Magnitude of antigen-specific T-cell immunity the month after completing vaccination series predicts the development of long-term persistence of antitumor immune response

Background For best efficacy, vaccines must provide long-lasting immunity. To measure longevity, memory from B and T cells are surrogate endpoints for vaccine efficacy. When antibodies are insufficient for protection, the immune response must rely on T cells. The magnitude and differentiation of eff...

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Main Authors: Mary L Disis, John B Liao, Jessica L Reichow, Lupe G Salazar, Sasha E Stanton, Katie M Hitchcock-Bernhardt, James Y Dai, Jong-Baeck Lim, Theodore A Gooley
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2024-11-01
Series:Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer
Online Access:https://jitc.bmj.com/content/12/11/e010251.full
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author Mary L Disis
John B Liao
Jessica L Reichow
Lupe G Salazar
Sasha E Stanton
Katie M Hitchcock-Bernhardt
James Y Dai
Jong-Baeck Lim
Theodore A Gooley
author_facet Mary L Disis
John B Liao
Jessica L Reichow
Lupe G Salazar
Sasha E Stanton
Katie M Hitchcock-Bernhardt
James Y Dai
Jong-Baeck Lim
Theodore A Gooley
author_sort Mary L Disis
collection DOAJ
description Background For best efficacy, vaccines must provide long-lasting immunity. To measure longevity, memory from B and T cells are surrogate endpoints for vaccine efficacy. When antibodies are insufficient for protection, the immune response must rely on T cells. The magnitude and differentiation of effective, durable immune responses depend on antigen-specific precursor frequencies. However, development of vaccines that induce durable T-cell responses for cancer treatment has remained elusive.Methods To address long-lasting immunity, patients with HER2+ (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) advanced stage cancer received HER2/neu targeted vaccines. Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot measuring HER2/neu IFN-γ T cells were analyzed from 86 patients from three time points: baseline, 1 month after vaccine series, and long-term follow-up at 1 year, following one in vitro stimulation. The baseline and 1-month post-vaccine series responses were correlated with immunity at long-term follow-up by logistic regression. Immunity was modeled by non-linear functions using generalized additive models.Results Antigen-specific T-cell responses at baseline were associated with a 0.33-log increase in response at long-term follow-up, 95% CI (0.11, 0.54), p=0.003. 63% of patients that had HER2/neu specific T cells at baseline continued to have responses at long-term follow-up. Increased HER2/neu specific T-cell response 1 month after the vaccine series was associated with a 0.47-log increase in T-cell response at long-term follow-up, 95% CI (0.27, 0.67), p=2e-5. 74% of patients that had an increased IFN-γ HER2 response 1 month after vaccines retained immunity long-term. As the 1-month post-vaccination series precursor frequency of HER2+IFN-γ T-cell responses increased, the probability of retaining these responses long-term increased (OR=1.49 for every one natural log increase of precursor frequency, p=0.0002), reaching an OR of 20 for a precursor frequency of 1:3,000Conclusions Patients not destined to achieve long-term immunity can be identified immediately after completing the vaccine series. Log-fold increases in antigen-specific precursor frequencies after vaccinations correlate with increased odds of retaining long-term HER2 immune responses. Further vaccine boosting or immune checkpoint inhibitors or other immune stimulator therapy should be explored in patients that do not develop antigen-specific T-cell responses to improve overall response rates.
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spelling doaj-art-d9885f5707074dfbaef34741c99d41382025-08-20T03:08:01ZengBMJ Publishing GroupJournal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer2051-14262024-11-01121110.1136/jitc-2024-010251Magnitude of antigen-specific T-cell immunity the month after completing vaccination series predicts the development of long-term persistence of antitumor immune responseMary L Disis0John B Liao1Jessica L Reichow2Lupe G Salazar3Sasha E Stanton4Katie M Hitchcock-Bernhardt5James Y Dai6Jong-Baeck Lim7Theodore A Gooley8Cancer Vaccine Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA17 University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USACancer Vaccine Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USACancer Vaccine Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA1 Earle A Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, Oregon, USADivision of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USAassociate member of biostatisticsCancer Vaccine Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USAFred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USABackground For best efficacy, vaccines must provide long-lasting immunity. To measure longevity, memory from B and T cells are surrogate endpoints for vaccine efficacy. When antibodies are insufficient for protection, the immune response must rely on T cells. The magnitude and differentiation of effective, durable immune responses depend on antigen-specific precursor frequencies. However, development of vaccines that induce durable T-cell responses for cancer treatment has remained elusive.Methods To address long-lasting immunity, patients with HER2+ (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) advanced stage cancer received HER2/neu targeted vaccines. Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot measuring HER2/neu IFN-γ T cells were analyzed from 86 patients from three time points: baseline, 1 month after vaccine series, and long-term follow-up at 1 year, following one in vitro stimulation. The baseline and 1-month post-vaccine series responses were correlated with immunity at long-term follow-up by logistic regression. Immunity was modeled by non-linear functions using generalized additive models.Results Antigen-specific T-cell responses at baseline were associated with a 0.33-log increase in response at long-term follow-up, 95% CI (0.11, 0.54), p=0.003. 63% of patients that had HER2/neu specific T cells at baseline continued to have responses at long-term follow-up. Increased HER2/neu specific T-cell response 1 month after the vaccine series was associated with a 0.47-log increase in T-cell response at long-term follow-up, 95% CI (0.27, 0.67), p=2e-5. 74% of patients that had an increased IFN-γ HER2 response 1 month after vaccines retained immunity long-term. As the 1-month post-vaccination series precursor frequency of HER2+IFN-γ T-cell responses increased, the probability of retaining these responses long-term increased (OR=1.49 for every one natural log increase of precursor frequency, p=0.0002), reaching an OR of 20 for a precursor frequency of 1:3,000Conclusions Patients not destined to achieve long-term immunity can be identified immediately after completing the vaccine series. Log-fold increases in antigen-specific precursor frequencies after vaccinations correlate with increased odds of retaining long-term HER2 immune responses. Further vaccine boosting or immune checkpoint inhibitors or other immune stimulator therapy should be explored in patients that do not develop antigen-specific T-cell responses to improve overall response rates.https://jitc.bmj.com/content/12/11/e010251.full
spellingShingle Mary L Disis
John B Liao
Jessica L Reichow
Lupe G Salazar
Sasha E Stanton
Katie M Hitchcock-Bernhardt
James Y Dai
Jong-Baeck Lim
Theodore A Gooley
Magnitude of antigen-specific T-cell immunity the month after completing vaccination series predicts the development of long-term persistence of antitumor immune response
Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer
title Magnitude of antigen-specific T-cell immunity the month after completing vaccination series predicts the development of long-term persistence of antitumor immune response
title_full Magnitude of antigen-specific T-cell immunity the month after completing vaccination series predicts the development of long-term persistence of antitumor immune response
title_fullStr Magnitude of antigen-specific T-cell immunity the month after completing vaccination series predicts the development of long-term persistence of antitumor immune response
title_full_unstemmed Magnitude of antigen-specific T-cell immunity the month after completing vaccination series predicts the development of long-term persistence of antitumor immune response
title_short Magnitude of antigen-specific T-cell immunity the month after completing vaccination series predicts the development of long-term persistence of antitumor immune response
title_sort magnitude of antigen specific t cell immunity the month after completing vaccination series predicts the development of long term persistence of antitumor immune response
url https://jitc.bmj.com/content/12/11/e010251.full
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