A potential new inroad on head and neck cancers is the latest discovery to emanate from a Department of oncology UNIL CHUV and Roche research alliance.
Modulation of the tumor immune compartment has emerged as a promising target in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). In this regard, the research team considered that the immunostimulatory characteristics of hypofractionated radiotherapy stood out as the perfect partner for immunotherapeutic agents.
The pre-clinical study undertaken was co-led by Prs Marie-Catherine Vozenin and Pedro Romero, with Genrich Tolstonog (Head & Neck Cancer Research Laboratory, Service of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery, CHUV) and Christine Trumpfheller (Roche Innovation Centre, Zurich). Dr Tolstonog developed the model for this trial.
In their work, published in Clinical Cancer Research, researchers evaluated the anti-tumor efficacy of a novel, tumor-stroma targeted FAP-CD40 agonistic bispecific antibody, in combination with hypo-fractionated radiotherapy. They observed both complete responses and increased survival of tumor-bearing mice. This was accompanied by a long-lasting anti-tumor immunity and an absence of toxicity after the combination therapy.
The authors concluded that the data obtained, together with expression of FAP in tumor stroma of HNSCC patients, as well as in many other solid tumor types, support the translation to the clinic of this novel and safe way of CD40-targeting radio-immunotherapy.
This study is one of a portfolio of research projects conducted with Roche within the framework of an academia-pharma research programme set up in 2016 between the Department of oncology UNIL CHUV and Roche. As such, this study was supported by Roche pRED (Pharma Research and Early Development). Pr Romero is supported by grants from Swiss Cancer League and the Swiss National Science Foundation.