T cell repertoire analysis of non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant nivolumab alone or in combination with ipilimumab (NEOSTAR trial).

Authors

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Alexandre Reuben

Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Alexandre Reuben , Jianjun Zhang , Heather Y. Lin , Latasha Little , Curtis Gumbs , Hai T. Tran , Linghua Wang , Cara L. Haymaker , Reza J. Mehran , David C. Rice , Garrett L. Walsh , J. Jack Lee , Ignacio Ivan Wistuba , Stephen Swisher , Ara A. Vaporciyan , Andrew Futreal , Boris Sepesi , John Heymach , Don Lynn Gibbons , Tina Cascone

Organizations

Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, Baylor Coll of Medcn, Houston, TX, Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, Department of Thoracic Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Genomic Medicine, Houston, TX, Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Research Funding

Conquer Cancer Foundation of the American Society of Clinical Oncology
Pharmaceutical/Biotech Company, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Lung Cancer Moon Shot; Bristol-Myers Squibb

Background: Neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are being explored in resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here, we studied the composition and changes in the T cell repertoire in a cohort of NSCLC patients (n = 44) treated with neoadjuvant nivolumab (N) alone or in combination with ipilimumab (NI) followed by surgery (NEOSTAR trial). Methods: Sequencing of the variable CDR3β chain of the T cell receptor (TCR) involved in antigen binding was performed in pre-treatment and surgical tumors, matched adjacent uninvolved lung specimens, as well as paired longitudinal blood at baseline, prior to each dose of therapy, prior to surgery, and within 8 weeks post-surgery. T cell repertoire density, diversity, and clonality (reactivity) were evaluated in addition to tumor PD-L1 expression pre- and post-neoadjuvant treatment. Results: Median T cell diversity in the blood post-therapy was 3.3-fold higher in NI- compared to N-treated patients (40,993 [NI, n = 3] vs 12,177 [N, n = 4] unique TCR rearrangements, n.s.). However, median T cell clonality in the blood was 3.5-fold higher in N- than NI-treated patients post-therapy (0.093 [N, n = 4] vs 0.026 [NI, n = 3], n.s.). Median clonality was 3.8-fold higher in the tumor post-therapy in patients receiving NI than in those receiving N (0.076 [NI, n = 7] vs 0.020 [N, n = 5], n.s.). Interestingly, diversity in the blood at baseline and in the tumor post-therapy were positively correlated ([n = 7], r = 0.82; p = 0.023), which may reflect an influx of cells from the periphery following ICIs. Importantly, higher baseline T cell clonality in the blood was associated with a lower % of viable tumor at time of surgery in both treatment arms ([n = 7], r = -0.77; p = 0.04). Conclusions: Our study is the first to assess the TCR repertoire in NSCLC patients treated with combination neoadjuvant NI and highlights potential mechanistic differences compared to N alone. Neoadjuvant NI is associated with higher clonality in tumors and lower clonality in blood post-therapy, suggesting increased T cell trafficking into the tumor. Finally, lower pre-treatment clonality in the periphery was correlated with higher % viable tumor post-neoadjuvant ICIs. Clinical trial information: NCT03158129

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2019 ASCO Annual Meeting

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

Lung Cancer—Non-Small Cell Local-Regional/Small Cell/Other Thoracic Cancers

Track

Lung Cancer

Sub Track

Local-Regional Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer

Clinical Trial Registration Number

NCT03158129

Citation

J Clin Oncol 37, 2019 (suppl; abstr 8532)

DOI

10.1200/JCO.2019.37.15_suppl.8532

Abstract #

8532

Poster Bd #

288

Abstract Disclosures

Funded by Conquer Cancer