title: Rapid tumor regression in an Asian lung cancer patient following personalized neo-epitope peptide vaccination.
abstract: Personalized immunotherapy targeting tumor-specific mutations represents a highly promising approach to cancer treatment. Here, we describe an Asian lung squamous cell carcinoma patient demonstrating frank disease progression following chemotherapy and EGFR inhibitor treatment. Based on tumor mutational profiling and HLA typing, a saline-based multi-epitope peptide vaccine was designed and administered along with topical imiquimod as an adjuvant. Weekly neo-epitope peptide vaccination was followed by a rapid and dramatic regression of multiple lung tumor nodules, while a much larger liver metastasis remained refractory to treatment. Peripheral blood immune monitoring showed that specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) were induced primarily against peptide targets encompassing the widely shared EGFR L858R mutation, particularly one restricted to HLA-A*3101. Immunological targeting of this driver mutation may be of particular benefit to Asian lung cancer patients due to its relatively high prevalence within this patient population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Tianjin First Center Hospital, Tianjin, China; Tianjin HengJia Biotechnology Development Co., Ltd, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Fenge
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Tianjin Beichen Hospital , Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Caixia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Tianjin Beichen Hospital , Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ju
authors.affiliation: Pathology Department, Tianjin Beichen Hospital , Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Junqin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Pathology Department, Tianjin First Center Hospital , Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Regenerative Medicine Center, Third Central Hospital , Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: GenomiCare Biotechnology Co. Ltd ., Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center , Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hwu
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Tianjin Beichen Hospital , Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Xueming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Immunology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lizée
keywords: Cancer vaccine; EGFR L858R mutation; cytotoxic T cells; epidermal growth factor receptor; lung cancer; neo-epitope; personalized immunotherapy