scholarly journals Preexisting Autoimmune Disease: Implications for Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy in Solid Tumors

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 750-757 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura C. Kennedy ◽  
Shailender Bhatia ◽  
John A. Thompson ◽  
Petros Grivas

The use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is rapidly expanding to the treatment of many cancer types, both in the metastatic setting and as an adjuvant to other therapies. Clinical trials using ICIs have largely excluded patients with preexisting autoimmune diseases due to concerns for increased toxicity. However, emerging evidence shows that ICIs may be considered in some patients with autoimmunity. This review discusses the commonalities between clinical autoimmune diseases and ICI-induced immunotherapy-related adverse events, and summarizes the existing case series that describes patients with solid tumors who have a preexisting autoimmune disease. This review also discusses which patients with autoimmunity could be considered reasonable candidates for ICI therapy.

Immunotherapy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (16) ◽  
pp. 1409-1422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elissar Moujaess ◽  
Fady Gh Haddad ◽  
Roland Eid ◽  
Hampig Raphael Kourie

The use of immune checkpoint inhibitors has been approved in the advanced and metastatic setting for many types of solid tumors. Nonetheless, their role in the adjuvant setting is limited to the treatment of surgically resected melanoma. Ipilimumab was the first immune checkpoint inhibitor approved for this indication, followed by nivolumab and pembrolizumab. Many ongoing trials are evaluating these molecules in the postoperative setting, alone or in combination with other therapies. Preliminary results are promising regarding the treatment of other cutaneous tumors, lung cancers, head and neck squamous cell carcinomas, bladder cancer and renal cell carcinomas. Some data assessing their use for the adjuvant treatment of esophageal, colorectal, ovarian cancer and other solid tumors are similarly emerging.


2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 1225.2-1226
Author(s):  
X. Pundole ◽  
O. Lambotte ◽  
M. Ramos-Casals ◽  
M. Suarez-Almazor

Background:Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have changed the treatment landscape of many cancer types, but are also associated with development of immune-related adverse events, includingde novosarcoid like reactions. However, little is known about the use of ICI therapy in patients with preexisting sarcoidosis as patients with preexisting autoimmune diseases have been systematically excluded from clinical trials of ICI therapy due to concerns of heightened toxicities. Emerging research suggests that ICI therapy can be considered in some patients with autoimmune diseases.1Objectives:To determine the risk of sarcoidosis exacerbation or flare in patients with preexisting sarcoidosis receiving ICI therapy.Methods:We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients seen at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center between 2016-2019. Patients were included in the cohort if they received one of 7 ICI therapies (ipilimumab, nivolumab, pembrolizumab, durvalumab, avelumab, atezolizumab, or cemiplimab) and had an International Classification of Disease version 10 code of sarcoidosis (D86.*), prior to the ICI initiation, with diagnosis confirmed in medical record by treating physicians. A sarcoidosis diagnosis was considered “possible” if the medical record documented a history of sarcoidosis, “probable” if a history of biopsy proven sarcoidosis was mentioned, and “definitive” if histological evidence was available. Frequency of flares and outcomes of patients after receiving ICI were collected.Results:During the study timeframe a total of 32 patients with preexisting sarcoidosis received ICI therapy. Nine patients (28%) had a definitive diagnosis of sarcoidosis, 12 (37%) had a probable diagnosis and 11 (35%) had a possible diagnosis of sarcoidosis. The mean time between diagnosis of sarcoidosis and initiation of ICI therapy was 13 years (range: <1 to 51 years). Twenty-seven patients (84%) received monotherapy and five patients (16%) received combination or sequential ICI therapy. Of the 32 patients, one patient with a 20-year remote history of sarcoidosis, never treated, developed a clinically symptomatic exacerbation of sarcoidosis one month after the initial dose of atezolizumab, with increased hilar nodules on imaging, skin nodules, arthritis and uveitis. Biopsy of a lymph node showed non-necrotizing granulomas, and biopsy of the skin panniculitis. The patient also developed colitis thought to be an immune-related adverse event. Atezolizumab was discontinued after 3 doses. Patient was treated with prednisone and azathioprine.Conclusion:Patients with a remote history of stable sarcoidosis at the time of ICI therapy infrequently develop a flare of their sarcoidosis. The risk of flares in patients with active sarcoidosis requiring immunosuppression at the time of ICI initiation is unknown.References:[1]Kennedy LC, Bhatia S, Thompson JA, Grivas P. Preexisting autoimmune disease: implications for immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in solid tumors. Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. 2019 Jun 1;17(6):750-7.Acknowledgments:NoneDisclosure of Interests:Xerxes Pundole: None declared, Olivier Lambotte Consultant of: BMS France, MSD, Astra Zeneca, Incyte, Manuel Ramos-Casals: None declared, Maria Suarez-Almazor: None declared


Immunotherapy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 819-831
Author(s):  
Shruti U Gandhy ◽  
Ravi A Madan ◽  
Jeanny B Aragon-Ching

Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy and therapeutic cancer vaccines have continued to demonstrate survival benefit and durable clinical response in patients with renal cell cancer, prostate cancer and bladder cancer, with limited responses in testicular cancer. The role of immunotherapy in combination with chemotherapy or other targeted therapies in the neo-adjuvant, adjuvant and metastatic setting is actively being explored. We describe the current immunotherapy-related treatment modalities approved for genitourinary cancers, focusing on immune checkpoint inhibitors, vaccines and other modalities, and highlight ongoing studies involving immunotherapy in these cancer types.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew E. Griffin ◽  
Juliel Espinosa ◽  
Jessica L. Becker ◽  
Jyoti K. Jha ◽  
Gary R. Fanger ◽  
...  

AbstractThe antitumor efficacy of cancer immunotherapy has been correlated with specific species within the gut microbiota. However, molecular mechanisms by which these microbes affect host response to immunotherapy remain elusive. Here we show that specific members of the bacterial genus Enterococcus can promote anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy in mouse tumor models. The active enterococci express and secrete orthologs of the NlpC/p60 peptidoglycan hydrolase SagA that generate immune-active muropeptides. Expression of SagA in non-protective E. faecalis was sufficient to promote antitumor activity of clinically approved checkpoint targets, and its activity required the peptidoglycan sensor Nod2. Notably, SagA-engineered probiotics or synthetic muropeptides also promoted checkpoint inhibitor antitumor activity. Our data suggest that microbiota species with unique peptidoglycan remodeling activity may enhance immunotherapy and could be leveraged for next-generation adjuvants.One Sentence SummaryA conserved family of secreted NlpC/p60 peptidoglycan hydrolases from Enterococcus promote antitumor activity of immune checkpoint inhibitors.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 153303382110399
Author(s):  
Fan-li Zeng ◽  
Jing-fang Chen

Cholangiocarcinoma is a general term for intrahepatic and extrahepatic malignant tumors deriving in the biliary system. According to the location, it is divided into intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, hilar cholangiocarcinoma, and distal cholangiocarcinoma. Progressive cholangiocarcinoma yields poor outcomes with radiotherapy; therefore, there is an urgent need for new therapeutic breakthroughs. Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy brings the treatment for cancer into a new field, with the use of drugs targeting PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 considerably extending the survival of patients with melanoma, lung cancer, and other solid tumors. The FDA has approved the application of pembrolizumab for solid tumors with high microsatellite instability and defective mismatch repair, including cholangiocarcinoma. Moreover, the combination of ICIs with chemotherapy and radiation therapy showed good promise. The aim of the present study was to review the application of ICIs in the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma and to summarize the reported individualized immunotherapy-based protocols and ongoing clinical trials for clinical reference.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. e238235
Author(s):  
Kwang Kiat Sim ◽  
Katie Connell ◽  
Mayank Bhandari ◽  
David Paton

Peritoneal melanosis is an uncommon benign condition, the pathophysiology of which is unclear. Macroscopically, it appears as diffuse dark brown or black pigmentation within the peritoneum, mimicking more sinister conditions such as metastatic melanoma. It has been described in a variety of contexts, but only exceedingly rarely in association with metastatic melanoma, with only two previous published case reports. We present a case of peritoneal melanosis associated with metastatic melanoma involving the spleen, previously treated with targeted and immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. With increasing reports of melanoma regression manifesting as cutaneous tumorous melanosis in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors, we postulate that, similarly, immunotherapy and tumour regression might have a role to play in the pathogenesis of the peritoneal pigmentation in this case.


2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 576-583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamzah Abu-Sbeih ◽  
David M. Faleck ◽  
Biagio Ricciuti ◽  
Robin B. Mendelsohn ◽  
Abdul R. Naqash ◽  
...  

PURPOSE The risk of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy–related GI adverse events in patients with cancer and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has not been well described. We characterized GI adverse events in patients with underlying IBD who received immune checkpoint inhibitors. PATIENTS AND METHODS We performed a multicenter, retrospective study of patients with documented IBD who received immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy between January 2010 and February 2019. Backward selection and multivariate logistic regression were conducted to assess risk of GI adverse events. RESULTS Of the 102 included patients, 17 received therapy targeting cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4, and 85 received monotherapy targeting programmed cell death 1 or its ligand. Half of the patients had Crohn’s disease, and half had ulcerative colitis. The median time from last active IBD episode to immunotherapy initiation was 5 years (interquartile range, 3-12 years). Forty-three patients were not receiving treatment of IBD. GI adverse events occurred in 42 patients (41%) after a median of 62 days (interquartile range, 33-123 days), a rate higher than that among similar patients without underlying IBD who were treated at centers participating in the study (11%; P < .001). GI events among patients with IBD included grade 3 or 4 diarrhea in 21 patients (21%). Four patients experienced colonic perforation, 2 of whom required surgery. No GI adverse event–related deaths were recorded. Anti–cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 therapy was associated with increased risk of GI adverse events on univariable but not multivariable analysis (odds ratio, 3.19; 95% CI, 1.8 to 9.48; P = .037; and odds ratio, 4.72; 95% CI, 0.95 to 23.53; P = .058, respectively). CONCLUSION Preexisting IBD increases the risk of severe GI adverse events in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 204589402096096 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Glick ◽  
Chase Baxter ◽  
David Lopez ◽  
Kashif Mufti ◽  
Stephen Sawada ◽  
...  

Immune checkpoint inhibitors successfully treat various malignancies by inducing an immune response to tumor cells. However, their use has been associated with a variety of autoimmune disorders, such as diabetes, hepatitis, and pneumonitis. Pulmonary arterial hypertension due to checkpoint inhibitor use has not yet been described. We present a novel case of pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with systemic lupus erythematosus and Sjogren’s syndrome overlap that was induced by therapy with the checkpoint inhibitor durvalumab.


Rheumatology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 58 (Supplement_7) ◽  
pp. vii29-vii39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil M Steven ◽  
Benjamin A Fisher

Abstract Immune checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) are an effective treatment for many cancers but cause diverse immune-related adverse events (IrAEs). Rheumatological IrAEs include arthralgia, arthritis, tenosynovitis, myositis, polymyalgia rheumatica and sicca syndrome. CPI use can unmask RA as well as causing flares of prior autoimmune or connective tissue disease. Oncologists categorize and grade IrAEs using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events and manage them according to international guidelines. However, rheumatological events are unfamiliar territory: oncologists need to work with rheumatologists to elicit and assess symptoms, signs, results of imaging and autoantibody testing and to determine the use of steroids and DMARDs. Myositis may overlap with myasthenic crisis and myocarditis and can be life-threatening. Treatment should be offered on balance of risk and benefit, including whether to continue CPI treatment and recognizing the uncertainty over whether glucocorticoids and DMARDs might compromise cancer control.


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