Long-term Benefit of PD-L1 Blockade in Lung Cancer Associated with JAK3 Activation

Cancer Immunol Res. 2015 Aug;3(8):855-63. doi: 10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-15-0024. Epub 2015 May 26.

Abstract

PD-1 immune checkpoint blockade occasionally results in durable clinical responses in advanced metastatic cancers. However, mechanism-based predictors of response to this immunotherapy remain incompletely characterized. We performed comprehensive genomic profiling on a tumor and germline sample from a patient with refractory lung adenocarcinoma who achieved marked long-term clinical benefit from anti-PD-L1 therapy. We discovered activating somatic and germline amino acid variants in JAK3 that promoted PD-L1 induction in lung cancer cells and in the tumor immune microenvironment. These findings suggest that genomic alterations that deregulate cytokine receptor signal transduction could contribute to PD-L1 activation and engagement of the PD-1 immune checkpoint in lung cancer.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / administration & dosage
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / therapeutic use
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use
  • B7-H1 Antigen / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • B7-H1 Antigen / genetics
  • B7-H1 Antigen / metabolism
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Enzyme Activation
  • Gene Expression
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Genomics
  • Humans
  • Janus Kinase 3 / genetics
  • Janus Kinase 3 / metabolism*
  • Lung Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Lung Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Lung Neoplasms / genetics
  • Lung Neoplasms / immunology
  • Lung Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Molecular Targeted Therapy
  • Mutation
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Positron-Emission Tomography
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Tumor Microenvironment / genetics
  • Tumor Microenvironment / immunology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • B7-H1 Antigen
  • atezolizumab
  • Janus Kinase 3