1
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Verdegaal EME, Santegoets SJ, Welters MJP, de Bruin L, Visser M, van der Minne CE, de Kok PM, Loof NM, Boekestijn S, Roozen I, Westra IM, Meij P, Van der Burg SH, Kroep JR. Timed adoptive T cell transfer during chemotherapy in patients with recurrent platinum-sensitive epithelial ovarian cancer. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e007697. [PMID: 37949617 PMCID: PMC10649798 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-007697] [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] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The presence of T cells and suppressive myeloid cells in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) correlate with good and bad clinical outcome, respectively. This suggests that EOC may be sensitive to adoptive cell therapy with autologous tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), provided that immunosuppression by myeloid-derived suppressor cells and M2 macrophages is reduced. Platinum-based chemotherapy can alleviate such immunosuppression, potentially creating a window of opportunity for T cell-based immunotherapy. METHODS We initiated a phase I/II trial (NCT04072263) in patients with recurrent platinum-sensitive EOC receiving TIL during platinum-based chemotherapy. TILs were administered 2 weeks after the second, third and fourth chemotherapy course. Patients were treated in two cohorts with or without interferon-α (IFNa), as conditioning and TIL support regimen. The primary endpoint was to evaluate the feasibility and safety according to CTCAE V.4.03 criteria and the clinical response and immune modulatory effects of this treatment were evaluated as secondary endpoints. RESULTS Sixteen patients were enrolled. TIL could be successfully expanded for all patients. TIL treatment during chemotherapy without IFNa (n=13) was safe but the combination with IFNa added to the chemotherapy-induced toxicity with 2 out of 3 patients developing thrombocytopenia as dose-limiting toxicity. Fourteen patients completed treatment with a full TIL cycle and were further evaluated for clinical and immunological response. Platinum-based chemotherapy resulted in reduction of circulating myeloid cell numbers and IL-6 plasma levels, confirming its immunosuppression-alleviating effect. Three complete (CR), nine partial responses and two stable diseases were recorded, resulting in an objective response rate of 86% (Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors V.1.1). Interestingly, progression free survival that exceeded the previous platinum-free interval was detected in two patients, including an exceptionally long and ongoing CR in one patient that coincided with sustained alleviation of immune suppression. CONCLUSION TIL therapy can be safely combined with platinum-based chemotherapy but not in combination with IFNa. The chemotherapy-mediated reduction in immunosuppression and the increase in platinum-free interval for two patients warrants further exploration of properly-timed TIL infusions during platinum-based chemotherapy, possibly further benefiting from IL-2 support, as a novel treatment option for EOC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Els M E Verdegaal
- Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Saskia J Santegoets
- Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Marij J P Welters
- Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Linda de Bruin
- Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Marten Visser
- Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | | | - Pita M de Kok
- Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Nikki M Loof
- Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Sanne Boekestijn
- Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Inge Roozen
- Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Inge M Westra
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Department of Clinical Pharmacy & Toxicology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Pauline Meij
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Department of Clinical Pharmacy & Toxicology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Sjoerd H Van der Burg
- Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Judith R Kroep
- Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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2
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van den Bulk J, van der Ploeg M, Ijsselsteijn ME, Ruano D, van der Breggen R, Duhen R, Peeters KCMJ, Fariña-Sarasqueta A, Verdegaal EME, van der Burg SH, Duhen T, de Miranda NFCC. CD103 and CD39 coexpression identifies neoantigen-specific cytotoxic T cells in colorectal cancers with low mutation burden. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:jitc-2022-005887. [PMID: 36792124 PMCID: PMC9933759 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-005887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [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] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Expression of CD103 and CD39 has been found to pinpoint tumor-reactive CD8+ T cells in a variety of solid cancers. We aimed to investigate whether these markers specifically identify neoantigen-specific T cells in colorectal cancers (CRCs) with low mutation burden. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Whole-exome and RNA sequencing of 11 mismatch repair-proficient (MMR-proficient) CRCs and corresponding healthy tissues were performed to determine the presence of putative neoantigens. In parallel, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) were cultured from the tumor fragments and, in parallel, CD8+ T cells were flow-sorted from their respective tumor digests based on single or combined expression of CD103 and CD39. Each subset was expanded and subsequently interrogated for neoantigen-directed reactivity with synthetic peptides. Neoantigen-directed reactivity was determined by flow cytometric analyses of T cell activation markers and ELISA-based detection of IFN-γ and granzyme B release. Additionally, imaging mass cytometry was applied to investigate the localization of CD103+CD39+ cytotoxic T cells in tumors. RESULTS Neoantigen-directed reactivity was only encountered in bulk TIL populations and CD103+CD39+ (double positive, DP) CD8+ T cell subsets but never in double-negative or single-positive subsets. Neoantigen-reactivity detected in bulk TIL but not in DP CD8+ T cells could be attributed to CD4+ T cells. CD8+ T cells that were located in direct contact with cancer cells in tumor tissues were enriched for CD103 and CD39 expression. CONCLUSION Coexpression of CD103 and CD39 is characteristic of neoantigen-specific CD8+ T cells in MMR-proficient CRCs with low mutation burden. The exploitation of these subsets in the context of adoptive T cell transfer or engineered T cell receptor therapies is a promising avenue to extend the benefits of immunotherapy to an increasing number of CRC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jitske van den Bulk
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Manon van der Ploeg
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Dina Ruano
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ruud van der Breggen
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Rebekka Duhen
- Basic Immunology Lab, Earle A Chiles Research Institute, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Koen C M J Peeters
- Department of Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Els M E Verdegaal
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Sjoerd H van der Burg
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Thomas Duhen
- Anti-Cancer Immune Response Lab, Earle A Chiles Research Institute, Portland, Oregon, USA
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3
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van Amerongen RA, Tuit S, Wouters AK, van de Meent M, Siekman SL, Meeuwsen MH, Wachsmann TLA, Remst DFG, Hagedoorn RS, van der Steen DM, de Ru AH, Verdegaal EME, van Veelen PA, Falkenburg JHF, Heemskerk MHM. PRAME and CTCFL-reactive TCRs for the treatment of ovarian cancer. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1121973. [PMID: 37026005 PMCID: PMC10070997 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1121973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Recurrent disease emerges in the majority of patients with ovarian cancer (OVCA). Adoptive T-cell therapies with T-cell receptors (TCRs) targeting tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) are considered promising solutions for less-immunogenic 'cold' ovarian tumors. In order to treat a broader patient population, more TCRs targeting peptides derived from different TAAs binding in various HLA class I molecules are essential. By performing a differential gene expression analysis using mRNA-seq datasets, PRAME, CTCFL and CLDN6 were selected as strictly tumor-specific TAAs, with high expression in ovarian cancer and at least 20-fold lower expression in all healthy tissues of risk. In primary OVCA patient samples and cell lines we confirmed expression and identified naturally expressed TAA-derived peptides in the HLA class I ligandome. Subsequently, high-avidity T-cell clones recognizing these peptides were isolated from the allo-HLA T-cell repertoire of healthy individuals. Three PRAME TCRs and one CTCFL TCR of the most promising T-cell clones were sequenced, and transferred to CD8+ T cells. The PRAME TCR-T cells demonstrated potent and specific antitumor reactivity in vitro and in vivo. The CTCFL TCR-T cells efficiently recognized primary patient-derived OVCA cells, and OVCA cell lines treated with demethylating agent 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (DAC). The identified PRAME and CTCFL TCRs are promising candidates for the treatment of patients with ovarian cancer, and are an essential addition to the currently used HLA-A*02:01 restricted PRAME TCRs. Our selection of differentially expressed genes, naturally expressed TAA peptides and potent TCRs can improve and broaden the use of T-cell therapies for patients with ovarian cancer or other PRAME or CTCFL expressing cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sander Tuit
- Department of Hematology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Anne K. Wouters
- Department of Hematology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Marian van de Meent
- Department of Hematology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Sterre L. Siekman
- Department of Hematology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Miranda H. Meeuwsen
- Department of Hematology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | | | - Dennis F. G. Remst
- Department of Hematology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Renate S. Hagedoorn
- Department of Hematology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | | | - Arnoud H. de Ru
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Els M. E. Verdegaal
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Peter A. van Veelen
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | | | - Mirjam H. M. Heemskerk
- Department of Hematology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Mirjam H. M. Heemskerk,
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4
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Hurkmans DP, Verdegaal EME, Hogan SA, de Wijn R, Hovestad L, van den Heuvel DMA, Ruijtenbeek R, Welters MJP, van Brakel M, Basak EA, Pinedo HM, Lamers CHJ, van de Werken HJG, Groten JP, Debets R, Levesque MP, Dummer R, Kapiteijn E, Mathijssen RHJ, Aerts JGJV, van der Burg SH. Blood-based kinase activity profiling: a potential predictor of response to immune checkpoint inhibition in metastatic cancer. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 8:jitc-2020-001607. [PMID: 33427690 PMCID: PMC7757459 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2020-001607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Many cancer patients do not obtain clinical benefit from immune checkpoint inhibition. Checkpoint blockade targets T cells, suggesting that tyrosine kinase activity profiling of baseline peripheral blood mononuclear cells may predict clinical outcome. Methods Here a total of 160 patients with advanced melanoma or non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), treated with anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (anti-CTLA-4) or anti-programmed cell death 1 (anti-PD-1), were divided into five discovery and cross-validation cohorts. The kinase activity profile was generated by analyzing phosphorylation of peripheral blood mononuclear cell lysates in a microarray comprising of 144 peptides derived from sites that are substrates for protein tyrosine kinases. Binary grouping into patients with or without clinical benefit was based on Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors V.1.1. Predictive models were trained using partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), performance of the models was evaluated by estimating the correct classification rate (CCR) using cross-validation. Results The kinase phosphorylation signatures segregated responders from non-responders by differences in canonical pathways governing T-cell migration, infiltration and co-stimulation. PLS-DA resulted in a CCR of 100% and 93% in the anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD1 melanoma discovery cohorts, respectively. Cross-validation cohorts to estimate the accuracy of the predictive models showed CCRs of 83% for anti-CTLA-4 and 78% or 68% for anti-PD-1 in melanoma or NSCLC, respectively. Conclusion Blood-based kinase activity profiling for response prediction to immune checkpoint inhibitors in melanoma and NSCLC revealed increased kinase activity in pathways associated with T-cell function and led to a classification model with a highly accurate classification rate in cross-validation groups. The predictive value of kinase activity profiling is prospectively verified in an ongoing trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daan P Hurkmans
- Department of Pulmonology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands .,Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Els M E Verdegaal
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Sabrina A Hogan
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rik de Wijn
- PamGene International B.V, HH 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands
| | - Lies Hovestad
- PamGene International B.V, HH 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands
| | | | - Rob Ruijtenbeek
- PamGene International B.V, HH 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands
| | - Marij J P Welters
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Mandy van Brakel
- Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Edwin A Basak
- Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Cor H J Lamers
- Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Harmen J G van de Werken
- Department of Urology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Cancer Computational Biology Center, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - John P Groten
- PamGene International B.V, HH 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands
| | - Reno Debets
- Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Reinhard Dummer
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ellen Kapiteijn
- Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ron H J Mathijssen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joachim G J V Aerts
- Department of Pulmonology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sjoerd H van der Burg
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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5
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van den Ende TC, Heuts JMM, Gential GPP, Visser M, van de Graaff MJ, Ho NI, Jiskoot W, Valentijn ARPM, Meeuwenoord NJ, Overkleeft HS, Codée JDC, van der Burg SH, Verdegaal EME, van der Marel GA, Ossendorp F, Filippov DV. Simplified Monopalmitoyl Toll-like Receptor 2 Ligand Mini-UPam for Self-Adjuvanting Neoantigen-Based Synthetic Cancer Vaccines. Chembiochem 2020; 22:1215-1222. [PMID: 33180981 PMCID: PMC8049070 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Synthetic vaccines, based on antigenic peptides that comprise MHC-I and MHC-II T-cell epitopes expressed by tumors, show great promise for the immunotherapy of cancer. For optimal immunogenicity, the synthetic peptides (SPs) should be adjuvanted with suitable immunostimulatory additives. Previously, we have shown that improved immunogenicity in vivo is obtained with vaccine modalities in which an SP is covalently connected to an adjuvanting moiety, typically a ligand to Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2). SPs were covalently attached to UPam, which is a derivative of the classic TLR2 ligand Pam3 CysSK4 . A disadvantage of the triply palmitoylated UPam is its high lipophilicity, which precludes universal adoption of this adjuvant for covalent modification of various antigenic peptides as it renders the synthetic vaccine insoluble in several cases. Here, we report a novel conjugatable TLR2 ligand, mini-UPam, which contains only one palmitoyl chain, rather than three, and therefore has less impact on the solubility and other physicochemical properties of a synthetic peptide. In this study, we used SPs that contain the clinically relevant neoepitopes identified in a melanoma patient who completely recovered after T-cell therapy. Homogeneous mini-UPam-SP conjugates have been prepared in good yields by stepwise solid-phase synthesis that employed a mini-UPam building block pre-prepared in solution and the standard set of Fmoc-amino acids. The immunogenicity of the novel mini-UPam-SP conjugates was demonstrated by using the cancer patient's T-cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C van den Ende
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen M M Heuts
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Geoffroy P P Gential
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marten Visser
- Department of Medical Oncology and Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Michel J van de Graaff
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Nataschja I Ho
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Wim Jiskoot
- Division of BioTherapeutics, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research (LACDR), Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - A Rob P M Valentijn
- Clinical Pharmacy and Toxicology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Nico J Meeuwenoord
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Herman S Overkleeft
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen D C Codée
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Sjoerd H van der Burg
- Department of Medical Oncology and Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Els M E Verdegaal
- Department of Medical Oncology and Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Gijsbert A van der Marel
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ferry Ossendorp
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Dmitri V Filippov
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands
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6
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van der Kooij MK, Verdegaal EME, Visser M, de Bruin L, van der Minne CE, Meij PM, Roozen ICFM, Jonker MA, van den Bosch S, Liefers GJ, Speetjens FM, van der Burg SH, Kapiteijn E. Phase I/II study protocol to assess safety and efficacy of adoptive cell therapy with anti-PD-1 plus low-dose pegylated-interferon-alpha in patients with metastatic melanoma refractory to standard of care treatments: the ACTME trial. BMJ Open 2020; 10:e044036. [PMID: 33234662 PMCID: PMC7689077 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Treatment with anti-PD-1 immunotherapy does not lead to long-lasting clinical responses in approximately 60% of patients with metastatic melanoma. These refractory patients, however, can still respond to treatment with tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) and interferon-alpha (IFNa). A combination of TIL, pegylated-interferon-alpha (PEG-IFNa) and anti-PD-1 is expected to provide a safe, feasible and effective therapy for patients with metastatic melanoma, who are refractory to standard of care treatment options. METHODS AND ANALYSIS Patients are treated in two phases. In phase I, the safety of the combination TIL and anti-PD-1 is assessed (cohort 1) according to CTCAE 4.03 criteria. Subsequently, the safety of cotreatment with PEG-IFNa is tested in cohort 2. The efficacy will be evaluated in the second phase of the trial. Efficacy is evaluated according to RECIST 1.1 and immune-related response criteria. Clinical and immunological parameters will be evaluated for their relation with clinical responsiveness. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Ethical approval of the trial was obtained from the Central Committee on Research Involving Human Subjects in the Netherlands. The trial results will be shared with the scientific community at (inter)national conferences and by publication in a peer-reviewed journal. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT03638375; Pre-results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique K van der Kooij
- Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Els M E Verdegaal
- Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marten Visser
- Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Linda de Bruin
- Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Caroline E van der Minne
- Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Pauline M Meij
- Clinical Pharmacy & Toxicology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Inge C F M Roozen
- Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Mare A Jonker
- Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Frank M Speetjens
- Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Sjoerd H van der Burg
- Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ellen Kapiteijn
- Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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7
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de Jong G, Bartels L, Kedde M, Verdegaal EME, Gillissen MA, Levie SE, Cercel MG, van Hal-van Veen SE, Fatmawati C, van de Berg D, Yasuda E, Claassen YB, Bakker AQ, van der Burg SH, Schotte R, Villaudy J, Spits H, Hazenberg MD, van Helden PM, Wagner K. Melanoma cells can be eliminated by sialylated CD43 × CD3 bispecific T cell engager formats in vitro and in vivo. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2020; 70:1569-1581. [PMID: 33225419 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-020-02780-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Targeted cancer therapy with monoclonal antibodies has proven successful for different cancer types but is limited by the availability of suitable antibody targets. CD43s, a unique sialylated form of CD43 expressed by hematologic malignancies, is a recently identified target and antibodies interacting with CD43s may have therapeutic potential against acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome. CD43s is recognized by the human antibody AT1413, that was derived from a high-risk AML patient who successfully cleared leukemia after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Here we observed that AT1413 binds also to certain non-hematopoietic tumor cells, particularly melanoma and breast cancer. AT1413 immune precipitated CD43s from melanoma cells confirming that it recognizes the same target on melanoma as on AML. AT1413 induced antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity against short-term cultured patient-derived melanoma samples. However, AT1413 was unable to affect the growth of melanoma cells in vivo. To increase the efficacy of AT1413 as a therapeutic antibody, we generated two different formats of bispecific T-cell engaging antibodies (TCEs): one binding bivalently (bTCE) and the other monovalently (knob-in-hole; KiH) to both CD43s and CD3ε. In vitro, these TCEs redirected T-cell cytotoxicity against melanoma cells with differences in potencies. To investigate their effects in vivo, we grafted mice that harbor a human immune system with the melanoma cell line A375. Treatment with both AT1413 bTCE and AT1413 KiH significantly reduced tumor outgrowth in these mice. These data indicate a broad therapeutic potential of AT1413 that includes AML and CD43s-expressing solid tumors that originate from CD43-negative tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- G de Jong
- AIMM Therapeutics, Meibergdreef 59, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Hematology, Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Cancer Center Amsterdam (CCA), Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute (AI&II), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - L Bartels
- AIMM Therapeutics, Meibergdreef 59, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute (AI&II), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M Kedde
- AIMM Therapeutics, Meibergdreef 59, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - E M E Verdegaal
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - M A Gillissen
- AIMM Therapeutics, Meibergdreef 59, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Hematology, Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Cancer Center Amsterdam (CCA), Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute (AI&II), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - S E Levie
- AIMM Therapeutics, Meibergdreef 59, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M G Cercel
- AIMM Therapeutics, Meibergdreef 59, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - C Fatmawati
- AIMM Therapeutics, Meibergdreef 59, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - D van de Berg
- AIMM Therapeutics, Meibergdreef 59, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - E Yasuda
- AIMM Therapeutics, Meibergdreef 59, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Y B Claassen
- AIMM Therapeutics, Meibergdreef 59, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - A Q Bakker
- AIMM Therapeutics, Meibergdreef 59, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - S H van der Burg
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - R Schotte
- AIMM Therapeutics, Meibergdreef 59, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - J Villaudy
- AIMM Therapeutics, Meibergdreef 59, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - H Spits
- AIMM Therapeutics, Meibergdreef 59, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute (AI&II), Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M D Hazenberg
- Department of Hematology, Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Cancer Center Amsterdam (CCA), Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute (AI&II), Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Hematopoiesis, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - P M van Helden
- AIMM Therapeutics, Meibergdreef 59, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - K Wagner
- AIMM Therapeutics, Meibergdreef 59, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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8
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van den Bulk J, Verdegaal EME, Ruano D, Ijsselsteijn ME, Visser M, van der Breggen R, Duhen T, van der Ploeg M, de Vries NL, Oosting J, Peeters KCMJ, Weinberg AD, Farina-Sarasqueta A, van der Burg SH, de Miranda NFCC. Neoantigen-specific immunity in low mutation burden colorectal cancers of the consensus molecular subtype 4. Genome Med 2019; 11:87. [PMID: 31888734 PMCID: PMC6938004 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-019-0697-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [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: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The efficacy of checkpoint blockade immunotherapies in colorectal cancer is currently restricted to a minority of patients diagnosed with mismatch repair-deficient tumors having high mutation burden. However, this observation does not exclude the existence of neoantigen-specific T cells in colorectal cancers with low mutation burden and the exploitation of their anti-cancer potential for immunotherapy. Therefore, we investigated whether autologous neoantigen-specific T cell responses could also be observed in patients diagnosed with mismatch repair-proficient colorectal cancers. Methods Whole-exome and transcriptome sequencing were performed on cancer and normal tissues from seven colorectal cancer patients diagnosed with mismatch repair-proficient tumors to detect putative neoantigens. Corresponding neo-epitopes were synthesized and tested for recognition by in vitro expanded T cells that were isolated from tumor tissues (tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes) and from peripheral mononuclear blood cells stimulated with tumor material. Results Neoantigen-specific T cell reactivity was detected to several neo-epitopes in the tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes of three patients while their respective cancers expressed 15, 21, and 30 non-synonymous variants. Cell sorting of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes based on the co-expression of CD39 and CD103 pinpointed the presence of neoantigen-specific T cells in the CD39+CD103+ T cell subset. Strikingly, the tumors containing neoantigen-reactive TIL were classified as consensus molecular subtype 4 (CMS4), which is associated with TGF-β pathway activation and worse clinical outcome. Conclusions We have detected neoantigen-targeted reactivity by autologous T cells in mismatch repair-proficient colorectal cancers of the CMS4 subtype. These findings warrant the development of specific immunotherapeutic strategies that selectively boost the activity of neoantigen-specific T cells and target the TGF-β pathway to reinforce T cell reactivity in this patient group.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dina Ruano
- Pathology, LUMC, Postbus 9600, 2300 RC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Marten Visser
- Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, LUMC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | - Jan Oosting
- Pathology, LUMC, Postbus 9600, 2300 RC, Leiden, The Netherlands
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9
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de Moel EC, Rozeman EA, Kapiteijn EH, Verdegaal EME, Grummels A, Bakker JA, Huizinga TWJ, Haanen JB, Toes REM, van der Woude D. Autoantibody Development under Treatment with Immune-Checkpoint Inhibitors. Cancer Immunol Res 2018; 7:6-11. [PMID: 30425107 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-18-0245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Revised: 07/03/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) activate the immune system to assault cancer cells in a manner that is not antigen specific. We hypothesized that tolerance may also be broken to autoantigens, resulting in autoantibody formation, which could be associated with immune-related adverse events (irAEs) and antitumor efficacy. Twenty-three common clinical autoantibodies in pre- and posttreatment sera from 133 ipilimumab-treated melanoma patients were determined, and their development linked to the occurrence of irAEs, best overall response, and survival. Autoantibodies developed in 19.2% (19/99) of patients who were autoantibody-negative pretreatment. A nonsignificant association was observed between development of any autoantibodies and any irAEs [OR, 2.92; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.85-10.01]. Patients with antithyroid antibodies after ipilimumab had significantly more thyroid dysfunction under subsequent anti-PD-1 therapy: 7/11 (54.6%) patients with antithyroid antibodies after ipilimumab developed thyroid dysfunction under anti-PD1 versus 7/49 (14.3%) patients without antibodies (OR, 9.96; 95% CI, 1.94-51.1). Patients who developed autoantibodies showed a trend for better survival (HR for all-cause death: 0.66; 95% CI, 0.34-1.26) and therapy response (OR, 2.64; 95% CI, 0.85-8.16). We conclude that autoantibodies develop under ipilimumab treatment and could be a potential marker of ICI toxicity and efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma C de Moel
- Department of Rheumatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | | | - Ellen H Kapiteijn
- Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Els M E Verdegaal
- Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Annette Grummels
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Jaap A Bakker
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Tom W J Huizinga
- Department of Rheumatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - John B Haanen
- Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - René E M Toes
- Department of Rheumatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Diane van der Woude
- Department of Rheumatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
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10
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Marijt KA, Blijleven L, Verdegaal EME, Kester MG, Kowalewski DJ, Rammensee HG, Stevanović S, Heemskerk MHM, van der Burg SH, van Hall T. Identification of non-mutated neoantigens presented by TAP-deficient tumors. J Exp Med 2018; 215:2325-2337. [PMID: 30115740 PMCID: PMC6122969 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20180577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Revised: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
A hybrid forward-reversed immunological screen is performed to identify 16 novel HLA-A2 presented cancer antigens. These peptides are selectively presented by immune-escaped cancer cells with defects in the peptide transporter TAP. In contrast to mutated neoantigens, these “self” neoantigens are universally presented across different cancer types. Most T cell–based immunotherapies of cancer depend on intact antigen presentation by HLA class I molecules (HLA-I). However, defects in the antigen-processing machinery can cause downregulation of HLA-I, rendering tumor cells resistant to CD8+ T cells. Previously, we demonstrated that a unique category of cancer antigens is selectively presented by tumor cells deficient for the peptide transporter TAP, enabling a specific attack of such tumors without causing immunopathology in mouse models. With a novel combinatorial screening approach, we now identify 16 antigens of this category in humans. These HLA-A*02:01 presented peptides do not derive from the mutanome of cancers, but are of “self” origin and therefore constitute universal neoantigens. Indeed, CD8+ T cells specific for the leader peptide of the ubiquitously expressed LRPAP1 protein recognized TAP-deficient, HLA-Ilow lymphomas, melanomas, and renal and colon carcinomas, but not healthy counterparts. In contrast to personalized mutanome-targeted therapies, these conserved neoantigens and their cognate receptors can be exploited for immune-escaped cancers across diverse histological origins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koen A Marijt
- Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Laura Blijleven
- Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Els M E Verdegaal
- Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Michel G Kester
- Department of Hematology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Daniel J Kowalewski
- Department of Immunology, Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium, German Cancer Research Center, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Hans-Georg Rammensee
- Department of Immunology, Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium, German Cancer Research Center, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Stevanović
- Department of Immunology, Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium, German Cancer Research Center, Tübingen, Germany
| | | | - Sjoerd H van der Burg
- Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Thorbald van Hall
- Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
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11
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Verdegaal EME, van der Burg SH. The Potential and Challenges of Exploiting the Vast But Dynamic Neoepitope Landscape for Immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2017; 8:1113. [PMID: 28959257 PMCID: PMC5604073 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [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: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 08/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Somatic non-synonymous mutations in the DNA of tumor cells may result in the presentation of tumor-specific peptides to T cells. The recognition of these so-called neoepitopes now has been firmly linked to the clinical success of checkpoint blockade and adoptive T cell therapy. Following proof-of-principle studies in preclinical models there was a surge of strategies to identify and exploit genetically defined clonally expressed neoepitopes. These approaches assume that neoepitope availability remains stable during tumor progression but tumor genetics has taught us otherwise. Under the pressure of the immune system, neoepitope expression dynamically evolves rendering neoepitope specific T cells ineffective. This implies that the immunotherapeutic strategy applied should be flexible in order to cope with these changes and/or aiming at a broad range of epitopes to prevent the development of escape variants. Here, we will address the heterogeneous and dynamic expression of neoepitopes and describe our perspective and demonstrate possibilities how to further exploit the clinical potential of the neoepitope repertoire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Els M E Verdegaal
- Experimental Cancer Immunology and Therapy Group, Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Sjoerd H van der Burg
- Experimental Cancer Immunology and Therapy Group, Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden, Netherlands
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12
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Melief SM, Visconti VV, Visser M, van Diepen M, Kapiteijn EHW, van den Berg JH, Haanen JBAG, Smit VTHBM, Oosting J, van der Burg SH, Verdegaal EME. Long-term Survival and Clinical Benefit from Adoptive T-cell Transfer in Stage IV Melanoma Patients Is Determined by a Four-Parameter Tumor Immune Signature. Cancer Immunol Res 2017; 5:170-179. [PMID: 28073773 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-16-0288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2016] [Revised: 12/09/2016] [Accepted: 12/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The presence of tumor-infiltrating immune cells is associated with longer survival and a better response to immunotherapy in early-stage melanoma, but a comprehensive study of the in situ immune microenvironment in stage IV melanoma has not been performed. We investigated the combined influence of a series of immune factors on survival and response to adoptive cell transfer (ACT) in stage IV melanoma patients. Metastases of 73 stage IV melanoma patients, 17 of which were treated with ACT, were studied with respect to the number and functional phenotype of lymphocytes and myeloid cells as well as for expression of galectins-1, -3, and -9. Single factors associated with better survival were identified using Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariate Cox regression analyses, and those factors were used for interaction analyses. The results were validated using The Cancer Genome Atlas database. We identified four parameters that were associated with a better survival: CD8+ T cells, galectin-9+ dendritic cells (DC)/DC-like macrophages, a high M1/M2 macrophage ratio, and the expression of galectin-3 by tumor cells. The presence of at least three of these parameters formed an independent positive prognostic factor for long-term survival. Patients displaying this four-parameter signature were found exclusively among patients responding to ACT and were the ones with sustained clinical benefit. Cancer Immunol Res; 5(2); 170-9. ©2017 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara M Melief
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Valeria V Visconti
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Marten Visser
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Merel van Diepen
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Ellen H W Kapiteijn
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Joost H van den Berg
- Division of Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - John B A G Haanen
- Division of Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Vincent T H B M Smit
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Jan Oosting
- Bioinformatics Center of Expertise, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Sjoerd H van der Burg
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Els M E Verdegaal
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
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13
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Linnemann C, van Buuren MM, Bies L, Verdegaal EME, Schotte R, Calis JJA, Behjati S, Velds A, Hilkmann H, El Atmioui D, Visser M, Stratton MR, Haanen JBAG, Spits H, van der Burg SH, Schumacher TNM. Corrigendum: High-throughput epitope discovery reveals frequent recognition of neo-antigens by CD4 + T cells in human melanoma. Nat Med 2016; 22:1192. [PMID: 27711057 DOI: 10.1038/nm1016-1192d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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14
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Verdegaal EME. Adoptive cell therapy: a highly successful individualized therapy for melanoma with great potential for other malignancies. Curr Opin Immunol 2016; 39:90-5. [PMID: 26829458 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2016.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2015] [Revised: 12/29/2015] [Accepted: 01/11/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) by infusion of autologous or redirected tumor-specific T-cells has had a major impact on the treatment of several metastasized malignancies that were until now hardly treatable. Recent findings provide a more profound knowledge on the underlying mechanisms of success and allow the optimization of the ACT protocol with respect to (1) the treatment related side-effects, (2) the quality and specificity of infused T-cells, and (3) the immunosuppressive phenotype of the tumor environment. In this review, the results and insights in the success of ACT as well as the possibilities to improve ACT and its exploitation as treatment option for various metastatic cancer types, will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Els M E Verdegaal
- Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands.
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15
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Linnemann C, van Buuren MM, Bies L, Verdegaal EME, Schotte R, Calis JJA, Behjati S, Velds A, Hilkmann H, Atmioui DE, Visser M, Stratton MR, Haanen JBAG, Spits H, van der Burg SH, Schumacher TNM. High-throughput epitope discovery reveals frequent recognition of neo-antigens by CD4+ T cells in human melanoma. Nat Med 2014; 21:81-5. [PMID: 25531942 DOI: 10.1038/nm.3773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 518] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2014] [Accepted: 11/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Tumor-specific neo-antigens that arise as a consequence of mutations are thought to be important for the therapeutic efficacy of cancer immunotherapies. Accumulating evidence suggests that neo-antigens may be commonly recognized by intratumoral CD8+ T cells, but it is unclear whether neo-antigen-specific CD4+ T cells also frequently reside within human tumors. In view of the accepted role of tumor-specific CD4+ T-cell responses in tumor control, we addressed whether neo-antigen-specific CD4+ T-cell reactivity is a common property in human melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten Linnemann
- Division of Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marit M van Buuren
- Division of Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Laura Bies
- Division of Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Els M E Verdegaal
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | - Jorg J A Calis
- Division of Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Sam Behjati
- Cancer Genome Project, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Arno Velds
- Central Genomics Facility, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Henk Hilkmann
- Peptide Synthesis Facility, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Dris El Atmioui
- Peptide Synthesis Facility, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marten Visser
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Michael R Stratton
- Cancer Genome Project, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - John B A G Haanen
- 1] Division of Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. [2] Division of Medical Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Hergen Spits
- AIMM Therapeutics B.V., Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Sjoerd H van der Burg
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Ton N M Schumacher
- Division of Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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16
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Kaplon J, Hömig-Hölzel C, Gao L, Meissl K, Verdegaal EME, van der Burg SH, van Doorn R, Peeper DS. Near-genomewide RNAi screening for regulators of BRAF(V600E) -induced senescence identifies RASEF, a gene epigenetically silenced in melanoma. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 2014; 27:640-52. [PMID: 24703243 DOI: 10.1111/pcmr.12248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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: 10/02/2013] [Accepted: 04/02/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The activation of oncogenes in primary cells blocks proliferation by inducing oncogene-induced senescence (OIS), a highly potent in vivo tumor-suppressing program. A prime example is mutant BRAF, which drives OIS in melanocytic nevi. Progression to melanoma occurs only in the context of additional alteration(s) like the suppression of PTEN, which abrogates OIS. Here, we performed a near-genomewide short hairpin (sh)RNA screen for novel OIS regulators and identified by next generation sequencing and functional validation seven genes. While all but one were upregulated in OIS, depletion of each of them abrogated BRAF(V) (600E) -induced arrest. With genome-wide DNA methylation analysis, we found one of these genes, RASEF, to be hypermethylated in primary cutaneous melanomas but not nevi. Bypass of OIS by depletion of RASEF was associated with suppression of several senescence biomarkers including senescence-associated (SA)-β-galactosidase activity, interleukins, and tumor suppressor p15(INK) (4B) . Restoration of RASEF expression inhibited proliferation. These results illustrate the power of shRNA OIS bypass screens and identify a potential novel melanoma suppressor gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Kaplon
- Division of Molecular Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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17
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Gao L, Smit MA, van den Oord JJ, Goeman JJ, Verdegaal EME, van der Burg SH, Stas M, Beck S, Gruis NA, Tensen CP, Willemze R, Peeper DS, van Doorn R. Genome-wide promoter methylation analysis identifies epigenetic silencing of MAPK13 in primary cutaneous melanoma. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 2013; 26:542-54. [PMID: 23590314 DOI: 10.1111/pcmr.12096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2012] [Accepted: 03/11/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The involvement of epigenetic alterations in the pathogenesis of melanoma is increasingly recognized. Here, we performed genome-wide DNA methylation analysis of primary cutaneous melanoma and benign melanocytic nevus interrogating 14 495 genes using BeadChip technology. This genome-wide view of promoter methylation in primary cutaneous melanoma revealed an array of recurrent DNA methylation alterations with potential diagnostic applications. Among 106 frequently hypermethylated genes, there were many novel methylation targets and tumor suppressor genes. Highly recurrent methylation of the HOXA9, MAPK13, CDH11, PLEKHG6, PPP1R3C, and CLDN11 genes was established. Promoter methylation of MAPK13, encoding p38δ, was present in 67% of primary and 85% of metastatic melanomas. Restoration of MAPK13 expression in melanoma cells exhibiting epigenetic silencing of this gene reduced proliferation, indicative of tumor suppressive functions. This study demonstrates that DNA methylation alterations are widespread in melanoma and suggests that epigenetic silencing of MAPK13 contributes to melanoma progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Gao
- Department of Dermatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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18
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de Paus RA, van Wengen A, Schmidt I, Visser M, Verdegaal EME, van Dissel JT, van de Vosse E. Inhibition of the type I immune responses of human monocytes by IFN-α and IFN-β. Cytokine 2013; 61:645-55. [PMID: 23299081 DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2012.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2012] [Revised: 11/02/2012] [Accepted: 12/07/2012] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Interleukin-12 (IL-12), IL-23 and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) are pivotal cytokines acting in concert with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and IL-1β to shape type I immune responses against bacterial pathogens. Recently, several groups reported that type I immunity can be inhibited by IFN-α/β. Here we show the extent of the inhibitory effects of IFN-α and IFN-β on the responsiveness of human monocytes to Toll like receptor-ligands and IFN-γ. Both IFN-α and IFN-β strongly reduced the production of IL-12p40, IL-1β and TNF and the IFN-γ induced CD54 and CD64 expression. High IFN-γ concentrations could not counterbalance the inhibitions and IFN-α still inhibited monocytes 24h after stimulation in vitro as well as in vivo in patients undergoing IFN-α treatment. Next, we explored the mechanism of inhibition. We confirm that IFN-α/β interferes with the IFN-γR1 expression, by studying the kinetics of IFN-γR1 downregulation. However, IFN-γR1 downregulation occurred only after two hours of IFN-α/β stimulation and was transient, which cannot explain the IFN-γ unresponsiveness observed directly and late after IFN-α/β stimulation. Additional experiments indeed indicate that other mechanisms are involved. IFN-α may interfere with IFN-γ-elicited phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1). IFN-α may also activate methyltransferases which in turn reduce, at least partly, the TNF and IL-1β production and CD54 expression. IFN-α also induces the protein inhibitor of activated STAT1 (PIAS1). In conclusion, IFN-α and IFN-β strongly inhibit the IFN-γ responsiveness and the production of type I cytokines of monocytes, probably via various mechanisms. Our findings indicate that IFN-α/β play a significant role in the immunopathogenesis of bacterial infections, for example Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roelof A de Paus
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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19
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Qin Y, Verdegaal EME, Siderius M, Bebelman JP, Smit MJ, Leurs R, Willemze R, Tensen CP, Osanto S. Quantitative expression profiling of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in metastatic melanoma: the constitutively active orphan GPCR GPR18 as novel drug target. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 2010; 24:207-18. [PMID: 20880198 DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-148x.2010.00781.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) have been implicated in the tumorigenesis and metastasis of human cancers and are considered amongst the most desirable targets for drug development. Utilizing a robust quantitative PCR array, we quantified expression of 94 human GPCRs, including 75 orphan GPCRs and 19 chemokine receptors, and 36 chemokine ligands, in 40 melanoma metastases from different individuals and benign nevi. Inter-metastatic site comparison revealed that orphan GPR174 and CCL28 are statistically significantly overexpressed in subcutaneous metastases, while P2RY5 is overexpressed in brain metastases. Comparison between metastases (all three metastatic sites) and benign nevi revealed that 16 genes, including six orphan receptors (GPR18, GPR34, GPR119, GPR160, GPR183 and P2RY10) and chemokine receptors CCR5, CXCR4, and CXCR6, were statistically significantly differentially expressed. Subsequent functional experiments in yeast and melanoma cells indicate that GPR18, the most abundantly overexpressed orphan GPCR in all melanoma metastases, is constitutively active and inhibits apoptosis, indicating an important role for GPR18 in tumor cell survival. GPR18 and five other orphan GPCRs with yet unknown biological function may be considered potential novel anticancer targets in metastatic melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Qin
- Department of Dermatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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