TEIPP-vaccination in checkpoint-resistant non-small cell lung cancer: a first-in-human phase I/II dose-escalation study

Abstract Functional loss of the intracellular peptide Transporter associated with Antigen Processing (TAP) fosters resistance to T-cell based immunotherapy. We discovered the presentation of an alternative set of shared tumor antigens on such escaped cancers and developed a LRPAP1 synthetic long pep...

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Main Authors: Mitchell Emmers, Marij J. P. Welters, Michelle V. Dietz, Saskia J. Santegoets, Sanne Boekesteijn, Anouk Stolk, Nikki M. Loof, Daphne W. Dumoulin, Annemarie L. Geel, Lauri C. Steinbusch, A. Rob P. M. Valentijn, Danielle Cohen, Noel F. C. C. de Miranda, Egbert F. Smit, Hans Gelderblom, Thorbald van Hall, Joachim G. Aerts, Sjoerd H. van der Burg
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-05-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60281-8
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author Mitchell Emmers
Marij J. P. Welters
Michelle V. Dietz
Saskia J. Santegoets
Sanne Boekesteijn
Anouk Stolk
Nikki M. Loof
Daphne W. Dumoulin
Annemarie L. Geel
Lauri C. Steinbusch
A. Rob P. M. Valentijn
Danielle Cohen
Noel F. C. C. de Miranda
Egbert F. Smit
Hans Gelderblom
Thorbald van Hall
Joachim G. Aerts
Sjoerd H. van der Burg
author_facet Mitchell Emmers
Marij J. P. Welters
Michelle V. Dietz
Saskia J. Santegoets
Sanne Boekesteijn
Anouk Stolk
Nikki M. Loof
Daphne W. Dumoulin
Annemarie L. Geel
Lauri C. Steinbusch
A. Rob P. M. Valentijn
Danielle Cohen
Noel F. C. C. de Miranda
Egbert F. Smit
Hans Gelderblom
Thorbald van Hall
Joachim G. Aerts
Sjoerd H. van der Burg
author_sort Mitchell Emmers
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Functional loss of the intracellular peptide Transporter associated with Antigen Processing (TAP) fosters resistance to T-cell based immunotherapy. We discovered the presentation of an alternative set of shared tumor antigens on such escaped cancers and developed a LRPAP1 synthetic long peptide vaccine (TEIPP24) to stimulate T-cell immunity. In this first-in-human multicenter dose-escalation study with extension cohort, HLA-A*0201-positive patients with non-small cell lung cancer progressive after checkpoint blockade were treated with TEIPP24 (NCT05898763). Dose escalation followed an adapted 3 + 3 scheme where in each cohort six patients received the TEIPP24 peptide emulsified in Montanide ISA-51 at either 20, 40, 100 µg of peptide, subcutaneously injected three times every three weeks in alternating limbs. The extension cohort of six patients received the highest safe dose of TEIPP24 combined with the PD-1 checkpoint blocker pembrolizumab. The primary objectives of the study were safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of the TEIPP24 vaccine. Secondary objectives included the evaluation of specificity and immune modulatory effects of the vaccine, antigen and immune status of the patients, progression free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) and radiological tumor response rate and duration. A total of 26 patients were enrolled across 2 institutions. Treatment was well tolerated, and vaccine-induced LRPAP1-specific CD8+ T cells were detected in 20 of 24 evaluable patients (83%). In 13 of 21 tested cases (62%) vaccine-specific CD4+ T cells were also detected. The increase in activated polyfunctional CD8+ effector T cells was influenced by vaccine dose, number of vaccines administered, induction of a CD4+ T-cell response, and the pre-existing frequency of monocytic cells. Co-administration of pembrolizumab resulted in the ex-vivo detection of activated (HLA-DR+ , PD-1+ , ICOS+ ) LRPAP1-specific CD8+ T cells. The observation of one PR, 8 stable diseases and 2 mixed responses in 24 evaluable patients after vaccination, correlated with a stronger vaccine-induced CD8+ T-cell response to this single epitope from this new class of cancer antigens.
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spelling doaj-art-2928b4f8ef1a4b0c8d23b0c7f8dff00e2025-08-20T02:03:31ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-05-0116111410.1038/s41467-025-60281-8TEIPP-vaccination in checkpoint-resistant non-small cell lung cancer: a first-in-human phase I/II dose-escalation studyMitchell Emmers0Marij J. P. Welters1Michelle V. Dietz2Saskia J. Santegoets3Sanne Boekesteijn4Anouk Stolk5Nikki M. Loof6Daphne W. Dumoulin7Annemarie L. Geel8Lauri C. Steinbusch9A. Rob P. M. Valentijn10Danielle Cohen11Noel F. C. C. de Miranda12Egbert F. Smit13Hans Gelderblom14Thorbald van Hall15Joachim G. Aerts16Sjoerd H. van der Burg17Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Erasmus University Medical CenterDepartment of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical CenterDepartment of Pulmonary Medicine, Erasmus University Medical CenterDepartment of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical CenterDepartment of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical CenterDepartment of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical CenterDepartment of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical CenterDepartment of Pulmonary Medicine, Erasmus University Medical CenterDepartment of Pulmonary Medicine, Erasmus University Medical CenterDepartment of Pulmonary Disease, Leiden University Medical CenterDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy and Toxicology, Leiden University Medical CenterDepartment of Pathology, Leiden University Medical CenterDepartment of Pathology, Leiden University Medical CenterDepartment of Pulmonary Disease, Leiden University Medical CenterDepartment of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical CenterDepartment of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical CenterDepartment of Pulmonary Medicine, Erasmus University Medical CenterDepartment of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical CenterAbstract Functional loss of the intracellular peptide Transporter associated with Antigen Processing (TAP) fosters resistance to T-cell based immunotherapy. We discovered the presentation of an alternative set of shared tumor antigens on such escaped cancers and developed a LRPAP1 synthetic long peptide vaccine (TEIPP24) to stimulate T-cell immunity. In this first-in-human multicenter dose-escalation study with extension cohort, HLA-A*0201-positive patients with non-small cell lung cancer progressive after checkpoint blockade were treated with TEIPP24 (NCT05898763). Dose escalation followed an adapted 3 + 3 scheme where in each cohort six patients received the TEIPP24 peptide emulsified in Montanide ISA-51 at either 20, 40, 100 µg of peptide, subcutaneously injected three times every three weeks in alternating limbs. The extension cohort of six patients received the highest safe dose of TEIPP24 combined with the PD-1 checkpoint blocker pembrolizumab. The primary objectives of the study were safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of the TEIPP24 vaccine. Secondary objectives included the evaluation of specificity and immune modulatory effects of the vaccine, antigen and immune status of the patients, progression free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) and radiological tumor response rate and duration. A total of 26 patients were enrolled across 2 institutions. Treatment was well tolerated, and vaccine-induced LRPAP1-specific CD8+ T cells were detected in 20 of 24 evaluable patients (83%). In 13 of 21 tested cases (62%) vaccine-specific CD4+ T cells were also detected. The increase in activated polyfunctional CD8+ effector T cells was influenced by vaccine dose, number of vaccines administered, induction of a CD4+ T-cell response, and the pre-existing frequency of monocytic cells. Co-administration of pembrolizumab resulted in the ex-vivo detection of activated (HLA-DR+ , PD-1+ , ICOS+ ) LRPAP1-specific CD8+ T cells. The observation of one PR, 8 stable diseases and 2 mixed responses in 24 evaluable patients after vaccination, correlated with a stronger vaccine-induced CD8+ T-cell response to this single epitope from this new class of cancer antigens.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60281-8
spellingShingle Mitchell Emmers
Marij J. P. Welters
Michelle V. Dietz
Saskia J. Santegoets
Sanne Boekesteijn
Anouk Stolk
Nikki M. Loof
Daphne W. Dumoulin
Annemarie L. Geel
Lauri C. Steinbusch
A. Rob P. M. Valentijn
Danielle Cohen
Noel F. C. C. de Miranda
Egbert F. Smit
Hans Gelderblom
Thorbald van Hall
Joachim G. Aerts
Sjoerd H. van der Burg
TEIPP-vaccination in checkpoint-resistant non-small cell lung cancer: a first-in-human phase I/II dose-escalation study
Nature Communications
title TEIPP-vaccination in checkpoint-resistant non-small cell lung cancer: a first-in-human phase I/II dose-escalation study
title_full TEIPP-vaccination in checkpoint-resistant non-small cell lung cancer: a first-in-human phase I/II dose-escalation study
title_fullStr TEIPP-vaccination in checkpoint-resistant non-small cell lung cancer: a first-in-human phase I/II dose-escalation study
title_full_unstemmed TEIPP-vaccination in checkpoint-resistant non-small cell lung cancer: a first-in-human phase I/II dose-escalation study
title_short TEIPP-vaccination in checkpoint-resistant non-small cell lung cancer: a first-in-human phase I/II dose-escalation study
title_sort teipp vaccination in checkpoint resistant non small cell lung cancer a first in human phase i ii dose escalation study
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60281-8
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