Abstract:
Objective Cytokine-induced killers(CIKs) are heterogenous antitumor effectors.Interferon gamma(IFN-γ) plays a pivotal role in amplifying the expression of CD3+CD56+ effectors.CH-296, a recombinant human fibronectin, has been demonstrated to stimulate T cell proliferation in the presence of TCR stimulating signals.This study aimed to determine whether CH-296 and IFN-γ had a synergistic effect on the cell proliferation of CIKs.
Methods CIKs were cultured in a cell culture medium/bag in the presence of immobilized CH-296 with retro-nectin CIKs(RN-CIKs) or without IFN-γ(RN-CIKs/del) for 14 days.The proliferation, apoptosis, phenotype, and cytotoxicity of these cells were compared with conventional CIKs.A total of 20 patients(18 of whom had stage Ⅳ tumors) received three cycles of RN-CIK treatment.The clinical responses were evaluated by KPS and CT scanning.
Results CH-296 promoted the expression of CIKs in a time-dependent manner by inhibiting apoptosis and increasing proliferation.Co-stimulation of CH-296 with IFN-γ amplified the stronger antitumor effectors with activated T cell phenotype that displayed potent cytotoxicity and increased secretion of cytokines upon antigen priming.No severe adverse event was observed in the trials.Sixteen patients experienced remission of clinical symptoms.The overall clinical response rate(partial remission and stable disease) was 65%(13/20), and the median overall survival rate was 16.95 ± 6.10 months.
Conclusion CH-296 had a synergistic effect with IFN-γ in promoting the antitumor efficiency of CIKs by increasing proliferation, inhibiting apoptosis, and enhancing cytotoxicity.