Comprehensive Single-Cell Immune Profiling Defines the Patient Multiple Myeloma Microenvironment Following Oncolytic Virus Therapy in a Phase Ib Trial

Steffan T. Nawrocki, Julian Olea, Claudia Villa Celi, Homa Dadrastoussi, Kaijin Wu, Denice Tsao-Wei, Anthony Colombo, Matt Coffey, Eduardo Fernandez Hernandez, Xuelian Chen, Gerard J. Nuovo, Jennifer S. Carew, Ann F. Mohrbacher, Paul Fields, Peter Kuhn, Imran Siddiqi, Akil Merchant, Kevin R. Kelly

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Purpose: Our preclinical studies showed that the oncolytic reovirus formulation pelareorep (PELA) has significant immunomodulatory anti-myeloma activity. We conducted an investigator-initiated clinical trial to evaluate PELA in combination with dexamethasone (Dex) and bortezomib (BZ) and define the tumor immune microenvironment (TiME) in patients with multiple myeloma treated with this regimen. Patients and Methods: Patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (n ¼ 14) were enrolled in a phase Ib clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02514382) of three escalating PELA doses administered on Days 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, and 16. Patients received 40 mg Dex and 1.5 mg/m2 BZ on Days 1, 8, and 15. Cycles were repeated every 28 days. Pre- and posttreatment bone marrow specimens (IHC, n ¼ 9; imaging mass cytometry, n ¼ 6) and peripheral blood samples were collected for analysis (flow cytometry, n ¼ 5; T-cell receptor clonality, n ¼ 7; cytokine assay, n ¼ 7). Results: PELA/BZ/Dex was well-tolerated in all patients. Treatment-emergent toxicities were transient, and no dose-limiting toxicities occurred. Six (55%) of 11 response-evaluable patients showed decreased paraprotein. Treatment increased T and natural killer cell activation, inflammatory cytokine release, and programmed death-ligand 1 expression in bone marrow. Compared with nonresponders, responders had higher reovirus protein levels, increased cytotoxic T-cell infiltration posttreatment, cytotoxic T cells in significantly closer proximity to multiple myeloma cells, and larger populations of a novel immune-primed multiple myeloma phenotype (CD138þ IDO1þHLA-ABCHigh), indicating immunomodulation. Conclusions: PELA/BZ/Dex is well-tolerated and associated with anti–multiple myeloma activity in a subset of responding patients, characterized by immune reprogramming and TiME changes, warranting further investigation of PELA as an immunomodulator.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)5087-5103
Number of pages17
JournalClinical Cancer Research
Volume29
Issue number24
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 15 2023

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Comprehensive Single-Cell Immune Profiling Defines the Patient Multiple Myeloma Microenvironment Following Oncolytic Virus Therapy in a Phase Ib Trial'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this