Phase II trial of ipilimumab in melanoma patients with preexisting humoural immune response to NY-ESO-1.

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint therapy has dramatically changed treatment options in patients with metastatic melanoma. However, a relevant part of patients still does not respond to treatment. Data regarding the prognostic or predictive significance of preexisting immune responses against tumour antigens are conflicting. Retrospective data suggested a higher clinical benefit of ipilimumab in melanoma patients with preexisting NY-ESO-1-specific immunity. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-five patients with previously untreated or treated metastatic melanoma and preexisting humoural immune response against NY-ESO-1 received ipilimumab at a dose of 10 mg/kg in week 1, 4, 7, 10 followed by 3-month maintenance treatment for a maximum of 48 weeks. Primary endpoint was the disease control rate (irCR, irPR or irSD) according to immune-related response criteria (irRC). Secondary endpoints included the disease control rate according to RECIST criteria, progression-free survival and overall survival (OS). Humoural and cellular immune responses against NY-ESO-1 were analysed from blood samples. RESULTS: Disease control rate according to irRC was 52%, irPR was observed in 36% of patients. Progression-free survival according to irRC was 7.8 months, according to RECIST criteria it was 2.9 months. Median OS was 22.7 months; the corresponding 1-year survival rate was 66.8%. Treatment-related grade 3 AEs occurred in 36% with no grade 4-5 AEs. No clear association was found between the presence of NY-ESO-1-specific cellular or humoural immune responses and clinical activity. CONCLUSION: Ipilimumab demonstrated clinically relevant activity within this biomarker-defined population. NY-ESO-1 positivity, as a surrogate for a preexisting immune response against tumour antigens, might help identifying patients with a superior outcome from immune checkpoint blockade. CLINICAL TRIAL INFORMATION: NCT01216696.

[Immunotherapy for cancer--modern immunologic strategies in oncology]. / Immuntherapie von Tumoren--Moderne immunologische Strategien in der Onkologie.

Immunotherapies have become an integral part of modern treatment concepts in oncology. The complexity of the regulation of the immune system gives rise to a multitude of different treatment approaches. Antibody based strategies are already used routinely in clinical day to day practice. Identification of new target antigens and the analysis of broader immunologic implications of antibody therapy are recent developments in this field. Antigen selection is also of high importance in the field of vaccination strategies. Vaccination strategies are now being investigated in adjuvant treatment settings but also the combination of vaccination and other treatment modalities show promising results in clinical trials. Another promising emerging field are T cell based therapies, with the clinically successful adoptive T cell transfer now being complemented by T cell receptor transfer strategies. This review summarizes the current concepts and future perspectives in immunotherapies for cancer.