Mutated PPP1R3B is recognized by T cells used to treat a melanoma patient who experienced a durable complete tumor regression

J Immunol. 2013 Jun 15;190(12):6034-42. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1202830. Epub 2013 May 20.

Abstract

Adoptive cell therapy with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) represents an effective treatment for patients with metastatic melanoma. However, most of the Ag targets recognized by effective melanoma-reactive TILs remain elusive. In this study, patient 2369 experienced a complete response, including regressions of bulky liver tumor masses, ongoing beyond 7 y following adoptive TIL transfer. The screening of a cDNA library generated from the autologous melanoma cell line resulted in the isolation of a mutated protein phosphatase 1, regulatory (inhibitor) subunit 3B (PPP1R3B) gene product. The mutated PPP1R3B peptide represents the immunodominant epitope recognized by tumor-reactive T cells in TIL 2369. Five years following adoptive transfer, peripheral blood T lymphocytes obtained from patient 2369 recognized the mutated PPP1R3B epitope. These results demonstrate that adoptive T cell therapy targeting a tumor-specific Ag can mediate long-term survival for a patient with metastatic melanoma. This study also provides an impetus to develop personalized immunotherapy targeting tumor-specific, mutated Ags.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural

MeSH terms

  • Base Sequence
  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • Gene Library
  • Humans
  • Immunodominant Epitopes / immunology*
  • Immunotherapy, Adoptive / methods*
  • Lymphocyte Activation / immunology
  • Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / immunology*
  • Male
  • Melanoma / genetics
  • Melanoma / immunology*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation
  • Phosphoprotein Phosphatases / genetics
  • Phosphoprotein Phosphatases / immunology*
  • Protein Phosphatase 1 / genetics
  • Protein Phosphatase 1 / immunology*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

Substances

  • Immunodominant Epitopes
  • PPP1R3A protein, human
  • PPP1R3B protein, human
  • Phosphoprotein Phosphatases
  • Protein Phosphatase 1