scholarly journals Therapeutic Ultrasound-Enhanced Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinyun Yuan ◽  
Dezhuang Ye ◽  
Si Chen ◽  
Hong Chen
Keyword(s):  
Immune Responses ◽  
Cancer Treatment ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Focused Ultrasound ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Complete Response ◽  
High Intensity Focused Ultrasound ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Combination Strategy ◽  
Antitumor Effects

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are designed to reinvigorate antitumor immune responses by interrupting inhibitory signaling pathways and promote the immune-mediated elimination of malignant cells. Although ICI therapy has transformed the landscape of cancer treatment, only a subset of patients achieve a complete response. Focused ultrasound (FUS) is a noninvasive, nonionizing, deep penetrating focal therapy that has great potential to improve the efficacy of ICIs in solid tumors. Five FUS modalities have been incorporated with ICIs to explore their antitumor effects in preclinical studies, namely, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) thermal ablation, HIFU hyperthermia, HIFU mechanical ablation, ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD), and sonodynamic therapy (SDT). The enhancement of the antitumor immune responses by these FUS modalities demonstrates the great promise of FUS as a transformative cancer treatment modality to improve ICI therapy. Here, this review summarizes these emerging applications of FUS modalities in combination with ICIs. It discusses each FUS modality, the experimental protocol for each combination strategy, the induced immune effects, and therapeutic outcomes.

scholarly journals Pulsed focused ultrasound can improve the anti-cancer effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors in murine pancreatic cancer

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (180) ◽  
pp. 20210266
Author(s):  
Petros X. E. Mouratidis ◽  
Marcia Costa ◽  
Ian Rivens ◽  
Elizabeth E. Repasky ◽  
Gail ter Haar
Keyword(s):  
Pancreatic Cancer ◽  
T Cells ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Focused Ultrasound ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Acoustic Cavitation ◽  
High Intensity Focused Ultrasound ◽  
Pulsed Focused Ultrasound

Pulsed high-intensity focused ultrasound (pHIFU) uses acoustic pressure to physically disrupt tumours. The aim of this study was to investigate whether pHIFU can be used in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) to enhance survival of tumour-bearing animals. Murine orthotopic pancreatic KPC tumours were exposed both to a grid of pHIFU lesions (peak negative pressure = 17 MPa, frequency = 1.5 MHz, duty cycle = 1%, 1 pulse s −1 , duration = 25 s) and to anti-CTLA-4/anti-PD-1 antibodies. Acoustic cavitation was detected using a weakly focused passive sensor. Tumour dimensions were measured with B-mode ultrasound before treatment and with callipers post-mortem. Immune cell subtypes were quantified with immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry. pHIFU treatment of pancreatic tumours resulted in detectable acoustic cavitation and increased infiltration of CD8 + T cells in the tumours of pHIFU and pHIFU + ICI-treated subjects compared with sham-exposed subjects. Survival of subjects treated with pHIFU + ICI was extended relative to both control untreated subjects and those treated with either pHIFU or ICI alone. Subjects treated with pHIFU + ICI had increased levels of CD8 + IFNγ + T cells, increased ratios of CD8 + IFNγ + to CD3 + CD4 + FoxP3 + and CD11b + Ly6G + cells, and decreased CD11c high cells in their tumours compared with controls. These results provide evidence that pHIFU combined with ICI may have potential for use in pancreatic cancer therapy.

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Basics and Challenges

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (17) ◽  
pp. 3009-3025 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bin Li ◽  
Ho Lam Chan ◽  
Pingping Chen
Keyword(s):  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Complete Response ◽  
Modern World ◽  
Basic Principles ◽  
Mutation Status ◽  
Anti Cancer ◽  
Cancer Types ◽  
Shed Light

Cancer is one of the most deadly diseases in the modern world. The last decade has witnessed dramatic advances in cancer treatment through immunotherapy. One extremely promising means to achieve anti-cancer immunity is to block the immune checkpoint pathways – mechanisms adopted by cancer cells to disguise themselves as regular components of the human body. Many review articles have described a variety of agents that are currently under extensive clinical evaluation. However, while checkpoint blockade is universally effective against a broad spectrum of cancer types and is mostly unrestricted by the mutation status of certain genes, only a minority of patients achieve a complete response. In this review, we summarize the basic principles of immune checkpoint inhibitors in both antibody and smallmolecule forms and also discuss potential mechanisms of resistance, which may shed light on further investigation to achieve higher clinical efficacy for these inhibitors.

scholarly journals Development of secondary urothelial carcinoma following complete response to immune checkpoint inhibitors

2021 ◽  
pp. 101762
Author(s):  
Jean-Michel Lavoie ◽  
Gillian Vandekerkhove ◽  
Andrew J. Murtha ◽  
Gang Wang ◽  
Alexander W. Wyatt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urothelial Carcinoma ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Complete Response

scholarly journals Myocarditis Surveillance With High-Sensitivity Troponin I During Cancer Treatment With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-139
Author(s):  
Sarah Waliany ◽  
Joel W. Neal ◽  
Sunil Reddy ◽  
Heather Wakelee ◽  
Sumit A. Shah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Treatment ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Troponin I ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
High Sensitivity Troponin

Patients with steroid-refractory toxicity following immune checkpoint inhibitors: Frequent hospitalizations and long duration of illness.

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 2655-2655
Author(s):  
Mia Bothwell ◽  
Aaron Cheng ◽  
Leyre Zubiri ◽  
Meghan Mooradian ◽  
Yevgeniy R. Semenov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Complete Response ◽  
Second Line ◽  
Duration Of Illness ◽  
Long Duration ◽  
Steroid Refractory

2655 Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment of cancer with significantly improved outcomes, but these agents have a unique spectrum of toxicities known as immune-related adverse events (irAEs). The recommended treatment for non-endocrine toxicities is steroid based. However, a subset of patients (pts) is steroid-refractory and requires second-line immunosuppression. There is very little evidence regarding this population. In this retrospective study we report the 1) incidence 2) type of treatment used 3) natural history and 4) potential predictors of steroid-refractory irAE at a major academic medical center. Methods: The Research Patient Database Registry at Mass General Brigham was used to identify pts treated with an ICI from 1/5/2017 to 6/1/2019. Pharmaceutical records identified a subset of the cohort received a second-line immunosuppressive agent within a 15-month period after ICI. For pts with steroid-refractory irAE additional information was collected: demographics, ICI regimen, type/#/and severity of irAE, clinical characteristics, # of admissions, length of stay (LOS), amount and duration of steroid therapy, second line immunosuppression type, treatment discontinuation rates, response, and outcome of re-challenge. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to predict risk of refractory toxicity and study the association of different variables (age, sex, race, marital status, cancer and ICI types) with refractory toxicities. Results: We identified 61 pts (1.4%) with steroid-refractory irAEs (48 colitis, 4 myocarditis, 6 pneumonitis, 3 neurologic) out of the total ICI cohort (N=4,325). 60.7% received ICI monotherapy. 24.6% received ICI in the adjuvant setting. Median length of steroid duration was 68 days with max of 1135 days. Despite use of second line immunosuppression, 25.8% of pts were never able to discontinue steroids. Majority of pts (72.1%) had at least one hospitalization with median LOS of 7.5 days. 93.4% of pts permanently discontinued the ICI responsible for the irAE. Thirteen pts (21.3%) were later re-challenged with ICI and 7 (53.8%) of these developed a subsequent irAE. Anti-CTLA-4 therapy was associated with a 10-fold risk of refractory toxicity compared to PD-1 (p<.05). Best tumor response was complete response in 21.3% and partial response in 26.2%. Among different cancer types, melanoma was most strongly associated with refractory events (OR 2.97 in comparison to thoracic malignancy). Conclusions: Refractory toxicity is uncommon but leads to high rates of ICI discontinuation, frequent hospitalizations, and a long duration of illness with exposure to prolonged and high-doses of steroids. There is an urgent need for further investigation into predictive factors for steroid-refractory toxicity given that ICI is being used more frequently and in earlier lines of treatment.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors: Significant advancements in non–small cell lung cancer treatment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley E Glode ◽  
Megan B May
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Cancer Treatment ◽  
Small Cell Lung Cancer ◽  
Cell Lung Cancer ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Small Cell ◽  
Novel Therapies ◽  
Small Cell Lung

Abstract Purpose This article explores the efficacy, toxicity, place in therapy, and considerations for use of recently approved immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in the treatment of non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Summary Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality in the United States and is responsible for more cancer-related deaths than breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer combined. The landscape for lung cancer treatment is evolving with the approval of new and exciting novel therapies. Within the last decade numerous ICIs have been approved for use in the management of the most common subtype of lung cancer, NSCLC. The ICI agents currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in NSCLC include ipilimumab, pembrolizumab, nivolumab, durvalumab, and atezolizumab. These agents are approved for specific indications; therefore, they are not interchangeable. This review focuses on the landmark trials that led to each FDA-approved indication, as well as common toxicities seen with use of these agents. It also discusses the use of ICIs in special populations and unique considerations prior to initiation of treatment with these novel therapies in a patient with NSCLC. Conclusion ICIs can provide a breakthrough treatment option for the management of NSCLC and are rapidly being adopted into clinical practice. It is important to be familiar with appropriate selection of an ICI therapy option for each patient based on approved indication, unique considerations, and anticipated toxicities.

scholarly journals Strategies to Improve the Antitumor Effect of γδ T Cell Immunotherapy for Clinical Application

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (16) ◽  
pp. 8910
Author(s):  
Masatsugu Miyashita ◽  
Teruki Shimizu ◽  
Eishi Ashihara ◽  
Osamu Ukimura
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Γδ T Cells ◽  
Target Cells ◽  
Γδ T Cell ◽  
Antitumor Effects ◽  
Cell Immunotherapy ◽  
T Cell Immunotherapy

Human γδ T cells show potent cytotoxicity against various types of cancer cells in a major histocompatibility complex unrestricted manner. Phosphoantigens and nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates (N-bis) stimulate γδ T cells via interaction between the γδ T cell receptor (TCR) and butyrophilin subfamily 3 member A1 (BTN3A1) expressed on target cells. γδ T cell immunotherapy is classified as either in vivo or ex vivo according to the method of activation. Immunotherapy with activated γδ T cells is well tolerated; however, the clinical benefits are unsatisfactory. Therefore, the antitumor effects need to be increased. Administration of γδ T cells into local cavities might improve antitumor effects by increasing the effector-to-target cell ratio. Some anticancer and molecularly targeted agents increase the cytotoxicity of γδ T cells via mechanisms involving natural killer group 2 member D (NKG2D)-mediated recognition of target cells. Both the tumor microenvironment and cancer stem cells exert immunosuppressive effects via mechanisms that include inhibitory immune checkpoint molecules. Therefore, co-immunotherapy with γδ T cells plus immune checkpoint inhibitors is a strategy that may improve cytotoxicity. The use of a bispecific antibody and chimeric antigen receptor might be effective to overcome current therapeutic limitations. Such strategies should be tested in a clinical research setting.

scholarly journals Development of a new patient-derived xenograft humanised mouse model to study human-specific tumour microenvironment and immunotherapy

Gut ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (10) ◽  
pp. 1845-1854 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue Zhao ◽  
Timothy Wai Ho Shuen ◽  
Tan Boon Toh ◽  
Xue Ying Chan ◽  
Min Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Immune Responses ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Drug Testing ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Tumour Microenvironment ◽  
Human Immune System ◽  
Patient Derived Xenograft ◽  
Human Immune ◽  
Human Specific

ObjectiveAs the current therapeutic strategies for human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been proven to have limited effectiveness, immunotherapy becomes a compelling way to tackle the disease. We aim to provide humanised mouse (humice) models for the understanding of the interaction between human cancer and immune system, particularly for human-specific drug testing.DesignPatient-derived xenograft tumours are established with type I human leucocyte antigen matched human immune system in NOD-scid Il2rg−/− (NSG) mice. The longitudinal changes of the tumour and immune responses as well as the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors are investigated.ResultsSimilar to the clinical outcomes, the human immune system in our model is educated by the tumour and exhibits exhaustion phenotypes such as a significant declination of leucocyte numbers, upregulation of exhaustion markers and decreased the production of human proinflammatory cytokines. Notably, cytotoxic immune cells decreased more rapidly compared with other cell types. Tumour infiltrated T cells have much higher expression of exhaustion markers and lower cytokine production compared with peripheral T cells. In addition, tumour-associated macrophages and myeloid-derived suppressor cells are found to be highly enriched in the tumour microenvironment. Interestingly, the tumour also changes gene expression profiles in response to immune responses by upregulating immune checkpoint ligands. Most importantly, in contrast to the NSG model, our model demonstrates both therapeutic and side effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors pembrolizumab and ipilimumab.ConclusionsOur work provides a model for immune-oncology study and a useful parallel-to-human platform for anti-HCC drug testing, especially immunotherapy.

Analysis of metastatic melanoma treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors and the rates of adverse events of colitis and hepatitis.

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e21591-e21591
Author(s):  
Emily Horan ◽  
Melissa Arneil ◽  
Wen Xu ◽  
Victoria Atkinson
Keyword(s):  
Metastatic Melanoma ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Immune Therapy ◽  
Complete Response ◽  
Treatment Regimens ◽  
Organ Systems ◽  
Oral Steroids ◽  
Intravenous Steroids

e21591 Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (CPI) are widely used in metastatic melanoma (MM), where it has markedly improved survival outcomes. ICI induced autoimmune adverse reactions (irAE) manifest in all organ systems and are due to over-activation of the immune system. Clinically relevant irAE are colitis and hepatitis as drivers of morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data was collected from a single centre (Princess Alexandra Hospital) from the electronic medical records system and immunotherapy prescribing software. Patient demographics, treatments, complications and outcomes were recorded from 2016-2019. Eligible patients had to have received immunotherapy (pembrolizumab, ipilimumab, or nivolumab) and experienced colitis or hepatitis toxicity. Trial patients were excluded. Results: The cohort of 337 patients who had received immune therapy, 18% (n = 61) had hepatitis or colitis, mean age was 56 years, 64% male. The majority were stage 4d 28% (n = 17). Braf wildtype accounted for 56% (n = 34). The highest rates of irAE occurred on combination ipilimumab and nivolumab 56% (n = 34), 10% nivolumab (n = 6), 3% (n = 2) ipilimumab, and 31% (n = 19) pembrolizumab monotherapy. Colitis affected 61% of patients (n = 37), 30% (n = 18) were grade 3 severity. Hepatitis affected 48% (n = 29), 18% (n = 32) were grade 1. The majority required oral steroids (80%, n = 49), followed by intravenous steroids (51%, n = 31), infliximab (18%, n = 11) and mycophenolate in 5% (n = 3). Hospitalisation occurred in 56% (n = 34), 20% (n = 12) requiring treatment cessation. Progressive disease occurred in 62% (n = 38), and 13% (n = 8) had a complete response. Conclusions: The findings of this analysis mirror current literature with immunotherapies used, rates and severity of irAE. The management of irAE also aligned with current guidelines. Further research is required to investigate patient factors increasing the risk of developing irAE, and ideal treatment regimens. Analysing this large cohort, the incidence of toxicity was 17%, predominantly colitis followed by hepatitis. Patients were severely impacted requiring significant interventions to manage toxicity, hospitalisation and morbidity.

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