Oncolytic measles virus therapy enhances tumor antigen-specific T-cell responses in patients with multiple myeloma

Leukemia. 2020 Dec;34(12):3310-3322. doi: 10.1038/s41375-020-0828-7. Epub 2020 Apr 23.

Abstract

Oncolytic virus therapy leads to immunogenic death of virus-infected tumor cells and this has been shown in preclinical models to enhance the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte response against tumor-associated antigens (TAAs), leading to killing of uninfected tumor cells. To investigate whether oncolytic virotherapy can increase immune responses to tumor antigens in human subjects, we studied T-cell responses against a panel of known myeloma TAAs using PBMC samples obtained from ten myeloma patients before and after systemic administration of an oncolytic measles virus encoding sodium iodide symporter (MV-NIS). Despite their prior exposures to multiple immunosuppressive antimyeloma treatment regimens, T-cell responses to some of the TAAs were detectable even before measles virotherapy. Measurable baseline T-cell responses against MAGE-C1 and hTERT were present. Furthermore, MV-NIS treatment significantly (P < 0.05) increased T-cell responses against MAGE-C1 and MAGE-A3. Interestingly, one patient who achieved complete remission after MV-NIS therapy had strong baseline T-cell responses both to measles virus proteins and to eight of the ten tested TAAs. Our data demonstrate that oncolytic virotherapy can function as an antigen agnostic vaccine, increasing cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses against TAAs in patients with multiple myeloma, providing a basis for continued exploration of this modality in combination with immune checkpoint blockade.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Antigens, Neoplasm / immunology
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Humans
  • Leukocytes, Mononuclear
  • Measles virus / immunology*
  • Multiple Myeloma / immunology*
  • Multiple Myeloma / therapy*
  • Oncolytic Virotherapy / methods
  • Oncolytic Viruses / immunology*
  • Symporters / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / immunology

Substances

  • Antigens, Neoplasm
  • Symporters
  • sodium-iodide symporter