Abstract 3253: CD30 is a marker of activated effector regulatory T cells in solid tumors providing clinical rationale for the combination of brentuximab vedotin and PD-1 inhibitors
Authors: Heiser Ryan A. , Grogan Bryan M. , James Reice D. , Ulrich Michelle L. , Berndt Jason D. , O'Connor Brian P. , Gardai Shyra J. , Lu Hailing , Knowles Scott M. 
Published: April 2023

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play an important role in maintaining immune homeostasis by preventing excessive inflammation in normal tissues. In cancer, Tregs hamper antitumor immunosurveillance and may be a resistance mechanism to anti-PD-1 therapies. In preclinical cancer models, Treg depletion enhances antitumor cytotoxic immune responses, but systemic and persistent Treg removal can elicit immunopathology. Therapeutic strategies that selectively deplete highly suppressive activated intratumoral Tregs may avoid immune-related toxicities and amplify the activity of antitumor CD8 T cells during PD-1 blockade. CD30 is a member of the TNF receptor superfamily and is expressed by a subset of activated lymphocytes and various lymphomas. Here, transcriptomics and flow cytometry data from tumor and peripherally derived Tregs demonstrated CD30 is enriched on intratumoral Tregs. Among peripheral Tregs, CD30 expression was associated with an activated effector phenotype (FoxP3hiCD45RA-, fraction II). Further, treatment of dissociated NSCLC tumor spheroids with anti-PD-1 resulted in upregulated CD30 expression by Tregs but not intratumoral CD4 or CD8 T cells, which is consistent with Treg reactivation and supports CD30 as an activated Treg target. In vitro, CD30 expression on Tregs was dependent on signaling through the TCR and was significantly amplified by IL-2 and IL-15, suggesting CD30 may identify a subpopulation of activated antigen-specific Tregs. Brentuximab vedotin (BV) is an antibody-drug conjugate approved for clinical use in multiple types of lymphomas including cHL and PTCL. BV consists of a CD30-directed monoclonal antibody conjugated to the highly potent microtubule-disrupting agent monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE). The activity of BV in lymphomas is thought to primarily result from tumor-directed intracellular MMAE release leading to apoptosis, though multiple immunomodulatory effects of BV have also been suggested. We have demonstrated through in vitro and in vivo preclinical model systems of human T cell activation that BV can selectively deplete CD30-expressing Tregs, amplifying cytotoxic CD8 T cell expansion. These and Treg CD30 expression data motivated the clinical exploration of BV plus pembrolizumab in metastatic PD-1 refractory melanoma and NSCLC (NCT04609566). Consistent with preclinical data, preliminary biomarker analysis from these studies showed a small but significant decrease in Tregs (CD4+CD25+CD127low/-) in peripheral blood after treatment with BV plus pembrolizumab. Further, limited on-treatment biopsies showed a trend toward increased intratumoral CD8:Treg (FoxP3) ratio in some patients receiving combination therapy. These data support the ongoing evaluation of BV in combination with PD-1 inhibitors in solid tumors and a potential additional mechanism of action for BV.

Citation Format: Ryan A. Heiser, Bryan M. Grogan, Reice D. James, Michelle L. Ulrich, Jason D. Berndt, Brian P. O'Connor, Shyra J. Gardai, Hailing Lu, Scott M. Knowles. CD30 is a marker of activated effector regulatory T cells in solid tumors providing clinical rationale for the combination of brentuximab vedotin and PD-1 inhibitors [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 3253.