scholarly journals Combination of Photodynamic Therapy and a Flagellin-Adjuvanted Cancer Vaccine Potentiated the Anti-PD-1-Mediated Melanoma Suppression

Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 2432
Author(s):  
Hye Suk Hwang ◽  
Kondareddy Cherukula ◽  
Yong Jun Bang ◽  
Veena Vijayan ◽  
Myeong Ju Moon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Photodynamic Therapy ◽  
Malignant Melanoma ◽  
Combination Therapy ◽  
Cd8 T Cells ◽  
Tumor Antigen ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitor ◽  
Tumor Ablation ◽  
Effector Memory

Immune checkpoint inhibitors become a standard therapy for malignant melanoma. As immune checkpoint inhibitor monotherapies proved to have limited efficacy in significant portion of patients, it is envisaged that combination with other therapeutic modalities may improve clinical outcomes. We investigated the effect of combining photodynamic therapy (PDT) and TLR5 agonist flagellin-adjuvanted tumor-specific peptide vaccination (FlaB-Vax) on the promotion of PD-1 blockade-mediated melanoma suppression using a mouse B16-F10 implantation model. Using a bilateral mouse melanoma cancer model, we evaluated the potentiation of PD-1 blockade by the combination of peritumoral FlaB-Vax delivery and PDT tumor ablation. A photosensitizing agent, pheophorbide A (PhA), was used for laser-triggered photodynamic destruction of the primary tumor. The effect of combination therapy in conjunction with PD-1 blockade was evaluated for tumor growth and survival. The effector cytokines that promote the activation of CD8+ T cells and antigen-presenting cells in tumor tissue and tumor-draining lymph nodes (TDLNs) were also assayed. PDT and FlaB-Vax combination therapy induced efficacious systemic antitumor immune responses for local and abscopal tumor control, with a significant increase in tumor-infiltrating effector memory CD8+ T cells and systemic IFNγ secretion. The combination of PDT and FlaB-Vax also enhanced the infiltration of tumor antigen-reactive CD8+ T cells and the accumulation of migratory CXCL10-secreting CD103+ dendritic cells (DCs) presumably contributing to tumor antigen cross-presentation in the tumor microenvironment (TME). The CD8+ T-cell-dependent therapeutic benefits of PDT combined with FlaB-Vax was significantly enhanced by a PD-1-targeting checkpoint inhibitor therapy. Conclusively, the combination of FlaB-Vax with PDT-mediated tumor ablation would serve a safe and feasible combinatorial therapy for enhancing PD-1 blockade treatment of malignant melanoma.

Abstract LB037:89ZED88082A PET imaging to visualize CD8+T cells in patients with cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitor

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Kist de Ruijter ◽  
Pim P. van de Donk ◽  
Jahlisa S. Hooiveld-Noeken ◽  
Danique Giesen ◽  
Alexander Ungewickell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Cd8 T Cells ◽  
Pet Imaging ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitor ◽  
Patients With Cancer

scholarly journals 540 Baseline mTOR transcriptional signatures in CD8 T cells are associated with immune-related adverse events but not anti-tumor responses in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (Suppl 3) ◽  
pp. A570-A570
Author(s):  
Chen Zhao ◽  
Matthew Mule ◽  
Andrew Martins ◽  
Iago Pinal Fernandez ◽  
Renee Donahue ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Adverse Events ◽  
Tumor Immunity ◽  
Cd8 T Cells ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Effector Memory ◽  
Link Type ◽  
Anti Tumor Activity

BackgroundImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have changed the cancer treatment landscape, but immune-related adverse events (irAEs) can affect a wide range of tissues in patients receiving ICIs. Severe irAEs can be life-threatening or fatal and prohibit patients from receiving further ICI treatment. While the clinical features of irAEs are well documented, the pathological mechanisms and predictive biomarkers are largely unknown. In addition, there is a critical need to preserve ICI-induced anti-tumor immunity while controlling for irAEs, which requires deciphering molecular and cellular signatures associated specifically with irAEs beyond those more generally linked to anti-tumor immunity.MethodsTo unbiasedly identify immune cells and states associated with irAEs, we applied CITE-seq to measure transcripts and surface proteins (83 protein markers) from PBMCs collected from patients with thymic epithelial tumors before and after treatment with an anti-PD-L1 antibody (avelumab, NCT01772004, NCT03076554).ResultsSamples from 9 patients were analyzed. No patient had a history of pre-existing paraneoplastic autoimmune disease. Anti-tumor activity was observed in all cases, and 5 patients had clinical and/or biochemical evidence of immune-related muscle inflammation (myositis with or without myocarditis). Multilevel models applied within highly resolved cell clusters revealed transcriptional states associated with ICI response and more uniquely with irAEs. A total of 190,000 cells were included in the analysis after quality control. Most notably, CD45RA+ effector memory CD8 T cells with an mTOR transcriptional signature were highly enriched at baseline and post treatment in patients with irAEs.ConclusionsOur findings suggest the potential therapeutic avenues by using mTOR inhibitors to dampen autoimmune responses while potentially sparing anti-tumor activity, to prevent treatment discontinuation and improve clinical outcomes for cancer patients treated with ICIs.AcknowledgementsThis research was supported in part by the Intramural Research Program of the NCI (the Center for Cancer Research), NIAID and NIAMS, and through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between the National Cancer Institute and EMD Serono.Trial RegistrationNCT01772004, NCT03076554Ethics ApprovalThis study is approved by NCI institutional review board.

scholarly journals Tumor Infiltrating Effector Memory Antigen-Specific CD8+ T Cells Predict Response to Immune Checkpoint Therapy

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Principe ◽  
Joel Kidman ◽  
Siting Goh ◽  
Caitlin M. Tilsed ◽  
Scott A. Fisher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Cd8 T Cells ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Effector Memory

scholarly journals Increased Immunogenicity of a Minimally Immunogenic Tumor after Cancer-Targeting Near Infrared Photoimmunotherapy

Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 3747
Author(s):  
Hiroaki Wakiyama ◽  
Aki Furusawa ◽  
Ryuhei Okada ◽  
Fuyuki Inagaki ◽  
Takuya Kato ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Combination Therapy ◽  
Tumor Progression ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Cd8 T Cells ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Cancer Targeting ◽  
Immunogenic Tumor

Near-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) is a highly selective cancer treatment that employs an antibody photoabsorber conjugate (APC) composed of a targeting monoclonal antibody (mAb) conjugated with a photoactivatable phthalocyanine-derivative dye. Once injected and allowed to bind to a tumor, the APC is activated by local near-infrared light which kills cancer cells and induces a strong immune response in the tumor microenvironment by unmasking of new tumor antigens emerging from damaged tumor cells. Due to its ability to incite an immune reaction, even in poorly immunogenic tumors, NIR-PIT has the potential to enhance immunogenicity in tumors especially after immune checkpoint inhibition. In this study, we employ a poorly immunogenic MOC2-luc syngeneic tumor model and evaluate the efficacy of cancer-targeting CD44-targeted NIR-PIT. Increased infiltration of CD8+ T cells observed after NIR-PIT suggested an enhanced immune environment. Next, we evaluated tumor progression and survival after the combination of CD44-targeted NIR-PIT and short-term administration of an anti-PD1 immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) to further activate CD8+ T cells. Additionally, in mice in which the tumors were eradicated by this combination therapy, a re-challenge with fresh MOC2-luc cells demonstrated failure of tumor implantation implying acquired long-term immunity against the cancer cells. Combination therapy decreased tumor progression and prolonged survival significantly. Therefore, we concluded that NIR-PIT was able to convert a minimally immunogenic tumor unresponsive to anti-PD-1 ICI into a highly immunogenic tumor responsive to anti-PD-1 ICI, and this therapy was capable of inducing long-term immunity against the treated cancer.

PS-025-Elevated tissue homing of monocytes and increased cytotoxic activity of CD8+ T-cells in immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced hepatitis

2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. e19-e20
Author(s):  
Cathrin L.C. Gudd ◽  
Tong Liu ◽  
Evangelos Triantafyllou ◽  
David J. Pinato ◽  
You Yone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Cytotoxic Activity ◽  
Cd8 T Cells ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitor

scholarly journals 805 Clonal, activated CD8+ T cells recognizing cardiac alpha-myosin drive immune checkpoint inhibitor associated myocarditis in mice

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (Suppl 3) ◽  
pp. A842-A842
Author(s):  
Margaret Axelrod ◽  
Wouter Meijers ◽  
Elie Tannous ◽  
Xiaopeng Sun ◽  
Juan Qin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Single Cell ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Cd8 T Cells ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitor ◽  
Animal Experiments ◽  
Eligibility Criteria

BackgroundNearly half of all U.S. oncology patients meet FDA eligibility criteria to receive treatment with an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI). With increasing use of ICIs, preventing, diagnosing and treating immune-related adverse events (irAEs) are urgent clinical challenges. Myocarditis is an uncommon irAE, affecting < 1% of ICI-treated patients, but is highly fatal, with a mortality rate of nearly 50%. Genetically altered Pdcd1-/-Ctla4± mice die prematurely and specifically due to myocarditis. This model recapitulates the clinical and pathological features of ICI-myocarditis, including abundant cardiac infiltrating CD8+ T cells. The potential autoantigen(s) involved in ICI-myocarditis are unknown for both human disease and our murine model.MethodsWe used Pdcd1-/-Ctla4± mice on the C57BL6 background as a model of ICI-myocarditis. Single cell RNA and T cell receptor (TCR) sequencing was performed on sorted CD45+ cardiac immune cells from four affected Pdcd1-/-Ctla4± mice compared to six healthy wild type mice. The most three clonal TCRs (TCR-A, B, C), derived from two independent Pdcd1-/-Ctla4± mice, were reconstructed using stiTChR and transduced into reporter T cell lines for antigen discovery. Alpha-myosin was selected as a candidate autoantigen due to lack of presentation in the thymus. Reporter TCR-A, B, and C cells were screened using a library of overlapping 20 amino acid peptides derived from alpha-myosin in co-culture with bone marrow derived dendritic cells.ResultsTreatment with anti-CD8, but not anti-CD4, depleting antibodies rescues survival of Pdcd1-/-Ctla4± mice. Furthermore, adoptive transfer of splenocytes from Pdcd1-/-Ctla4± mice with myocarditis to Rag1-/- recipient mice was sufficient to induce fatal myocarditis. Single cell RNA/TCR sequencing on the cardiac immune infiltrate of Pdcd1-/-Ctla4± mice identified highly activated, clonal CD8+ T cells as the dominant cell population. The TCR-A cell line, the most clonal TCR identified in single cell TCR sequencing, activates NFAT, NFkB, and AP-1 reporters in response to the alpha-myosin epitope VIQYFASI. The TCR-B and TCR-C cell lines activate their reporters in response to the alpha myosin peptide DALLVIQWNIRAFMGVKNWP, indicating that alpha-myosin is an autoantigen in this mouse model of ICI-myocarditis.ConclusionsClonal, activated CD8+ T cells are critical for the development of ICI-myocarditis. Alpha-myosin is an autoantigen recognized by the most clonal cardiac CD8+ T cells. Efforts are currently underway to determine whether human TCRs derived from ICI-myocarditis samples recognize similar antigens. These studies are the first to identify a candidate autoantigen in ICI-myocarditis and may yield new insights into irAE pathogenesis.Ethics ApprovalAll animal experiments were in accordance with the VUMC Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), protocol # M2000067

Abstract 1044: Frequency of circulating CX3CR1+ CD8+ T cells to predict response to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takayoshi Yamauchi ◽  
Toshifumi Hoki ◽  
Takaaki Oba ◽  
Kristopher Attwood ◽  
Sebastiano Battaglia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Cd8 T Cells ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitor ◽  
Inhibitor Therapy ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy

scholarly journals Combination Foretinib and Anti-PD-1 Antibody Immunotherapy for Colorectal Carcinoma

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuyin Fu ◽  
Yujia Peng ◽  
Shengyan Zhao ◽  
Jun Mou ◽  
Lishi Zeng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Combination Therapy ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor ◽  
Kinase Inhibitor ◽  
Tumor Regression ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitor ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Combination Strategy ◽  
M2 Phenotype

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have achieved unprecedented success in cancer immunotherapy. However, the overall response rate to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy for many cancers is only between 20 and 40%, and even less for colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop an efficient immunotherapeutic strategy for CRC. Here, we developed a novel CRC combination therapy consisting of a multiple receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (Foretinib) and anti-PD-1 antibody. The combination therapy significantly inhibited tumor growth in mice, led to improved tumor regression without relapse (83% for CT26 tumors and 50% for MC38 tumors) and prolonged overall survival. Mechanistically, Foretinib caused increased levels of PD-L1 via activating the JAK2-STAT1 pathway, which could improve the effectiveness of the immune checkpoint inhibitor. Moreover, the combination therapy remodeled the tumor microenvironment and enhanced anti-tumor immunity by further increasing the infiltration and improving the function of T cells, decreasing the percentage of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and inhibiting their polarization toward the M2 phenotype. Furthermore, the combination therapy inhibited the metastasis of CT26-Luc tumors to the lung in BALB/c mouse by reducing proportions of regulatory T-cells, TAMs and M2 phenotype TAMs in their lungs. This study suggests that a novel combination therapy utilizing both Foretinib and anti-PD-1 antibody could be an effective combination strategy for CRC immunotherapy.

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