytical Sciences, Sanofi, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Vincenzo J Pizzuti
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Sung-Ho Shin
- Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Junsang Doh
- SOFT Foundry Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Institute of Engineering Research, BioMAX, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - You-Yeon Won
- Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
- Purdue University Institute for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
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He J, Yan Y, Zhang J, Wei Z, Li H, Xing L. Synergistic treatment strategy: combining CAR-NK cell therapy and radiotherapy to combat solid tumors. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1298683. [PMID: 38162672 PMCID: PMC10755030 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1298683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy, notably chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) modified natural killer (NK) cell therapy, has shown exciting promise in the treatment of hematologic malignancies due to its unique advantages including fewer side effects, diverse activation mechanisms, and wide availability. However, CAR-NK cell therapies have demonstrated limited efficacy against solid tumors, primarily due to challenges posed by the solid tumor microenvironment. In contrast, radiotherapy, a well-established treatment modality, has been proven to modulate the tumor microenvironment and facilitate immune cell infiltration. With these observations, we hypothesize that a novel therapeutic strategy integrating CAR-NK cell therapy with radiotherapy could enhance the ability to treat solid tumors. This hypothesis aims to address the obstacles CAR-NK cell therapies face within the solid tumor microenvironment and explore the potential efficacy of their combination with radiotherapy. By capitalizing on the synergistic advantages of CAR-NK cell therapy and radiotherapy, we posit that this could lead to improved prognoses for patients with solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie He
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Yushan Yan
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Asclepius (Soochow) Technology Company Group, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhiming Wei
- Asclepius (Soochow) Technology Company Group, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Huashun Li
- Asclepius (Soochow) Technology Company Group, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ligang Xing
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
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Yu Y, Chen H, Tian Z, Zhang Q, Shui Y, Shen L, Hu Q, Huang Z, Zhu S, Jiang H, Wei Q. Improved survival outcome with not-delayed radiotherapy and immediate PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor for non-small-cell lung cancer patients with brain metastases. J Neurooncol 2023; 165:127-137. [PMID: 37848757 PMCID: PMC10638122 DOI: 10.1007/s11060-023-04459-4] [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: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate the impact of radiotherapy (RT) and immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) sequence on the survival outcome in NSCLC patients with brain metastasis, and decide the best time to initiate RT. METHODS Patients were managed with delayed RT (ICI delivered over 2 weeks prior to RT), concurrent RT (ICI delivered within 2 weeks prior to or after RT), or upfront RT (RT delivered over 2 weeks prior to ICI). Overall survival (OS), intracranial local progression-free survival (iLPFS), and intracranial distant progression-free survival (iDPFS) were assessed. A meta-analysis was performed to analyze the association between survival outcome and RT/ICI sequence. RESULTS A total of 73 NSCLC patients were identified with a median follow-up of 13.9 months. Patients who receive delayed RT demonstrated shorter iLPFS (P = 0.0029), iDPFS (P = 0.016), and OS (P < 0.001). A meta-analysis was conducted and a total of 4 studies, 254 patients were included. The HR was 0.44 for iDPFS (P = 0.03), 0.41 for OS (P < 0.01) when compared concurrent with delayed RT, 0.21 for iDPFS (P < 0.01), 0.32 for OS (P < 0.01) when compared upfront with delayed RT, consistent with our conclusion that delayed RT brought with worst iDPFS and OS. More importantly, the best overall response rate (BOR) decreased in cases with longer RT and ICI intervals. Patients who receive intervals of RT and ICI within 7 days achieve the best median BOR of - 53%. CONCLUSIONS Delayed RT brought poor survival outcomes including iLPFS, iDPFS, and OS in NSCLC patients. The shorter interval of RT and ICI is associated with better BOR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaner Yu
- Department of Radiation Oncology (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Province, China), The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Cancer Institute (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Province, China), The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Haiyan Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Province, China), The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Cancer Institute (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Province, China), The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Anhui Campus of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Bengbu, 233000, China
| | - Zhifeng Tian
- Department of Radiation Oncology (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Province, China), The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Cancer Institute (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Province, China), The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Department of Radiotherapy, Lishui Municipal Central Hospital, Lishui, China
| | - Qun Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, 233000, China
| | - Yongjie Shui
- Department of Radiation Oncology (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Province, China), The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Cancer Institute (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Province, China), The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Li Shen
- Department of Radiation Oncology (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Province, China), The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Cancer Institute (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Province, China), The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qiongge Hu
- Department of Radiation Oncology (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Province, China), The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Cancer Institute (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Province, China), The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhifei Huang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, 233000, China
| | - Shuangqiu Zhu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, 233000, China
| | - Hao Jiang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, 233000, China.
| | - Qichun Wei
- Department of Radiation Oncology (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Province, China), The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
- Cancer Institute (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Province, China), The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
- Anhui Campus of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Bengbu, 233000, China.
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8
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Zhao Y, He GS, Li G. Triplet regimen as a novel modality for advanced unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: A case report and review of literature. World J Clin Cases 2023; 11:6558-6564. [PMID: 37900216 PMCID: PMC10601001 DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v11.i27.6558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) is a common complication, accounting for 44%-62.2% of Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and often indicates the poor prognosis. There is no global consensus for the treatment of unresectable HCC with PVTT. In the present case, we reported a novel strategy of radiotherapy-antiangiogenesis-immune checkpoint blockade combination, which showed better response and prolonged survival. CASE SUMMARY A 51-year-old male diagnosed with HCC (Child-Pugh class A), chronic hepatitis B virus infection and Cheng's type III PVTT, was given radiotherapy to part of the lesion plus targeted therapy as the first-line therapy, and achieved partial remission. After radiotherapy, lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab was used as maintenance therapy, and complete remission was achieved. The patient remains alive 46 months after the diagnosis of the HCC with PVTT. CONCLUSION This case of unresectable HCC patient with PVTT treated by radiation-lenvatinib-pembrolizumab combination therapy shows apparent clinical efficacy, which demonstrates that local radiotherapy plus antiangiogenesis and immune checkpoint blockad could also benefit patients with advanced HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zhao
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, School of Clinical Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 102218, China
| | - Guo-Sheng He
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, School of Clinical Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 102218, China
| | - Gong Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, School of Clinical Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 102218, China
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9
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Huang N, Qian A, Zou Y, Lin M, Pan W, Chen M, Meng W, Zhang W, Chen J. Immunogenic radiation therapy for enhanced anti-tumor immunity via core-shell nanocomposite-mediated multiple strategies. Theranostics 2023; 13:4121-4137. [PMID: 37554266 PMCID: PMC10405846 DOI: 10.7150/thno.84500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Due to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), radiation therapy (RT)-mediated immune response is far from satisfactory. How to improve the efficacy of immunogenic RT by priming strong immunogenic cell death (ICD) is an interesting and urgent challenge. Methods: A polyacrylic acid-coated core-shell UiO@Mn3O4 (denoted as UMP) nanocomposite is constructed for immunogenic RT via multiple strategies. Results: Reshaping the TME via Mn3O4-mediated integration of O2 production, GSH depletion, ROS generation and cell cycle arrest, accompanied by Hf-based UiO-mediated radiation absorption, eventually amplifies UMP-mediated RT to induce intense ICD. With the potent ICD induction and reprogrammed tumor-associated macrophages, this synergetic strategy can promote dendritic cells maturation and CD8+ T cells infiltration, and potentiate anti-tumor immunity against primary, distant, and metastatic tumors. Conclusion: This work is expected to shed light on the immunosuppressive TME-reshaping via multiple strategies to reinforce the immunogenic RT outcome and facilitate the development of effective cancer nanomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naihan Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Drug Research for Emerging Virus Prevention and Treatment, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Along Qian
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Drug Research for Emerging Virus Prevention and Treatment, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Yiming Zou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Drug Research for Emerging Virus Prevention and Treatment, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Miaoli Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Drug Research for Emerging Virus Prevention and Treatment, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Weilun Pan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Drug Research for Emerging Virus Prevention and Treatment, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Ming Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Drug Research for Emerging Virus Prevention and Treatment, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Wei Meng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Drug Research for Emerging Virus Prevention and Treatment, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Wenhua Zhang
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Jinxiang Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Drug Research for Emerging Virus Prevention and Treatment, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
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10
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Biswas R, Jindel R, Halder A, Sen K, Kabasi A. Abscopal effect of radiation in metastatic esophageal carcinoma: fourth reported case. Int Cancer Conf J 2023; 12:200-204. [DOI: 10.1007/s13691-023-00605-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
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11
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Horndalsveen H, Alver TN, Dalsgaard AM, Rogg LV, Helbekkmo N, Grønberg BH, Halvorsen TO, Ramberg C, Haakensen VD, Öjlert ÅK, Bjaanaes MM, Helland Å. Atezolizumab and stereotactic body radiotherapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: safety, clinical activity and ctDNA responses-the ComIT-1 trial. Mol Oncol 2023; 17:487-498. [PMID: 36330681 PMCID: PMC9980306 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors has transformed the treatment landscape of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. However, challenges remain to increase the fraction of patients achieving durable clinical responses to these drugs and to help monitor the treatment effect. In this phase II trial, we investigated the toxicity, systemic responses and circulating tumour DNA responses in patients (n = 21) with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer treated with atezolizumab and stereotactic body radiotherapy in the second or later line. We found the combined treatment to be safe with grade 3 toxicity reported in three patients. As the best overall response, four patients had a partial response, eight had stable disease and five had progressive disease. Median overall survival time was still not reached after a median follow-up of 26.5 months and 10/15 patients with programmed death-ligand 1 negative tumours were alive >18 months after the start of the study treatment. ctDNA was detectable at baseline in 11 patients. A rapid decline in ctDNA to <30% of baseline levels was seen in three patients, two of which were radiographic responders and one was considered clinically benefiting from therapy for almost 1 year.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrik Horndalsveen
- Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Norway.,Department of Cancer Genetics, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Norway
| | - Tine Norman Alver
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Norway.,Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Astrid Marie Dalsgaard
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Norway
| | | | - Nina Helbekkmo
- Department of Pulmonology, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Bjørn Henning Grønberg
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Oncology, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Norway
| | - Tarje Onsøien Halvorsen
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Oncology, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Norway
| | | | - Vilde Drageset Haakensen
- Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Norway.,Department of Cancer Genetics, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Norway
| | - Åsa Kristina Öjlert
- Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Norway.,Department of Cancer Genetics, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Norway
| | | | - Åslaug Helland
- Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Norway.,Department of Cancer Genetics, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Norway.,Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway
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12
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Craig DJ, Ambrose S, Stanbery L, Walter A, Nemunaitis J. Systemic benefit of radiation therapy via abscopal effect. Front Oncol 2022; 12:987142. [PMID: 36387120 PMCID: PMC9641206 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.987142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 08/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Evidence of a systemic response related to localized radiation therapy (RT) in cancer management is rare. However, enhancing the immune response via immunotherapy followed by localized RT has shown evidence of tumor shrinkage to non-irradiated metastatic disease thereby inducing an "abscopal effect." Combined induction of the cGAS-STING pathway and activation of IFN-gamma signaling cascade related to RT within an activated immune environment promotes neoantigen presentation and expansion of cytotoxic effector cells enabling enhancement of systemic immune response. A proposed mechanism, case examples, and clinical trial evidence of "abscopal effect" benefit are reviewed. Results support strategic therapeutic testing to enhance "abscopal effect."
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. Craig
- University of Toledo, Department of Internal Medicine, Toledo, OH, United States
| | | | - Laura Stanbery
- Medical Affairs, Gradalis, Inc., Carrollton, TX, United States
| | - Adam Walter
- Medical Affairs, Gradalis, Inc., Carrollton, TX, United States
- Gynecologic Oncology, Promedica, Toledo, OH, United States
| | - John Nemunaitis
- Medical Affairs, Gradalis, Inc., Carrollton, TX, United States
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13
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Tambunlertchai S, Geary SM, Salem AK. Topically Applied Resiquimod versus Imiquimod as a Potential Adjuvant in Melanoma Treatment. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14102076. [PMID: 36297510 PMCID: PMC9611754 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14102076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Melanoma is the most lethal form of skin cancer and surgery remains the preferred and most effective treatment. Nevertheless, there are cases where surgery is not a viable method and alternative treatments are therefore adopted. One such treatment that has been tested is topical 5% imiquimod (IMQ) cream, which, although showing promise as a treatment for melanoma, has been found to have undesirable off-target effects. Resiquimod (RSQ) is an immunomodulatory molecule that can activate immune responses by binding to Toll-like receptors (TLR) 7 and 8 and may be more effective than IMQ in the context of melanoma treatment. RSQ can cross the stratum corneum (SC) easily without requiring pretreatment of the skin. In a gel formulation, RSQ has been studied as a monotherapy and adjuvant for melanoma treatment in pre-clinical studies and as an adjuvant in clinical settings. Although side effects of RSQ in gel formulation were also reported, they were never severe enough for the treatment to be suspended. In this review, we discuss the potential use of RSQ as an adjuvant for melanoma treatment.
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14
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Nabrinsky E, Macklis J, Bitran J. A Review of the Abscopal Effect in the Era of Immunotherapy. Cureus 2022; 14:e29620. [PMID: 36321062 PMCID: PMC9604762 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.29620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The abscopal effect is a systemic immune response mediated by the effects of radiation on the immune system. This effect has been observed in a number of cancer types in addition to lung cancer, including but not limited to renal cell carcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, lymphoma, and melanoma. The combination of radiation therapy and immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) acts at several stages of the antitumor response, suggesting a mechanism of synergy between the two modalities. This review focuses on recent advances in the understanding of the effect of radiation and immunotherapy in the context of the abscopal effect.
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15
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Biological Mechanisms to Reduce Radioresistance and Increase the Efficacy of Radiotherapy: State of the Art. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231810211. [PMID: 36142122 PMCID: PMC9499172 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231810211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer treatment with ionizing radiation (IR) is a well-established and effective clinical method to fight different types of tumors and is a palliative treatment to cure metastatic stages. Approximately half of all cancer patients undergo radiotherapy (RT) according to clinical protocols that employ two types of ionizing radiation: sparsely IR (i.e., X-rays) and densely IR (i.e., protons). Most cancer cells irradiated with therapeutic doses exhibit radio-induced cytotoxicity in terms of cell proliferation arrest and cell death by apoptosis. Nevertheless, despite the more tailored advances in RT protocols in the last few years, several tumors show a relatively high percentage of RT failure and tumor relapse due to their radioresistance. To counteract this extremely complex phenomenon and improve clinical protocols, several factors associated with radioresistance, of both a molecular and cellular nature, must be considered. Tumor genetics/epigenetics, tumor microenvironment, tumor metabolism, and the presence of non-malignant cells (i.e., fibroblast-associated cancer cells, macrophage-associated cancer cells, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, endothelial cells, cancer stem cells) are the main factors important in determining the tumor response to IR. Here, we attempt to provide an overview of how such factors can be taken advantage of in clinical strategies targeting radioresistant tumors.
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16
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Abscopal Response in Metastatic Melanoma: Real-World Data of a Retrospective, Multicenter Study. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14174213. [PMID: 36077747 PMCID: PMC9454568 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14174213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the incidence of the abscopal response (AR) in patients with metastatic melanoma requiring palliative radiotherapy (RT). Patients and methods: Patients treated for metastatic melanoma between January 1998 and February 2020 in four oncology departments were screened. Patients with progression under immune checkpoint inhibitors or without ongoing systemic treatment, and requiring palliative RT were considered. The AR was defined as an objective response according to RECIST and/or iRECIST for at least one non-irradiated metastasis at distance (≥10 cm) from the irradiated lesion. Primary endpoint was the rate of AR. Secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), local control (LC) of the irradiated lesion, and toxicity as assessed by CTCAE v5. Results: Over the period considered, 118 patients were included and analyzed. Fifteen patients (12.7%) had an AR. With a median follow-up of 7.7 months (range, 0.2−242.2), median OS and PFS after RT were significantly longer in patients with an AR compared to those without: 28 vs. 6.6 months (p < 0.01) and not reached vs. 3.2 months, respectively. No grade ≥2 toxicity was reported. Patients who developed an AR were more likely to be treated with immunotherapy (93.3% vs. 55.9%, p = 0.02). In multivariate analysis, they had a higher number of irradiated metastases treated concomitantly (HR = 16.9, p < 0.01) and a higher rate of mild infections during RT (HR = 403.5, p < 0.01). Conclusions: AR in metastatic melanoma seems to be highly prognostic of overall survival, although it is a rare phenomenon. It may be promoted by multiple concomitant treatments with RT and immunotherapy and by acute inflammatory events such as infection.
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17
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Hatten SJ, Lehrer EJ, Liao J, Sha CM, Trifiletti DM, Siva S, McBride SM, Palma D, Holder SL, Zaorsky NG. A Patient-Level Data Meta-analysis of the Abscopal Effect. Adv Radiat Oncol 2022; 7:100909. [PMID: 35372719 PMCID: PMC8971834 DOI: 10.1016/j.adro.2022.100909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The abscopal effect is defined when a form of local therapy causes tumor regression of both the target lesion and any untreated tumors. Herein cases of the abscopal effect were systematically reviewed and a patient-level data analysis was performed for clinical predictors of both duration of response and survival. Methods and Materials The Population, Intervention, Control, Outcome, Study (PICOS) design approach, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) literature selection process, and Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) were used to find articles published before September 2019 in MEDLINE/PubMed and Google Scholar. Inclusion criteria were (1) population: patients with reported abscopal response; (2) intervention: documented treatment(s); (3) control: none; (4) outcomes: overall and progression-free survival; and (5) setting: retrospective case reports. Time from treatment until abscopal response and time from abscopal response until progression/death were calculated. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted for survival outcomes. Results Fifty studies (n = 55 patients) were included. Median age was 65 years (interquartile range [IQR], 58-70) and 62% were male. Fifty-four (98%) patients received radiation therapy, 34 (62%) received radiation therapy alone, 5 (9.1%) underwent surgery, 4 (7.3%) received chemotherapy, and 11 (20%) received immunotherapy. Median total dose was 32 Gy (IQR, 25.5-48 Gy) and median dose per fraction was 3 Gy (IQR, 2-7.2). Median time until abscopal response was 4 months (IQR, 1-5; min 0.5, max 24). At 5 years, overall survival was 63% and distant progression-free survival was 45%. No variables had statistical significance in predicting duration of response or survival. Conclusions Almost all reported cases of the abscopal response are after radiation therapy; however, there are no known predictors of duration of response or survival in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J. Hatten
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Penn State Cancer Institute, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| | - Eric J. Lehrer
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Jenn Liao
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Penn State Cancer Institute, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| | - Congzhou M. Sha
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Penn State Cancer Institute, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| | | | - Shankar Siva
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sean M. McBride
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - David Palma
- Department of Radiation Oncology, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sheldon L. Holder
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Brown University Warren Alpert School of Medicine, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Nicholas G. Zaorsky
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Penn State Cancer Institute, Hershey, Pennsylvania
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio
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18
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Ishikawa Y, Umezawa R, Yamamoto T, Takahashi N, Takeda K, Suzuki Y, Jingu K. Differential abscopal effect in extracranial and intracranial lesions after radiotherapy alone for vertebral bone metastasis of unknown primary: a case report. J Med Case Rep 2022; 16:94. [PMID: 35248152 PMCID: PMC8898521 DOI: 10.1186/s13256-022-03321-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
The abscopal effect is a phenomenon in which a tumor located far from irradiated lesions regresses. We have experienced a case in which both intracranial and extracranial lesions showed an abscopal effect after radiotherapy for spinal metastases of unknown primary. We report the differential abscopal effect in extracranial and intracranial lesions.
Case presentation
A 57-year-old Japanese man was diagnosed with multiple lung nodules, bone metastases, and brain metastases. The results of pathological examination at the previous hospital he visited suggested adenocarcinoma of the lung. However, there was a possibility that the biopsy specimen was inadequate. Radiation therapy was performed on the ninth thoracic vertebra for a total dose of 39 Gy in 13 fractions because the lesion in the ninth thoracic vertebra was destructively extending. After thorough examination, the primary lesion could not be identified, and we made diagnosis of cancer of unknown primary. The patient did not want to receive systemic chemotherapy; however, all of the lesions except for the brain metastases had spontaneously shrunk 2 months after radiation therapy. Although the brain metastases had partially shrunk, whole-brain radiotherapy for a total dose of 36 Gy in 12 fractions was performed. Fifteen months after initial radiation therapy, the brain metastasis recurred, and Gamma Knife radiosurgery was additionally performed. The brain metastases disappeared after the radiosurgery. During a period of 30 months after radiation therapy for the ninth vertebra, the lesions of the trunk all maintained their shrinkage without systemic chemotherapy. Right cervical lymph node metastasis and brain metastases occurred 30 months after the initial radiation therapy. A biopsy of the right cervical lymph node led to the diagnosis of clear cell carcinoma. Although we considered additional radiation therapy or chemotherapy, the patient died 3 months after the progression of recurrence lesions.
Discussion and conclusions
We report a rare case in which radiotherapy alone for an extracranial metastatic lesion of a vertebra resulted in an abscopal effect on both extracranial and intracranial lesions. Notably, the abscopal effect in the intracranial lesions was weaker than that in the extracranial lesions.
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19
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Bilski M, Mertowska P, Mertowski S, Sawicki M, Hymos A, Niedźwiedzka-Rystwej P, Grywalska E. The Role of Conventionally Fractionated Radiotherapy and Stereotactic Radiotherapy in the Treatment of Carcinoid Tumors and Large-Cell Neuroendocrine Cancer of the Lung. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 14:177. [PMID: 35008341 PMCID: PMC8750397 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14010177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The occurrence of neuroendocrine tumors among the diagnosed neoplasms is extremely rare and is associated with difficulties in undertaking effective therapy due to the histopathological differentiation of individual subtypes and the scarce clinical data and recommendations found in the literature. The choice of treatment largely depends not only on its type, but also on the location and production of excess hormones by the tumor itself. Common therapeutic approaches include surgical removal of the tumor, the use of chemotherapy, targeted drug therapy, peptide receptor radionuclide therapy, and the use of radiation therapy. This article reviews the current knowledge on the classification and application of radiotherapy in the treatment of lung NETs. Case reports were presented in which treatment with conventional radiotherapy, radical and palliative radiochemotherapy, as well as stereotactic fractionated radiotherapy in the treatment of typical (TC) and atypical (AT) lung carcinoids and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNC) were used. We hope that the solutions presented in the literature will allow many radiation oncologists to make the best, often personalized decisions about the therapeutic qualifications of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateusz Bilski
- Department of Radiotherapy, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki 7 St., 20-093 Lublin, Poland;
- Department of Brachytherapy, St. John’s Cancer Center, Jaczewskiego 7 St., 20-090 Lublin, Poland
- Department of Radiotherapy, St. John’s Cancer Center, Jaczewskiego 7 St., 20-090 Lublin, Poland
| | - Paulina Mertowska
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki 4a St., 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (P.M.); (S.M.); (A.H.); (E.G.)
| | - Sebastian Mertowski
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki 4a St., 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (P.M.); (S.M.); (A.H.); (E.G.)
| | - Marcin Sawicki
- Institute of Medical Sciences, Medical College of Rzeszow University, mjr. W. Kopisto 2a St., 35-959 Rzeszow, Poland;
| | - Anna Hymos
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki 4a St., 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (P.M.); (S.M.); (A.H.); (E.G.)
| | | | - Ewelina Grywalska
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki 4a St., 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (P.M.); (S.M.); (A.H.); (E.G.)
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20
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Ni Q, Lu K, Pan C, Dai S, Wang P. The Treatment for a Patient with Cancer of Unknown Primary: A Case Report. Dose Response 2021; 19:15593258211056185. [PMID: 34887715 PMCID: PMC8649461 DOI: 10.1177/15593258211056185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Revised: 10/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cancer of unknown primary (CUP) is metastatic at diagnosis with an unknown primary
site, indicating a high degree of malignancy with a poor prognosis. The development and
application of targeted therapy and immunotherapy are current research hotspots, which
provide additional treatment options for CUP. Case Presentation A 36-year-old male presented with pain on the right hip in April 2018. After various
examinations, he was diagnosed with CUP. This patient received chemotherapy,
immunotherapy, and local radiotherapy in our department. However, the use of
radiotherapy after immunotherapy resulted in severe pneumonia. Conclusion Compared with traditional treatments, immunotherapy is an effective treatment with
fewer side effects and better patient tolerance. However, treating physicians should be
still pay special attention to the occurrence of side effects when radiotherapy is
combined with immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- QingTao Ni
- Department of Oncology, Hospital Affiliated 5 to Nantong University (Taizhou People's Hospital), Taizhou, China
| | - KaiJin Lu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Hospital Affiliated 5 to Nantong University (Taizhou People's Hospital), Taizhou, China
| | - Chi Pan
- Department of General Surgery, Hospital Affiliated 5 to Nantong University (Taizhou People's Hospital), Taizhou, China
| | - ShengBin Dai
- Department of Oncology, Hospital Affiliated 5 to Nantong University (Taizhou People's Hospital), Taizhou, China
| | - Peng Wang
- Department of Oncology, Hospital Affiliated 5 to Nantong University (Taizhou People's Hospital), Taizhou, China
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21
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Link B, Torres Crigna A, Hölzel M, Giordano FA, Golubnitschaja O. Abscopal Effects in Metastatic Cancer: Is a Predictive Approach Possible to Improve Individual Outcomes? J Clin Med 2021; 10:5124. [PMID: 34768644 PMCID: PMC8584726 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10215124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Patients with metastatic cancers often require radiotherapy (RT) as a palliative therapy for cancer pain. RT can, however, also induce systemic antitumor effects outside of the irradiated field (abscopal effects) in various cancer entities. The occurrence of the abscopal effect is associated with a specific immunological activation in response to RT-induced cell death, which is mainly seen under concomitant immune checkpoint blockade. Even if the number of reported apscopal effects has increased since the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibition, its occurrence is still considered rare and unpredictable. The cases reported so far may nevertheless allow for identifying first biomarkers and clinical patterns. We here review biomarkers that may be helpful to predict the occurrence of abscopal effects and hence to optimize therapy for patients with metastatic cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Link
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Bonn, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (B.L.); (A.T.C.); (F.A.G.)
| | - Adriana Torres Crigna
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Bonn, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (B.L.); (A.T.C.); (F.A.G.)
| | - Michael Hölzel
- Institute of Experimental Oncology, University Hospital Bonn, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany;
| | - Frank A. Giordano
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Bonn, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (B.L.); (A.T.C.); (F.A.G.)
| | - Olga Golubnitschaja
- Predictive, Preventive, Personalised (3P) Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Bonn, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
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22
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Song HN, Jin H, Kim JH, Ha IB, Kang KM, Choi HS, Jeong HJ, Kim MY, Kim HJ, Jeong BK. Abscopal Effect of Radiotherapy Enhanced with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors of Triple Negative Breast Cancer in 4T1 Mammary Carcinoma Model. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms221910476. [PMID: 34638817 PMCID: PMC8509046 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Local radiotherapy (RT) is important to manage metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Although RT primarily reduces cancer cells locally, this control can be enhanced by triggering the immune system via immunotherapy. RT and immunotherapy may lead to an improved systemic effect, known as the abscopal effect. Here, we analyzed the antitumor effect of combination therapy using RT with an anti-programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) antibody in primary tumors, using poorly immunogenic metastatic mouse mammary carcinoma 4T1 model. Mice were injected subcutaneously into both flanks with 4T1 cells, and treatment was initiated 12 days later. Mice were randomly assigned to three treatment groups: (1) control (no treatment with RT or immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)), (2) RT alone, and (3) RT+ICI. The same RT dose was prescribed in both RT-alone and RT+ICI groups as 10Gy/fx in two fractions and delivered to only one of the two tumor burdens injected at both sides of flanks. In the RT+ICI group, 200 µg fixed dose of PD-1 antibody was intraperitoneally administered concurrently with RT. The RT and ICI combination markedly reduced tumor cell growth not only in the irradiated site but also in non-irradiated sites, a typical characteristic of the abscopal effect. This was observed only in radiation-sensitive cancer cells. Lung metastasis development was lower in RT-irradiated groups (RT-only and RT+ICI groups) than in the non-irradiated group, regardless of the radiation sensitivity of tumor cells. However, there was no additive effect of ICI on RT to control lung metastasis, as was already known regarding the abscopal effect. The combination of local RT with anti-PD-1 blockade could be a promising treatment strategy against metastatic TNBC. Further research is required to integrate our results into a clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haa-Na Song
- Division of Hemato-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Gyeongsang National University of Medicine and Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Jinju 52727, Korea; (H.-N.S.); (J.-H.K.)
- Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Korea; (H.-N.J.); (I.-B.H.); (K.-M.K.); (H.-S.C.); (H.-J.J.); (H.-J.K.)
- Biomedical Research Institute, Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Jinju 52727, Korea
| | - Hana Jin
- Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Korea; (H.-N.J.); (I.-B.H.); (K.-M.K.); (H.-S.C.); (H.-J.J.); (H.-J.K.)
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Korea
| | - Jung-Hoon Kim
- Division of Hemato-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Gyeongsang National University of Medicine and Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Jinju 52727, Korea; (H.-N.S.); (J.-H.K.)
- Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Korea; (H.-N.J.); (I.-B.H.); (K.-M.K.); (H.-S.C.); (H.-J.J.); (H.-J.K.)
- Biomedical Research Institute, Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Jinju 52727, Korea
| | - In-Bong Ha
- Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Korea; (H.-N.J.); (I.-B.H.); (K.-M.K.); (H.-S.C.); (H.-J.J.); (H.-J.K.)
- Biomedical Research Institute, Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Jinju 52727, Korea
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Gyeongsang National University of Medicine and Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Jinju 52727, Korea
| | - Ki-Mun Kang
- Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Korea; (H.-N.J.); (I.-B.H.); (K.-M.K.); (H.-S.C.); (H.-J.J.); (H.-J.K.)
- Biomedical Research Institute, Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Jinju 52727, Korea
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Gyeongsang National University Changwon Hospital, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Changwon 51472, Korea
| | - Hoon-Sik Choi
- Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Korea; (H.-N.J.); (I.-B.H.); (K.-M.K.); (H.-S.C.); (H.-J.J.); (H.-J.K.)
- Biomedical Research Institute, Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Jinju 52727, Korea
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Gyeongsang National University Changwon Hospital, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Changwon 51472, Korea
| | - Ho-Jin Jeong
- Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Korea; (H.-N.J.); (I.-B.H.); (K.-M.K.); (H.-S.C.); (H.-J.J.); (H.-J.K.)
- Biomedical Research Institute, Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Jinju 52727, Korea
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Gyeongsang National University of Medicine and Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Jinju 52727, Korea
| | - Min-Young Kim
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Gyeongsang National University of Medicine and Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Jinju 52727, Korea;
| | - Hye-Jung Kim
- Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Korea; (H.-N.J.); (I.-B.H.); (K.-M.K.); (H.-S.C.); (H.-J.J.); (H.-J.K.)
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Korea
| | - Bae-Kwon Jeong
- Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Korea; (H.-N.J.); (I.-B.H.); (K.-M.K.); (H.-S.C.); (H.-J.J.); (H.-J.K.)
- Biomedical Research Institute, Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Jinju 52727, Korea
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Gyeongsang National University of Medicine and Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Jinju 52727, Korea
- Correspondence:
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23
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Maggiorani D, Beauséjour C. Senescence and Aging: Does It Impact Cancer Immunotherapies? Cells 2021; 10:1568. [PMID: 34206425 PMCID: PMC8307798 DOI: 10.3390/cells10071568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer incidence increases drastically with age. Of the many possible reasons for this, there is the accumulation of senescent cells in tissues and the loss of function and proliferation potential of immune cells, often referred to as immuno-senescence. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), by invigorating immune cells, have the potential to be a game-changers in the treatment of cancer. Yet, the variability in the efficacy of ICI across patients and cancer types suggests that several factors influence the success of such inhibitors. There is currently a lack of clinical studies measuring the impact of aging and senescence on ICI-based therapies. Here, we review how cellular senescence and aging, either by directly altering the immune system fitness or indirectly through the modification of the tumor environment, may influence the cancer-immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien Maggiorani
- Centre de Recherche du CHU Ste-Justine, Montréal, QC H3T 1C5, Canada;
- Département de Pharmacologie et Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Christian Beauséjour
- Centre de Recherche du CHU Ste-Justine, Montréal, QC H3T 1C5, Canada;
- Département de Pharmacologie et Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
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24
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Abstract
Tumor metastasis is a singularly important determinant of survival in most cancers. Historically, radiation therapy (RT) directed at a primary tumor mass was associated infrequently with remission of metastasis outside the field of irradiation. This away-from-target or "abscopal effect" received fringe attention because of its rarity. With the advent of immunotherapy, there are now increasing reports of abscopal effects upon RT in combination with immune checkpoint inhibition. This sparked investigation into underlying mechanisms and clinical trials aimed at enhancement of this effect. While these studies clearly attribute the abscopal effect to an antitumor immune response, the initial molecular triggers for its onset and specificity remain enigmatic. Here, we propose that DNA damage-induced inflammation coupled with neoantigen generation is essential during this intriguing phenomenon of systemic tumor regression and discuss the implications of this model for treatment aimed at triggering the abscopal effect in metastatic cancer.
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25
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Tabata R, Chi S, Yuda J, Minami Y. Emerging Immunotherapy for Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:1944. [PMID: 33669431 PMCID: PMC7920435 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22041944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Several immune checkpoint molecules and immune targets in leukemic cells have been investigated. Recent studies have suggested the potential clinical benefits of immuno-oncology (IO) therapy against acute myeloid leukemia (AML), especially targeting CD33, CD123, and CLL-1, as well as immune checkpoint inhibitors (e.g., anti-PD (programmed cell death)-1 and anti-CTLA4 (cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4) antibodies) with or without conventional chemotherapy. Early-phase clinical trials of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T or natural killer (NK) cells for relapsed/refractory AML showed complete remission (CR) or marked reduction of marrow blasts in a few enrolled patients. Bi-/tri-specific antibodies (e.g., bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE) and dual-affinity retargeting (DART)) exhibited 11-67% CR rates with 13-78% risk of cytokine-releasing syndrome (CRS). Conventional chemotherapy in combination with anti-PD-1/anti-CTLA4 antibody for relapsed/refractory AML showed 10-36% CR rates with 7-24 month-long median survival. The current advantages of IO therapy in the field of AML are summarized herein. However, although cancer vaccination should be included in the concept of IO therapy, it is not mentioned in this review because of the paucity of relevant evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rikako Tabata
- Department of Hematology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa 277-8577, Japan; (R.T.); (S.C.); (J.Y.)
- Department of Hematology, Kameda Medical Center, Kamogawa 296-8602, Japan
| | - SungGi Chi
- Department of Hematology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa 277-8577, Japan; (R.T.); (S.C.); (J.Y.)
| | - Junichiro Yuda
- Department of Hematology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa 277-8577, Japan; (R.T.); (S.C.); (J.Y.)
| | - Yosuke Minami
- Department of Hematology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa 277-8577, Japan; (R.T.); (S.C.); (J.Y.)
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26
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Rückert M, Deloch L, Frey B, Schlücker E, Fietkau R, Gaipl US. Combinations of Radiotherapy with Vaccination and Immune Checkpoint Inhibition Differently Affect Primary and Abscopal Tumor Growth and the Tumor Microenvironment. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13040714. [PMID: 33572437 PMCID: PMC7916259 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13040714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Radiotherapy (RT) is known to have immune-modulatory properties. We hypothesized that RT and inactivated whole tumor cell vaccines generated with high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) synergize to retard the tumor growth which can be additionally improved with anti-PD-1 treatment. In abscopal tumor models, we injected mice with B16-F10 melanoma or TS/A mammary tumors. To evaluate the efficiency of RT in combination with HHP vaccines, we locally irradiated only one tumor with 2 × 8 Gy or 3 × 8 Gy. HHP vaccines further retarded the growth of locally irradiated (2 × 8 Gy) tumors. However, HHP vaccination combined with RT failed to induce abscopal anti-tumor immune responses, namely those to non-irradiated tumors, and even partly abrogated those which were induced with RT plus anti-PD-1. In the latter group, the abscopal effects were accompanied by an elevated infiltration of CD8+ T cells, monocytes/macrophages, and dendritic cells. 3 × 8 Gy failed to induce abscopal effects in association with increased expression of immunosuppressive checkpoint molecules compared to 2 × 8 Gy. We conclude that HHP vaccines induce anti-tumor effects, but only if the tumor microenvironment was previously modulated by hypofractionated RT with not too many fractions, but failed to improve RT plus anti-PD-induced abscopal responses that are characterized by distinct immune alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Rückert
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (M.R.); (L.D.); (B.F.); (R.F.)
| | - Lisa Deloch
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (M.R.); (L.D.); (B.F.); (R.F.)
| | - Benjamin Frey
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (M.R.); (L.D.); (B.F.); (R.F.)
| | - Eberhard Schlücker
- Institute of Process Machinery and Systems Engineering, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91058 Erlangen, Germany;
| | - Rainer Fietkau
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (M.R.); (L.D.); (B.F.); (R.F.)
| | - Udo S. Gaipl
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (M.R.); (L.D.); (B.F.); (R.F.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-(0)9131-85-44258
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27
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The role of connexin proteins and their channels in radiation-induced atherosclerosis. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:3087-3103. [PMID: 33388835 PMCID: PMC8038956 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-020-03716-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Radiotherapy is an effective treatment for breast cancer and other thoracic tumors. However, while high-energy radiotherapy treatment successfully kills cancer cells, radiation exposure of the heart and large arteries cannot always be avoided, resulting in secondary cardiovascular disease in cancer survivors. Radiation-induced changes in the cardiac vasculature may thereby lead to coronary artery atherosclerosis, which is a major cardiovascular complication nowadays in thoracic radiotherapy-treated patients. The underlying biological and molecular mechanisms of radiation-induced atherosclerosis are complex and still not fully understood, resulting in potentially improper radiation protection. Ionizing radiation (IR) exposure may damage the vascular endothelium by inducing DNA damage, oxidative stress, premature cellular senescence, cell death and inflammation, which act to promote the atherosclerotic process. Intercellular communication mediated by connexin (Cx)-based gap junctions and hemichannels may modulate IR-induced responses and thereby the atherosclerotic process. However, the role of endothelial Cxs and their channels in atherosclerotic development after IR exposure is still poorly defined. A better understanding of the underlying biological pathways involved in secondary cardiovascular toxicity after radiotherapy would facilitate the development of effective strategies that prevent or mitigate these adverse effects. Here, we review the possible roles of intercellular Cx driven signaling and communication in radiation-induced atherosclerosis.
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28
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Lin X, Deng H, Chen L, Wu D, Chen X, Yang Y, Chen T, Xie X, Xie Z, Liu M, Ouyang M, Qin Y, Li S, Zhong N, Gregg JP, Horita N, Song Y, Zhou C. Clinical types of checkpoint inhibitor-related pneumonitis in lung cancer patients: a multicenter experience. Transl Lung Cancer Res 2021; 10:415-429. [PMID: 33569323 PMCID: PMC7867788 DOI: 10.21037/tlcr-20-1258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Background Checkpoint inhibitor-related pneumonitis (CIP) is not well classified according to clinical factors. We propose different clinical sub-types of CIP based on clinical factors and investigated the corresponding clinical features, treatments, and outcomes. Methods We conducted a multicenter retrospective study of patients with lung cancer (including non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer) who developed CIP. The clinical characteristics, radiologic features, treatments, and outcomes of CIP were analyzed. Results A total of 55 patients developed CIP and were classified into 3 groups as follows: 21 in the pure type (PT) group, 14 in the induced type (IT) group, and 20 in the mixed type (MT) group. The incidence of severe (grade 3–5) pneumonitis was significantly higher in the IT group than in the PT and MT groups (71.4% vs. 14.3% vs. 50.0%, P=0.002). Antiviral therapy was significantly more frequent in the IT group than in the PT and MT groups. Antibiotic therapy was administered in 23.8%, 71.4%, and 80.0% of patients with the PT, IT, and MT, respectively. The improvement time in the PT group was longer than that in the IT and MT groups (0.9 vs. 0.5 vs. 0.3 months, P=0.028). Patients with the PT had a better tumor response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) than those with the other 2 types [overall response rate (ORR), 78% vs. 31% vs. 44%, P=0.027]. Conclusions The clinical classification of CIP may favor strategies for treatments and predict the tumor response to ICIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinqing Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haiyi Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Likun Chen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.,State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Di Wu
- Shenzhen People's Hospital, The Second Clinical Medical College of Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaobo Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yilin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaohong Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhanhong Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ming Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ming Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yinyin Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shiyue Li
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Nanshan Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jeffrey P Gregg
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Nobuyuki Horita
- Department of Pulmonology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yong Song
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing, China
| | - Chengzhi Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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29
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Rakotomalala A, Escande A, Furlan A, Meignan S, Lartigau E. Hypoxia in Solid Tumors: How Low Oxygenation Impacts the "Six Rs" of Radiotherapy. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021; 12:742215. [PMID: 34539584 PMCID: PMC8445158 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.742215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Radiotherapy is an important component of cancer treatment, with approximately 50% of all cancer patients receiving radiation therapy during their course of illness. Nevertheless, solid tumors frequently exhibit hypoxic areas, which can hinder therapies efficacy, especially radiotherapy one. Indeed, hypoxia impacts the six parameters governing the radiotherapy response, called the « six Rs of radiation biology » (for Radiosensitivity, Repair, Repopulation, Redistribution, Reoxygenation, and Reactivation of anti-tumor immune response), by inducing pleiotropic cellular adaptions, such as cell metabolism rewiring, epigenetic landscape remodeling, and cell death weakening, with significant clinical repercussions. In this review, according to the six Rs, we detail how hypoxia, and associated mechanisms and pathways, impact the radiotherapy response of solid tumors and the resulting clinical implications. We finally illustrate it in hypoxic endocrine cancers through a focus on anaplastic thyroid carcinomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andria Rakotomalala
- Oscar Lambret center, Tumorigenesis and Resistance to Treatment Unit, Lille, France
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, UMR9020-U1277 - CANTHER – Cancer Heterogeneity Plasticity and Resistance to Therapies, Lille, France
| | - Alexandre Escande
- Oscar Lambret Center, Academic Radiation Oncology Department, Lille, France
- University of Lille, H. Warembourg School of Medicine, Lille, France
- CRIStAL UMR CNRS 9189, University of Lille, Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France
| | - Alessandro Furlan
- Oscar Lambret center, Tumorigenesis and Resistance to Treatment Unit, Lille, France
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, UMR9020-U1277 - CANTHER – Cancer Heterogeneity Plasticity and Resistance to Therapies, Lille, France
| | - Samuel Meignan
- Oscar Lambret center, Tumorigenesis and Resistance to Treatment Unit, Lille, France
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, UMR9020-U1277 - CANTHER – Cancer Heterogeneity Plasticity and Resistance to Therapies, Lille, France
- *Correspondence: Samuel Meignan,
| | - Eric Lartigau
- Oscar Lambret Center, Academic Radiation Oncology Department, Lille, France
- University of Lille, H. Warembourg School of Medicine, Lille, France
- CRIStAL UMR CNRS 9189, University of Lille, Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France
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30
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Vaiserman A, Cuttler JM, Socol Y. Low-dose ionizing radiation as a hormetin: experimental observations and therapeutic perspective for age-related disorders. Biogerontology 2021; 22:145-164. [PMID: 33420860 PMCID: PMC7794644 DOI: 10.1007/s10522-020-09908-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Hormesis is any kind of biphasic dose-response when low doses of some agents are beneficial while higher doses are detrimental. Radiation hormesis is the most thoroughly investigated among all hormesis-like phenomena, in particular in biogerontology. In this review, we aimed to summarize research evidence supporting hormesis through exposure to low-dose ionizing radiation (LDIR). Radiation-induced longevity hormesis has been repeatedly reported in invertebrate models such as C. elegans, Drosophila and flour beetles and in vertebrate models including guinea pigs, mice and rabbits. On the contrary, suppressing natural background radiation was repeatedly found to cause detrimental effects in protozoa, bacteria and flies. We also discussed here the possibility of clinical use of LDIR, predominantly for age-related disorders, e.g., Alzheimer's disease, for which no remedies are available. There is accumulating evidence that LDIR, such as those commonly used in X-ray imaging including computer tomography, might act as a hormetin. Of course, caution should be exercised when introducing new medical practices, and LDIR therapy is no exception. However, due to the low average residual life expectancy in old patients, the short-term benefits of such interventions (e.g., potential therapeutic effect against dementia) may outweigh their hypothetical delayed risks (e.g., cancer). We argue here that assessment and clinical trials of LDIR treatments should be given priority bearing in mind the enormous economic, social and ethical implications of potentially-treatable, age-related disorders.
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Tubin S, Gupta S, Grusch M, Popper HH, Brcic L, Ashdown ML, Khleif SN, Peter-Vörösmarty B, Hyden M, Negrini S, Fossati P, Hug E. Shifting the Immune-Suppressive to Predominant Immune-Stimulatory Radiation Effects by SBRT-PArtial Tumor Irradiation Targeting HYpoxic Segment (SBRT-PATHY). Cancers (Basel) 2020; 13:cancers13010050. [PMID: 33375357 PMCID: PMC7795882 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13010050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary This review presents and summarizes the key components and outcomes of a novel, unconventional radiation approach aimed to exploit immune-stimulatory radiation effects which, being added to direct radiation tumor cell killing, may improve the therapeutic ratio of radiotherapy. This technique, as a product of translational oncology research, was intentionally developed for the induction of immune-mediated bystander and abscopal effects in the treatment of unresectable bulky tumors which have much fewer therapeutic options and show poor prognoses after conventional treatments. This review offers insights into a unique unconventional radiotherapy technique which, due to its higher immunogenic potential, may improve the prognosis of patients affected by highly complex malignancies, providing additional opportunities for future research in terms of combining novel immuno-modulating agents with more modern radiotherapy approaches. Abstract Radiation-induced immune-mediated abscopal effects (AE) of conventional radiotherapy are very rare. Whole-tumor irradiation leads to lymphopenia due to killing of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment, resulting in immunosuppression and weak abscopal potential. This limitation may be overcome by partial tumor irradiation sparing the peritumoral immune-environment, and consequent shifting of immune-suppressive to immune-stimulatory effect. This would improve the radiation-directed tumor cell killing, adding to it a component of immune-mediated killing. Our preclinical findings showed that the high-single-dose irradiation of hypoxic tumor cells generates a stronger bystander effect (BE) and AE than the normoxic cells, suggesting their higher “immunogenic potential”. This led to the development of a novel Stereotactic Body RadioTherapy (SBRT)-based PArtial Tumor irradiation targeting HYpoxic segment (SBRT-PATHY) for induction of the immune-mediated BE and AE. Encouraging SBRT-PATHY-clinical outcomes, together with immunohistochemical and gene-expression analyses of surgically removed abscopal-tumor sites, suggested that delivery of the high-dose radiation to the partial (hypoxic) tumor volume, with optimal timing based on the homeostatic fluctuation of the immune response and sparing the peritumoral immune-environment, would significantly enhance the immune-mediated anti-tumor effects. This review discusses the current evidence on the safety and efficacy of SBRT-PATHY in the treatment of unresectable hypoxic bulky tumors and its bystander and abscopal immunomodulatory potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Slavisa Tubin
- MedAustron Ion Therapy Center, Marie Curie-Straße 5, 2700 Wiener Neustadt, Austria; (P.F.); (E.H.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +43-676-9021-687
| | - Seema Gupta
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA; (S.G.); (S.N.K.)
| | - Michael Grusch
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (M.G.); (B.P.-V.)
| | - Helmuth H. Popper
- Diagnostic and Research Institute of Pathology, Medical University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria; (H.H.P.); (L.B.)
| | - Luka Brcic
- Diagnostic and Research Institute of Pathology, Medical University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria; (H.H.P.); (L.B.)
| | - Martin L. Ashdown
- Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3010, Australia;
| | - Samir N. Khleif
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA; (S.G.); (S.N.K.)
| | - Barbara Peter-Vörösmarty
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (M.G.); (B.P.-V.)
| | - Martin Hyden
- Institute for Pathology, Kabeg Klinikum Klagenfurt, 9020 Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Austria;
| | - Simone Negrini
- Internal Medicine, Clinical Immunology and Translational Medicine Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy;
| | - Piero Fossati
- MedAustron Ion Therapy Center, Marie Curie-Straße 5, 2700 Wiener Neustadt, Austria; (P.F.); (E.H.)
| | - Eugen Hug
- MedAustron Ion Therapy Center, Marie Curie-Straße 5, 2700 Wiener Neustadt, Austria; (P.F.); (E.H.)
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Chen M, Singh AK, Repasky EA. Highlighting the Potential for Chronic Stress to Minimize Therapeutic Responses to Radiotherapy through Increased Immunosuppression and Radiation Resistance. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E3853. [PMID: 33419318 PMCID: PMC7767049 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12123853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Ionizing radiation has been used in the treatment of cancer for more than 100 years. While often very effective, there is still a great effort in place to improve the efficacy of radiation therapy for controlling the progression and recurrence of tumors. Recent research has revealed the close interaction between nerves and tumor progression, especially nerves of the autonomic nervous system that are activated by a variety of stressful stimuli including anxiety, pain, sleep loss or depression, each of which is likely to be increased in cancer patients. A growing literature now points to a negative effect of chronic stressful stimuli in tumor progression. In this review article, we present data on the potential for adrenergic stress to influence the efficacy of radiation and in particular, its potential to influence the anti-tumor immune response, and the frequency of an "abscopal effect" or the shrinkage of tumors which are outside an irradiated field. We conclude that chronic stress can be a major impediment to more effective radiation therapy through mechanisms involving immunosuppression and increased resistance to radiation-induced tumor cell death. Overall, these data highlight the potential value of stress reduction strategies to improve the outcome of radiation therapy. At the same time, objective biomarkers that can accurately and objectively reflect the degree of stress in patients over prolonged periods of time, and whether it is influencing immunosuppression and radiation resistance, are also critically needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minhui Chen
- Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA;
| | - Anurag K. Singh
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA;
| | - Elizabeth A. Repasky
- Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA;
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Huang Q, Sun Y, Wang W, Lin LC, Huang Y, Yang J, Wu X, Kong L, Lu JJ. Biological Guided Carbon-Ion Microporous Radiation to Tumor Hypoxia Area Triggers Robust Abscopal Effects as Open Field Radiation. Front Oncol 2020; 10:597702. [PMID: 33330089 PMCID: PMC7713593 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.597702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Recently, a growing number of studies focus on partial tumor irradiation to induce the stronger non-target effects. However, the value of partial volume carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT) targeting hypoxic region of a tumor under imaging guidance as well as its effect of inducing radiation induced abscopal effects (RIAEs) have not been well investigated. Herein, we developed a technique of carbon ion microporous radiation (CI-MPR), guided by 18F-FMISO PET/computerized tomography (CT), for partial volume radiation targeting the hypoxia area of a tumor and investigated its capability of inducing abscopal effects. Tumor-bearing mice were inoculated subcutaneously with breast cancer 4T1 cells into the flanks of both hind legs of mouse. Mice were assigned to three groups: group I: control group with no treatment; group II: carbon ion open field radiation (CI-OFR group) targeting the entire tumor; group III: partial volume carbon ion microporous radiation (CI-MPR group) targeting the hypoxia region. The tumors on the left hind legs of mice were irradiated with single fraction of 20 Gy of CIRT. Mice treated with CI-MPR or CI-OFR showed that significant growth delay on both the irradiated and unirradiated of tumor as compared to the control groups. Tumor regression of left tumor irradiated with CI-OFR was more prominent as compared to the tumor treated with CI-MPR, while the regression of the unirradiated tumor in both CI-MPR and CI-OFR group was similar. Biological-guided CIRT using the newly developed microporous technique targeting tumor hypoxia region could induce robust abscopal effects similar to CIRT covering the entire tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingting Huang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai Proton and Heavy Ion Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai Proton and Heavy Ion Center, Fudan University Cancer Hospital, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Proton and Heavy Ion Radiation Therapy, Shanghai, China
| | - Yun Sun
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Proton and Heavy Ion Radiation Therapy, Shanghai, China.,Department of Research and Development, Shanghai Proton and Heavy Ion Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Weiwei Wang
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Proton and Heavy Ion Radiation Therapy, Shanghai, China.,Department of Medical Physics, Shanghai Proton and Heavy Ion Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Lien-Chun Lin
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Proton and Heavy Ion Radiation Therapy, Shanghai, China.,Department of Medical Physics, Shanghai Proton and Heavy Ion Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Yangle Huang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai Proton and Heavy Ion Center, Fudan University Cancer Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Yang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai Proton and Heavy Ion Center, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Proton and Heavy Ion Radiation Therapy, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaodong Wu
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Proton and Heavy Ion Radiation Therapy, Shanghai, China.,Department of Medical Physics, Shanghai Proton and Heavy Ion Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Lin Kong
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai Proton and Heavy Ion Center, Fudan University Cancer Hospital, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Proton and Heavy Ion Radiation Therapy, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiade Jay Lu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai Proton and Heavy Ion Center, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Proton and Heavy Ion Radiation Therapy, Shanghai, China
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Colton M, Cheadle EJ, Honeychurch J, Illidge TM. Reprogramming the tumour microenvironment by radiotherapy: implications for radiotherapy and immunotherapy combinations. Radiat Oncol 2020; 15:254. [PMID: 33148287 PMCID: PMC7640712 DOI: 10.1186/s13014-020-01678-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Radiotherapy (RT) is a highly effective anti-cancer therapy delivered to around 50-60% of patients. It is part of therapy for around 40% of cancer patients who are cured of their disease. Until recently, the focus of this anti-tumour efficacy has been on the direct tumour cytotoxicity and RT-induced DNA damage. Recently, the immunomodulatory effects of RT on the tumour microenvironment have increasingly been recognized. There is now intense interest in potentially using RT to induce an anti-tumour immune response, which has led to rethinking into how the efficacy of RT could be further enhanced. Following the breakthrough of immune check point inhibitors (ICIs), a new era of immuno-oncology (IO) agents has emerged and established immunotherapy as a routine part of cancer treatment. Despite ICI improving outcomes in many cancer types, overall durable responses occur in only a minority of patients. The immunostimulatory effects of RT make combinations with ICI attractive to potentially amplify anti-tumour immunity resulting in increased tumour responses and improved outcomes. In contrast, tumours with profoundly immunosuppressive tumour microenvironments, dominated by myeloid-derived cell populations, remain a greater clinical challenge and RT may potentially further enhance the immunosuppression. To harness the full potential of RT and IO agent combinations, further insights are required to enhance our understanding of the role these immunosuppressive myeloid populations play, how RT influences these populations and how they may be therapeutically manipulated in combination with RT to improve outcomes further. These are exciting times with increasing numbers of IO targets being discovered and IO agents undergoing clinical evaluation. Multidisciplinary research collaborations will be required to establish the optimal parameters for delivering RT (target volume, dose and fractionation) in combination with IO agents, including scheduling to achieve maximal therapeutic efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madyson Colton
- Division of Cancer Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Eleanor J Cheadle
- Division of Cancer Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Jamie Honeychurch
- Division of Cancer Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Tim M Illidge
- Division of Cancer Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
- The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK.
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Schubert P, Rutzner S, Eckstein M, Frey B, Schweizer C, Haderlein M, Lettmaier S, Semrau S, Gostian AO, Zhou JG, Gaipl US, Fietkau R, Hecht M. Prospective Evaluation of All-lesion Versus Single-lesion Radiotherapy in Combination With PD-1/PD-L1 Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors. Front Oncol 2020; 10:576643. [PMID: 33251140 PMCID: PMC7673414 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.576643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Local ablative treatments improve survival in patients with oligometastatic disease in addition to chemotherapy. The application of immune checkpoint inhibitors prolonged patients’ survival in different tumor entities. This raises the question if patients still benefit from intensified local treatments in combination with a more efficient systemic treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Methods The prospective non-interventional ST-ICI trial investigates treatment with PD-1/PD-L1 (Programmed cell death protein 1/Programmed cell death 1 ligand 1) immune checkpoint inhibitors and radiotherapy in different tumor entities. Patients who started radiotherapy and immunotherapy concomitantly were included in this interim analysis. In this cohort patients with all-lesion radiotherapy (all tumor lesions irradiated, al-RT) were compared to patients with radiotherapy to only a single of their tumor lesions (single-lesion radiotherapy, sl-RT). Endpoints of the interim analysis were progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and time to progression (TTP). Results A total of 104 patients were registered between April 2017 and August 2019. Fifty patients started immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment and radiotherapy concomitantly and were included. Most frequent tumor entities were non-small cell lung cancer (62%) followed by head and neck squamous cell cancer (26%). Most frequent location of radiotherapy was lung (34%) and central nervous system (20%). Median duration of follow-up was 8.6 months beginning with first administration of the immune-checkpoint-inhibitor. Median PFS was 9.2 months (95% CI, 5.8 – 12.6) in the al-RT group and 3.0 months (95% CI, 2.5 – 3.5) in the sl-RT group (p<0.001). Median OS was 11.6 months (95% CI, 8.1 - 15.1) in the al-RT group and 4.2 months (95% CI, 3.0 - 5.4) in the sl-RT group (p=0.007). Median TTP was not reached in the al-RT group compared to 4.6 months (95% CI, 1.1–8.0) in the sl-RT group (p=0.028). Univariate Cox regression analyses computed tumor entity, histology, central nervous system metastases, immunotherapy drug and al-RT as predictors of OS (with an effect p-value of ≤ 0.1). In the multivariable analysis only tumor entity and al-RT remained prognostic factors for OS. Conclusion Patients with PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy benefit from local radiotherapy to all known lesions compared to single-lesion radiotherapy regarding PFS and OS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Schubert
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.,Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Sandra Rutzner
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.,Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Markus Eckstein
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany.,Institute of Pathology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Benjamin Frey
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.,Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Claudia Schweizer
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.,Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Marlen Haderlein
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.,Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Sebastian Lettmaier
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.,Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Sabine Semrau
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.,Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Antoniu-Oreste Gostian
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany.,Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jian-Guo Zhou
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.,Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany.,Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Udo S Gaipl
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.,Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Rainer Fietkau
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.,Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Markus Hecht
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.,Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany
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Abstract
Mucosal melanoma is a rare variant of melanoma representing around 1% of total cases of melanoma diagnosed. The usual sites of mucosal involvement are the sino-nasal passages, the oral cavity, and less commonly the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract. It also has been reported to occur in vulvovaginal and anorectal mucosa. We present a rare case of mucosal melanoma that presented as recurrent epistaxis, headache, and sinus pressure. CT maxillofacial imaging revealed a large mass right nasal cavity. This was biopsied by ENT and shown to be mucosal melanoma. This was treated with palliative radiation followed by immunotherapy with nivolumab. Along with details of the case, we also discuss current treatment options with a focus on the role of immunotherapy and its efficacy in cases of head and neck mucosal melanoma. Our review of literature supports use of combination immunotherapy (including both nivolumab and ipilimumab) as it shows greater efficacy than either therapy alone. When combined with radiation therapy (RT) the overall response rate is improved and RT induces an abscopal effect; where benefits of RT are also seen at nonirradiated locations. In our patient, the use of radiation was essentially palliative as the patient was deemed to not be a surgical candidate. We discuss in our literature review the optimum timing of radiation in relation to definitive surgery or immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raman J Sohal
- Internal Medicine, State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, USA
| | - Sandeep Sohal
- Internal Medicine, The Brooklyn Hospital Center, Brooklyn, USA
| | - Ali Wazir
- Oncology, State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, USA
| | - Sam Benjamin
- Oncology, State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, USA
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Reda M, Bagley AF, Zaidan HY, Yantasee W. Augmenting the therapeutic window of radiotherapy: A perspective on molecularly targeted therapies and nanomaterials. Radiother Oncol 2020; 150:225-235. [PMID: 32598976 DOI: 10.1016/j.radonc.2020.06.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Radiation therapy is a cornerstone of modern cancer therapy alongside surgery, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy, with over half of all cancer patients receiving radiation therapy as part of their treatment regimen. Development of novel radiation sensitizers that can improve the therapeutic window of radiation therapy are sought after, particularly for tumors at an elevated risk of local and regional recurrence such as locally-advanced lung, head and neck, and gastrointestinal tumors. This review discusses clinical strategies to enhance radiotherapy efficacy and decrease toxicity, hence, increasing the overall therapeutic window. A focus is given to the molecular targets that have been identified and their associated mechanisms of action in enhancing radiotherapy. Examples include cell survival and proliferation signaling such as the EGFR and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways, DNA repair genes including PARP and ATM/ATR, angiogenic growth factors, epigenetic regulators, and immune checkpoint proteins. By manipulating various mechanisms of tumor resistance to ionizing radiation (IR), targeted therapies hold significant value to increase the therapeutic window of radiotherapy. Further, the use of novel nanoparticles to enhance radiotherapy is also reviewed, including nanoparticle delivery of chemotherapies, metallic (high-Z) nanoparticles, and nanoparticle delivery of targeted therapies - all of which may improve the therapeutic window of radiotherapy by enhancing the tumor response to IR or reducing normal tissue toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moataz Reda
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, United States; PDX Pharmaceuticals, Portland, OR 97239, United States
| | - Alexander F Bagley
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | | | - Wassana Yantasee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, United States; PDX Pharmaceuticals, Portland, OR 97239, United States.
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Weykamp F, König L, Seidensaal K, Forster T, Hoegen P, Akbaba S, Mende S, Welte SE, Deutsch TM, Schneeweiss A, Debus J, Hörner-Rieber J. Extracranial Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy in Oligometastatic or Oligoprogressive Breast Cancer. Front Oncol 2020; 10:987. [PMID: 32676455 PMCID: PMC7333735 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.00987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose/Objective: Oligometastatic disease (OMD) and oligoprogressive disease (OPD) describe tumor states with a limited metastasization. In contrast to other disease states, treatment of OMD or OPD has not yet become common for breast cancer. We sought to understand the outcomes and toxicities of this treatment paradigm. Material/Methods: We retrospectively analyzed female breast cancer patients with OMD (≤3 metastases) or OPD (1 progressive lesion) who received stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for their respective extracranial metastatic lesions between 01/2002 and 07/2019. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank test being used for evaluation of significance. Cox regression was used to detect prognostic outcome factors. Toxicity was evaluated using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE v. 5.0). Results: Forty-six patients (70% OMD; 30% OPD) with 58 lesions met criteria for inclusion. The majority of treatments (34 out of 58; 58.6%) were delivered from 2017 to 2018. Treatment sites were bone, liver, lung [n = 19 (33%) for each site], and adrenal gland [n = 1 (1%)]. Median biologically effective dose (BED at α/β = 10) was 81.6 Gy (range: 45-112.5 Gy) and median planning target volume was 36.60 mL (range: 3.76-311.00 mL). At 2 years, local control (LC) was 89%, distant control (DC) was 44%, progression free survival (PFS) was 17% and overall survival (OS) was 62%. Multivariate analysis identified the diagnosis of a solitary metastasis as an independent prognostic factor for superior DC (HR = 0.186, CI [0.055; 0.626], p = 0.007) and PFS (HR = 0.363, CI [0.152; 0.863], p = 0.022). OS was independently inferior for patients treated at a higher age (HR = 5.788, CI [1.077; 31.119] p = 0.041). Nine (15.5%) grade I° and one (1.7%) grade II° toxicities were recorded, with no grade III° or higher toxicities. Conclusion: Extracranial SBRT in breast cancer patients with OMD or OPD was well-tolerated with excellent LC. SBRT should especially be offered to younger OMD and OPD breast cancer patients with only one metastasis. The increase in utilization since 2017 points toward a growing acceptance of SBRT for OMD and OPD in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Weykamp
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Heidelberg Institute of Radiation Oncology (HIRO), Heidelberg, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Laila König
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Heidelberg Institute of Radiation Oncology (HIRO), Heidelberg, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Katharina Seidensaal
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Heidelberg Institute of Radiation Oncology (HIRO), Heidelberg, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Tobias Forster
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Heidelberg Institute of Radiation Oncology (HIRO), Heidelberg, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Philipp Hoegen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Heidelberg Institute of Radiation Oncology (HIRO), Heidelberg, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sati Akbaba
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Heidelberg Institute of Radiation Oncology (HIRO), Heidelberg, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stephan Mende
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Heidelberg Institute of Radiation Oncology (HIRO), Heidelberg, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefan E. Welte
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Heidelberg Institute of Radiation Oncology (HIRO), Heidelberg, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas M. Deutsch
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Jürgen Debus
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Heidelberg Institute of Radiation Oncology (HIRO), Heidelberg, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center (HIT), Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Radiation Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Juliane Hörner-Rieber
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Heidelberg Institute of Radiation Oncology (HIRO), Heidelberg, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg, Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Radiation Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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39
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Takenaka W, Takahashi Y, Tamari K, Minami K, Katsuki S, Seo Y, Isohashi F, Koizumi M, Ogawa K. Radiation Dose Escalation is Crucial in Anti-CTLA-4 Antibody Therapy to Enhance Local and Distant Antitumor Effect in Murine Osteosarcoma. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E1546. [PMID: 32545427 PMCID: PMC7352693 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12061546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Revised: 06/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously reported that a combination of 10 Gy of X-ray irradiation and dual immune checkpoint blockade with anti-CTLA-4 (C4) and anti-PD-L1 antibodies produced a significant shrinkage of irradiated and unirradiated tumors (abscopal effect) and prolonged overall survival. However, the optimal radiation delivery regimen combined with single immune checkpoint blockade of C4 for inducing a maximum systemic antitumor response still remains unclear, particularly for patients with osteosarcoma. We used syngeneic C3H mice that were subcutaneously injected with LM8 osteosarcoma cells into both legs. C4 was administered three times, and one side of the tumor was irradiated by X-ray beams. The optimal radiation dose required to induce the abscopal effect was explored with a focus on the induction of the type-I interferon pathway. Radiation delivered in a single fraction of 10 Gy, 4.5 Gy × 3 fractions (fx), and 2 Gy × 8 fx with C4 failed to produce significant inhibition of unirradiated tumor growth compared with monotherapy with C4. Dose escalation to 16 Gy in a single fraction, or the equivalent hypofractionated dose of 8 Gy × 3 fx, which significantly increased secretion of IFN-β in vitro, produced a dramatic regression of both irradiated and unirradiated tumors and prolonged overall survival in combination with C4. Furthermore, irradiation at 16 Gy in both a single fraction and 8 Gy × 3 fx diminished regulatory T cells in the unirradiated tumor microenvironment. These results suggest that total dose escalation of radiation is crucial in C4 therapy to enhance the antitumor response in both local and distant tumors and prolonged overall survival regardless of fractionation for osteosarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wataru Takenaka
- Department of Medical Physics and Engineering, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; (W.T.); (S.K.); (M.K.)
| | - Yutaka Takahashi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; (K.T.); (K.M.); (Y.S.); (F.I.); (K.O.)
| | - Keisuke Tamari
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; (K.T.); (K.M.); (Y.S.); (F.I.); (K.O.)
| | - Kazumasa Minami
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; (K.T.); (K.M.); (Y.S.); (F.I.); (K.O.)
| | - Shohei Katsuki
- Department of Medical Physics and Engineering, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; (W.T.); (S.K.); (M.K.)
| | - Yuji Seo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; (K.T.); (K.M.); (Y.S.); (F.I.); (K.O.)
| | - Fumiaki Isohashi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; (K.T.); (K.M.); (Y.S.); (F.I.); (K.O.)
| | - Masahiko Koizumi
- Department of Medical Physics and Engineering, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; (W.T.); (S.K.); (M.K.)
| | - Kazuhiko Ogawa
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; (K.T.); (K.M.); (Y.S.); (F.I.); (K.O.)
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40
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Applegate KE, Rühm W, Wojcik A, Bourguignon M, Brenner A, Hamasaki K, Imai T, Imaizumi M, Imaoka T, Kakinuma S, Kamada T, Nishimura N, Okonogi N, Ozasa K, Rübe CE, Sadakane A, Sakata R, Shimada Y, Yoshida K, Bouffler S. Individual response of humans to ionising radiation: governing factors and importance for radiological protection. RADIATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL BIOPHYSICS 2020; 59:185-209. [PMID: 32146555 DOI: 10.1007/s00411-020-00837-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Tissue reactions and stochastic effects after exposure to ionising radiation are variable between individuals but the factors and mechanisms governing individual responses are not well understood. Individual responses can be measured at different levels of biological organization and using different endpoints following varying doses of radiation, including: cancers, non-cancer diseases and mortality in the whole organism; normal tissue reactions after exposures; and, cellular endpoints such as chromosomal damage and molecular alterations. There is no doubt that many factors influence the responses of people to radiation to different degrees. In addition to the obvious general factors of radiation quality, dose, dose rate and the tissue (sub)volume irradiated, recognized and potential determining factors include age, sex, life style (e.g., smoking, diet, possibly body mass index), environmental factors, genetics and epigenetics, stochastic distribution of cellular events, and systemic comorbidities such as diabetes or viral infections. Genetic factors are commonly thought to be a substantial contributor to individual response to radiation. Apart from a small number of rare monogenic diseases such as ataxia telangiectasia, the inheritance of an abnormally responsive phenotype among a population of healthy individuals does not follow a classical Mendelian inheritance pattern. Rather it is considered to be a multi-factorial, complex trait.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - W Rühm
- Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - A Wojcik
- Centre for Radiation Protection Research, MBW Department, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - M Bourguignon
- Department of Biophysics and Nuclear Medicine, University of Paris Saclay (UVSQ), Verseilles, France
| | - A Brenner
- Department of Epidemiology, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - K Hamasaki
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - T Imai
- National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Sciences and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - M Imaizumi
- Department of Nagasaki Clinical Studies, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - T Imaoka
- Department of Radiation Effects Research, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institute for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - S Kakinuma
- Department of Radiation Effects Research, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institute for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - T Kamada
- QST Hospital, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institute for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - N Nishimura
- Department of Radiation Effects Research, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institute for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - N Okonogi
- QST Hospital, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institute for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - K Ozasa
- Department of Epidemiology, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - C E Rübe
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg/Saar, Germany
| | - A Sadakane
- Department of Epidemiology, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - R Sakata
- Department of Epidemiology, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Y Shimada
- National Institute for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, Aomori, Japan
| | - K Yoshida
- Immunology Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - S Bouffler
- Radiation Effects Department, Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Chilto, Didcot, UK
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41
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Samaranayake CB, McCaffrey E, Coucher J, Lehman M, Mai GT, Murphy MA. Radiation therapy for augmenting the efficacy of immunotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a case-controlled study. ERJ Open Res 2020; 6:00189-2019. [PMID: 32166087 PMCID: PMC7061202 DOI: 10.1183/23120541.00189-2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
This study investigated the effects of previous radiation therapy on outcomes from nivolumab in advanced NSCLC, and found that previous radiation therapy resulted in significantly higher survival in patients treated with nivolumab for advanced NSCLC http://bit.ly/3btOFSL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chinthaka B Samaranayake
- Dept of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Princess Alexandra Hospital Health Service District, Woolloongabba, Australia
| | - Elizabeth McCaffrey
- Dept of Medical Oncology, Princess Alexandra Hospital Health Service District, Woolloongabba, Australia
| | - John Coucher
- Dept of Diagnostic Radiology, Princess Alexandra Hospital Health Service District, Woolloongabba, Australia
| | - Margot Lehman
- Dept of Radiation Oncology, Princess Alexandra Hospital Health Service District, Woolloongabba, Australia
| | - G Tao Mai
- Dept of Radiation Oncology, Princess Alexandra Hospital Health Service District, Woolloongabba, Australia
| | - Michelle A Murphy
- Dept of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Princess Alexandra Hospital Health Service District, Woolloongabba, Australia
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42
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Mondini M, Levy A, Meziani L, Milliat F, Deutsch E. Radiotherapy-immunotherapy combinations - perspectives and challenges. Mol Oncol 2020; 14:1529-1537. [PMID: 32112478 PMCID: PMC7332212 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.12658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Ionizing radiation has historically been used to treat cancer by killing tumour cells, in particular by inducing DNA damage. This view of radiotherapy (RT) as a simple cytotoxic agent has dramatically changed in recent years, and it is now widely accepted that RT can deeply reshape the tumour environment by modulating the immune response. Such evidence gives a strong rationale for the use of immunomodulators to boost the therapeutic value of RT, introducing the era of ‘immunoradiotherapy’. The increasing amount of preclinical and clinical data concerning the combination of RT with immunomodulators, in particular with immune checkpoint inhibitors such as anti‐PD‐1/PD‐L1 and anti‐CTLA4, reflects the interest of the scientific and medical community concerning immunoradiotherapy. The expectations are enormous since the rationale for performing such combinations is strong, with the possibility to use a local treatment such as RT to amplify a systemic antitumour response, as illustrated by the case of the abscopal effect. Nevertheless, several points remain to be addressed such as the need to find biomarkers to identify patients who will benefit from immunoradiotherapy, the identification of the best sequences/schedules for combination with immunomodulators and mechanisms to overcome resistance. Additionally, the effects of immunoradiotherapy on healthy tissues and related toxicity remain largely unexplored. To answer these critical questions and make immunoradiotherapy keep its promising qualities, large efforts are needed from both the pharmaceutical industry and academic/governmental research. Moreover, because of the work of both these entities, the arsenal of available immunomodulators is quickly expanding, thus opening the field to increasing combinations with RT. We thus forecast that the field of immunoradiotherapy will further expand in the coming years, and it needs to be supported by appropriate investment plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Mondini
- Gustave Roussy, Université Paris-Saclay, SIRIC SOCRATE, Villejuif, France.,INSERM, U1030, Labex LERMIT, Villejuif, France
| | - Antonin Levy
- INSERM, U1030, Labex LERMIT, Villejuif, France.,Département de Radiothérapie, Gustave Roussy, Université Paris-Saclay, DHU TORINO, Villejuif, France
| | - Lydia Meziani
- Gustave Roussy, Université Paris-Saclay, SIRIC SOCRATE, Villejuif, France.,INSERM, U1030, Labex LERMIT, Villejuif, France
| | - Fabien Milliat
- Department of Radiobiology and regenerative Medicine (SERAMED), Laboratory of Medical Radiobiology (LRMed), Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Eric Deutsch
- Gustave Roussy, Université Paris-Saclay, SIRIC SOCRATE, Villejuif, France.,INSERM, U1030, Labex LERMIT, Villejuif, France.,Département de Radiothérapie, Gustave Roussy, Université Paris-Saclay, DHU TORINO, Villejuif, France
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43
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Tubin S, Ashdown M, Jeremic B. Time-synchronized immune-guided SBRT partial bulky tumor irradiation targeting hypoxic segment while sparing the peritumoral immune microenvironment. Radiat Oncol 2019; 14:220. [PMID: 31801549 PMCID: PMC6894294 DOI: 10.1186/s13014-019-1423-9] [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: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background A novel unconventional SBRT-based PArtial Tumor irradiation targeting HYpoxic clonogenic cells (SBRT-PATHY) for induction of the tumoricidal bystander (BE) and abscopal effects (AE) was developed by translating our preclinical findings to a clinic in 2016. In order to further improve BE/AE response rate, SBRT-PATHY was upgraded in 2018 by the sparing of peritumoral immune microenvironment as a new OAR, defined by its own dose-constraints. Considering the anti-tumor immune response homeostatic fluctuation, which is cyclically suppressed and incited (“switched off and on”), we synchronized SBRT-PATHY with its most excitable phase, in order to overcome tumor tolerance locally and systemically. The aim of this study, therefore, was to report on the initial results of our latest innovation aimed to further improve BE/AE response rate by testing the effectiveness of the time-synchronized immune-guided SBRT-PATHY. Materials and methods In order to serially map the homeostatic anti-tumor immune response-fluctuations, High Sensitive C-Reactive Protein (HS-CRP), Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) and Lymphocyte/Monocyte Ratio (LMR) were analyzed using high-order polynomial trend analysis as surrogate of immune system response. After the biomarker data analysis detected the immune fluctuations and related idiosyncratic immune cycle periodicity, we determined the “most favourable” and “least favourable” treatment time-positions in the immune cycle. In order to evaluate the impact of an idiosyncratic immune cycle on treatment outcomes, our first consecutive four patients were treated on the “most favourable” while the remaining four on the “least favourable” day. Results The median follow-up was 11.8 months. The biomarker data analysis showed periodic immune response fluctuations of regular frequency. The “right” synchronization of SBRT-PATHY with the “most favorable day” of anti-tumor immune response was accompanied with improved clinical outcomes in terms of BE/AE-response rate. Conclusion We believe the right synchronization of radiotherapy with the homeostatically oscillating immune response may improve the probability of inducing BE/AE. Present study has been retrospectively registered on 18th of October 2019 by the ethic committee for Austrian region „Kärnten “in Klagenfurt (AUT), under study number A 37/19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Slavisa Tubin
- KABEG Klinikum Klagenfurt, Institute of Radiation Oncology, Feschnigstraße 11, 9020, Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Austria.
| | | | - Branislav Jeremic
- BioIRC, R&D Center for Biomedical Research, Kragujevac, SERBIA, Research Institute of Clinical Medicine, 13 Tevdore Mgvdeli St., 0112, Tbilisi, Georgia
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44
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Bonilla CE, Esguerra J, Mendoza Díaz S, Álvarez A, Morales R L. Abscopal Effect After Palliative Radiotherapy in a Patient with a Gastric Adenocarcinoma Disseminated to Retroperitoneal Space: Case Report from a Latin American Reference Center and Review of the Literature. Cureus 2019; 11:e6235. [PMID: 31890434 PMCID: PMC6935334 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.6235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Radiation therapy is known to have a highly effective local and regional effect for cancer treatment; however, sporadic events of tumor regression in non-irradiated and irradiated fields have been observed over time, which is known as the “abscopal effect.” In this report, we describe the case of a patient with a diagnosis of unresectable advanced gastric adenocarcinoma, who developed extensive retroperitoneal lymph node involvement and did not accept management with chemotherapy. Primary radiotherapy at the local level was offered to control hemostasis, reaching an important span of complete remission of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - José Esguerra
- Radiation Oncology, Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia, Bogota, COL
| | | | - Angelina Álvarez
- Radiation Oncology, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Bogota, COL
| | - Laura Morales R
- Radiation Oncology, Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia, Bogota, COL
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45
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Abscopal effect of high-dose-rate brachytherapy on pelvic bone metastases from renal cell carcinoma: a case report. J Contemp Brachytherapy 2019; 11:458-461. [PMID: 31749855 PMCID: PMC6854863 DOI: 10.5114/jcb.2019.89365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Radiation therapy is considered an optimal partner for immunotherapies. Several pre-clinical studies have demonstrated that regression of distant metastases, at remote non-irradiated sites of the body, termed the “abscopal effect”, can be achieved by an appropriate timing and combination of radiation with immunotherapy. However, nearly all pre-clinical and clinical studies evaluating a combination of radiation and immunotherapies have used external beam radiation therapy. We present in this case report, the abscopal effect observed in a 30-year-old Japanese woman with metastatic renal cell carcinoma after the treatment with high-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy combined with nivolumab. This is the first published report demonstrating an abscopal effect following brachytherapy for human malignancy. Our case indicates that immuno-oncology effects are not limited to external beam irradiation regimens as they can also be attained by brachytherapy.
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