Use of biological therapy to enhance both virotherapy and adoptive T-cell therapy for cancer

Mol Ther. 2008 Dec;16(12):1910-8. doi: 10.1038/mt.2008.212. Epub 2008 Sep 30.

Abstract

To protect viral particles from neutralization, sequestration, nonspecific adhesion, and mislocalization following systemic delivery, we have previously exploited the natural tumor-homing properties of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells. Thus, OT-I T cells, preloaded in vitro with the oncolytic vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), can deliver virus to established B16ova tumors to generate significantly better therapy than that achievable with OT-I T cells, or systemically delivered VSV, alone. Here, we demonstrate that preconditioning immune-competent mice with Treg depletion and interleukin-2 (IL-2), before adoptive T-cell therapy with OT-I T cells loaded with VSV, leads to further highly significant increases in antitumor therapy. Therapy was associated with antitumor immune memory, but with no detectable toxicities associated with IL-2, Treg depletion, or systemic dissemination of the oncolytic virus. Efficacy was contributed by multiple factors, including improved persistence of T cells; enhanced delivery of VSV to tumors; increased persistence of OT-I cells in vivo resulting from tumor oncolysis; and activation of NK cells, which acquire potent antitumor and proviral activities. By controlling the levels of virus loaded onto the OT-I cells, adoptive therapy was still effective in mice preimmune to the virus, indicating that therapy with virus-loaded T cells may be useful even in virus-immune patients. Taken together, our data show that it is possible to combine adoptive T-cell therapy, with biological therapy (Treg depletion+IL-2), and VSV virotherapy, to treat established tumors under conditions where none of the individual modalities alone is successful.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Biological / immunology*
  • Animals
  • Antibodies / immunology
  • Antibodies / pharmacology
  • Antigens / immunology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Immunologic Memory / immunology
  • Immunotherapy*
  • Interleukin-2 / immunology
  • Killer Cells, Natural / immunology
  • Mice
  • Neoplasms / genetics
  • Neoplasms / immunology*
  • Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Oncolytic Virotherapy*
  • T-Lymphocytes / drug effects
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • Vesiculovirus / genetics

Substances

  • Antibodies
  • Antigens
  • Interleukin-2