Cellular therapy is an emerging cancer treatment modality, but its application to epithelial cancers has been limited. This clinical trial evaluated tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy for the treatment of patients with metastatic human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated carcinomas.

Inflammation and dysregulated immune responses play a crucial role in atherosclerosis, underlying ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and acute coronary syndromes (ACSs). Immune responses are also major determinants of the postischaemic injury in myocardial infarction. Regulatory T cells (CD4+CD25+FOXP3+; Treg) induce immune tolerance and preserve immune homeostasis. Recent in vivo studies suggested that low-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2) can increase Treg cell numbers. Aldesleukin is a human recombinant form of IL-2 that has been used therapeutically in several autoimmune diseases. However, its safety and efficacy is unknown in the setting of coronary artery disease.

Background: Approximately 50% of melanomas harbor BRAF mutations. Treatment with BRAF +/- MEK inhibition is associated with favorable changes in the tumor microenvironment thus providing the rationale for combining targeted agents with immunotherapy. Methods: Patients with unresectable Stage III or IV BRAFV600E mutant melanoma were enrolled in a single-center prospective study (n = 6). Patients were eligible to receive two courses of HD-IL-2 and vemurafenib twice daily. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) with secondary objectives including overall survival (OS), response rates (RR), and safety of combination therapy as compared to historical controls. Immune profiling was performed in longitudinal tissue samples, when available. Results: Overall RR was 83.3% (95% CI: 36%-99%) and 66.6% at 12 weeks. All patients eventually progressed, with three progressing on treatment and three progressing after the vemurafenib continuation phase ended. Median PFS was 35.8 weeks (95% CI: 16-57 weeks). Median OS was not reached; however, the time at which 75% of patients were still alive was 104.4 weeks. Change in circulating BRAFV600E levels correlated with response. Though combination therapy was associated with enhanced CD8 T cell infiltrate, an increase in regulatory T cell frequency was seen with HD-IL-2 administration, suggesting a potential limitation in this strategy. Conclusion: Combination vemurafenib and HD-IL-2 is well tolerated and associated with treatment responses. However, the HD-IL-2 induced increase in Tregs may abrogate potential synergy. Given the efficacy of regimens targeting the PD-1 pathway, strategies combining these regimens with BRAF-targeted therapy are currently underway, and the role of combination vemurafenib and HD-IL-2 is uncertain. Trial Registration: Clinical trial information: NCT01754376; https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT01754376.

•A case report of a 14 year remission of recurrent ovarian cancer with intraperitoneal aldesleukin (IL-2) is presented.•Intraperitoneal IL-2 was given with little toxicity.•Immunotherapy may have the potential for durable remissions in ovarian cancer.

We developed cergutuzumab amunaleukin (CEA-IL2v, RG7813), a novel monomeric CEA-targeted immunocytokine, that comprises a single IL-2 variant (IL2v) moiety with abolished CD25 binding, fused to the C-terminus of a high affinity, bivalent carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)-specific antibody devoid of Fc-mediated effector functions. Its molecular design aims to (i) avoid preferential activation of regulatory T-cells vs. immune effector cells by removing CD25 binding; (ii) increase the therapeutic index of IL-2 therapy by (a) preferential retention at the tumor by having a lower dissociation rate from CEA-expressing cancer cells vs. IL-2R-expressing cells, (b) avoiding any FcγR-binding and Fc effector functions and (c) reduced binding to endothelial cells expressing CD25; and (iii) improve the pharmacokinetics, and thus convenience of administration, of IL-2. The crystal structure of the IL2v-IL-2Rβγ complex was determined and CEA-IL2v activity was assessed using human immune effector cells. Tumor targeting was investigated in tumor-bearing mice using (89)Zr-labeled CEA-IL2v. Efficacy studies were performed in (a) syngeneic mouse models as monotherapy and combined with anti-PD-L1, and in (b) xenograft mouse models in combination with ADCC-mediating antibodies. CEA-IL2v binds to CEA with pM avidity but not to CD25, and consequently did not preferentially activate Tregs. In vivo, CEA-IL2v demonstrated superior pharmacokinetics and tumor targeting compared with a wild-type IL-2-based CEA immunocytokine (CEA-IL2wt). CEA-IL2v strongly expanded NK and CD8(+) T cells, skewing the CD8(+):CD4(+) ratio toward CD8(+) T cells both in the periphery and in the tumor, and mediated single agent efficacy in syngeneic MC38-CEA and PancO2-CEA models. Combination with trastuzumab, cetuximab and imgatuzumab, all of human IgG1 isotype, resulted in superior efficacy compared with the monotherapies alone. Combined with anti-PD-L1, CEA-IL2v mediated superior efficacy over the respective monotherapies, and over the combination with an untargeted control immunocytokine. These preclinical data support the ongoing clinical investigation of the cergutuzumab amunaleukin immunocytokine with abolished CD25 binding for the treatment of CEA-positive solid tumors in combination with PD-L1 checkpoint blockade and ADCC competent antibodies.

CD4+CD25highCD127lowforkhead box protein 3 (FoxP3+) regulatory T cells (Treg) are essential for the maintenance of peripheral tolerance. Impaired Tregfunction and an imbalance between effector and Tregscontribute to the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. We reported recently that the hepatic microenvironment is deficient in interleukin (IL)-2, a cytokine essential for Tregsurvival and function. Consequently, few liver-infiltrating Tregdemonstrate signal transducer and activator of transcription-5 (STAT-5) phosphorylation. To establish the potential of IL-2 to enhance Tregtherapy, we investigated the effects of very low dose Proleukin (VLDP) on the phosphorylation of STAT-5 and the subsequent survival and function of Tregand T effector cells from the blood and livers of patients with autoimmune liver diseases. VLDP, at less than 5 IU/ml, resulted in selective phosphorylation of STAT-5 in Tregbut not effector T cells or natural killer cells and associated with increased expression of cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4), FoxP3 and CD25 and the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 in Tregwith the greatest enhancement of regulatory phenotype in the effector memory Tregpopulation. VLDP also maintained expression of the liver-homing chemokine receptor CXCR3. VLDP enhanced Tregfunction in a CTLA-4-dependent manner. These findings open new avenues for future VLDP cytokine therapy alone or in combination with clinical grade Tregin autoimmune liver diseases, as VLDP could not only enhance regulatory phenotype and functional property but also the survival of intrahepatic Treg.