Combination of alphavirus replicon particle-based vaccination with immunomodulatory antibodies: therapeutic activity in the B16 melanoma mouse model and immune correlates

Cancer Immunol Res. 2014 May;2(5):448-58. doi: 10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-13-0220. Epub 2014 Feb 26.

Abstract

Induction of potent immune responses to self-antigens remains a major challenge in tumor immunology. We have shown that a vaccine based on alphavirus replicon particles (VRP) activates strong cellular and humoral immunity to tyrosinase-related protein-2 (TRP2) melanoma antigen, providing prophylactic and therapeutic effects in stringent mouse models. Here, we report that the immunogenicity and efficacy of this vaccine is increased in combination with either antagonist anti-CTL antigen-4 (CTLA-4) or agonist anti-glucocorticoid-induced TNF family-related gene (GITR) immunomodulatory monoclonal antibodies (mAb). In the challenging therapeutic setting, VRP-TRP2 plus anti-GITR or anti-CTLA-4 mAb induced complete tumor regression in 90% and 50% of mice, respectively. These mAbs had similar adjuvant effects in priming an adaptive immune response against the vaccine-encoded antigen, augmenting, respectively, approximately 4- and 2-fold the TRP2-specific CD8(+) T-cell response and circulating Abs, compared with the vaccine alone. Furthermore, while both mAbs increased the frequency of tumor-infiltrating CD8(+) T cells, anti-CTLA-4 mAb also increased the quantity of intratumor CD4(+)Foxp3(-) T cells expressing the negative costimulatory molecule programmed death-1 (PD-1). Concurrent GITR expression on these cells suggests that they might be controlled by anti-GITR mAbs, thus potentially explaining their differential accumulation under the two treatment conditions. These findings indicate that combining immunomodulatory mAbs with alphavirus-based anticancer vaccines can provide therapeutic antitumor immune responses in a stringent mouse model, suggesting potential utility in clinical trials. They also indicate that tumor-infiltrating CD4(+)Foxp3(-)PD-1(+) T cells may affect the outcome of immunomodulatory treatments.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alphavirus / genetics*
  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / pharmacology*
  • CTLA-4 Antigen / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Glucocorticoid-Induced TNFR-Related Protein / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Immunoglobulin G / immunology
  • Immunologic Factors / pharmacology*
  • Intramolecular Oxidoreductases / genetics
  • Intramolecular Oxidoreductases / immunology
  • Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / immunology
  • Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / metabolism
  • Melanoma, Experimental / immunology*
  • Melanoma, Experimental / therapy
  • Mice
  • Phenotype
  • Replicon
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / metabolism
  • T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / drug effects
  • Vaccines, Virus-Like Particle / administration & dosage
  • Vaccines, Virus-Like Particle / immunology*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • CTLA-4 Antigen
  • Glucocorticoid-Induced TNFR-Related Protein
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Immunologic Factors
  • Vaccines, Virus-Like Particle
  • Intramolecular Oxidoreductases
  • dopachrome isomerase