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Sun CM, Toulmonde M, Spalato-Ceruso M, Peyraud F, Bessede A, Kind M, Cousin S, Buy X, Palussiere J, Bougouin A, Sautès-Fridman C, Fridman HW, Pulido M, Italiano A. Impact of metronomic trabectedin combined with low-dose cyclophosphamide on sarcoma microenvironment and correlation with clinical outcome: results from the TARMIC study. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:37. [PMID: 38374062 PMCID: PMC10875852 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-01942-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are diverse mesenchymal tumors with few therapeutic options in advanced stages. Trabectedin has global approval for treating STS patients resistant to anthracycline-based regimens. Recent pre-clinical data suggest that trabectedin's antitumor activity extends beyond tumor cells to influencing the tumor microenvironment (TME), especially affecting tumor-associated macrophages and their pro-tumoral functions. We present the phase I/II results evaluating a combination of metronomic trabectedin and low-dose cyclophosphamide on the TME in patients with advanced sarcomas. 50 patients participated: 20 in phase I and 30 in phase II. Changes in the TME were assessed in 28 patients using sequential tumor samples at baseline and day two of the cycle. Treatment notably decreased CD68 + CD163 + macrophages in biopsies from tumor lesions compared to pre-treatment samples in 9 of the 28 patients after 4 weeks. Baseline CD8 + T cell presence increased in 11 of these patients. In summary, up to 57% of patients exhibited a positive immunological response marked by reduced M2 macrophages or increased CD8 + T cells post-treatment. This positive shift in the TME correlated with improved clinical benefit and progression-free survival. This study offers the first prospective evidence of trabectedin's immunological effect in advanced STS patients, highlighting a relationship between TME modulation and patient outcomes.This study was registered with ClinicalTrial.gov, number NCT02406781.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maud Toulmonde
- Department of Medicine, Institut Bergonié, Bordeaux, France
| | | | | | | | - Michèle Kind
- Department of Imaging, Institut Bergonié, Bordeaux, France
| | - Sophie Cousin
- Department of Medicine, Institut Bergonié, Bordeaux, France
| | - Xavier Buy
- Department of Imaging, Institut Bergonié, Bordeaux, France
| | | | | | | | | | - Marina Pulido
- Clinical and Epidemiology Department, Institut Bergonié, Bordeaux, France
| | - Antoine Italiano
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Paris, France.
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
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Dalal S, Shan KS, Thaw Dar NN, Hussein A, Ergle A. Role of Immunotherapy in Sarcomas. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1266. [PMID: 38279265 PMCID: PMC10816403 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25021266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Sarcomas are a group of malignancies of mesenchymal origin with a plethora of subtypes. Given the sheer heterogeneity of various subtypes and the rarity of the disease, the management of sarcomas has been challenging, with poor patient outcomes. Surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy have remained the backbone of treatment in patients with sarcoma. The introduction of immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of various solid and hematological malignancies. In this review, we discuss the basics of immunotherapy and the immune microenvironment in sarcomas; various modalities of immunotherapy, like immune checkpoint blockade, oncolytic viruses, cancer-targeted antibodies, vaccine therapy; and adoptive cell therapies like CAR T-cell therapy, T-cell therapy, and TCR therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivani Dalal
- Memorial Healthcare, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Pembroke Pines, FL 33028, USA; (K.S.S.); (N.N.T.D.); (A.H.); (A.E.)
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Povo-Retana A, Landauro-Vera R, Alvarez-Lucena C, Cascante M, Boscá L. Trabectedin and Lurbinectedin Modulate the Interplay between Cells in the Tumour Microenvironment-Progresses in Their Use in Combined Cancer Therapy. Molecules 2024; 29:331. [PMID: 38257245 PMCID: PMC10820391 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29020331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Trabectedin (TRB) and Lurbinectedin (LUR) are alkaloid compounds originally isolated from Ecteinascidia turbinata with proven antitumoral activity. Both molecules are structural analogues that differ on the tetrahydroisoquinoline moiety of the C subunit in TRB, which is replaced by a tetrahydro-β-carboline in LUR. TRB is indicated for patients with relapsed ovarian cancer in combination with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin, as well as for advanced soft tissue sarcoma in adults in monotherapy. LUR was approved by the FDA in 2020 to treat metastatic small cell lung cancer. Herein, we systematically summarise the origin and structure of TRB and LUR, as well as the molecular mechanisms that they trigger to induce cell death in tumoral cells and supporting stroma cells of the tumoral microenvironment, and how these compounds regulate immune cell function and fate. Finally, the novel therapeutic venues that are currently under exploration, in combination with a plethora of different immunotherapeutic strategies or specific molecular-targeted inhibitors, are reviewed, with particular emphasis on the usage of immune checkpoint inhibitors, or other bioactive molecules that have shown synergistic effects in terms of tumour regression and ablation. These approaches intend to tackle the complexity of managing cancer patients in the context of precision medicine and the application of tailor-made strategies aiming at the reduction of undesired side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrián Povo-Retana
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols-Morreale (CSIC-UAM), Arturo Duperier 4, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (R.L.-V.); (C.A.-L.)
| | - Rodrigo Landauro-Vera
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols-Morreale (CSIC-UAM), Arturo Duperier 4, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (R.L.-V.); (C.A.-L.)
| | - Carlota Alvarez-Lucena
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols-Morreale (CSIC-UAM), Arturo Duperier 4, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (R.L.-V.); (C.A.-L.)
| | - Marta Cascante
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine-Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain;
- Department of Material Science and Physical Chemistry, Research Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTCUB), University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lisardo Boscá
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols-Morreale (CSIC-UAM), Arturo Duperier 4, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (R.L.-V.); (C.A.-L.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
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Kournoutas I, Monga V, Davick J, Rieth J. Objective Responses in Metastatic Pleomorphic Rhabdomyosarcoma Treated with Combination of Doxorubicin and Pembrolizumab: A Case Series. Case Rep Oncol 2024; 17:344-351. [PMID: 38404403 PMCID: PMC10890802 DOI: 10.1159/000535959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare subtype of rhabdomyosarcoma, a soft tissue sarcoma with skeletal muscle differentiation. Although rhabdomyosarcoma is typically seen in the pediatric population, the pleomorphic variant most frequently presents in adulthood and is characteristically aggressive with no currently established treatment regimen in the setting of metastatic disease. There has been growing interest in the application of immune checkpoint inhibitors alongside conventional chemotherapeutic agents in the treatment of pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma. Case Presentation In the present case series, we report 2 patients with metastatic pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma treated with combination doxorubicin and pembrolizumab who had confirmed objective responses. Of note, these 2 patients had variable PD-L1 status - negative and low positive. Duration of treatment response was notable at 14 months and 9 months, respectively, with the first patient remaining on maintenance pembrolizumab therapy and the second patient subsequently achieving complete response with third-line trabectedin. Both patients are currently undergoing routine interval imaging with no evidence of disease at this time. Conclusion This report highlights and discusses the potential role of PD-1 blockade in the treatment of pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma and also discusses burgeoning immunological data that may explain the clinical responses seen in these 2 cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis Kournoutas
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Varun Monga
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Jonathan Davick
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - John Rieth
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
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Landuzzi L, Manara MC, Pazzaglia L, Lollini PL, Scotlandi K. Innovative Breakthroughs for the Treatment of Advanced and Metastatic Synovial Sarcoma. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3887. [PMID: 37568703 PMCID: PMC10416854 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15153887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Synovial sarcoma (SyS) is a rare aggressive soft tissue sarcoma carrying the chromosomal translocation t(X;18), encoding the fusion transcript SS18::SSX. The fusion oncoprotein interacts with both BAF enhancer complexes and polycomb repressor complexes, resulting in genome-wide epigenetic perturbations and a unique altered genetic signature. Over 80% of the patients are initially diagnosed with localized disease and have a 5-year survival rate of 70-80%, but metastatic relapse occurs in 50% of the cases. Advanced, unresectable, or metastatic disease has a 5-year survival rate below 10%, representing a critical issue. This review summarizes the molecular mechanisms behind SyS and illustrates current treatments in front line, second line, and beyond settings. We analyze the use of immune check point inhibitors (ICI) in SyS that do not behave as an ICI-sensitive tumor, claiming the need for predictive genetic signatures and tumor immune microenvironment biomarkers. We highlight the clinical translation of innovative technologies, such as proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) protein degraders or adoptive transfer of engineered immune cells. Adoptive cell transfer of engineered T-cell receptor cells targeting selected cancer/testis antigens has shown promising results against metastatic SyS in early clinical trials and further improvements are awaited from refinements involving immune cell engineering and tumor immune microenvironment enhancement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Landuzzi
- Experimental Oncology Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, 40136 Bologna, Italy; (M.C.M.); (L.P.)
| | - Maria Cristina Manara
- Experimental Oncology Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, 40136 Bologna, Italy; (M.C.M.); (L.P.)
| | - Laura Pazzaglia
- Experimental Oncology Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, 40136 Bologna, Italy; (M.C.M.); (L.P.)
| | - Pier-Luigi Lollini
- Laboratory of Immunology and Biology of Metastasis, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy;
| | - Katia Scotlandi
- Experimental Oncology Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, 40136 Bologna, Italy; (M.C.M.); (L.P.)
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Albarrán V, Villamayor ML, Pozas J, Chamorro J, Rosero DI, San Román M, Guerrero P, Pérez de Aguado P, Calvo JC, García de Quevedo C, González C, Vaz MÁ. Current Landscape of Immunotherapy for Advanced Sarcoma. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:2287. [PMID: 37190214 PMCID: PMC10136499 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15082287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
There is substantial heterogeneity between different subtypes of sarcoma regarding their biological behavior and microenvironment, which impacts their responsiveness to immunotherapy. Alveolar soft-part sarcoma, synovial sarcoma and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma show higher immunogenicity and better responses to checkpoint inhibitors. Combination strategies adding immunotherapy to chemotherapy and/or tyrosine-kinase inhibitors globally seem superior to single-agent schemes. Therapeutic vaccines and different forms of adoptive cell therapy, mainly engineered TCRs, CAR-T cells and TIL therapy, are emerging as new forms of immunotherapy for advanced solid tumors. Tumor lymphocytic infiltration and other prognostic and predictive biomarkers are under research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor Albarrán
- Medical Oncology Department, Ramon y Cajal University Hospital, 28034 Madrid, Spain
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