T cell-inflamed gene expression profile and PD-L1 expression and pembrolizumab efficacy in advanced esophageal cancer.

Aim: Investigate the relationship between response to pembrolizumab and expression of the 18-gene T cell-inflamed gene expression profile (TcellinfGEP) or PD-L1 combined positive score (CPS) in esophageal cancer. Materials & methods: This analysis included heavily pretreated patients with advanced/metastatic esophageal/gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma who received pembrolizumab in the single-arm, phase II study KEYNOTE-180. PD-L1 CPS was evaluated with PD-L1 IHC 22C3 pharmDx. Results: In patients with squamous cell carcinoma, trends toward enrichment for responders were observed for patients with PD-L1 CPS ≥10 tumors. In patients with adenocarcinoma, a trend was observed for TcellinfGEP but not for PD-L1. Conclusion: TcellinfGEP and PD-L1 CPS may enrich for responders to pembrolizumab in patients with esophageal cancer. Clinical trial registration: NCT02559687 (ClinicalTrials.gov).

First-line pembrolizumab/placebo plus trastuzumab and chemotherapy in HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer: KEYNOTE-811.

Treatment options for patients with HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer are limited, and the prognosis for these patients is poor. Pembrolizumab has demonstrated promising antitumor activity in patients with advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma as monotherapy, in combination with chemotherapy and in combination with trastuzumab. Combining pembrolizumab with trastuzumab and chemotherapy may therefore provide a benefit for patients with advanced HER2-positive gastric cancer. Here we aimed to describe the design of and rationale for the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase III KEYNOTE-811 study, which will evaluate the efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab or placebo in combination with trastuzumab and chemotherapy as first-line treatment for patients with advanced HER2-positive gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. Clinical trial registration: NCT03615326 (ClinicalTrials.gov).

Evaluation of potential biomarkers for lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab among patients with advanced endometrial cancer: results from Study 111/KEYNOTE-146.

BACKGROUND: Lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab demonstrated clinically meaningful benefit in patients with previously treated advanced endometrial carcinoma in Study 111/KEYNOTE-146 (NCT02501096). In these exploratory analyses from this study, we evaluated the associations between clinical outcomes and gene expression signature scores and descriptively summarized response in biomarker subpopulations defined by tumor mutational burden (TMB) and DNA variants for individual genes of interest. METHODS: Patients with histologically confirmed metastatic endometrial carcinoma received oral lenvatinib 20 mg once daily plus intravenous pembrolizumab 200 mg every 3 weeks for 35 cycles. Archived formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue was obtained from all patients. T-cell-inflamed gene expression profile (TcellinfGEP) and 11 other gene signatures were evaluated by RNA sequencing. TMB, hotspot mutations in PIK3CA (oncogene), and deleterious mutations in PTEN and TP53 (tumor suppressor genes) were evaluated by whole-exome sequencing (WES). RESULTS: 93 and 79 patients were included in the RNA-sequencing-evaluable and WES-evaluable populations, respectively. No statistically significant associations were observed between any of the RNA-sequencing signature scores and objective response rate or progression-free survival. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values for response ranged from 0.39 to 0.54; all 95% CIs included 0.50. Responses were seen regardless of TMB (≥175 or <175 mutations/exome) and mutation status. There were no correlations between TcellinfGEP and TMB, TcellinfGEP and microvessel density (MVD), or MVD and TMB. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis demonstrated efficacy for lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab regardless of biomarker status. Results from this study do not support clinical utility of the evaluated biomarkers. Further investigation of biomarkers for this regimen is warranted. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02501096.

Sub-lethal radiation enhances anti-tumor immunotherapy in a transgenic mouse model of pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND: It is not uncommon to observe circulating tumor antigen-specific T lymphocytes in cancer patients despite a lack of significant infiltration and destruction of their tumors. Thus, an important goal for tumor immunotherapy is to identify ways to modulate in vivo anti-tumor immunity to achieve clinical efficacy. We investigate this proposition in a spontaneous mouse tumor model, Rip1-Tag2. METHODS: Experimental therapies were carried out in two distinctive trial designs, intended to either intervene in the explosive growth of small tumors, or regress bulky end-stage tumors. Rip1-Tag2 mice received a single transfer of splenocytes from Tag-specific, CD4+ T cell receptor transgenic mice, a single sub-lethal radiation, or a combination therapy in which the lymphocyte transfer was preceded by the sub-lethal radiation. Tumor burden, the extent of lymphocyte infiltration into solid tumors and host survival were used to assess the efficacy of these therapeutic approaches. RESULTS: In either intervention or regression, the transfer of Tag-specific T cells alone did not result in significant lymphocyte infiltration into solid tumors, not did it affect tumor growth or host survival. In contrast, the combination therapy resulted in significant reduction in tumor burden, increase in lymphocyte infiltration into solid tumors, and extension of survival. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that certain types of solid tumors may be intrinsically resistant to infiltration and destruction by tumor-specific T lymphocytes. Our data suggest that such resistance can be disrupted by sub-lethal radiation. The combinatorial approach presented here merits consideration in the design of clinical trials aimed to achieve T cell-mediated anti-tumor immunity.

Dendritic cells in human thymus and periphery display a proinsulin epitope in a transcription-dependent, capture-independent fashion.

The natural expression of tissue-specific genes in the thymus, e.g., insulin, is critical for self-tolerance. The transcription of tissue-specific genes is ascribed to peripheral Ag-expressing (PAE) cells, which discordant studies identified as thymic epithelial cells (TEC) or CD11c+ dendritic cells (DC). We hypothesized that, consistent with APC function, PAE-DC should constitutively display multiple self-epitopes on their surface. If recognized by Abs, such epitopes could help identify PAE cells to further define their distribution, nature, and function. We report that selected Abs reacted with self-epitopes, including a proinsulin epitope, on the surface of CD11c+ cells. We find that Proins+ CD11c+ PAE cells exist in human thymus, spleen, and also circulate in blood. Human thymic Proins+ cells appear as mature DC but express CD8alpha, CD20, CD123, and CD14; peripheral Proins+ cells appear as immature DC. However, DC derived in vitro from human peripheral blood monocytes include Proins+ cells that uniquely differentiate and mature into thymic-like PAE-DC. Critically, we demonstrate that human Proins+ CD11c+ cells transcribe the insulin gene in thymus, spleen, and blood. Likewise, we show that mouse thymic and peripheral CD11c+ cells transcribe the insulin gene and display the proinsulin epitope; moreover, by using knockout mice, we show that the display of this epitope depends upon insulin gene transcription and is independent of Ag capturing. Thus, we propose that PAE cells include functionally distinct DC displaying self-epitopes through a novel, transcription-dependent mechanism. These cells might play a role in promoting self-tolerance, not only in the thymus but also in the periphery.