Dendritic cell-derived exosomes as maintenance immunotherapy after first line chemotherapy in NSCLC. (2nd April 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Besse, Benjamin; Charrier, Mélinda; Lapierre, Valérie; Dansin, Eric; Lantz, Olivier; Planchard, David; Le Chevalier, Thierry; Livartoski, Alain; Barlesi, Fabrice; Laplanche, Agnès; Ploix, Stéphanie; Vimond, Nadège; Peguillet, Isabelle; Théry, Clotilde; Lacroix, Ludovic; Zoernig, Inka; Dhodapkar, Kavita; Dhodapkar, Madhav; Viaud, Sophie; Soria, Jean-Charles; Reiners, Katrin S.; Pogge von Strandmann, Elke; Vély, Frédéric; Rusakiewicz, Sylvie; Eggermont, Alexander; Pitt, Jonathan M.; Zitvogel, Laurence; Chaput, Nathalie
• Is Part Of: Oncoimmunology. Volume 5:Number 4(2016)
• Publication Date: 2016-04-02
• Subjects: cancer vaccine -- exosomes -- immunotherapy -- NSCLC -- NK cell -- phase II trial; Tumors -- Immunological aspects -- Periodicals; Neoplasms -- therapy -- Periodicals; Immunotherapy -- Periodicals; 616.994
• DOI: 10.1080/2162402X.2015.1071008
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2162-402X

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Dendritic cell-derived exosomes (Dex) are small extracellular vesicles secreted by viable dendritic cells. In the two phase-I trials that we conducted using the first generation of Dex (IFN-γ-free) in end-stage cancer, we reported that Dex exerted natural killer (NK) cell effector functions in patients. A second generation of Dex (IFN-γ-Dex) was manufactured with the aim of boosting NK and T cell immune responses. We carried out a phase II clinical trial testing the clinical benefit of IFN-γ-Dex loaded with MHC class I- and class II-restricted cancer antigens as maintenance immunotherapy after induction chemotherapy in patients bearing inoperable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without tumor progression. The primary endpoint was to observe at least 50% of patients with progression-free survival (PFS) at 4 mo after chemotherapy cessation. Twenty-two patients received IFN-γ-Dex. One patient exhibited a grade three hepatotoxicity. The median time to progression was 2.2 mo and median overall survival (OS) was 15 mo. Seven patients (32%) experienced stabilization of >4 mo. The primary endpoint was not reached. An increase in NKp30-dependent NK cell functions were evidenced in a fraction of these NSCLC patients presenting with defective NKp30 expression. Importantly, MHC class II expression levels of the final IFN-γ-Dex product correlated with expression levels of the NKp30 ligand BAG6 on Dex, and with NKp30-dependent NK functions, the latter being associated with longer progression-free survival. This phase II trial confirmed the capacity of Dex to boost the NK cell arm of antitumor immunity in patients with advanced NSCLC.