Bempegaldesleukin (NKTR-214) plus Nivolumab in Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors: Phase I Dose-Escalation Study of Safety, Efficacy, and Immune Activation (PIVOT-02).

This single-arm, phase I dose-escalation trial (NCT02983045) evaluated bempegaldesleukin (NKTR-214/BEMPEG), a CD122-preferential IL2 pathway agonist, plus nivolumab in 38 patients with selected immunotherapy-naïve advanced solid tumors (melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, and non-small cell lung cancer). Three dose-limiting toxicities were reported in 2 of 17 patients during dose escalation [hypotension (n = 1), hyperglycemia (n = 1), metabolic acidosis (n = 1)]. The most common treatment-related adverse events (TRAE) were flu-like symptoms (86.8%), rash (78.9%), fatigue (73.7%), and pruritus (52.6%). Eight patients (21.1%) experienced grade 3/4 TRAEs; there were no treatment-related deaths. Total objective response rate across tumor types and dose cohorts was 59.5% (22/37), with 7 complete responses (18.9%). Cellular and gene expression analysis of longitudinal tumor biopsies revealed increased infiltration, activation, and cytotoxicity of CD8+ T cells, without regulatory T-cell enhancement. At the recommended phase II dose, BEMPEG 0.006 mg/kg plus nivolumab 360 mg every 3 weeks, the combination was well tolerated and demonstrated encouraging clinical activity irrespective of baseline PD-L1 status. SIGNIFICANCE: These data show that BEMPEG can be successfully combined with a checkpoint inhibitor as dual immunotherapy for a range of advanced solid tumors. Efficacy was observed regardless of baseline PD-L1 status and baseline levels of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, suggesting therapeutic potential for patients with poor prognostic risk factors for response to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade.See related commentary by Rouanne et al., p. 1097.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1079.

A First-in-Human Study and Biomarker Analysis of NKTR-214, a Novel IL2Rßγ-Biased Cytokine, in Patients with Advanced or Metastatic Solid Tumors.

NKTR-214 (bempegaldesleukin) is a novel IL2 pathway agonist, designed to provide sustained signaling through heterodimeric IL2 receptor ßγ to drive increased proliferation and activation of CD8+ T and natural killer cells without unwanted expansion of T regulatory cells (Treg) in the tumor microenvironment. In this first-in-human multicenter phase I study, NKTR-214 administered as an outpatient regimen was well tolerated and showed clinical activity including tumor shrinkage and durable disease stabilization in heavily pretreated patients. Immune activation and increased numbers of immune cells were observed in the periphery across all doses and cycles with no loss of NKTR-214 activity with repeated administration. On-treatment tumor biopsies demonstrated that NKTR-214 promoted immune cell increase with limited increase of Tregs. Transcriptional analysis of tumor biopsies showed that NKTR-214 engaged the IL2 receptor pathway and significantly increased genes associated with an effector phenotype. Based on safety and pharmacodynamic markers, the recommended phase II dose was determined to be 0.006 mg/kg every three weeks. SIGNIFICANCE: We believe that IL2- and IL2 pathway-targeted agents such as NKTR-214 are key components to an optimal immunotherapy treatment algorithm. Based on its biological activity and tolerability, NKTR-214 is being studied with approved immuno-oncology agents including checkpoint inhibitors.See related commentary by Sullivan, p. 694.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 681.

Autophagosome-based strategy to monitor apparent tumor-specific CD8 T cells in patients with prostate cancer.

The immune system plays an essential role in eradicating cancer in concert with various treatment modalities. In the absence of autologous tumor material, no standardized method exists to assess T cell responses against the many antigens that may serve as cancer rejection antigens. Thus, development of methods to screen for therapy-induced anti-tumor responses is a high priority that could help tailor therapy. Here we tested whether a tumor-derived antigen source called DRibbles®, which contain a pool of defective ribosomal products (DRiPs), long-lived and short-lived proteins (SLiPs) and danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), can be used to identify tumor-associated antigen (TAA)-specific responses in patients before or after immunotherapy treatment. Protein content, gene expression and non-synonymous - single nucleotide variants (ns-SNVs) present in UbiLT3 DRibbles were compared with prostate adenocarcinomas and the prostate GVAX vaccine cell lines (PC3/LNCaP). UbiLT3 DRibbles were found to share proteins, as well as match tumor sequences for ns-SNVs with prostate adenocarcinomas and with the cell lines PC3 and LNCaP. UbiLT3 DRibbles were used to monitor anti-tumor responses in patients vaccinated with allogeneic prostate GVAX. UbiLT3-DRibble-reactive CD8+ T-cell responses were detected in post-vaccine PBMC of 6/12 patients (range 0.85-22% of CD8+ cells) after 1 week in vitro stimulation (p = 0.007 vs. pre-vaccine). In conclusion, a cancer-derived autophagosome-enriched preparation, packaging over 100 proteins over-expressed in prostate cancer into microvesicles containing DAMPs, could be used to identify CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood from patients after prostate GVAX vaccination and may represent a general method to monitor anti-cancer T cell responses following immunotherapy.

A multi-center phase II study of high dose interleukin-2 sequenced with vemurafenib in patients with BRAF-V600 mutation positive metastatic melanoma.

BACKGROUND: Preclinical studies suggest that BRAF inhibitors enhance anti-tumor immunity and antigen presentation. Combination BRAF inhibition with immunotherapy is an appealing therapeutic approach. We sequenced vemurafenib with HD IL-2 in patients with BRAF-mutated metastatic melanoma to improve long term outcomes. METHODS: Eligible patients were HD IL-2 eligible with metastatic BRAF V600 mutated melanoma. Cohort 1 was treatment naïve and received vemurafenib 960 mg BID for 6 weeks before HD IL-2. Cohort 2 received vemurafenib for 7-18 weeks before enrollment. Both cohorts received HD IL-2 at 600,000 IU/kg every 8 h days 1-5 and days 15-19. The primary objective was to assess complete responses (CR) at 10 weeks ±3 (assessment 1) and 26 weeks ±3 (assessment 2) from the start of HD IL-2. RESULTS: Fifty-three patients were enrolled, (cohort 1, n = 38; cohort 2, n = 15). Of these, 39 underwent assessment 1 and 15 assessment 2. The CR rate at assessment 1 was 10% (95% CI 3-24) for both cohorts combined, and 27% (95% CI 8-55) at assessment 2. Three-year survival was 30 and 27% for cohort 1 and cohort 2, respectively. No unexpected toxicities occurred. A shift in the melanoma treatment landscape during this trial adversely affected accrual, leading to early trial closure. CONCLUSIONS: Vemurafenib in sequence with HD IL-2 did not change the known toxicity profile for either agent. Lower than expected response rates to vemurafenib were observed. Overall response rates and durability of responses appear similar to that observed with HD IL-2 alone. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCTN, NCT01683188. Registered 11 September 2012, http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/NCT01683188.

A pilot study of an autologous tumor-derived autophagosome vaccine with docetaxel in patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Tumor-derived autophagosome vaccines (DRibbles) have the potential to broaden immune response to poorly immunogenic tumors. METHODS: Autologous vaccine generated from tumor cells harvested from pleural effusions was administered to patients with advanced NSCLC with the objectives of assessing safety and immune response. Four patients were vaccinated and evaluable for immune response; each received two to four doses of vaccine. Study therapy included two cycles of docetaxel 75 mg/m2 on days 1 and 29 to treat the tumor, release hidden antigens and produce lymphopenia. DRibbles were to be administered intradermally on days 14, 43, 57, 71, and 85, together with GM-CSF (50 µg/d x 6d, administered via SQ mini pump). Peripheral blood was tested for immune parameters at baseline and at each vaccination. RESULTS: Three of four patients had tumor cells available for testing. Autologous tumor-specific immune response was seen in two of the three, manifested by IL-5 (1 patient after 3 doses), and IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-5, IL-10 (after 4 doses in one patient). All 4 patients had evidence of specific antibody responses against potential tumor antigens. All patients came off study after 4 or fewer vaccine treatments due to progression of disease. No significant immune toxicities were seen during the course of the study. CONCLUSIONS: DRibble vaccine given with GM-CSF appeared safe and capable of inducing an immune response against tumor cells in this small, pilot study. There was no evidence of efficacy in this small poor-prognosis patient population, with treatment not feasible. Trial registration NCT00850785, initial registration date February 23, 2009.

Impact of Sequencing Targeted Therapies With High-dose Interleukin-2 Immunotherapy: An Analysis of Outcome and Survival of Patients With Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma From an On-going Observational IL-2 Clinical Trial: PROCLAIMSM.

BACKGROUND: This analysis describes the outcome for patients who received targeted therapy (TT) prior to or following high-dose interleukin-2 (HD IL-2). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with renal cell carcinoma (n = 352) receiving HD IL-2 were enrolled in ProleukinR Observational Study to Evaluate the Treatment Patterns and Clinical Response in Malignancy (PROCLAIMSM) beginning in 2011. Statistical analyses were performed using datasets as of September 24, 2015. RESULTS: Overall, there were 4% complete response (CR), 13% partial response (PR), 39% stable disease (SD), and 43% progressive disease (PD) with HD IL-2. The median overall survival (mOS) was not reached in patients with CR, PR, or SD, and was 15.5 months in patients with PD (median follow-up, 21 months). Sixty-one patients had prior TT before HD IL-2 with an overall response rate (ORR) to HD IL-2 of 19% (1 CR, 9 PR) and an mOS of 22.1 months. One hundred forty-nine patients received TT only after HD IL-2 with an mOS of 35.5 months. One hundred forty-two patients had no TT before or after HD IL-2, and mOS was not reached. The mOS was 8.5 months in PD patients who received HD IL-2 without follow-on TT and 29.7 months in PD patients who received follow-on TT after HD IL-2. CONCLUSIONS: HD IL-2 as sole front-line therapy, in the absence of added TT, shows extended clinical benefit (CR, PR, and SD). Patients with PD after HD IL-2 appear to benefit from follow-on TT. Patients who progressed on TT and received follow-on HD IL-2 experienced major clinical benefit. HD IL-2 therapy should be considered in eligible patients.

Contemporary experience with high-dose interleukin-2 therapy and impact on survival in patients with metastatic melanoma and metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

High-dose interleukin-2 (HD IL-2) was approved for treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) in 1992 and for metastatic melanoma (mM) in 1998, in an era predating targeted therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors. The PROCLAIMSM registry was established to collect and analyze data for patients treated with HD IL-2 in the current era. This analysis includes 170 patients with mM and 192 patients with mRCC treated between 2005 and 2012 with survival data current as of July 27, 2015. For patients with mM, complete response (CR) was observed in 5 %, partial response (PR) in 10 %, stable disease (SD) in 22 %, and 63 % had progressive disease (PD). The median overall survival (mOS) for these patients was 19.6 months, with a median follow-up of 43.1 months. The mOS was not reached for patients achieving CR or PR, and was 33.4 months for patients with SD. For patients with mRCC, 6 % achieved CR, 9 % had PR, 22 % had SD, and 62 % had PD. The mOS was 41 months, with a median follow-up of 46.6 months. The mOS for patients who had CR and PR was not reached and was 49.6 months for patients with SD. There were no treatment-related deaths among 362 patients. The duration of mOS for patients with mM and mRCC is longer than historically reported. These data support a continued role for IL-2 in the treatment of eligible patients with mM or mRCC and warrant further evaluation of HD IL-2 in combination or sequence with other therapeutic agents.

A retrospective analysis of High-Dose Interleukin-2 (HD IL-2) following Ipilimumab in metastatic melanoma.

BACKGROUND: High dose interleukin-2 (HD IL-2) can induce durable responses in a subset of patients leading to long-term survival. Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has demonstrated similarly durable responses in a larger proportion of patients. However, not all patients respond to immune checkpoint blockade and subsequent therapeutic options need to be explored. METHODS: The PROCLAIM database was queried for patients with metastatic melanoma who had received HD IL-2 after treatment with ipilimumab or without prior ICB. Patient characteristics, toxicity and efficacy were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 52 metastatic melanoma patients were treated with high dose IL-2 after ipilimumab and 276 patients were treated with high dose IL-2 without prior ICB. The overall response rate in the prior ipilimumab group was 21 % as compared to 12 % in the group that had not received prior ipilimumab. The median overall survival, measured from the initiation of HD IL-2 therapy, was 19.3 months in the prior ipilimumab group and 19.4 months in the no prior ICB group. Toxicities observed on HD IL-2 were relatively equivalent between the groups although there were cases of CTLA4 antibody-induced colitis reported after HD IL-2 treatment and a CTLA4 antibody-induced colitis related death. CONCLUSION: In this retrospective analysis HD IL-2 therapy displayed antitumor activity in melanoma patients who progressed following treatment with ipilimumab. Most HD IL-2 toxicity was not worsened by prior ipilimumab therapy except for one treatment related death from colitis. Care should be taken to avoid reactivation of CTLA4 antibody-induced colitis.

Implementation of an Interleukin-2 National Registry: an opportunity to improve cancer outcomes.

Cancer registries have proven valuable with respect to validating therapeutic safety and drug efficacy, uncovering real-world implementation practices, and their evolution over time. Modern cancer therapeutics are approved as single agents oftentimes compared to the least active approved standard agent in randomized trials. However, the burgeoning diversity and number of drugs introduces a complexity that quickly outstrips the knowledge provided by these pivotal trials. This gap in information is particularly relevant when survival is the primary therapeutic endpoint. In addition, the inherent complexity of the immune response will make registries a particularly important tool in expeditiously understanding solid tumor immunotherapy and patient outcomes.

The Use of Registries to Improve Cancer Treatment: A National Database for Patients Treated with Interleukin-2 (IL-2).

Registries evaluating un-randomized patients have provided valuable information with respect to a therapy's utility, treatment practices, and evolution over time. While immunotherapy for cancer has been around for more than three decades, data collection in the form of a registry has not been undertaken. The authors believe that establishing a registry to study HD IL-2 immunotherapy, which has been the only systemic therapy producing long term unmaintained remissions for advanced kidney cancer and melanoma for over 20 years, will be an important resource in understanding the impact of immunotherapy with HD IL-2 in a rapidly changing therapeutic environment. Optimizing administration and improving selection of appropriate patients likely to benefit from HD IL-2 immunotherapy are two of many benefits to be derived from this endeavor.

Autophagy-assisted antigen cross-presentation: Autophagosome as the argo of shared tumor-specific antigens and DAMPs.

It is generally believed that most tumor antigens are passively released from either health or dying tumor cells as intact soluble antigens, peptide fragments complexed with heat shock proteins (HSPs), or packaged in secretary vesicles in the form of microparticles or exosomes. The passive release of tumor antigens is generally non-inflammatory and non-immunogenic; however, results from others and our laboratories suggest that autophagy is critically involved in immunogenic cell death.

Tumor-derived autophagosome vaccine: mechanism of cross-presentation and therapeutic efficacy.

PURPOSE: We previously reported that autophagy in tumor cells plays a critical role in cross-presentation of tumor antigens and that autophagosomes are efficient antigen carriers for cross-priming of tumor-reactive CD8(+) T cells. Here, we sought to characterize further the autophagosome-enriched vaccine named DRibble (DRiPs-containing blebs), which is derived from tumor cells after inhibition of protein degradation, and to provide insights into the mechanisms responsible for their efficacy as a novel cancer immunotherapy. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: DRibbles were characterized by Western blot and light or transmission electron microscopy. The efficiency of cross-presentation mediated by DRibbles was first compared with that of whole-tumor cells and pure proteins. The mechanisms of antigen cross-presentation by DRibbles were analyzed, and the antitumor efficacy of the DRibble vaccine was tested in 3LL Lewis lung tumors and B16F10 melanoma. RESULTS: The DRibbles sequester both long-lived and short-lived proteins, including defective ribosomal products (DRiP), and damage-associated molecular pattern molecules exemplified by HSP90, HSP94, calreticulin, and HMGB1. DRibbles express ligands for CLEC9A, a newly described C-type lectin receptor expressed by a subset of conventional and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (DC), and cross-presentation was partially CLEC9A dependent. Furthermore, this autophagy-assisted antigen cross-presentation pathway involved both caveolae- and clathrin-mediated endocytosis and endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation machinery. It depends on proteasome and TAP1, but not lysosome functions of antigen-presenting cells. Importantly, DCs loaded with autophagosome-enriched DRibbles can eradicate 3LL Lewis lung tumors and significantly delay the growth of B16F10 melanoma. CONCLUSIONS: These data documented the unique characteristics and potent antitumor efficacy of the autophagosome-based DRibble vaccine. The efficacy of DRibble cancer vaccine will be further tested in clinical trials.

Cross-presentation of tumor associated antigens through tumor-derived autophagosomes.

Cross-presentation of exogenous antigens by host professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs) plays a pivotal role in the initiation and development of T-cell immune responses to tumor-associated antigens, including self or mutated self-antigens derived from tumor cells, and foreign antigens derived from infectious agents. Cross-presentation requires multiple steps that involve the antigens' synthesis and compartmentalization in donor cells, packaging and delivery, and processing and presentation by MHC class I molecules on professional APCs. The intricate pathways that lead to protein degradation and the formation of MHC I-peptide complexes inside the APC are well documented for both soluble and particulate antigens. However, much less is known about how cross-presentation is regulated by the protein degradation pathways in antigen-donor cells (ADCs), including autophagy-mediated lysosomal proteolysis and proteasomal degradation. The exact nature or form of the antigens derived from donor cells at the time of delivery to the APC for cross-presentation is very controversial.

A spontaneously arising pancreatic tumor does not promote the differentiation of naive CD8+ T lymphocytes into effector CTL.

In this report, we address whether a growing tumor provides sufficient inflammatory signals to promote activation, clonal expansion, and acquisition of effector functions by naive tumor-specific CD8(+) T lymphocytes. CD8(+) T lymphocytes obtained from hemagglutinin (HA)-specific clone 4 TCR-transgenic mice were injected into recipient mice that spontaneously develop pancreatic tumors expressing HA as a tumor-associated Ag (RIP-Tag2-HA mice). When 3 x 10(6) clone 4 CD8(+) T cells were transferred into tumor-bearing mice, the cells became activated in the pancreatic lymph nodes where they proliferated and acquired effector functions such as cytolytic activity and IFN-gamma production. Surprisingly, reducing the number of adoptively transferred CD8(+) T cells led to a parallel reduction in the proportion of the activated cells that exhibited effector functions, suggesting that CTL differentiation was induced by the large numbers of activated CD8(+) T cells and not the tumor environment. Provision of tumor-specific CD4(+) helper cells provided the signals required to promote both the development of CTL effector functions and increased clonal expansion, resulting in tumor eradication. Considering that only small numbers of tumor-specific CD8(+) T cells would be present in a conventional T cell repertoire, these data suggest that tumor growth alone may not provide the inflammatory signals necessary to support the development of CD8(+) T cell effector functions.

Treatment with anti-LFA-1 delays the CD8+ cytotoxic-T-lymphocyte response and viral clearance in mice with primary respiratory syncytial virus infection.

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) play an important role in the immune response against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. The cell surface molecule lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 (LFA-1) is an important contributor to CTL activation, CTL-mediated direct cell lysis, and lymphocyte migration. In an attempt to determine the role of LFA-1 during RSV infection, we treated BALB/c mice with monoclonal antibodies to LFA-1 at days -1, +1, and +4 relative to primary RSV infection. Anti-LFA-1 treatment during primary RSV infection led to reduced illness and delayed clearance of virus-infected cells. CTLs from RSV-infected mice that were treated with anti-LFA-1 exhibited diminished cytolytic activity and reduced gamma interferon production. In addition, studies with BrdU (5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine)- and CFSE [5-(and 6)-carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester]-labeled lymphocytes showed that anti-LFA-1 treatment led to delayed proliferation during RSV infection. These results indicate that LFA-1 plays a critical role in the initiation of the immune response to RSV infection by facilitating CTL activation. These results may prove useful in the development of new therapies to combat RSV infection or other inflammatory diseases.

Memory CD8(+) T cells undergo peripheral tolerance.

Memory T cells differ from naive T cells in that they respond more rapidly and in greater numbers. In addition, memory T cells are generally believed to be less susceptible to tolerance induction than naive T cells. In this study, we show that this is not the case. Using two different methods of tolerance induction, peptide-induced tolerance and crosstolerance, we present evidence that memory CD8(+) T cells are as susceptible to tolerance as naive cells. These results have a direct impact on manipulating T cell responses to self-antigens in order to improve immunotherapy of cancer and autoimmune diseases.

Uncoupling of proliferative potential and gain of effector function by CD8(+) T cells responding to self-antigens.

Professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs) are capable of transporting self-antigens from peripheral tissues to secondary lymphoid organs where they are presented to potentially autoreactive CD8(+) T cells. In the absence of an inflammatory response, this results in immune tolerance. The presence of activated, antigen-specific CD4(+) T cells converts this tolerogenic encounter into an immunogenic one by promoting extensive proliferation of CD8(+) T cells and their development into effectors. Surprisingly, activation of APCs with an agonistic antibody specific for CD40 could not substitute for CD4(+) help in this task. Anti-CD40 induced recruitment of dendritic cells expressing high levels of B7 costimulatory molecules into the lymph nodes, which in turn, greatly enhanced activation and expansion of CD8(+) T cells. However, these activated CD8(+) cells did not demonstrate effector function. We conclude that proliferative potential and gain of effector function are separable events in the differentiation program of CD8(+) T cells.