Local and systemic effects of an allogeneic tumor cell vaccine combining transgenic human lymphotactin with interleukin-2 in patients with advanced or refractory neuroblastoma

Blood. 2003 Mar 1;101(5):1718-26. doi: 10.1182/blood-2002-08-2493. Epub 2002 Oct 24.

Abstract

In murine models, transgenic chemokine-cytokine tumor vaccines overcome many of the limitations of single-agent immunotherapy by producing the sequence of T-cell attraction followed by proliferation. The safety and immunologic effects of this approach in humans were tested in 21 patients with relapsed or refractory neuroblastoma. They received up to 8 subcutaneous injections of a vaccine combining lymphotactin (Lptn)- and interleukin-2 (IL-2)-secreting allogeneic neuroblastoma cells in a dose-escalating scheme. Severe adverse reactions were limited to reversible panniculitis in 5 patients and bone pain in 1 patient. Injection-site biopsies revealed increased cellularity caused by infiltration of CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes, eosinophils, and Langerhans cells. Systemically, the vaccine produced a 2-fold (P =.035) expansion of CD4+ T cells, a 3.5-fold (P =.039) expansion of natural killer (NK) cells, a 2.1-fold (P =.014) expansion of eosinophils, and a 1.6-fold (P =.049) increase in serum IL-5. When restimulated in vitro by the immunizing cell line, T cells collected after vaccination showed a 2.3-fold increase (P =.02) of T-helper (TH2)-type CD3+IL-4+ cells. Supernatant collected from restimulated cells showed increased amounts of IL-4 (11.4-fold; P =.021) and IL-5 (8.7-fold; P =.002). Six patients had significant increases in NK cytolytic activity. Fifteen patients made immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies that bound to the immunizing cell line. Measurable tumor responses included complete remission in 2 patients and partial response in 1 patient. Hence, allogeneic tumor cell vaccines combining transgenic Lptn with IL-2 appear to have little toxicity in humans and can induce an antitumor immune response.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • CD4 Lymphocyte Count
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • Cancer Vaccines / adverse effects
  • Cancer Vaccines / therapeutic use*
  • Chemokines, C*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cytokines / blood
  • DNA, Complementary / genetics
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hypersensitivity, Delayed / etiology
  • Immunization Schedule
  • Immunoglobulin G / biosynthesis
  • Immunoglobulin G / immunology
  • Immunophenotyping
  • Infant
  • Injections, Subcutaneous
  • Interleukin-2 / administration & dosage
  • Interleukin-2 / genetics
  • Interleukin-2 / metabolism
  • Interleukin-2 / therapeutic use*
  • Killer Cells, Natural / immunology
  • Lymphokines / administration & dosage
  • Lymphokines / genetics
  • Lymphokines / metabolism
  • Lymphokines / therapeutic use*
  • Male
  • Neuroblastoma / pathology
  • Neuroblastoma / therapy*
  • Panniculitis / etiology
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / administration & dosage
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / therapeutic use
  • Remission Induction
  • Salvage Therapy
  • Sialoglycoproteins / administration & dosage
  • Sialoglycoproteins / genetics
  • Sialoglycoproteins / metabolism
  • Sialoglycoproteins / therapeutic use*
  • Skin / pathology
  • Th2 Cells / immunology
  • Transduction, Genetic
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured / drug effects
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured / metabolism
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured / radiation effects
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured / transplantation

Substances

  • Cancer Vaccines
  • Chemokines, C
  • Cytokines
  • DNA, Complementary
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Interleukin-2
  • Lymphokines
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Sialoglycoproteins
  • XCL1 protein, human
  • lymphotactin