-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: BackgroundAn oncolytic herpes simplex virus engineered to replicate selectively in tumor cells and to express granulocyte–macrophage
colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) was tested as a direct intralesional vaccination in melanoma patients. The work reported
herein was performed to better characterize the effect of vaccination on local and distant antitumor immunity.
MethodsMetastatic melanoma patients with accessible lesions were enrolled in a multicenter 50-patient phase II clinical trial of
an oncolytic herpesvirus encoding GM-CSF (OncovexGM-CSF). An initial priming dose of 106 pfu vaccine was given by intratumoral injection, followed by 108 pfu every 2weeks to 24 total doses. Peripheral blood and tumor tissue were collected for analysis of effector T cells, CD4+FoxP3+ regulatory T cells (Treg), CD8+FoxP3+ suppressor T cells (Ts), and myeloid-derived suppressive cells (MDSC).
ResultsPhenotypic analysis of T cells derived from tumor samples suggested distinct differences from peripheral blood T cells. There
was an increase in melanoma-associated antigen recognized by T cells (MART-1)-specific T cells in tumors undergoing regression
after vaccination compared with T cells derived from melanoma patients not treated with vaccine. There was also a significant
decrease in Treg and Ts cells in injected lesions compared with noninjected lesions in the same and different melanoma patients.
Similarly MDSC were increased in melanoma lesions but underwent a significant decrease only in vaccinated lesions.
ConclusionsMelanoma patients present with elevated levels of Tregs, Ts, and MDSC within established tumors. Direct injection of OncovexGM-CSF induces local and systemic antigen-specific T cell responses and decreases Treg, Ts, and MDSC in patients exhibiting therapeutic
responses.
Annals of Surgical Oncology 04/2012; 17(3):718-730. · 4.17 Impact Factor
-
Marianna Sabatino,
Seunghee Kim-Schulze,
Monica C Panelli,
David Stroncek,
Ena Wang,
Bret Taback,
Dae Won Kim, Gail Deraffele,
Zoltan Pos,
Francesco M Marincola,
Howard L Kaufman
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: High-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2) induces durable therapeutic responses in a small subset of patients with metastatic melanoma and renal cell carcinoma, but simple pretreatment predictors of response have not been identified.
To identify predictive biomarkers of clinical response, sera from patients treated with high-dose IL-2 were collected for analysis using a customized, multiplex antibody-targeted protein array platform that surveyed expression of soluble factors associated with tumor immunobiology. Soluble factors associated with clinical responses were analyzed using a multivariate permutation test, and survival outcomes were determined using Kaplan-Meier and log-rank tests.
A training set from 10 patients identified 68 potentially relevant soluble factors that were then tested in an independent validation set of 49 patients. Class comparison revealed a cluster of 11 biomarkers that were associated with therapeutic outcome. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and fibronectin were identified as independent predictors of response. In particular, high levels of these proteins were correlated with lack of clinical response and decreased overall survival.
Serum VEGF and fibronectin are easily measured pretreatment biomarkers that could serve to exclude patients unlikely to respond to IL-2 therapy.
Journal of Clinical Oncology 05/2009; 27(16):2645-52. · 18.37 Impact Factor
-
Howard L Kaufman,
Bret Taback,
William Sherman,
Dae Won Kim,
William H Shingler,
Dorota Moroziewicz, Gail DeRaffele,
Josephine Mitcham,
Miles W Carroll,
Richard Harrop,
Stuart Naylor,
Seunghee Kim-Schulze
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Interleukin-2 (IL-2) induces durable objective responses in a small cohort of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) but the antigen(s) responsible for tumor rejection are not known. 5T4 is a non-secreted membrane glycoprotein expressed on clear cell and papillary RCCs. A modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) encoding 5T4 was tested in combination with high-dose IL-2 to determine the safety, objective response rate and effect on humoral and cell-mediated immunity.
25 patients with metastatic RCC who qualified for IL-2 were eligible and received three immunizations every three weeks followed by IL-2 (600,000 IU/kg) after the second and third vaccinations. Blood was collected for analysis of humoral, effector and regulatory T cell responses.
There were no serious vaccine-related adverse events. While no objective responses were observed, three patients (12%) were rendered disease-free after nephrectomy or resection of residual metastatic disease. Twelve patients (48%) had stable disease which was associated with improved median overall survival compared to patients with progressive disease (not reached vs. 28 months, p = 0.0261). All patients developed 5T4-specific antibody responses and 13 patients had an increase in 5T4-specific T cell responses. Although the baseline frequency of Tregs was elevated in all patients, those with stable disease showed a trend toward increased effector CD8+ T cells and a decrease in Tregs.
Vaccination with MVA-5T4 did not improve objective response rates of IL-2 therapy but did result in stable disease associated with an increase in the ratio of 5T4-specific effector to regulatory T cells in selected patients.
ISRCTN83977250.
Journal of Translational Medicine 02/2009; 7:2. · 3.41 Impact Factor
-
Howard Kaufman,
Bret Taback,
William Sherman,
Dae Kim,
William Shingler,
Dorota Moroziewicz, Gail DeRaffele,
Josephine Mitcham,
Miles Carroll,
Richard Harrop,
Stuart Naylor,
Seunghee Kim-Schulze
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Abstract
Background
Interleukin-2 (IL-2) induces durable objective responses in a small cohort of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) but the antigen(s) responsible for tumor rejection are not known. 5T4 is a non-secreted membrane glycoprotein expressed on clear cell and papillary RCCs. A modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) encoding 5T4 was tested in combination with high-dose IL-2 to determine the safety, objective response rate and effect on humoral and cell-mediated immunity.
Methods
25 patients with metastatic RCC who qualified for IL-2 were eligible and received three immunizations every three weeks followed by IL-2 (600,000 IU/kg) after the second and third vaccinations. Blood was collected for analysis of humoral, effector and regulatory T cell responses.
Results
There were no serious vaccine-related adverse events. While no objective responses were observed, three patients (12%) were rendered disease-free after nephrectomy or resection of residual metastatic disease. Twelve patients (48%) had stable disease which was associated with improved median overall survival compared to patients with progressive disease (not reached vs. 28 months, p = 0.0261). All patients developed 5T4-specific antibody responses and 13 patients had an increase in 5T4-specific T cell responses. Although the baseline frequency of Tregs was elevated in all patients, those with stable disease showed a trend toward increased effector CD8+ T cells and a decrease in Tregs.
Conclusion
V accination with MVA-5T4 did not improve objective response rates of IL-2 therapy but did result in stable disease associated with an increase in the ratio of 5T4-specific effector to regulatory T cells in selected patients.
Trial registration number
ISRCTN83977250
Journal of Translational Medicine. 01/2009;
-
12/2007: pages 431-452;
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: An open-label Phase 1 study of recombinant prime-boost poxviruses targeting CEA and MUC-1 in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer was conducted to determine safety, tolerability and obtain preliminary data on immune response and survival.
Ten patients with advanced pancreatic cancer were treated on a Phase I clinical trial. The vaccination regimen consisted of vaccinia virus expressing tumor antigens carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and mucin-1 (MUC-1) with three costimulatory molecules B7.1, ICAM-1 and LFA-3 (TRICOM) (PANVAC-V) and fowlpox virus expressing the same antigens and costimulatory molecules (PANVAC-F). Patients were primed with PANVAC-V followed by three booster vaccinations using PANVAC-F. Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) was used as a local adjuvant after each vaccination and for 3 consecutive days thereafter. Monthly booster vaccinations for up to 12 months were provided for patients without progressive disease. Peripheral blood was collected before, during and after vaccinations for immune analysis.
The most common treatment-related adverse events were mild injection-site reactions. Antibody responses against vaccinia virus was observed in all 10 patients and antigen-specific T cell responses were observed in 5 out of 8 evaluable patients (62.5%). Median overall survival was 6.3 months and a significant increase in overall survival was noted in patients who generated anti CEA- and/or MUC-1-specific immune responses compared with those who did not (15.1 vs 3.9 months, respectively; P = .002).
Poxvirus vaccination is safe, well tolerated, and capable of generating antigen-specific immune responses in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.
Journal of Translational Medicine 02/2007; 5:60. · 3.41 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Abstract
Purpose
An open-label Phase 1 study of recombinant prime-boost poxviruses targeting CEA and MUC-1 in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer was conducted to determine safety, tolerability and obtain preliminary data on immune response and survival.
Patients and methods
Ten patients with advanced pancreatic cancer were treated on a Phase I clinical trial. The vaccination regimen consisted of vaccinia virus expressing tumor antigens carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and mucin-1 (MUC-1) with three costimulatory molecules B7.1, ICAM-1 and LFA-3 (TRICOM) (PANVAC-V) and fowlpox virus expressing the same antigens and costimulatory molecules (PANVAC-F). Patients were primed with PANVAC-V followed by three booster vaccinations using PANVAC-F. Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) was used as a local adjuvant after each vaccination and for 3 consecutive days thereafter. Monthly booster vaccinations for up to 12 months were provided for patients without progressive disease. Peripheral blood was collected before, during and after vaccinations for immune analysis.
Results
The most common treatment-related adverse events were mild injection-site reactions. Antibody responses against vaccinia virus was observed in all 10 patients and antigen-specific T cell responses were observed in 5 out of 8 evaluable patients (62.5%). Median overall survival was 6.3 months and a significant increase in overall survival was noted in patients who generated anti CEA- and/or MUC-1-specific immune responses compared with those who did not (15.1 vs 3.9 months, respectively; P = .002).
Conclusion
Poxvirus vaccination is safe, well tolerated, and capable of generating antigen-specific immune responses in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.
Journal of Translational Medicine. 01/2007;
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: To characterize the number and functional status of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) in patients with metastatic melanoma (MM) and renal cell carcinoma (RCC) treated with high-dose bolus interleukin-2 (IL-2).
Patients with MM or RCC treated with high-dose bolus IL-2 (600,000 IU/kg every 8 hours) at a single center provided pre- and post-treatment whole blood specimens. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated by Ficoll density gradient centrifugation, separated into cellular subsets, and analyzed by flow cytometry or used for in vitro proliferation assays.
Between September 2003 and July 2005 57 patients were enrolled in the study with 48 patients available for analysis (45 MM, 12 RCC). Tregs were defined as CD4+CD25(hi) T cells, and this subset was significantly elevated in the cancer patients compared with normal donors (7.75% v 2.24%). The CD4(+)CD25(hi) T-cell pool in the patients constitutively expressed intracellular FoxP3, CTLA-4, and produced high amounts of IL-10. The Tregs were CCR7+ with 50% representing naïve and 50% central-memory T cells. The cells were functionally suppressive in mixed in vitro proliferation assays. Following IL-2 administration, the number and frequency of Tregs increased in patients with progressive disease but returned to normal levels in patients with objective clinical responses.
The number of Tregs, defined as CD4+CD25(hi) T cells is increased in patients with MM and RCC. High-dose IL-2 resulted in a significant decrease of Tregs in those patients achieving an objective clinical response to IL-2 therapy.
Journal of Clinical Oncology 04/2006; 24(7):1169-77. · 18.37 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Successful immunotherapy of established tumors depends on overcoming the suppressive influence of the local tumor microenvironment. The direct injection of vaccinia virus expressing the B7.1 (CD80) costimulatory molecule into melanoma lesions resulted in local and systemic immunity with associated clinical responses. Therefore, we sought to evaluate the effects of a vaccinia virus expressing three costimulatory molecules, B7.1, ICAM-1, and LFA-3 (rV-TRICOM), in patients with metastatic melanoma. A standard dose escalation phase I clinical trial was performed. Thirteen patients were enrolled and 12 were available for follow-up. Local vaccination was feasible, with only low-grade injection site reactions associated with mild fatigue and myalgia reported. There was one occurrence of grade 1 vitiligo. Overall there was a 30.7% objective clinical response, with one patient achieving a complete response for more than 22 months. An inverse association was detected between anti-vaccinia antibody and anti-vaccinia T cell responses. Patients who failed to respond to vaccination but received high-dose interleukin-2 had a trend toward improved survival. Collectively, these results confirm the safety profile and feasibility of direct injection of vaccinia virus expressing multiple costimulatory molecules in patients with established tumors. Further clinical investigation is needed to better define the role of antigen, adjuvant cytokines, costimulation, and cross-presentation in the host immune response to local vaccination with vaccinia viruses expressing immunomodulatory molecules.
Human Gene Therapy 03/2006; 17(2):239-44. · 4.22 Impact Factor
-
Canadian journal of surgery. Journal canadien de chirurgie 11/2005; 48(5):416-7. · 1.05 Impact Factor
-
Howard L Kaufman, Gail Deraffele,
Josephine Mitcham,
Dorota Moroziewicz,
Seth M Cohen,
Karl S Hurst-Wicker,
Ken Cheung,
David S Lee,
Joseph Divito,
Magalese Voulo,
Julie Donovan,
Kate Dolan,
Kelledy Manson,
Dennis Panicali,
Ena Wang,
Heidi Hörig,
Francesco M Marincola
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Immunotherapy for the treatment of metastatic melanoma remains a major clinical challenge. The melanoma microenvironment may lead to local T cell tolerance in part through downregulation of costimulatory molecules, such as B7.1 (CD80). We report the results from the first clinical trial, to our knowledge, using a recombinant vaccinia virus expressing B7.1 (rV-B7.1) for monthly intralesional vaccination of accessible melanoma lesions. A standard 2-dose-escalation phase I clinical trial was conducted with 12 patients. The approach was well tolerated with only low-grade fever, myalgias, and fatigue reported and 2 patients experiencing vitiligo. An objective partial response was observed in 1 patient and disease stabilization in 2 patients, 1 of whom is alive without disease 59 months following vaccination. All patients demonstrated an increase in postvaccination antibody and T cell responses against vaccinia virus. Systemic immunity was tested in HLA-A*0201 patients who demonstrated an increased frequency of gp100 and T cells specific to melanoma antigen recognized by T cells 1 (MART-1), also known as Melan-A, by ELISPOT assay following local rV-B7.1 vaccination. Local immunity was evaluated by quantitative real-time RT-PCR, which suggested that tumor regression was associated with increased expression of CD8 and IFN-gamma. The local delivery of vaccinia virus expressing B7.1 was well tolerated and represents an innovative strategy for altering the local tumor microenvironment in patients with melanoma.
Journal of Clinical Investigation 08/2005; 115(7):1903-12. · 15.39 Impact Factor
-
The Lancet Oncology 02/2005; 6(1):62-3. · 22.59 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Recombinant interleukin-2 (IL-2) has demonstrated antitumor activity and durable clinical responses in patients with metastatic melanoma. Careful screening and selection of appropriate patients has improved the safety profile of IL-2 administration. Gross hematuria would ordinarily preclude the safe delivery of IL-2. We report a case of metastatic melanoma to the bladder presenting with hematuria. A complete resection was performed and subsequently allowed the administration of high-dose, bolus IL-2. The combination of resection and IL-2 therapy resulted in a partial response maintained for more than 18 months. Symptomatic bladder melanoma should be aggressively treated to allow for systemic immunotherapy, which can provide durable responses.
Urology 09/2003; 62(2):351. · 2.43 Impact Factor
-
Human Gene Therapy 06/2003; 14(8):803-27. · 4.22 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Uveal melanoma is the most common primary ocular malignancy, although it is rare in children, and patients presenting with metastatic disease have a median survival of only 2 to 5 months. The tumor is generally unresponsive to systemic chemotherapy, but immunotherapy may be effective in selected patients. This report describes an 8-year-old girl with metastatic uveal melanoma treated with high-dose, bolus interleukin-2 (IL-2) and the antiangiogenic agent thalidomide. She tolerated treatment well and initially responded with stable disease in the liver and pancreas for 23 months. New pulmonary metastases developed and she was re-treated with high-dose IL-2, resulting in regression of her liver lesions and stable pulmonary disease for more than 18 months. These results suggest that IL-2 at high doses, and in combination with thalidomide, may be useful for uveal melanoma with tolerable side effects in children. Further study of this combination in children with immune-responsive tumors is warranted.
Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology 07/2002; 24(6):488-91. · 1.16 Impact Factor
-
The Breast Journal 11(2):158-9. · 1.64 Impact Factor
