Effects of antineoplastic and immunomodulating agents on postvaccination SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections, antibody response, and serological cytokine profile.

BACKGROUND: Despite immunization, patients on antineoplastic and immunomodulating agents have a heightened risk of COVID-19 infection. However, accurately attributing this risk to specific medications remains challenging. METHODS: An observational cohort study from December 11, 2020 to September 22, 2022, within a large healthcare system in San Diego, California, USA was designed to identify medications associated with greatest risk of postimmunization SARS-CoV-2 infection. Adults prescribed WHO Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classified antineoplastic and immunomodulating medications were matched (by age, sex, race, and number of immunizations) with control patients not prescribed these medications yielding a population of 26 724 patients for analysis. From this population, 218 blood samples were collected from an enrolled subset to assess serological response and cytokine profile in relation to immunization. RESULTS: Prescription of WHO ATC classified antineoplastic and immunomodulatory agents was associated with elevated postimmunization SARS-CoV-2 infection risk (HR 1.50, 95% CI 1.38 to 1.63). While multiple immunization doses demonstrated a decreased association with postimmunization SARS-CoV-2 infection risk, antineoplastic and immunomodulatory treated patients with four doses remained at heightened risk (HR 1.23, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.43). Risk variation was identified among medication subclasses, with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibiting monoclonal antibodies, calcineurin inhibitors, and CD20 monoclonal antibody inhibitors identified to associate with increased risk of postimmunization SARS-CoV-2 infection. Antineoplastic and immunomodulatory treated patients also displayed a reduced IgG antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 epitopes alongside a unique serum cytokine profile. CONCLUSIONS: Antineoplastic and immunomodulating medications associate with an elevated risk of postimmunization SARS-CoV-2 infection in a drug-specific manner. This comprehensive, unbiased analysis of all WHO ATC classified antineoplastic and immunomodulating medications identifies medications associated with greatest risk. These findings are crucial in guiding and refining vaccination strategies for patients prescribed these treatments, ensuring optimized protection for this susceptible population in future COVID-19 variant surges and potentially for other RNA immunization targets.

PI3K activation allows immune evasion by promoting an inhibitory myeloid tumor microenvironment.

BACKGROUND: Oncogenes act in a cell-intrinsic way to promote tumorigenesis. Whether oncogenes also have a cell-extrinsic effect on suppressing the immune response to cancer is less well understood. METHODS: We use an in vivo expression screen of known cancer-associated somatic mutations in mouse syngeneic tumor models treated with checkpoint blockade to identify oncogenes that promote immune evasion. We then validated candidates from this screen in vivo and analyzed the tumor immune microenvironment of tumors expressing mutant protein to identify mechanisms of immune evasion. RESULTS: We found that expression of a catalytically active mutation in phospho-inositol 3 kinase (PI3K), PIK3CA c.3140A>G (H1047R) confers a selective growth advantage to tumors treated with immunotherapy that is reversed by pharmacological PI3K inhibition. PIK3CA H1047R-expression in tumors decreased the number of CD8+ T cells but increased the number of inhibitory myeloid cells following immunotherapy. Inhibition of myeloid infiltration by pharmacological or genetic modulation of Ccl2 in PIK3CA H1047R tumors restored sensitivity to programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) checkpoint blockade. CONCLUSIONS: PI3K activation enables tumor immune evasion by promoting an inhibitory myeloid microenvironment. Activating mutations in PI3K may be useful as a biomarker of poor response to immunotherapy. Our data suggest that some oncogenes promote tumorigenesis by enabling tumor cells to avoid clearance by the immune system. Identification of those mechanisms can advance rational combination strategies to increase the efficacy of immunotherapy.

Hospitalization requiring intensive care unit due to SARS-CoV-2 infection correlated with IgM depression and IgG elevation.

AIM: This study investigated the humoral response against SARS-CoV-2 in patients needing intensive care unit (ICU) care compared with those on general medicine wards. MATERIALS & METHODS: The authors retrospectively reviewed 113 hospitalized patients with COVID-19. They assessed antibody response against five SARS-CoV-2 epitopes at 6-14 days post symptom onset in these patients. RESULTS: Patients with ICU admissions had decreased anti-nucleocapsid immunoglobulin (Ig)M and increased anti-spike IgG compared with patients not requiring the ICU. IgG levels were positively correlated with length of stay. CONCLUSION: Higher levels of IgG against the spike protein correlate with COVID-19 disease severity and length of stay in hospitalized patients. This adds to the knowledge of biochemical response to clinical disease and may help predict ICU needs.

Enhanced antitumor immunity by a novel small molecule HPK1 inhibitor.

BACKGROUND: Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1 or MAP4K1) has been demonstrated as a negative intracellular immune checkpoint in mediating antitumor immunity in studies with HPK1 knockout and kinase dead mice. Pharmacological inhibition of HPK1 is desirable to investigate the role of HPK1 in human immune cells with therapeutic implications. However, a significant challenge remains to identify a small molecule inhibitor of HPK1 with sufficient potency, selectivity, and other drug-like properties suitable for proof-of-concept studies. In this report, we identified a novel, potent, and selective HPK1 small molecule kinase inhibitor, compound K (CompK). A series of studies were conducted to investigate the mechanism of action of CompK, aiming to understand its potential application in cancer immunotherapy. METHODS: Human primary T cells and dendritic cells (DCs) were investigated with CompK treatment under conditions relevant to tumor microenvironment (TME). Syngeneic tumor models were used to assess the in vivo pharmacology of CompK followed by human tumor interrogation ex vivo. RESULTS: CompK treatment demonstrated markedly enhanced human T-cell immune responses under immunosuppressive conditions relevant to the TME and an increased avidity of the T-cell receptor (TCR) to recognize viral and tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) in significant synergy with anti-PD1. Animal model studies, including 1956 sarcoma and MC38 syngeneic models, revealed improved immune responses and superb antitumor efficacy in combination of CompK with anti-PD-1. An elevated immune response induced by CompK was observed with fresh tumor samples from multiple patients with colorectal carcinoma, suggesting a mechanistic translation from mouse model to human disease. CONCLUSION: CompK treatment significantly improved human T-cell functions, with enhanced TCR avidity to recognize TAAs and tumor cytolytic activity by CD8+ T cells. Additional benefits include DC maturation and priming facilitation in tumor draining lymph node. CompK represents a novel pharmacological agent to address cancer treatment resistance.

Healthcare worker seroconversion for SARS-CoV-2 at two large health systems in San Diego.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 infections among healthcare workers were widely reported in China and Europe as the pandemic expanded to the United States. In order to examine the infection rate among these essential workers, we combined results of SARS-CoV-2 serology testing offered free to healthcare workers at two large San Diego health systems when the antibody assays first became available.

Frontline Science: OX40 agonistic antibody reverses immune suppression and improves survival in sepsis.

A defining feature of protracted sepsis is development of immunosuppression that is thought to be a major driving force in the morbidity and mortality associated with the syndrome. The immunosuppression that occurs in sepsis is characterized by profound apoptosis-induced depletion of CD4 and CD8 T cells and severely impaired T cell function. OX40, a member of the TNF receptor superfamily, is a positive co-stimulatory molecule expressed on activated T cells. When engaged by OX40 ligand, OX40 stimulates T cell proliferation and shifts the cellular immune phenotype toward TH1 with increased production of cytokines that are essential for control of invading pathogens. The purpose of the present study was to determine if administration of agonistic Ab to OX40 could reverse sepsis-induced immunosuppression, restore T cell function, and improve survival in a clinically relevant animal model of sepsis. The present study demonstrates that OX40 agonistic Ab reversed sepsis-induced impairment of T cell function, increased T cell IFN-γ production, increased the number of immune effector cells, and improved survival in the mouse cecal ligation and puncture model of sepsis. Importantly, OX40 agonistic Ab was not only effective in murine sepsis but also improved T effector cell function in PBMCs from patients with sepsis. The present results provide support for the use of immune adjuvants that target T cell depletion and T cell dysfunction in the therapy of sepsis-induced immunosuppression. In addition to the checkpoint inhibitors anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1, OX40 agonistic Ab may be a new therapeutic approach to the treatment of this highly lethal disorder.

Axl and Mertk Receptors Cooperate to Promote Breast Cancer Progression by Combined Oncogenic Signaling and Evasion of Host Antitumor Immunity.

Despite the promising clinical benefit of targeted and immune checkpoint blocking therapeutics, current strategies have limited success in breast cancer, indicating that additional inhibitory pathways are required to complement existing therapeutics. TAM receptors (Tyro-3, Axl, and Mertk) are often correlated with poor prognosis because of their capacities to sustain an immunosuppressive environment. Here, we ablate Axl on tumor cells using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, and by targeting Mertk in the tumor microenvironment (TME), we observed distinct functions of TAM as oncogenic kinases, as well as inhibitory immune receptors. Depletion of Axl suppressed cell intrinsic oncogenic properties, decreased tumor growth, reduced the incidence of lung metastasis and increased overall survival of mice when injected into mammary fat pad of syngeneic mice, and demonstrated synergy when combined with anti-PD-1 therapy. Blockade of Mertk function on macrophages decreased efferocytosis, altered the cytokine milieu, and resulted in suppressed macrophage gene expression patterns. Mertk-knockout mice or treatment with anti-Mertk-neutralizing mAb also altered the cellular immune profile, resulting in a more inflamed tumor environment with enhanced T-cell infiltration into tumors and T-cell-mediated cytotoxicity. The antitumor activity from Mertk inhibition was abrogated by depletion of cytotoxic CD8α T cells by using anti-CD8α mAb or by transplantation of tumor cells into B6.CB17-Prkdc SCID mice. Our data indicate that targeting Axl expressed on tumor cells and Mertk in the TME is predicted to have a combinatorial benefit to enhance current immunotherapies and that Axl and Mertk have distinct functional activities that impair host antitumor response. SIGNIFICANCE: This study demonstrates how TAM receptors act both as oncogenic tyrosine kinases and as receptors that mediate immune evasion in cancer progression.

Safety and Efficacy of a Steroid Avoidance Immunosuppression Regimen in Renal Transplant Patients With De Novo or Preformed Donor-Specific Antibodies: A Single-Center Study.

Although interest in the role of donor-specific antibodies (DSAs) in kidney transplant rejection, graft survival, and histopathological outcomes is increasing, their impact on steroid avoidance or minimization in renal transplant populations is poorly understood. Primary outcomes of graft survival, rejection, and histopathological findings were assessed in 188 patients who received transplants between 2012 and 2015 at the Scripps Center for Organ Transplantation, which follows a steroid avoidance protocol. Analyses were performed using data from the United Network for Organ Sharing. Cohorts included kidney transplant recipients with de novo DSAs (dnDSAs; n = 27), preformed DSAs (pfDSAs; n = 15), and no DSAs (nDSAs; n = 146). Median time to dnDSA development (classes I and II) was shorter (102 days) than in previous studies. Rejection of any type was associated with DSAs to class I HLA (P < .05) and class II HLA (P < .01) but not with graft loss. Although mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) independently showed no association with rejection, an MFI >5000 showed a trend toward more antibody-mediated rejection (P < .06), though graft loss was not independently associated. Banff chronic allograft nephropathy scores and a modified chronic injury score were increased in the dnDSA cohort at 6 months, but not at 2 years (P < .001 and P < .08, respectively). Our data suggest that dnDSAs and pfDSAs impact short-term rejection rates but do not negatively impact graft survival or histopathological outcomes at 2 years. Periodic protocol post-transplant DSA monitoring may preemptively identify patients who develop dnDSAs who are at a higher risk for rejection.

An Integrative Approach to Inform Optimal Administration of OX40 Agonist Antibodies in Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors.

PURPOSE: The success of checkpoint blockade has led to a significant increase in the development of a broad range of immunomodulatory molecules for the treatment of cancer, including agonists against T-cell costimulatory receptors, such as OX40. Unlike checkpoint blockade, where complete and sustained receptor saturation may be required for maximal activity, the optimal dosing regimen and receptor occupancy for agonist agents is less well understood and requires further study. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We integrated both preclinical and clinical biomarker data sets centered on dose, exposure, receptor occupancy, receptor engagement, and downstream pharmacodynamic changes to model the optimal dose and schedule for the OX40 agonist antibody BMS-986178 alone and in combination with checkpoint blockade. RESULTS: Administration of the ligand-blocking anti-mouse surrogate antibody OX40.23 or BMS-986178 as monotherapy or in combination with checkpoint blockade led to increased peripheral CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell activation in tumor-bearing mice and patients with solid tumors, respectively. OX40 receptor occupancy between 20% and 50% both in vitro and in vivo was associated with maximal enhancement of T-cell effector function by anti-OX40 treatment, whereas a receptor occupancy > 40% led to a profound loss in OX40 receptor expression, with clear implications for availability for repeat dosing. CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlight the value of an integrated translational approach applied during early clinical development to aggregate preclinical and clinical data in an effort to define the optimal dose and schedule for T-cell agonists in the clinic.

VISTA is an acidic pH-selective ligand for PSGL-1.

Co-inhibitory immune receptors can contribute to T cell dysfunction in patients with cancer1,2. Blocking antibodies against cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) and programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) partially reverse this effect and are becoming standard of care in an increasing number of malignancies3. However, many of the other axes by which tumours become inhospitable to T cells are not fully understood. Here we report that V-domain immunoglobulin suppressor of T cell activation (VISTA) engages and suppresses T cells selectively at acidic pH such as that found in tumour microenvironments. Multiple histidine residues along the rim of the VISTA extracellular domain mediate binding to the adhesion and co-inhibitory receptor P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1). Antibodies engineered to selectively bind and block this interaction in acidic environments were sufficient to reverse VISTA-mediated immune suppression in vivo. These findings identify a mechanism by which VISTA may engender resistance to anti-tumour immune responses, as well as an unexpectedly determinative role for pH in immune co-receptor engagement.

Triple Therapy with MerTK and PD1 Inhibition Plus Radiotherapy Promotes Abscopal Antitumor Immune Responses.

PURPOSE: Radiotherapy (RT) traditionally has been used for local tumor control in the treatment of cancer. The recent discovery that radiotherapy can have anticancer effects on the immune system has led to recognition of its ability to sensitize the tumor microenvironment to immunotherapy. However, radiation can also prompt adverse immunosuppressive effects that block aspects of systemic response at other tumor sites. Our hypothesis was that inhibition of the MER proto-oncogene tyrosine kinase (MerTK) in combination with anti-programmed cell death-1 (α-PD1) checkpoint blockade will enhance immune-mediated responses to radiotherapy. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We tested the efficacy of this triple therapy (Radiation + α-PD1 + α-MerTK mAbs) in 129Sv/Ev mice with bilateral lung adenocarcinoma xenografts. Primary tumors were treated with stereotactic radiotherapy (36 Gy in 3 12-Gy fractions), and tumors were monitored for response. RESULTS: The triple therapy significantly delayed abscopal tumor growth, improved survival rates, and reduced numbers of lung metastases. We further found that the triple therapy increased the activated CD8+ and NK cells populations measured by granzyme B expression with upregulation of CD8+CD103+ tissue-resident memory cells (TRM) within the abscopal tumor microenvironment relative to radiation only. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of α-PD1 + α-MerTK mAbs to radiotherapy could alter the cell death to be more immunogenic and generate adaptive immune response via increasing the retention of TRM cells in the tumor islets of the abscopal tumors which was proven to play a major role in survival of non-small cell lung cancer patients.

Correction to: Toward a comprehensive view of cancer immune responsiveness: a synopsis from the SITC workshop.

Following publication of the original article [1], the author reported that an author name, Roberta Zappasodi, was missed in the authorship list.

Toward a comprehensive view of cancer immune responsiveness: a synopsis from the SITC workshop.

Tumor immunology has changed the landscape of cancer treatment. Yet, not all patients benefit as cancer immune responsiveness (CIR) remains a limitation in a considerable proportion of cases. The multifactorial determinants of CIR include the genetic makeup of the patient, the genomic instability central to cancer development, the evolutionary emergence of cancer phenotypes under the influence of immune editing, and external modifiers such as demographics, environment, treatment potency, co-morbidities and cancer-independent alterations including immune homeostasis and polymorphisms in the major and minor histocompatibility molecules, cytokines, and chemokines. Based on the premise that cancer is fundamentally a disorder of the genes arising within a cell biologic process, whose deviations from normality determine the rules of engagement with the host's response, the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) convened a task force of experts from various disciplines including, immunology, oncology, biophysics, structural biology, molecular and cellular biology, genetics, and bioinformatics to address the complexity of CIR from a holistic view. The task force was launched by a workshop held in San Francisco on May 14-15, 2018 aimed at two preeminent goals: 1) to identify the fundamental questions related to CIR and 2) to create an interactive community of experts that could guide scientific and research priorities by forming a logical progression supported by multiple perspectives to uncover mechanisms of CIR. This workshop was a first step toward a second meeting where the focus would be to address the actionability of some of the questions identified by working groups. In this event, five working groups aimed at defining a path to test hypotheses according to their relevance to human cancer and identifying experimental models closest to human biology, which include: 1) Germline-Genetic, 2) Somatic-Genetic and 3) Genomic-Transcriptional contributions to CIR, 4) Determinant(s) of Immunogenic Cell Death that modulate CIR, and 5) Experimental Models that best represent CIR and its conversion to an immune responsive state. This manuscript summarizes the contributions from each group and should be considered as a first milestone in the path toward a more contemporary understanding of CIR. We appreciate that this effort is far from comprehensive and that other relevant aspects related to CIR such as the microbiome, the individual's recombined T cell and B cell receptors, and the metabolic status of cancer and immune cells were not fully included. These and other important factors will be included in future activities of the taskforce. The taskforce will focus on prioritization and specific actionable approach to answer the identified questions and implementing the collaborations in the follow-up workshop, which will be held in Houston on September 4-5, 2019.

Pan-TAM Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor BMS-777607 Enhances Anti-PD-1 mAb Efficacy in a Murine Model of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Tyro3, Axl, and Mertk (TAM) represent a family of homologous tyrosine kinase receptors known for their functional role in phosphatidylserine (PS)-dependent clearance of apoptotic cells and also for their immune modulatory functions in the resolution of inflammation. Previous studies in our laboratory have shown that Gas6/PS-mediated activation of TAM receptors on tumor cells leads to subsequent upregulation of PD-L1, defining a putative PS→TAM receptor→PD-L1 inhibitory signaling axis in the cancer microenvironment that may promote tolerance. In this study, we tested combinations of TAM inhibitors and PD-1 mAbs in a syngeneic orthotopic E0771 murine triple-negative breast cancer model, whereby tumor-bearing mice were treated with pan-TAM kinase inhibitor (BMS-777607) or anti-PD-1 alone or in combination. Tyro3, Axl, and Mertk were differentially expressed on multiple cell subtypes in the tumor microenvironment. Although monotherapeutic administration of either pan-TAM kinase inhibitor (BMS-777607) or anti-PD-1 mAb therapy showed partial antitumor activity, combined treatment of BMS-777607 with anti-PD-1 significantly decreased tumor growth and incidence of lung metastasis. Moreover, combined treatment with BMS-777607 and anti-PD-1 showed increased infiltration of immune stimulatory T cells versus either monotherapy treatment alone. RNA NanoString profiling showed enhanced infiltration of antitumor effector T cells and a skewed immunogenic immune profile. Proinflammatory cytokines increased with combinational treatment. Together, these studies indicate that pan-TAM inhibitor BMS-777607 cooperates with anti-PD-1 in a syngeneic mouse model for triple-negative breast cancer and highlights the clinical potential for this combined therapy. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings show that pan-inhibition of TAM receptors in combination with anti-PD-1 may have clinical value as cancer therapeutics to promote an inflammatory tumor microenvironment and improve host antitumor immunity.

Increased Axial Length Corresponds to Decreased Retinal Light Dose: A Parsimonious Explanation for Decreasing AMD Risk in Myopia.

Purpose: A recent systematic review indicated that higher sunlight exposure increased risk of AMD. The Beaver Dam study and the Pathologies Oculaires Liées à L'âge study both noted that wearing hats and/or sunglasses significantly decrease some AMD lesions, suggesting that reduced retinal light dose (RLD) may be related to reduced AMD risk. Given that myopes also have reduced AMD risk, we hypothesize its link to decreased RLD. Methods: Using a one-surface schematic eye and ray-tracing, spectacle power, vertex distance, corneal power, anterior chamber depth, and axial length to calculate relative light flux through the pupil and resultant image size on the retina in a randomly selected group of 71 eyes from the Reykjavik Eye Study. Pupil size is unaffected by refractive error; thus, RLD can be calculated. We verified this using a more complete set of ocular biometric variables and ray-tracing included in an optical design software (Opticsoft II). Results: RLD is inversely proportional to axial length. Comparing the two methods for calculating RLD using a Bland-Altman plot demonstrated equivalence. The ray-tracing method indicated that the retina of a hyperope with a 21-mm axial length would always be receiving 1.8× more photons per square millimeter than the retina of a myope with a 27-mm axial length. Conclusions: RLD is inversely proportional to axial length, as is AMD risk. The RLD for our 21-mm axial length wearing a pair of inexpensive commercial sunglasses would be equivalent to the RLD for a 27-mm myope. This may explain the decreased AMD risk in highly myopic individuals.

Inter-laboratory validation of the starch digestibility method for determination of rapidly digestible and slowly digestible starch.

The digestibility of starch in foods, which is influenced by the ingredients, formulation and preparation conditions, is a major determinant of glycaemic response. The terms rapidly digestible starch (RDS) and slowly digestible starch (SDS) along with the associated analytical methodology were developed by Englyst to characterise this nutritionally relevant food attribute. The measurement uncertainty of this starch digestibility method is evaluated here with an inter-laboratory trial. Six laboratories took part in the study testing ten cereal products with mean (range) contents of RDS: 48.4 g/100 g, (23.4-76·9) and, SDS: 10.9 g/100 g, (0.8-24.2). Based on the repeatability and reproducibility measurements, the calculated uncertainty was 3.6 g/100 g for RDS and 1.9 g/100 g for SDS. This trial has demonstrated acceptable measurement uncertainty and confirmed the transferability of the method between laboratories. The SDS content can identify foods rich in slow release carbohydrates with their associated health benefits.

Combination of CD40 Agonism and CSF-1R Blockade Reconditions Tumor-Associated Macrophages and Drives Potent Antitumor Immunity.

Efficacious antitumor immune responses must overcome multiple suppressive mechanisms in the tumor microenvironment to control cancer progression. In this study, we demonstrate that dual targeting of suppressive myeloid populations by inhibiting CSF-1/CSF-1R signaling and activation of antigen-presenting cells with agonist anti-CD40 treatment confers superior antitumor efficacy and increased survival compared with monotherapy treatment in preclinical tumor models. Concurrent CSF-1R blockade and CD40 agonism lead to profound changes in the composition of immune infiltrates, causing an overall decrease in immunosuppressive cells and a shift toward a more inflammatory milieu. Anti-CD40/anti-CSF-1R-treated tumors contain decreased tumor-associated macrophages and Foxp3+ regulatory T cells. This combination approach increases maturation and differentiation of proinflammatory macrophages and dendritic cells and also drives potent priming of effector T cells in draining lymph nodes. As a result, tumor-infiltrating effector T cells exhibit improved responses to tumor antigen rechallenge. These studies show that combining therapeutic approaches may simultaneously remove inhibitory immune populations and sustain endogenous antitumor immune responses to successfully impair cancer progression. Cancer Immunol Res; 5(12); 1109-21. ©2017 AACR.

Role of Fc-FcγR interactions in the antitumor activity of therapeutic antibodies.

The use of antibody therapy for cancer has steadily increased in recent years and has become standard treatment for numerous tumor types. It is now appreciated that the clinical activity of these antibodies relies upon their specific interactions with Fc receptors in addition to the well-studied target-binding region. The interactions mediated by antibody Fc domains can strongly affect the functional outcome of antibody therapy. The Fc portion of an antibody defines its interaction with numerous immune cells and has become an intense area of research as selecting the optimal Fc can greatly enhance the activity as well as mechanism of action of therapeutic antibodies. Recent advances in antibody engineering have enabled the development of antibodies that have altered Fc receptor interactions to take advantage of these findings. Engineering the Fc can fulfill diverse functions such as enhancing effector function for killing of tumor cells or depletion of unwanted immune subsets, enhancing agonist receptor signaling on particular immune cells or eliminating interaction with Fc receptors to avoid cellular depletion or toxicity in normal tissues. This review highlights important data and studies examining the role of Fc-Fc receptor interactions in therapeutic antibodies with a considerations for the future of engineered antibody therapy.

Correction: Preclinical Development of Ipilimumab and Nivolumab Combination Immunotherapy: Mouse Tumor Models, In Vitro Functional Studies, and Cynomolgus Macaque Toxicology.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0161779.].

Preclinical Development of Ipilimumab and Nivolumab Combination Immunotherapy: Mouse Tumor Models, In Vitro Functional Studies, and Cynomolgus Macaque Toxicology.

The monoclonal antibodies ipilimumab (anti-CTLA-4) and nivolumab (anti-PD-1) have shown remarkable antitumor activity in an increasing number of cancers. When combined, ipilimumab and nivolumab have demonstrated superior activity in patients with metastatic melanoma (CHECKMATE-067). Here we describe the preclinical development strategy that predicted these clinical results. Synergistic antitumor activity in mouse MC38 and CT26 colorectal tumor models was observed with concurrent, but not sequential CTLA-4 and PD-1 blockade. Significant antitumor activity was maintained using a fixed dose of anti-CTLA-4 antibody with decreasing doses of anti-PD-1 antibody in the MC38 model. Immunohistochemical and flow cytometric analyses confirmed that CD3+ T cells accumulated at the tumor margin and infiltrated the tumor mass in response to the combination therapy, resulting in favorable effector and regulatory T-cell ratios, increased pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion, and activation of tumor-specific T cells. Similarly, in vitro studies with combined ipilimumab and nivolumab showed enhanced cytokine secretion in superantigen stimulation of human peripheral blood lymphocytes and in mixed lymphocyte response assays. In a cynomolgus macaque toxicology study, dose-dependent immune-related gastrointestinal inflammation was observed with the combination therapy; this response had not been observed in previous single agent cynomolgus studies. Together, these in vitro assays and in vivo models comprise a preclinical strategy for the identification and development of highly effective antitumor combination immunotherapies.