Response, Toxicity and Resistance to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Cancer Therapy: Biological Mechanisms and Promising Solutions to Improve Future Outcomes

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2022) | Viewed by 16691

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Cancer Institute of the Hospices Civils de Lyon, Centre Hospitalier Lyon Sud, 69310 Pierre-Bénite, France
Interests: breast cancer; immunotherapy; clinical trials; multicriteria analyses

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Guest Editor
Dermatology department, Centre Hospitalier Lyon Sud, 69310 Pierre-Bénite, France
Interests: melanoma; immunotherapy; MAPkinase pathway

Special Issue Information

Immune checkpoint inhibitors, including PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA4 blockade therapy, have revolutionized the treatment landscape of several malignancies. However, only a minority of patients experience a positive response to immune checkpoint inhibitors, and outcomes have been disappointing in several tumor types.

Many research works have been conducted to understand the mechanisms underlying these heterogeneous outcomes, and many promising leads are currently being investigated. Developing our understanding of the complexity of anticancer immune response will support the development of the next generation of immune therapies. This complexity should certainly include the role of the inflammasome, epithelial–mesenchymal transition, microbiome interaction with the immune system, tumor-activated molecular pathways such as the MAPkinase pathway, T-cell dysfunction, and of microRNAs. The role of abscopal effect in the priming of the immune response, and the role of other systemic therapies designed to enhance the immune response at later stages, can provide empirical knowledge on future treatment strategies.

This Special Issue will highlight the current state of the art in predictive biomarkers of tumor immune response and/or toxicity and future prospects for combined therapies.

Dr. Julien Péron
Dr. Amélie Boespflug
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • immunotherapy
  • immune checkpoint inhibitors
  • predictive biomarkers
  • resistance
  • toxicity

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 823 KiB  
Article
Serum sCD25 Protein as a Predictor of Lack of Long-Term Benefits from Immunotherapy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Pilot Study
by Anna Siemiątkowska, Maciej Bryl, Katarzyna Kosicka-Noworzyń, Jakub Tvrdoň, Iwona Gołda-Gocka, Aleksander Barinow-Wojewódzki and Franciszek K. Główka
Cancers 2021, 13(15), 3702; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13153702 - 23 Jul 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3250
Abstract
Prognosis of advanced non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is poor. Even though it can improve with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 agents, most patients do not respond to treatment. We hypothesized that the serum soluble form of the unit α of the interleukin-2 receptor (sCD25) could be [...] Read more.
Prognosis of advanced non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is poor. Even though it can improve with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 agents, most patients do not respond to treatment. We hypothesized that the serum soluble form of the unit α of the interleukin-2 receptor (sCD25) could be used as a biomarker of successful immunotherapy in NSCLC. We recruited patients dosed with atezolizumab (n = 42) or pembrolizumab (n = 20) and collected samples at baseline and during the treatment. Levels of sCD25 were quantified with the ELISA kits. Patients with a high sCD25 at baseline (sCD25.0 ≥ 5.99 ng/mL) or/and at the end of the fourth treatment cycle (sCD25.4 ≥ 7.73 ng/mL) progressed faster and lived shorter without the disease progression and serious toxicity. None of the patients with high sCD25 at both time points continued therapy longer than 9.3 months, while almost 40% of patients with low sCD25 were treated for ≥12.3 months. There was a 6.3-times higher incidence of treatment failure (HR = 6.33, 95% CI: 2.10–19.06, p = 0.001) and a 6.5-times higher incidence of progression (HR = 6.50, 95% CI: 2.04–20.73, p = 0.002) in patients with high compared with low sCD25.0 and sCD25.4. Serum levels of sCD25 may serve as a non-invasive biomarker of long-term benefits from the anti-PD-1/PD-L1s in NSCLC. Full article
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15 pages, 691 KiB  
Article
Investigating the Impact of Immune-Related Adverse Events, Glucocorticoid Use and Immunotherapy Interruption on Long-Term Survival Outcomes
by Charline Lafayolle de la Bruyère, Pierre-Jean Souquet, Stéphane Dalle, Pauline Corbaux, Amélie Boespflug, Michaël Duruisseaux, Lize Kiakouama-Maleka, Thibaut Reverdy, Madeleine Maugeais, Gulsum Sahin, Denis Maillet and Julien Péron
Cancers 2021, 13(10), 2365; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13102365 - 14 May 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2161
Abstract
It remains unclear whether immune-related adverse events (irAEs) and glucocorticoid use could impact long-term outcomes in patients treated for solid tumors with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). All patients treated with a single-agent ICI for any advanced cancer were included in this retrospective unicentric [...] Read more.
It remains unclear whether immune-related adverse events (irAEs) and glucocorticoid use could impact long-term outcomes in patients treated for solid tumors with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). All patients treated with a single-agent ICI for any advanced cancer were included in this retrospective unicentric study. The objectives were to assess the impact of grade ≥3 irAEs, glucocorticoid use and the interruption of immunotherapy on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). In this 828-patient cohort, the first occurrence of grade ≥3 irAEs had no significant impact on PFS or OS. Glucocorticoid administration for the irAEs was associated with a significantly shorter PFS (adjusted HR 3.0; p = 0.00040) and a trend toward shorter OS. ICI interruption was associated with a significantly shorter PFS (adjusted HR 3.5; p < 0.00043) and shorter OS (HR 4.5; p = 0.0027). Glucocorticoid administration and ICI interruption were correlated. In our population of patients treated with single agent ICI, grade ≥3 irAEs did not impact long-term outcomes. However, the need for glucocorticoids and the interruption of immunotherapy resulted in poorer long-term outcomes. The impact of grade ≥3 irAEs reported in other studies might then be explained by the management of the irAEs. Full article
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Review

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30 pages, 1812 KiB  
Review
Biomarkers of Response and Resistance to Immunotherapy in Microsatellite Stable Colorectal Cancer: Toward a New Personalized Medicine
by Nicolas Huyghe, Elena Benidovskaya, Philippe Stevens and Marc Van den Eynde
Cancers 2022, 14(9), 2241; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14092241 - 29 Apr 2022
Cited by 30 | Viewed by 5271
Abstract
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICIs) are well recognized as a major immune treatment modality for multiple types of solid cancers. However, for colorectal cancer (CRC), ICIs are only approved for the treatment of Mismatch-Repair-Deficient and Microsatellite Instability-High (dMMR/MSI-H) tumors. For the vast majority of [...] Read more.
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICIs) are well recognized as a major immune treatment modality for multiple types of solid cancers. However, for colorectal cancer (CRC), ICIs are only approved for the treatment of Mismatch-Repair-Deficient and Microsatellite Instability-High (dMMR/MSI-H) tumors. For the vast majority of CRC, that are not dMMR/MSI-H, ICIs alone provide limited to no clinical benefit. This discrepancy of response between CRC and other solid cancers suggests that CRC may be inherently resistant to ICIs alone. In translational research, efforts are underway to thoroughly characterize the immune microenvironment of CRC to better understand the mechanisms behind this resistance and to find new biomarkers of response. In the clinic, trials are being set up to study biomarkers along with treatments targeting newly discovered immune checkpoint molecules or treatments combining ICIs with other existing therapies to improve response in MSS CRC. In this review, we will focus on the characteristics of response and resistance to ICIs in CRC, and discuss promising biomarkers studied in recent clinical trials combining ICIs with other therapies. Full article
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22 pages, 1333 KiB  
Review
Advances in Immunotherapy for the Treatment of Adult Glioblastoma: Overcoming Chemical and Physical Barriers
by Mirna Lechpammer, Rohan Rao, Sanjit Shah, Mona Mirheydari, Debanjan Bhattacharya, Abigail Koehler, Donatien Kamdem Toukam, Kevin J. Haworth, Daniel Pomeranz Krummel and Soma Sengupta
Cancers 2022, 14(7), 1627; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14071627 - 23 Mar 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 5026
Abstract
Glioblastoma, or glioblastoma multiforme (GBM, WHO Grade IV), is a highly aggressive adult glioma. Despite extensive efforts to improve treatment, the current standard-of-care (SOC) regimen, which consists of maximal resection, radiotherapy, and temozolomide (TMZ), achieves only a 12–15 month survival. The clinical improvements [...] Read more.
Glioblastoma, or glioblastoma multiforme (GBM, WHO Grade IV), is a highly aggressive adult glioma. Despite extensive efforts to improve treatment, the current standard-of-care (SOC) regimen, which consists of maximal resection, radiotherapy, and temozolomide (TMZ), achieves only a 12–15 month survival. The clinical improvements achieved through immunotherapy in several extracranial solid tumors, including non-small-cell lung cancer, melanoma, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, inspired investigations to pursue various immunotherapeutic interventions in adult glioblastoma patients. Despite some encouraging reports from preclinical and early-stage clinical trials, none of the tested agents have been convincing in Phase III clinical trials. One, but not the only, factor that is accountable for the slow progress is the blood–brain barrier, which prevents most antitumor drugs from reaching the target in appreciable amounts. Herein, we review the current state of immunotherapy in glioblastoma and discuss the significant challenges that prevent advancement. We also provide thoughts on steps that may be taken to remediate these challenges, including the application of ultrasound technologies. Full article
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