Abstract 384: T cell infiltration into tumors induced by DPX-Survivac combination immunotherapy demonstrated by PET/MRI imaging in an orthotopic ovarian cancer model
Authors: Tremblay Marie-Laurence , Sobey-Skelton Caitrin , Wyatt Hailey , Gonzalez Victoria , Nuschke Andrea , Davis Christa , Mackay Alecia , Bobbit Kim , West Andrea , Vanderhyden Barbara , Weir Genevieve , Merkx-Jacques Alexandra , Brewer Kimberly , Stanford Marianne 
Published: September 2020

Introduction: Epithelial ovarian cancers are highly aggressive and often diagnosed at late stages. To date, a limited number of these patients benefit from immunotherapies, and recurrent ovarian cancer remains an area of unmet medical need. Novel immunotherapies that generate and drive activated T cells into tumors, such as DPX-Survivac, represent a promising approach. To better understand the underlying mechanisms of action of this novel immunotherapy and how it may correlate with clinical outcomes, we used an orthotopic ovarian cancer model and a dual approach using molecular imaging to track immune cells in vivo followed by biological assays.

Methods: Humanized transgenic mice (HLA-A2.1-/HLA-DR1; H-2 class-I/II knockout) were implanted with 104 syngeneic mouse ovarian surface epithelial cells in the left ovarian bursa and were either untreated or treated with DPX-Survivac, intermittent low dose cyclophosphamide and anti-PD-1. The CD8+ cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) and myeloid cells (MCs) were isolated from disease matched mice, cultured in vitro, loaded with superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles, and injected i.v. in recipient mice. The next day, recipient mice were injected with 500µCi of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose and imaged by magnetic resonance (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET). Anatomical images and tumor volumes were collected with a balance steady-state free precession sequence, cells were semi-quantified using R2* maps from a multi-echo single point imaging sequence (TurboSPI) and tumor metabolism was assessed by simultaneous acquisition of PET. Mice were imaged days 41, 49, and 56 post-implant. CTLs and MCs were characterized by flow cytometry (FC) before injection into recipient mice. Following imaging completion, tumors and lymph nodes (LN) were assayed for tumor infiltrating lymphocytes. Ascites were analyzed for tumor cell to lymphocyte content by FC.

Results: PET/MRI images showed that the combination immunotherapy significantly decreased primary tumor burden and improved survival rates. The recruitment of isolated CTLs and MCs was detected in both tumors and LNs. CTL recruitment to tumors was increased in mice receiving combination immunotherapy while MCs recruitment was decreased. CTLs were recruited at a higher rate to the DPX-Survivac draining LN than tumor draining LN and MCs were equally recruited to both. The expression of checkpoint inhibitor molecules on CTL did not appear to vary with treatment. CTLs from treated mice expressed higher rates of Ki67 (a proliferative marker) than CTLs from untreated mice. The treatment increased the lymphocyte:tumor cell ratio within the tumors of treated animals and included a population of CD8/CD4 double positive (DP) T cells. Differences in tumor infiltrating lymphocyte phenotype correlated with tumor burden.

Conclusions: DPX-Survivac combination immunotherapy induces the recruitment of CD8+ T cells into tumors, resulting in tumor control in an orthotopic ovarian cancel model.

Citation Format: Marie-Laurence Tremblay, Caitrin Sobey-Skelton, Hailey Wyatt, Victoria Gonzalez, Andrea Nuschke, Christa Davis, Alecia Mackay, Kim Bobbit, Andrea West, Barbara Vanderhyden, Genevieve Weir, Alexandra Merkx-Jacques, Kimberly Brewer, Marianne Stanford. T cell infiltration into tumors induced by DPX-Survivac combination immunotherapy demonstrated by PET/MRI imaging in an orthotopic ovarian cancer model [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 384.