Oncolytic virotherapy induced CSDE1 neo-antigenesis restricts VSV replication but can be targeted by immunotherapy

Nat Commun. 2021 Mar 26;12(1):1930. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-22115-1.

Abstract

In our clinical trials of oncolytic vesicular stomatitis virus expressing interferon beta (VSV-IFNβ), several patients achieved initial responses followed by aggressive relapse. We show here that VSV-IFNβ-escape tumors predictably express a point-mutated CSDE1P5S form of the RNA-binding Cold Shock Domain-containing E1 protein, which promotes escape as an inhibitor of VSV replication by disrupting viral transcription. Given time, VSV-IFNβ evolves a compensatory mutation in the P/M Inter-Genic Region which rescues replication in CSDE1P5S cells. These data show that CSDE1 is a major cellular co-factor for VSV replication. However, CSDE1P5S also generates a neo-epitope recognized by non-tolerized T cells. We exploit this predictable neo-antigenesis to drive, and trap, tumors into an escape phenotype, which can be ambushed by vaccination against CSDE1P5S, preventing tumor escape. Combining frontline therapy with escape-targeting immunotherapy will be applicable across multiple therapies which drive tumor mutation/evolution and simultaneously generate novel, targetable immunopeptidomes associated with acquired treatment resistance.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cancer Vaccines / administration & dosage
  • Cancer Vaccines / immunology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / immunology*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy / methods
  • Interferon-beta / immunology*
  • Interferon-beta / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mutation
  • Oncolytic Virotherapy / methods*
  • Oncolytic Viruses / immunology*
  • Oncolytic Viruses / metabolism
  • Oncolytic Viruses / physiology
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / immunology*
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus / immunology*
  • Vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus / metabolism
  • Vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus / physiology
  • Virus Replication / immunology*

Substances

  • CSDE1 protein, human
  • Cancer Vaccines
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • RNA-Binding Proteins
  • Interferon-beta