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Advances in Hematology 2023Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a potentially fatal complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant. The mainstay of treatment is corticosteroids,... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a potentially fatal complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant. The mainstay of treatment is corticosteroids, which are ineffective in 30-50% of cases. Steroid-refractory GVHD (SR-GVHD) confers a poor prognosis, with high mortality rates despite appropriate therapy. While there is no reliable treatment for SR-GVHD, a variety of novel therapeutic options are slowly emerging and have yet to be examined simultaneously.
OBJECTIVES
This review evaluates the potential of novel therapeutic options, as well as their efficacy and safety, for the treatment of SR-GVHD. . The literature search was conducted in PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase, employing MeSH terms and keywords. The studies had to be prospective phases 1, 2, or 3. We excluded retrospective and nonoriginal studies.
RESULTS
While the only approved drug for acute GVHD is ruxolitinib with an impressive overall response rate of 73.2% and a complete response of 56.3%, several monoclonal antibodies and other agents are currently under investigation, offering promising results. These include anti-CD2, anti-CD147, IL-2 antagonist, a mixture of anti-CD3 and anti-CD7 antibodies, anti-CD25, monoclonal antibody to a4b7 on T-cells, anti-CD26, pentostatin, sirolimus, denileukin diftitox, infliximab, itacitinib, and alpha-1 antitripsin. However, the toxicities associated with these novel drugs need further investigation. For chronic GVHD, approved options include ruxolitinib with an ORR of up to 62%, ibrutinib with an ORR of up to 77%, and belumosudil with an ORR of up to 77%. Meanwhile, emerging treatments include tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as nilotinib, rituximab, and low-dose IL-2, as well as axatilimab and pomalidomide.
CONCLUSION
While their efficacy needs to be better evaluated through large-scale, multicenter, randomized clinical trials, these novel agents show potential and could provide a better alternative for SR-GVHD treatment in the future.
PubMed: 38094101
DOI: 10.1155/2023/9949961 -
FEBS Open Bio Jul 2023Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) encompasses two main subtypes: mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome. Global response rates for the systemic treatment of mycosis...
Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) encompasses two main subtypes: mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome. Global response rates for the systemic treatment of mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome are approximately 30%, and none of these treatments are thought to be curative. C-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CCR4) and CD25 are encouraging targets for the treatment of CTCL and are individually targeted by mogamulizumab and denileukin diftitox, respectively. We developed a novel CCR4-IL2 bispecific immunotoxin (CCR4-IL2 IT) targeting both CCR4 and CD25. CCR4-IL2 IT demonstrated superior efficacy against CCR4 CD25 CD30 CTCL in an immunodeficient NSG mouse tumor model. Investigative New Drug-enabling studies of CCR4-IL2 IT are ongoing, including Good Manufacturing Practice production and toxicology studies. In this study, we compared the in vivo efficacy of CCR4-IL2 IT versus the US Food and Drug Administration-approved drug, brentuximab, using an immunodeficient mouse CTCL model. We demonstrated that CCR4-IL2 IT was significantly more effective in prolonging survival than brentuximab, and combination treatment of CCR4-IL2 IT and brentuximab was more effective than brentuximab or CCR4-IL2 IT alone in an immunodeficient NSG mouse CTCL model. Thus, CCR4-IL2 IT is a promising novel therapeutic drug candidate for CTCL treatment.
Topics: United States; Animals; Mice; Immunotoxins; Sezary Syndrome; Interleukin-2; Skin Neoplasms; Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous; Antineoplastic Agents; Mycosis Fungoides; Antibodies, Monoclonal
PubMed: 37157185
DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.13625 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2023Regulatory T cell (Treg)-targeting cancer immunotherapy aims to transiently deplete Treg cells in the tumor microenvironment, without affecting effector T cells (Teff),...
INTRODUCTION
Regulatory T cell (Treg)-targeting cancer immunotherapy aims to transiently deplete Treg cells in the tumor microenvironment, without affecting effector T cells (Teff), thus both enhancing anti-tumor activity and avoiding autoimmunity. This study evaluated whether adding E7777 (a new formulation of denileukin diftitox [DD]) improved the efficacy of anti-PD-1 antibody therapy. DD is a recombinant protein containing the hydrophobic and catalytic portions of diphtheria toxin fused to full-length human IL-2. E7777 has the same amino acid sequence and brief circulatory half-life as DD, but with greater purity and potency.
METHODS
Subcutaneous syngeneic murine solid tumor models (colon cancer CT-26 and liver cancer H22) were used to evaluate safety, efficacy, and overall survival with E7777 and anti-PD-1 antibodies, each administered as monotherapy or in concurrent or sequential combination. In Experiment 1, treatments were compared to assess anti-tumor activity at various time points, with tumors excised and dissociated and tumor leukocytes characterized. In Experiment 2, tumor growth, response, and overall survival were characterized for 100 days following a 3-week treatment.
RESULTS
E7777 administered in combination with anti-PD-1 led to significantly increased anti-tumor activity and durable, extended overall survival compared to either treatment alone. In both tumor models, the Treg cell infiltration induced by anti-PD-1 treatment was counterbalanced by co-treatment with E7777, suggesting potential synergistic activity. Combination therapy showed the most favorable results. Treatment with E7777 was safe and well-tolerated.
DISCUSSION
Combined E7777 and anti-PD-1 therapy was well tolerated and more effective than monotherapy with either drug.
Topics: Mice; Humans; Animals; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory; Immunotoxins; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Diphtheria Toxin; Colonic Neoplasms; Tumor Microenvironment
PubMed: 38022532
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1268979