Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) show an inherent brain tumor tropism that can be exploited for targeted delivery of therapeutic genes to invasive glioma. We assessed whether a motile MSC-based local immunomodulation is able to overcome the immunosuppressive glioblastoma microenvironment and to induce an antitumor immune response.
We genetically modified MSCs to co-express high levels of IL-12 and IL-7 (MSC, Apceth-301). Therapeutic efficacy was assessed in two immunocompetent orthotopic C57BL/6 glioma models using GL261 and CT2A. Immunomodulatory effects were assessed by multicolor flow-cytometry to profile immune activation and exhaustion of tumor-infiltrating immune cells. Diversity of the tumor-specific immune response as analyzed using T-cell receptor sequencing (TCRseq).
Intratumoral administration of MSC induced significant tumor growth inhibition and remission of established intracranial tumors, as demonstrated by MR imaging. Notably, up to 50% of treated mice survived long-term. Re-challenging of survivors confirmed long-lasting tumor immunity. Local treatment with MSC was well tolerated and led to a significant inversion of the CD4/CD8 T-cell ratio with an intricate, predominantly CD8 effector T-cell mediated anti-tumor response. T-cell receptor sequencing demonstrated an increased diversity of TILs in MSC-treated mice, indicating a broader tumor-specific immune response with subsequent oligoclonal specification during generation of long-term immunity.
Local MSC-based immunomodulation is able to efficiently alter the immunosuppressive microenvironment in glioblastoma. The long-lasting therapeutic effects warrant a rapid clinical translation of this concept and have led to planning of a phase I/II study of apceth-301 in recurrent glioblastoma.

Copyright ©2020, American Association for Cancer Research.

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