Cooperation of Oncolytic Herpes Virotherapy and PD-1 Blockade in Murine Rhabdomyosarcoma Models

Sci Rep. 2017 May 24;7(1):2396. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-02503-8.

Abstract

Oncolytic virotherapy is an effective immunotherapeutic approach for cancer treatment via a multistep process including direct tumor cell lysis, induction of cytotoxic or apoptosis-sensitizing cytokines and promotion of antitumor T cell responses. Solid tumors limit the effectiveness of immunotherapeutics in diverse ways such as secretion of immunosuppressive cytokines and expression of immune inhibitory ligands to inhibit antitumor T cell function. Blocking programmed cell death protein (PD)-1 signaling, which mediates T cell suppression via engagement of its inhibitory ligands, PD-L1 or PD-L2, is of particular interest due to recent successes in many types of cancer. In syngeneic murine rhabdomyosarcoma models, we found that M3-9-M (MHC I high) but not 76-9 (MHC I low) tumors respond to oncolytic herpes simplex virus-1 (oHSV-1) and PD-1 blockade combination therapy. In addition, the therapeutic outcomes in M3-9-M tumor models correlated with the increased incidence of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells but not with the CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cell populations in the tumor. Overall, our data suggest the combination of PD-1 blockade and oHSV-1 may be an effective treatment strategy for childhood soft tissue sarcoma.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / pharmacology*
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / drug effects
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • Combined Modality Therapy / methods*
  • Cytokines / genetics
  • Cytokines / immunology
  • Dendritic Cells / drug effects
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology
  • Female
  • Gene Expression
  • Injections, Intralesional
  • Injections, Intraperitoneal
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Neoplasms, Experimental
  • Oncolytic Virotherapy / methods*
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor / genetics
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor / immunology
  • Rhabdomyosarcoma / genetics
  • Rhabdomyosarcoma / immunology
  • Rhabdomyosarcoma / mortality
  • Rhabdomyosarcoma / therapy*
  • Simplexvirus / physiology*
  • Survival Analysis
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / drug effects
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Cytokines
  • Pdcd1 protein, mouse
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor