Abstract

Abstract Tumor-targeting biological therapies, including adoptive T cell therapy (ACT) and oncolytic viruses, are being tested clinically to address the challenges in treating advanced solid tumors with heterogeneity and immune suppressive microenvironment (TME). Since complementary properties of these two approaches have been observed, we hypothesize that localized intratumoral treatment with combination of ACT and Delta-24-RGDOX (third generation oncolytic adenovirus developed by our group) induces not only potent therapeutic effect in treated tumor but also abscopal benefit to eliminate distant disseminated tumors. Using a B16-C57BL/6 melanoma model with disseminated tumors in C57BL/6 mice, we found gp100-specific CD8+ T cells injected into the first subcutaneous (s.c.) tumor showed tropism for distant s.c. and intracranial tumors, tumor draining lymph nodes, compared to spleen, blood and normal brain hemisphere. In a B16-OVA-C57BL/6 s.c./s.c. tumor model, Delta-24-RGDOX injections following gp100-specific T cells in the first tumor increased total cytotoxic T cell presence within both tumors, including gp100- and OVA- specific T cells. Further analysis revealed that Delta-24-RGDOX reduced the exhaustion of OVA-specific T cells while that of gp100-specific T cells kept at a low level. Moreover, Delta-24-RGDOX augmented the activity of the splenocytes against the tumor cells and other tumor-associated antigens (OVA, TRP2) than gp100. Consequentially, the combination of OVA-specific T cells and Delta-24-RGDOX was more potent to inhibit the injected and untreated distant tumor growth and caused improved survival rate than either of the agent alone (p < 0.05). Importantly, we observed relapse of the regressed tumors in the T cell treatment group, but not in the combination group. The survivors developed immune memory against rechallenging with B16-OVA cells. Collectively, our data demonstrate that localized treatment with intratumoral ACT followed by Delta-24-RGDOX induces global immune activation and antigen spread to expand antitumor T cell repertoire, leading to efficacious systemic anti-tumor immunity and sustainable tumor regression.

Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call