Checkpoint inhibition in combination with an immunoboost of external beam radiotherapy in solid tumors (CHEERS): study protocol for a phase 2, open-label, randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: While the introduction of checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) as standard of care treatment for various tumor types has led to considerable improvements in clinical outcome, the majority of patients still fail to respond. Preclinical data suggest that stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) could work synergistically with CPIs by acting as an in situ cancer vaccine, thus potentially increasing response rates and prolonging disease control. Though SBRT administered concurrently with CPIs has been shown to be safe, evidence of its efficacy from large randomized trials is still lacking. The aim of this multicenter randomized phase II trial is to assess whether SBRT administered concurrently with CPIs could prolong progression-free survival as compared to standard of care in patients with advanced solid tumors. METHODS/DESIGN: Ninety-eight patients with locally advanced or metastatic disease will be randomized in a 1:1 fashion to receive CPI treatment combined with SBRT (Arm A) or CPI monotherapy (Arm B). Randomization will be stratified according to tumor histology (melanoma, renal, urothelial, head and neck squamous cell or non-small cell lung carcinoma) and disease burden (≤ or > 3 cancer lesions). The recommended SBRT dose is 24Gy in 3 fractions, which will be administered to a maximum of 3 lesions and is to be completed prior to the second or third CPI cycle (depending on CPI treatment schedule). The study's primary endpoint is progression-free survival as per iRECIST. Secondary endpoints include overall survival, objective response, local control, quality of life and toxicity. Translational analyses will be performed using blood, fecal and tissue samples. DISCUSSION: The CHEERS trial will provide further insights into the clinical and immunological impact of SBRT when combined with CPIs in patients with advanced solid tumors. Furthermore, study results will inform the design of future immuno-radiotherapy trials. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT03511391 . Registered 17 April 2018.

A phase I/II trial of fixed-dose stereotactic body radiotherapy with sequential or concurrent pembrolizumab in metastatic urothelial carcinoma: evaluation of safety and clinical and immunologic response.

BACKGROUND: Current first-line standard of therapy for metastatic urothelial carcinoma is platinum-based combination chemotherapy. Pembrolizumab in phase III has demonstrated a promising overall response rate of 21.1% in patients with progression or recurrence after platinum-based chemotherapy. Preclinical and clinical evidence suggests that radiotherapy has a systemic anti-cancer immune effect and can increase the level of PD-L1 and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in the tumor microenvironment. These findings gave rise to the hypothesis that the combination of radiotherapy with anti-PD1 treatment could lead to a synergistic effect, hereby enhancing response rates. METHODS: The phase I part will assess the dose limiting toxicity of the combination treatment of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) with four cycles of pembrolizumab (200 mg intravenously, every 3 weeks) in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma. The dose of both pembrolizumab and SBRT will be fixed, yet the patients will be randomized to receive SBRT either before the first cycle of pembrolizumab or before the third cycle of pembrolizumab. SBRT will be delivered (24 Gy in 3 fractions every other day) to the largest metastatic lesion. Secondary objectives include response rate according to RECIST v1.1 and immune related response criteria, progression-free survival and overall survival. The systemic immune effect triggered by the combination therapy will be monitored on various time points during the trial. The PD-L1/TIL status of the tumors will be analyzed via immunohistochemistry and response rates in the subgroups will be analyzed separately. A Simon's two-stage optimum design is used to select the treatment arm associated with the best response rate and with acceptable toxicity to proceed to the phase II trial. In this phase, 13 additional patients will be accrued to receive study treatment. DISCUSSION: The progress made in the field of immunotherapy has lead to promising breakthroughs in various solid malignancies. Unfortunately, the majority of patients do not respond. The current trial will shed light on the toxicity and potential anti-tumor activity of the combination of radiotherapy with anti-PD1 treatment and may identify potential new markers for response and resistance to therapy. Trial registration this trial is registered on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02826564).

Clinical Relevance of Serum Kyn/Trp Ratio and Basal and IFNγ-Upregulated IDO1 Expression in Peripheral Monocytes in Early Stage Melanoma.

Immune escape is an early phenomenon in cancer development/progression. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is a normal endogenous mechanism of acquired peripheral immune tolerance and may therefore be tumor-promoting. This study investigated the clinical relevance of IDO1 expression by immune cells in the lymph nodes and blood and of the serum kynurenine/tryptophan (Kyn/Trp) ratio in 65 systemic treatment naïve stage I-III melanoma patients. Blood samples were collected within the first year of diagnosis. Patients had a median follow-up of 61 months. High basal IDO1 expression in peripheral monocytes and low IFNγ-induced IDO1 upregulation correlated with worse outcome independent from disease stage. Interestingly studied factors were not interrelated. During follow-up, the risk of relapse was 9% (2/22) in the subgroup with high IFNγ-induced IDO1 upregulation in monocytes. In contrast, if IDO1 upregulation was low, relapse occurred in 30% (3/10) of patients with low basal IDO1 expression in monocytes and in 61.5% (8/13) in the subgroup with high basal IDO1 expression in monocytes (Log-Rank test, p=0.008). This study reveals some immune features in the blood of early stage melanoma that may be of relevance for disease outcome. These may offer a target for sub-stratification and early intervention.

Immune Monitoring in Melanoma and Urothelial Cancer Patients Treated with Anti-PD-1 Immunotherapy and SBRT Discloses Tumor Specific Immune Signatures.

(1) Background: Blockade of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway has revolutionized the oncology field in the last decade. However, the proportion of patients experiencing a durable response is still limited. In the current study, we performed an extensive immune monitoring in patients with stage III/IV melanoma and stage IV UC who received anti-PD-1 immunotherapy with SBRT. (2) Methods: In total 145 blood samples from 38 patients, collected at fixed time points before and during treatment, were phenotyped via high-parameter flow cytometry, luminex assay and UPLC-MS/MS. (3) Results: Baseline systemic immunity in melanoma and UC patients was different with a more prominent myeloid compartment and a higher neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in UC. Proliferation (Ki67+) of CD8+ T-cells and of the PD-1+/PD-L1+ CD8+ subset at baseline correlated with progression free survival in melanoma. In contrast a higher frequency of PD-1/PD-L1 expressing non-proliferating (Ki67-) CD8+ and CD4+ T-cells before treatment was associated with worse outcome in melanoma. In UC, the expansion of Ki67+ CD8+ T-cells and of the PD-L1+ subset relative to tumor burden correlated with clinical outcome. (4) Conclusion: This study reveals a clearly different immune landscape in melanoma and UC at baseline, which may impact immunotherapy response. Signatures of proliferation in the CD8+ T-cell compartment prior to and early after anti-PD-1 initiation were positively correlated with clinical outcome in both cohorts. PD-1/PD-L1 expression on circulating immune cell subsets seems of clinical relevance in the melanoma cohort.

IDO Expression in Cancer: Different Compartment, Different Functionality?

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is a cytosolic haem-containing enzyme involved in the degradation of tryptophan to kynurenine. Although initially thought to be solely implicated in the modulation of innate immune responses during infection, subsequent discoveries demonstrated IDO1 as a mechanism of acquired immune tolerance. In cancer, IDO1 expression/activity has been observed in tumor cells as well as in the tumor-surrounding stroma, which is composed of endothelial cells, immune cells, fibroblasts, and mesenchymal cells. IDO1 expression/activity has also been reported in the peripheral blood. This manuscript reviews available data on IDO1 expression, mechanisms of its induction, and its function in cancer for each of these compartments. In-depth study of the biological function of IDO1 according to the expressing (tumor) cell can help to understand if and when IDO1 inhibition can play a role in cancer therapy.

Phase 2 Trial of Nivolumab Combined With Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy in Patients With Metastatic or Locally Advanced Inoperable Melanoma.

PURPOSE: Nivolumab improves survival in patients with metastatic melanoma. Unfortunately, most patients do not respond to this treatment. Preclinical data indicate that radiation therapy could work synergistically with nivolumab and improve response rates. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We conducted a phase 2 trial in 20 patients with inoperable or metastatic melanoma with ≥2 measurable lesions (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors v1.1). Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) of 3 × 8 Gy to the largest lesion was delivered before the second nivolumab cycle. The primary endpoint was overall response rate (ORR) in the nonirradiated lesions (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors v1.1). Secondary endpoints included toxicity. An exploratory endpoint was mutant BRAF and NRAS circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) on serial blood samples. RESULTS: An ORR of 45% was noted with 3 complete and 6 partial responses. Three patients experienced stable disease and 7 had progressive disease as best response. All patients with a complete response in the nonirradiated lesions exhibited a local complete response in the irradiated lesion. Grade 1 to 2 treatment-related adverse events (AEs) occurred in 17 patients; 3 patients experienced grade 3 AEs (lymphopenia, gastroenteritis, and bullous pemphigoid). No grade 4 to 5 AEs occurred. ctDNA was detected in 8 patients, and changes corresponded to clinical response and suggested that a subset of patients with a low programmed death ligand-1 score only started responding after SBRT. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the combination treatment was well tolerated and led to an ORR of 45% in patients with metastatic or inoperable melanoma, similar to historical response rates of nivolumab monotherapy. Although underpowered, our data therefore do not indicate a substantial abscopal response. Nonetheless, serial ctDNA analyses suggest that a subset of patients responded only after the addition of SBRT.

Randomized Phase 1 Trial of Pembrolizumab with Sequential Versus Concomitant Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy in Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma.

Preclinical data indicate that radiotherapy works synergistically with pembrolizumab, but the effect and toxicity of this combination may depend on radiotherapy timing. We conducted a randomized phase 1 trial combining pembrolizumab with either sequential (A) or concomitant (B) stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC). No dose-limiting toxicity occurred. Treatment-related adverse events (trAEs; Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v4.0) of grade 1-2 occurred in six of nine and all nine patients in arms A and B, respectively. One grade 3 trAE occurred in arm B. No grade 4-5 trAEs occurred. Overall response rates of 0% and 44.4% were noted in arms A and B, respectively, as per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors v1.1. The trial was not powered to compare efficacy between arms. Targeted sequencing of tissue DNA and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) revealed high genomic concordance. Treatment response was associated with ctDNA fraction decline. We conclude that sequential and concomitant SBRT can be safely combined with pembrolizumab in mUC and that the effect of SBRT timing on efficacy is worth exploring further. PATIENT SUMMARY: This study assessed the safety of pembrolizumab combined with radiotherapy at two different time points in metastatic bladder cancer. We conclude that the combination treatment was well tolerated.

Phase 1 Dose Escalation Trial of Ipilimumab and Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy in Metastatic Melanoma.

PURPOSE: To report the results of a phase 1 trial evaluating the safety of the ipilimumab/radiation therapy combination in patients with metastatic melanoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirteen patients with metastatic melanoma were enrolled. Trial treatment consisted of 4 cycles of ipilimumab in combination with concurrent dose-escalated high-dose radiation therapy to 1 lesion administered before the third cycle of ipilimumab. RESULTS: Grade 3 or 4 ipilimumab-related adverse events occurred in 25% of patients. The maximum tolerated radiation therapy dose was not reached. Local control of the irradiated lesions was achieved in 11 of 12 irradiated patients (1 patient had progressive disease before irradiation and dropped out of the trial). Evaluation of the nonirradiated lesions demonstrated that 3 of 13 patients experienced clinical benefit, with 1 patient developing a partial response and 2 patients having confirmed stable disease. Immunomonitoring data showed that in patients without clinical benefit, factors linked to immunotolerance increased early after the initiation of ipilimumab, suggesting that early initiation of radiation therapy might be more effective if combined with ipilimumab. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the combination of ipilimumab and high-dose radiation therapy is feasible and safe.

Peritumoral endothelial indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase expression is an early independent marker of disease relapse in colorectal cancer and is influenced by DNA mismatch repair profile.

Targeting immune checkpoint molecules has become a major new strategy in the treatment of several cancers. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO)-inhibitors are a potential next-generation immunotherapy, currently investigated in multiple phase I-III trials. IDO is an intracellular immunosuppressive enzyme and its expression/activity has been associated with worse prognosis in several cancers. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression pattern of IDO in colorectal cancer (CRC). In a cohort of 94 CRC patients, primary tumors (PTs) with corresponding tumor-draining lymph nodes (TDLNs, n = 93) and extranodal/distant metastases (n = 27) were retrospectively analyzed by immunohistochemical staining for IDO, CD8 and Foxp3. 45 MSS and 37 MSI-H tumors were selected to compare IDO expression, as these tumors are considered to have different immunogenicity. A highly consistent expression pattern of IDO was observed in the PT, TDLNs and metastases, indicating that immune resistance may be determined very early in the disease course. IDO was expressed both by tumoral cells and host endothelial cells and these expressions were highly correlated (p < 0.001). IDO expression was observed more frequently in the MSI-H subset compared with the MSS subset (43% vs 22% for tumoral expression (p = 0.042) and 38% vs 16% for endothelial expression (p = 0.021)). Endothelial IDO expression was demonstrated to be a negative prognostic marker for recurrence free survival independent of disease stage and DNA mismatch repair (MMR) status (HR 20.67, 95% CI: 3.05-139.94; p = 0.002). These findings indicate that endothelial IDO expression in primary CRC, in addition to the MMR profile, may be helpful in disease stratification.