A phase I/randomized phase II study of GM.CD40L vaccine in combination with CCL21 in patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma.

The GM.CD40L vaccine, which recruits and activates dendritic cells, migrates to lymph nodes, activating T cells and leading to systemic tumor cell killing. When combined with the CCL21 chemokine, which recruits T cells and enhances T-cell responses, additive effects have been demonstrated in non-small cell lung cancer mouse models. Here, we compared GM.CD40L versus GM.CD40L plus CCL21 (GM.CD40L.CCL21) in lung adenocarcinoma patients with ≥ 1 line of treatment. In this phase I/II randomized trial (NCT01433172), patients received intradermal vaccines every 14 days (3 doses) and then monthly (3 doses). A two-stage minimax design was used. During phase I, no dose-limiting toxicities were shown in three patients who received GM.CD40L.CCL21. During phase II, of evaluable patients, 5/33 patients (15.2%) randomized for GM.DCD40L (p = .023) and 3/32 patients (9.4%) randomized for GM.DCD40L.CCL21 (p = .20) showed 6-month progression-free survival. Median overall survival was 9.3 versus 9.5 months with GM.DCD40L versus GM.DCD40L.CCL21 (95% CI 0.70-2.25; p = .44). For GM.CD40L versus GM.CD40L.CCL21, the most common treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were grade 1/2 injection site reaction (51.4% versus 61.1%) and grade 1/2 fatigue (35.1% versus 47.2%). Grade 1 immune-mediated TRAEs were isolated to skin. No patients showed evidence of pseudo-progression or immune-related TRAEs of grade 1 or greater of pneumonitis, endocrinopathy, or colitis, and none discontinued treatment due to toxicity. Although we found no significant associations between vaccine immunogenicity and outcomes, in limited biopsies, one patient treated with GMCD40L.CCL21 displayed abundant tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. This possible effectiveness warrants further investigation of GM.CD40L in combination approaches.

Large-scale Ficoll gradient separations using a commercially available, effectively closed, system.

BACKGROUND AIMS: Multiple cell-therapy products require density separation as a part of manufacturing. The traditional method for Ficoll separation, layering cell suspensions over Ficoll in tubes, followed by centrifugation and collection of cells from the interface, is too cumbersome and poses too high a risk of contamination for clinical-scale use. Recently, a system for clinical-scale Ficoll gradient applications has been introduced (Sepax) but this system has limited availability and is costly. METHODS: For preparations of mononuclear cells (MNC) for dendritic cell (DC) production, we developed a Ficoll separation protocol that employs the Haemonetics Cell Saver5 surgical blood salvage and wash instrument. This system uses standard blood bags and tubing, has single-use components, and is effectively closed. We analyzed 37 recent separation processes using this instrument and protocol. We measured depletion of red blood cells (RBC) and polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN), and recovery of CD14+ monocytes and MNC. RESULTS: Starting cell counts were 14.6 +/- 8.0 (x10(9)). Total cell recovery was 49.2 +/- 15.2%, RBC depletion was 88.4 +/- 2.8%, PMN depletion was 86.9 +/- 6.1%, MNC recovery was 63.6 +/- 5.0% and CD14+ monocyte recovery was 75.3 +/- 9.9%. CONCLUSIONS: The Cell Saver5 is relatively inexpensive to purchase and use. The instrument and its disposables are licensed by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for intra-operative blood salvage, and we have obtained approval for investigational use. Our method with this instrument has proven to be simple and efficient for clinical-scale Ficoll separations.

Serial assessment of lymphocytes and apoptosis in the prostate during coordinated intraprostatic dendritic cell injection and radiotherapy.

Local radiotherapy plus intratumoral syngeneic dendritic cell injection can mediate apoptosis/cell death and immunological tumor eradication in murine models. A novel method of coordinated intraprostatic, autologous dendritic cell injection together with radiation therapy was prospectively evaluated in five HLA-A2(+) subjects with high-risk, localized prostate cancer, using androgen suppression, 45 Gy external beam radiation therapy in 25 fractions over 5 weeks, dendritic cell injections after fractions 5, 15 and 25 and then interstitial radioactive seed placement. Serial prostate biopsies before and during treatment showed increased apoptotic cells and parenchymal distribution of CD8(+) cells. CD8(+) T-cell responses to test peptides were assessed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot IFN-γ production assay, demonstrating some prostate cancer-specific protein-derived peptides associated with increased titer. In conclusion, the technique was feasible and well-tolerated and specific immune responses were observable. Future trials could further test the utility of this approach and improve on temporal coordination of intratumoral dendritic cell introduction with particular timelines of therapy-induced apoptosis.

Phase II trial of B7-1 (CD-86) transduced, cultured autologous tumor cell vaccine plus subcutaneous interleukin-2 for treatment of stage IV renal cell carcinoma.

We report a single center phase II trial of sequential vaccination followed with vaccine plus interleukin-2 (IL-2). Vaccination consisted of autologous cells cultured from primary tumor or resected metastasis, transduced to express B7.1 surface molecule and then irradiated. The vaccine would hypothetically costimulate tumor-reactive T cells before IL-2 exposure. Treatment plan was 3 subcutaneous vaccine injections at 4-week intervals and subcutaneous IL-2 treatment for 6 weeks starting at week 7. Sixty-six patients enrolled, of whom 39 received at least 1 vaccine; most observed toxicity was attributable to IL-2 not vaccine; best responses were 3% pathologic complete response, 5% partial response, 64% stable disease, and 28% disease progression. Median survival was 21.8 months (95% confidence interval 17.8 to 29.6). Significant postvaccination increases in IFN-gamma responses to autologous tumor were observed in 2/26 cases. Eighty-one percent of posttreatment subdermal delayed-type hypersensitivity tests (using nontransduced, irradiated autologous tumor cells) had biopsies demonstrating injection site lymphocytic infiltration. Post hoc comparison of the median survival of subjects whose biopsies had lymphocytic infiltration appears longer than in the 19% noninfiltrated (28.4 vs. 17.8 mo, P=0.045, two-sided log-rank test). The single arm design precludes conclusive comparison of objective response rates (not different here) or median survival (longer here) versus those of historical series using similar IL-2 schedules alone. Better outcomes could be logically associated to vaccine response (detectable lymphocytic infiltrates) or to random events that a single arm study design cannot address. This vaccine approach may merit further clinical development.

Mobilized peripheral blood SSCloALDHbr cells have the phenotypic and functional properties of primitive haematopoietic cells and their number correlates with engraftment following autologous transplantation.

We have developed an approach for identifying primitive mobilized peripheral blood cells (PBSC) that express high levels of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). PBSC were stained with a fluorescent ALDH substrate, termed BODIPY trade mark -aminoacetaldehyde (BAAA), and then analysed using flow cytometry. A population of cells with a low side scatter (SSC) and a high level of BAAA staining, termed the SSCloALDHbr population, was readily discriminated and comprised a mean of 3 +/- 5% of leukapheresis samples. A mean of 73 +/- 11% of the SSCloALDHbr population expressed CD34 and 56 +/- 25% of all the mobilized CD34+ cells resided within the SSCloALDHbr population. The SSCloALDHbr population was largely depleted of cells with mature phenotypes and enriched for cells with immature phenotypes. Sorted SSCloALDHbr and SSCloALDHbr CD34+ PBSC were enriched for progenitors with the ability to (1) generate colony-forming units (CFU) and long-term culture (LTC)-derived CFU, (2) expand in primary and secondary LTC, and (3) generate multiple cell lineages. In 21 cancer patients who had undergone autologous PBSC transplantation, the number of infused SSCloALDHbr cells/kg highly correlated with the time to neutrophil and platelet engraftment (P < 0.015 and P < 0.003 respectively). In summary, peripheral blood SSCloALDHbr cells have the phenotypic and functional properties of primitive haematopoietic cells and their number correlates with engraftment following autologous transplantation.