Adjuvant dendritic cell-based immunotherapy after cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy in patients with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma: a phase II clinical trial

• Published in: Journal for immunotherapy of cancer 2023-08, Vol.11 (8), p.e007070
• Main Authors: Dietz, Michelle V, Quintelier, Katrien L A, van Kooten, Job P, de Boer, Nadine L, Vink, Madelief, Brandt-Kerkhof, Alexandra R M, Verhoef, Cornelis, Saeys, Yvan, Aerts, Joachim G J V, Willemsen, Marcella, Van Gassen, Sofie, Madsen, Eva V E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abdomen; Cancer; CD4-positive T-lymphocytes; CD8-positive T-lymphocytes; Chemotherapy; Clinical trials; clinical trials, phase II as topic; Clinical/Translational Cancer Immunotherapy; Dendritic cells; Flow cytometry; Gastric cancer; General anesthesia; Immunotherapy; Laparoscopy; Lymphocytes; Medical prognosis; Mesothelioma; Surgery; Surgical outcomes
• ISSN: 2051-1426; 2051-1426
• DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-007070

BackgroundMalignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis. Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) improves survival outcomes, but recurrence rates remain high. Dendritic cell-based immunotherapy (DCBI) showed promising results in patients with pleural mesothelioma. The primary aim of this trial was to determine feasibility of adjuvant DCBI after CRS-HIPEC.MethodsThis open-label, single-center, phase II clinical trial, performed in the Erasmus MC Cancer Institute Rotterdam, the Netherlands, included patients with epithelioid MPM. 4–6 weeks before CRS-HIPEC leukapheresis was performed. 8–10 weeks after surgery, DCBI was administered three times biweekly. Feasibility was defined as administration of at least three adjuvant vaccinations in 75% of patients. Comprehensive immune cell profiling was performed on peripheral blood samples prior to and during treatment.ResultsAll patients who received CRS-HIPEC (n=16) were successfully treated with adjuvant DCBI. No severe toxicity related to DCBI was observed. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 12 months (IQR 5–23) and median overall survival was not reached. DCBI was associated with increased proliferation of circulating natural killer cells and CD4+ T-helper (Th) cells. Co-stimulatory molecules, including ICOS, HLA-DR, and CD28 were upregulated predominantly on memory or proliferating Th-cells and minimally on CD8+ cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs) after treatment. However, an increase in CD8+ terminally differentiated effector memory (Temra) cells positively correlated with PFS, whereas co-expression of ICOS and Ki67 on CTLs trended towards a positive correlation.ConclusionsAdjuvant DCBI after CRS-HIPEC in patients with MPM was feasible and safe, and showed promising survival outcomes. DCBI had an immune modulatory effect on lymphoid cells and induced memory T-cell activation. Moreover, an increase of CD8+ Temra cells was more pronounced in patients with longer PFS. These data provide rationale for future combination treatment strategies.Trial registration numberNTR7060; Dutch Trial Register (NTR).