Mezigdomide plus Dexamethasone in Relapsed and Refractory Multiple Myeloma.

BACKGROUND: Despite recent progress, multiple myeloma remains incurable. Mezigdomide is a novel cereblon E3 ubiquitin ligase modulator with potent antiproliferative and tumoricidal activity in preclinical models of multiple myeloma, including those resistant to lenalidomide and pomalidomide. METHODS: In this phase 1-2 study, we administered oral mezigdomide in combination with dexamethasone to patients with relapsed and refractory myeloma. The primary objectives of phase 1 (dose-escalation cohort) were to assess safety and pharmacokinetics and to identify the dose and schedule for phase 2. In phase 2 (dose-expansion cohort), objectives included the assessment of the overall response (partial response or better), safety, and efficacy of mezigdomide plus dexamethasone at the dose and schedule determined in phase 1. RESULTS: In phase 1, a total of 77 patients were enrolled in the study. The most common dose-limiting toxic effects were neutropenia and febrile neutropenia. On the basis of the phase 1 findings, investigators determined the recommended phase 2 dose of mezigdomide to be 1.0 mg, given once daily in combination with dexamethasone for 21 days, followed by 7 days off, in each 28-day cycle. In phase 2, a total of 101 patients received the dose identified in phase 1 in the same schedule. All patients in the dose-expansion cohort had triple-class-refractory multiple myeloma, 30 patients (30%) had received previous anti-B-cell maturation antigen (anti-BCMA) therapy, and 40 (40%) had plasmacytomas. The most common adverse events, almost all of which proved to be reversible, included neutropenia (in 77% of the patients) and infection (in 65%; grade 3, 29%; grade 4, 6%). No unexpected toxic effects were encountered. An overall response occurred in 41% of the patients (95% confidence interval [CI], 31 to 51), the median duration of response was 7.6 months (95% CI, 5.4 to 9.5; data not mature), and the median progression-free survival was 4.4 months (95% CI, 3.0 to 5.5), with a median follow-up of 7.5 months (range, 0.5 to 21.9). CONCLUSIONS: The all-oral combination of mezigdomide plus dexamethasone showed promising efficacy in patients with heavily pretreated multiple myeloma, with treatment-related adverse events consisting mainly of myelotoxic effects. (Funded by Celgene, a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company; CC-92480-MM-001 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03374085; EudraCT number, 2017-001236-19.).

Immunosenescence: limitations of natural killer cell-based cancer immunotherapy.

Cancer is primarily considered a disease of old age. Immunosenescence refers to the age-associated changes in the immune system, and its contribution to the increased risk of cancer in old individuals has been discussed for many years. Natural killer (NK) cells are cytotoxic innate immune cells specialized in defence against tumour and virus-infected cells. NK cell cytotoxicity is the result of a fine balance between activating and inhibitory receptors. Several activating receptors have been identified that recognize different ligands frequently found over-expressed on tumour cells or virus-infected cells. The most important NK cell inhibitory receptors interact with major histocompatibility complex class I molecules expressed on almost all nucleated cells preventing NK cell-mediated lysis of healthy cells. NK cell immunosenescence is characterized by a redistribution of NK cell subsets, a diminished expression of several activating receptors and lower per-cell cytotoxicity. Altered expression of activating receptors has also been described in young and elderly cancer patients probably due to chronic exposure to ligands on tumour cells. Thus, the effect of both age and cancer may act synergistically to diminish NK cell-mediated tumour immunosurveillance. Different strategies harnessing the power of NK cells to target tumour cells have been designed including adoptive therapy with autologous or allogeneic expanded NK cells. In addition, checkpoint blockade of inhibitory receptors and the use of agonist antibodies to stimulate activating receptors are emerging areas of research. In this context, the effect of immunosenescence should be considered to improve the efficiency of cancer immunotherapy.

Characterization of the DNAM-1, TIGIT and TACTILE Axis on Circulating NK, NKT-Like and T Cell Subsets in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Background: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains a major clinical challenge due to poor overall survival, which is even more dramatic in elderly patients. TIGIT, an inhibitory receptor that interacts with CD155 and CD112 molecules, is considered as a checkpoint in T and NK cell activation. This receptor shares ligands with the co-stimulatory receptor DNAM-1 and with TACTILE. The aim of this work was to analyze the expression of DNAM-1, TIGIT and TACTILE in NK cells and T cell subsets in AML patients. Methods: We have studied 36 patients at the time of diagnosis of AML and 20 healthy volunteers. The expression of DNAM-1, TIGIT and TACTILE in NK cells and T cells, according to the expression of CD3 and CD56, was performed by flow cytometry. Results: NK cells, CD56- T cells and CD56+ T (NKT-like) cells from AML patients presented a reduced expression of DNAM-1 compared with healthy volunteers. An increased expression of TIGIT was observed in mainstream CD56- T cells. No differences were observed in the expression of TACTILE. Simplified presentation of incredibly complex evaluations (SPICE) analysis of the co-expression of DNAM-1, TIGIT and TACTILE showed an increase in NK and T cells lacking DNAM-1 and co-expressing TIGIT and TACTILE. Low percentages of DNAM-1-TIGIT+TACTILE+ NK cells and DNAM-1- TIGIT+TACTILE+ CD56- T cells were associated with a better survival of AML patients. Conclusions: The expression of DNAM-1 is reduced in NK cells and in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from AML patients compared with those from healthy volunteers. An increased percentage of NK and T cells lacking DNAM-1 and co-expressing TIGIT and TACTILE is associated with patient survival, supporting the role of TIGIT as a novel candidate for checkpoint blockade.

DNAM-1 and the TIGIT/PVRIG/TACTILE Axis: Novel Immune Checkpoints for Natural Killer Cell-Based Cancer Immunotherapy.

Natural killer (NK) cells are lymphocytes of the innate immune response characterized by their role in the destruction of tumor cells. Activation of NK cells depend on a fine balance between activating and inhibitory signals mediated by different receptors. In recent years, a family of paired receptors that interact with ligands of the Nectin/Nectin-like (Necl) family has attracted great interest. Two of these ligands, Necl-5 (usually termed CD155 or PVR) and Nectin-2 (CD112), frequently expressed on different types of tumor cells, are recognized by a group of receptors expressed on T and NK cells that exert opposite functions after interacting with their ligands. These receptors include DNAM-1 (CD226), TIGIT, TACTILE (CD96) and the recently described PVRIG. Whereas activation through DNAM-1 after recognition of CD155 or CD112 enhances NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity against a wide range of tumor cells, TIGIT recognition of these ligands exerts an inhibitory effect on NK cells by diminishing IFN-γ production, as well as NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity. PVRIG has also been identified as an inhibitory receptor that recognizes CD112 but not CD155. However, little is known about the role of TACTILE as modulator of immune responses in humans. TACTILE control of tumor growth and metastases has been reported in murine models, and it has been suggested that it negatively regulates the anti-tumor functions mediated by DNAM-1. In NK cells from patients with solid cancer and leukemia, it has been observed a decreased expression of DNAM-1 that may shift the balance in favor to the inhibitory receptors TIGIT or PVRIG, further contributing to the diminished NK cell-mediated cytotoxic capacity observed in these patients. Analysis of DNAM-1, TIGIT, TACTILE and PVRIG on human NK cells from solid cancer or leukemia patients will clarify the role of these receptors in cancer surveillance. Overall, it can be speculated that in cancer patients the TIGIT/PVRIG pathways are upregulated and represent novel targets for checkpoint blockade immunotherapy.