| 1. |
- Ellmark, Peter, et al.
(författare)
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Kick-starting the cancer-immunity cycle by targeting CD40
- 2015
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Ingår i: Oncoimmunology. - 2162-4011 .- 2162-402X. ; 4:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Stimulation of CD40 on dendritic cells to expand and activate tumor-specific T cells and generate anticancer immunity is an attractive therapeutic approach. Since CD40 agonists exert their effects upstream of checkpoint inhibitors, including PD-1 or PD-L1 antagonists, they are ideal candidates for combination regimens.
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| 2. |
- Ellmark, Peter, et al.
(författare)
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Tumor-directed immunotherapy can generate tumor-specific T cell responses through localized co-stimulation
- 2017
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Ingår i: Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0340-7004 .- 1432-0851. ; 66:1, s. 1-7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The most important goals for the field of immuno-oncology are to improve the response rate and increase the number of tumor indications that respond to immunotherapy, without increasing adverse side effects. One approach to achieve these goals is to use tumor-directed immunotherapy, i.e., to focus the immune activation to the most relevant part of the immune system. This may improve anti-tumor efficacy as well as reduce immune-related adverse events. Tumor-directed immune activation can be achieved by local injections of immune modulators in the tumor area or by directing the immune modulator to the tumor using bispecific antibodies. In this review, we focus on therapies targeting checkpoint inhibitors and co-stimulatory receptors that can generate tumor-specific T cell responses through localized immune activation.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Irenaeus, Sandra, et al.
(författare)
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Local irradiation does not enhance the effect of immunostimulatory AdCD40L gene therapy combined with low dose cyclophosphamide in melanoma patients
- 2017
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Ingår i: Oncotarget. - : Impact Journals, LLC. - 1949-2553. ; 8:45, s. 78573-78587
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: AdCD40L is an immunostimulatory gene therapy under evaluation for advanced melanoma, including ocular melanoma. Herein, we present the final data of a Phase I/IIa trial using AdCD40L alone or in combination with low dose cyclophosphamide +/- radiation therapy.Methods: AdCD40L is a replication-deficient adenovirus carrying the gene for CD40 ligand (CD40L). Twenty-four patients with advanced melanoma were enrolled and treated with AdCD40L monotherapy, or combined with cyclophosphamide +/- single fraction radiotherapy. The patients were monitored for 10 weeks using immunological and radiological evaluations and thereafter for survival.Results: AdCD40L treatment was safe and well tolerated both alone and in combination with cyclophosphamide as well as local radiotherapy. Four out of twenty-four patients had >1 year survival. Addition of cyclophosphamide was beneficial but adding radiotherapy did not further extend survival. High initial plasma levels of IL12 and MIP3b correlated to overall survival, whereas IL8 responses post-treatment correlated negatively with survival. Interestingly, antibody reactions to the virus correlated negatively with post IL6 and pre IL1b levels in blood.Conclusions: AdCD40L was safely administered to patients and effect was improved by cyclophosphamide but not by radiotherapy. Immune activation profile at baseline may predict responders better than shortly after treatment.
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| 5. |
- Loskog, Angelica, et al.
(författare)
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Immunostimulatory AdCD40L gene therapy combined with low-dose cyclophosphamide in metastatic melanoma patients
- 2016
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Ingår i: British Journal of Cancer. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0007-0920 .- 1532-1827. ; 114:8, s. 872-880
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Current approaches for treating metastatic malignant melanoma (MM) are not effective enough and are associated with serious adverse events. Due to its immunogenicity, melanoma is an attractive target for immunostimulating therapy. In this phase I/IIa study, local AdCD40L immunostimulatory gene therapy was evaluated in patients with MM.METHODS: AdCD40L is an adenovirus carrying the gene for CD40 ligand. Patients that failed standard treatments were enrolled. Six patients received four weekly intratumoral AdCD40L injections. Next, nine patients received low-dose cyclophosphamide conditioning before the first and fourth AdCD40L injection. The blood samples were collected at multiple time points for chemistry, haematology and immunology evaluations. Radiology was performed at enrolment and repeated twice after the treatment.RESULTS: AdCD40L was safe with mild transient reactions. No objective responses were recorded by MRI, however, local and distant responses were seen on FDG-PET. The overall survival at 6 months was significantly better when cyclophosphamide was added to AdCD40L. The patients with the best survival developed the highest levels of activated T cells and experienced a pronounced decrease of intratumoral IL8.CONCLUSIONS: AdCD40L therapy for MM was well tolerated. Local and distant responses along with better survival in the low-dose cyclophosphamide group are encouraging.
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| 6. |
- Mangsbo, Sara M, et al.
(författare)
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The human agonistic CD40 antibody ADC-1013 eradicates bladder tumors and generates T cell dependent tumor immunity.
- 2015
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Ingår i: Clinical Cancer Research. - 1078-0432 .- 1557-3265. ; 21:5, s. 1115-1126
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: Local administration of immune-activating antibodies may increase the efficacy and reduce the immune-related adverse events associated with systemic immunotherapy of cancer. Here we report the development and affinity maturation of a fully human agonistic CD40 antibody (IgG1), ADC-1013. Experimental Design: We have used molecular engineering to generate an agonistic antibody with high affinity for CD40. The functional activity of ADC-1013 has been investigated in human and murine in vitro models. The in vivo effect has been investigated in two separate bladder cancer models, both using human xenograft tumors in immune deficient NSG mice and using a syngeneic bladder cancer model in a novel human CD40 transgenic mouse. Results: Activation of dendritic cells (DCs) by ADC-1013 results in up-regulation of the co-stimulatory molecules CD80 and CD86, and secretion of IL-12. ADC-1013 also activates dendritic cells from human CD40 transgenic mice, and peptide-pulsed and ADC-1013-stimulated dendritic cells induce antigen-specific T cell proliferation in vitro. In vivo, treatment with ADC-1013 in a syngeneic bladder cancer model, negative for hCD40, induces significant anti-tumor effects and long-term tumor-specific immunity. Further, ADC-1013 demonstrates significant anti-tumor effects in a human bladder cancer transplanted into immunodeficient NSG mice. Conclusions: Our data demonstrate that ADC-1013 induces long-lasting anti-tumor responses and immunological memory mediated by CD40 stimulation. To the best of our knowledge, ADC-1013 represents the first immunomodulatory antibody developed for local immunotherapy of cancer.
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| 7. |
- Schiza, Aglaia, et al.
(författare)
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Adenovirus-mediated CD40L gene transfer increases Teffector/Tregulatory cell ratio and upregulates death receptors in metastatic melanoma patients
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Translational Medicine. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1479-5876. ; 15:79
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background and aims: Malignant melanoma is an aggressive tumor sensitive for immunotherapy such as checkpoint blockade antibodies. Still, most patients with late stage disease do not respond, and the side effects can be severe. Stimulation of the CD40 pathway to initiate anti-tumor immunity is a promising alternative. Herein, we demonstrate immune profiling data from melanoma patients treated with an adenovirus-based CD40 ligand gene therapy (AdCD40L). Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells and plasma were collected from malignant melanoma patients (n = 15) enrolled in a phase I/IIa study investigating intratumoral delivery of AdCD40L with or without low dose cyclophosphamide. Cells were analyzed by flow cytometry while plasma samples were analyzed by a multi-array proteomics. Results: All patients had an increased Teffector/Tregulatory cell ratio post therapy. Simultaneously, the death receptors TNFR1 and TRAIL-R2 were significantly up-regulated post treatment. Stem cell factor (SCF), E-selectin, and CD6 correlated to enhanced overall survival while a high level of granulocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (gMDSCs), IL8, IL10, TGFb1, CCL4, PlGF and Fl3t ligand was highest in patients with short survival. Conclusions: AdCD40L intratumoral injection induced desirable systemic immune effects that correlated to prolonged survival. Further studies using CD40 stimulation in malignant melanoma are warranted.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Schiza, Aglaia, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluation of Diffusion-Weighted MRI and FDG-PET/CT to Assess Response to AdCD40L treatment in Metastatic Melanoma Patients
- 2019
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP. - 2045-2322. ; 9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The purpose was to evaluate the potential of diffusion-weighted-magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) and F-18-fludeoxy-glucose-positron emission tomography integrated with CT (FDG-PET/CT) for prediction of overall survival (OS) following AdCD40L-immunotherapy in patients with metastatic malignant melanoma (MMM). Twenty-four patients with refractory MMM were treated with immunostimulatory AdCD40L gene therapy in a phase I/IIa study. Pre-therapeutic DW-MRI and FDG-PET/CT were performed and then repeated at 5 and 9 weeks post-treatment. Evaluation was conducted according to RECIST 1.1 and EORTC criteria. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), true diffusion coefficient (D), maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) were measured in the injected lesions. Fold changes (F) in ADC (F ADC), D (FD), SUVmax (FSUVmax) were statistically assessed. F D >= 1 and F ADC >= 1 were associated with better OS in scans at week 5 and 9 respectively. F SUVmax was not correlated to OS. F ADC >= 1 in both post-treatment scans and F D >= 1 at week 5 were related to a significant decrease of size of the injected lesions. These results suggest that in patients with MMM treated with AdCD401, functional parameters of DW-MRI are better early predictors of OS than the established metabolic and morphologic criteria for FDG-PET/CT and MRI, respectively.
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| 10. |
- Schiza, Aglaia, 1983-
(författare)
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Experimental treatment of patients with disseminated malignant melanoma
- 2017
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Malignant melanoma (MM) is the deadliest skin cancer with an ever-increasing incidence. New treatments have improved the prognosis for patients with advanced MM. Still, most patients do not respond, and the side effects can be severe, underlining the need for better therapies.The overall aim of this thesis was to evaluate new means to improve the treatment for patients with advanced MM. Immunostimulatory gene therapy (AdCD40L) was evaluated in a clinical study and BRAF-inhibitory treatment in rare cases of BRAF-mutated MM.Due to its immunogenicity, MM is an attractive target for immunostimulatory gene therapy. AdCD40L is an adenovirus carrying the human gene for CD40 ligand, which in different ways can stimulate the immune system to combat cancer. We conducted a Phase I/IIa study with AdCD40L in patients with metastatic MM having received established treatments. In cohort 1 (n=6), four weekly, intratumoural AdCD40L injections were given. In cohort 2 (n=9), low dose cyclophosphamide was added to increase the immune response. Since irradiation may act synergistically with immunotherapy, patients in cohort 3 (n=9) also received a single fraction of radiotherapy (8 Gy). This fraction was given towards the lesion selected for injections.The primary objectives were to assess the feasibility and safety of AdCD40L-treatment and secondarily its anti-tumour effects. Patients were thoroughly assessed for toxicity. The anti-tumour response was evaluated by imaging techniques (FDG-PET/CT, DW-MRI scans), tumour biopsies and blood tests. Plasma protein markers were measured with a multiplex platform. Another objective was to evaluate the potential of DW-MRI and FDG-PET/CT for prediction of AdCD40L treatment response, in terms of overall survival (OS).AdCD40L was well tolerated with mild transient reactions. Local and distant responses in PET/CT scans along with a significantly better 6-month survival in the cohorts that received cyclophosphamide conditioning were observed. Effector lymphocyte responses were elicited. All patients had an increased T effector/T regulatory-cell ratio and death receptors were significantly up-regulated post therapy. Inflammatory cytokines and other plasma proteins were altered in favourable ways by the AdCD40L treatment. The analyses support that the functional DWI parameters may be better early predictors of OS than the established metabolic and morphologic criteria of FDG-PET/CT and CT/MRI, respectively.In conclusion, the stimulation of the CD40 pathway to initiate anti-tumour immunity is a promising treatment alternative for MM patients. However, further studies with developed treatment schemes are warranted.In the first report ever on treatment of a pregnant patient with a BRAF-inhibitor, the therapy was initiated in the second trimester. The treatment with vemurafenib enabled prolonged gestation, hence reducing the risk of immaturity-related complications. Further, we report the first case worldwide of a patient with metastatic conjunctival melanoma who benefitted from treatment with vemurafenib. Additional studies are needed to assess the efficacy of BRAF -inhibitors in the different subtypes of ocular melanoma.
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