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DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-1686009
The effect of a neoadjuvant anti EGFR combinational therapy with a TLR8 agonist on the adaptive immune system in the tumor microenvironment of patients with head and neck cancer
Therapies with monoclonal antibodies that are targeted against EGFR show – despite frequent over expression- therapeutic responses only in a limited fraction of patients. Therefore, strategies are investigated in order to improve the patients immune system for therapeutic responses.
Material and methods:
HNC patients were investigated in a window of opportunity trial, combining cetuximab with motolimod. Specimen (peripheral blood and isolated tumor infiltrating lymphocytes) were analyzed by flow cytometry and multiplex pre- and post treatment.
Results:
Combinational therapy led to a significant reduction of immunosuppressive molecules on regulatory T cells. Immunecheckpoints (incl. TIGIT, PD-1, CTLA-4) on CD8+ T cells decreased after therapy. The overall number of circulating tumor antigen specific T cells was significantly increased.
Conclusion; The combination of cetuximab and motolimod stimulates the adaptive immune system of patients with head and neck cancer, whereas immunosuppressive components of the tumor microenvironment are inhibited.
Publication History
Publication Date:
23 April 2019 (online)
© 2019. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Stuttgart · New York