Combining oncolytic immunotherapy with conventional cancer treatments
Year: 2015
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Cancer remains a major cause of death and novel treatment modalities are needed. Oncolytic immunotherapy is a safe and promising approach, where cancer-selective viruses kill only cancer cells and mount an immune response against the tumor. We aimed to improve oncolytic adenoviral immunotherapy by combining it with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and by identifying resistance mechanisms and biomarkers. We first showed that combining radiotherapy with adenoviral vector proteins E4orf3 and E4orf6, but not E1B55K, enhanced DNA damage accumulation and cancer cell killing, and inhibited prostate tumor growth in mice. This intrinsic ability of adenoviruses to radiosensitize cells could be harnessed against cancer cells by selective targeting, thus increasing efficacy while reducing the harmful side-effects of radiotherapy. In study two, we established two ovarian cancer mouse models, where tumors relapse despite the presence of functional oncolytic adenovirus, with tumor stroma maintaining the virus resistance. We identified upregulated interferon signaling in the resistant tumors by microarray, while pathway analyses suggested potential therapeutic targets, and myxovirus resistance protein A (MxA) was found a protein level indicator correlating with resistance to virus. Our results provide a putative biomarker and targets, which can help in detecting and overcoming resistance against oncolytic adenovirus. Antitumor T-cell activation appears to require autophagy and immunogenic cell death (ICD). In a translational study, we demonstrated preclinically that oncolytic adenovirus together with low-dose temozolomide and cyclophosphamide increased ICD and autophagy, resulting in tumor growth inhibition. Combination therapy was found safe in 41 treatments given to patients with refractory solid tumors in the context of an advanced therapy access program (ATAP). Increase of an ICD marker protein high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) and antitumor T-cell activity suggested activation of immune responses. Disease stabilization or better was observed in 67% of evaluable treatments, and as an estimated effect on survival, combination-treated patients trended for increased overall survival over non-randomized control patients. Biomarkers are urgently needed for identification of cancer patients likely to benefit from immunotherapy. Because HMGB1 protein is emerging a key player in immunomodulation, we addressed the biomarker value of HMGB1 serum level in an ATAP cohort of 202 cancer patients treated with oncolytic adenoviruses: Patients with low-baseline HMGB1 showed significantly improved overall survival and disease control rate in multivariate analyses as compared to high-baseline patients. Both patient groups showed good safety. HMGB1-low patients seemed to benefit from immunogenic virus constructs and antitumor T-cell activity. Thus, we have identified HMGB1 as a novel prognostic and predictive biomarker for oncolytic immunotherapy, which may distinguish between immunologically inert and responsive cancer patients. This thesis provides rationale for combining oncolytic adenoviruses with radiotherapy, low-dose temozolomide and cyclophosphamide. We report safety, possible signs of efficacy, and immunological effects in altogether 238 patient treatments, and introduce promising biomarkers for oncolytic immunotherapy. Our results can help in designing clinical trials and developing oncolytic adenovirus treatments.
Source: Työväentutkimus Vuosikirja
Author: Ilkka Liikanen
Language: English
Subfield: Genetics
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1481876294