Abstract 4557: 3D-EXpress platform utilizing tumoroids from patients with MSS and MSI-H tumors allows rapid assessment of anti-tumor activity of immune checkpoint inhibitors and development of clinically relevant biomarkers of treatment response
Authors: Ruedlinger Brittney , Currlin Seth , Camacho Sharon , Humphrey Alliyah , Ehrhart Jared , Altiok Soner 
Published: April 2023

Introduction: Recent studies showed that patients with deficient mismatch repair(dMMR)/microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) tumors, have higher sensitivity to immune checkpointinhibitors (ICIs) compared to patients with microsatellite-stable (MSS)/microsatellite instability-low(MSI-L) tumors. However, the mechanisms of treatment responsiveness and resistance is not wellunderstood. Here, we used a novel 3D-EXpress ex vivo fresh patient tumoroid platform to assess theefficacy of nivolumab/ipilimumab combination therapy in tumors with known MSS/MSI-H status andperformed correlative studies.

Materials and Methods: All tumor samples were obtained with patient consent and relevant IRBapproval. Tumoroids measuring 150 µm in size retaining tumor cell heterogeneity, tumor-residentimmune cells, stromal components, and cell-extracellular matrix interaction were prepared frompatients with endometrial and colorectal tumors among others. Tumoroid aliquots were cryopreservedin Nilogen’s tumoroid Biorepository for future studies. For the 3D-EXpress studies cryopreservedtumoroids were selected based on MSS/MSI-H status and treated ex vivo with nivolumab andipilimumab alone and in combinations for 72h. Tumor responses to treatments were evaluated by aproprietary tumor cell killing assay and changes in tumor immune microenvironment. Furthermore,tumor PD-L1 expression levels were analyzed on the associated TMA slides.

Results: Treatment-induced tumor cell killing activity in intact tumoroids was assessed by a 3D high-content confocal imaging technique using a proprietary algorithm for data analysis. The impact of exvivo treatment by nivolumab and/or ipilimumab on tumor resident immune cell populations wasmonitored by a multiplex cytokine release assay analyzing release of GM-CSF, sCD137, IFNγ, sFas, sFasL,Granzyme A, Granzyme B, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-13, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, TNF-α, and Perforin usingculture supernatants isolated from treated tumoroid samples. Based on the ex vivo responses tumorswere assigned to treatment sensitive and resistant groups and correlative analyses were performed withindividual tumors’ innate and adaptive immune cell populations detected by a 21-color flow cytometrypanel, in addition to tumor MSS/MSI-H and p53 status, and detailed clinicopathologic data readilyavailable for the tumors cryopreserved in the Biorepository.

Conclusion: The 3D-Express platform, using cryopreserved 3D tumoroids with intact TME is an effectivetool for the assessment of rational combinations which may prove relevant in the treatment of solidtumors. Furthermore, we believe this platform is a useful tool for the pre-clinical assessment of specifictherapeutic regimens designed for individualized patient care.

Citation Format: Brittney Ruedlinger, Seth Currlin, Sharon Camacho, Alliyah Humphrey, Jared Ehrhart, Soner Altiok. 3D-EXpress platform utilizing tumoroids from patients with MSS and MSI-H tumors allows rapid assessment of anti-tumor activity of immune checkpoint inhibitors and development of clinically relevant biomarkers of treatment response. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 4557.