Molan, Amy

Abstract We have previously shown that a vesicular stomatitis virus-based cDNA library expressing xenogeneic altered self-epitopes led to T-cell mediated rejection of prostate cancer, glioma and melanoma. The use of a library of altered self-peptides which reflects the transcriptome of the tumor circumvents the necessity for a priori knowledge of which antigens may be immunogenic in a patient, and primes a polyclonal T-cell response that provides strong cumulative antitumor selective pressure. We have expanded this concept of altered-self library vaccination using tumor vaccines modified by the overexpression of APOBEC3B, a cytosine deaminase that generates C to T transition mutations. A freeze-thawed whole tumor cell vaccine prepared from B16 melanoma cells stably overexpressing human APOBEC3B treated established subcutaneous parental B16 tumors and, when combined with PD-1 checkpoint blockade, cured between 75%-100% of mice. T-cells from mice treated with the vaccine and anti-PD1 produced high levels of IFN-γ when restimulated with parental unmodified B16 melanoma cells in vitro. Whole-genome sequencing of B16APOBEC3B overexpressing cells identified 301 C to T or G to A missense mutations unique to the APOBEC3B line. Using an in silico MHC binding affinity algorithm, we identified and experimentally validated a short list of 10 APOBEC3B- induced heteroclitic peptides. We have also shown that this approach can be extended to an orthotopic brainstem model of high grade glioma. GL261 tumors stereotactically implanted into the brainstem were significantly responsive to treatment with an APOBEC3B- modified GL261 vaccine in combination with anti-PD-1 checkpoint blockade. In summary, when overexpressed in tumor cells, APOBEC3B generates a library of heteroclitic sequences that primes both CD4 and CD8 T-cells that have escaped central tolerance and that recognize both newly mutated antigens from the vaccine, and the corresponding unaltered self epitopes expressed on the tumor cells. Citation Format: Richard Vile, Laura Evgin, Timothy Kottke, Matthew Schuelke, Christopher B. Driscoll, Amanda L. Huff, Jill Thompson, Amy Molan, Reuben S. Harris, Jose S. Pulido, Phonphimon Wongthida. Cancer immunotherapy with APOBEC3B-induced heteroclitic library tumor cell vaccines and immune checkpoint blockade [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fourth CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; Sept 30-Oct 3, 2018; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2019;7(2 Suppl):Abstract nr B138.

Abstract Tumor cells are able to evade cytotoxic therapies through the accumulation of genomic mutations and rapid evolution. In the case of oncolytic virotherapy, understanding the mechanisms by which cancer cells develop resistance to infection and lysis is critical to the development of more effective viral-based platforms. Here, we identify APOBEC3 as an important factor involved in the restriction of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). We show that VSV infection of B16 murine melanoma cells upregulated APOBEC3 in an IFNβ-dependent manner, which was responsible for the evolution of virus-resistanT-cell populations and suggested that APOBEC3 expression promoted the acquisition of a virus-resistant phenotype. ShRNA knockdown of APOBEC3 in B16 cells diminished their capacity to develop resistance to VSV infection in vitro, and enhanced the therapeutic effect of VSV in vivo. Similarly, overexpression of human APOBEC3B promoted the acquisition of resistance to oncolytic VSV in murine melanoma and glioblastoma lines, as well as in a human melanoma cell line in vitro and in vivo. Finally, we demonstrate that progeny virus obtained after passage through APOBEC3B overexpressing cells contained more defective interfering particles, thereby indicating that APOBEC3B directly affected the fitness of VSV, an RNA virus that has not previously been identified to be restricted by APOBEC3B. This research identifies APOBEC3 enzymes as key players to target in order to improve the efficacy of oncolytic viruses as well as broader nucleic acid-based therapeutic platforms. Citation Format: Amanda L. Huff, Phonphimon Wongthida, Timothy Kottke, Jill Thompson, Christopher B. Driscoll, Matthew Schuelke, Kevin G. Shim, Reuben S. Harris, Amy Molan, Jose S. Pulido, Peter J. Selby, Kevin J. Harrington, Alan Melcher, Laura Evgin, Richard Vile. APOBEC3 confers resistance to oncolytic VSV therapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fourth CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; Sept 30-Oct 3, 2018; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2019;7(2 Suppl):Abstract nr A133.