학술논문
Long-lasting responses with chemotherapy followed by T-cell therapy in recurrent or metastatic EBV-related nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Document Type
article
Author
Simona Secondino; Paolo Pedrazzoli; Sabrina Basso; Paolo Bossi; Alba Bianco; Ilaria Imarisio; Anna Pagani; Marica De Cicco; Stella Muscianisi; Michela Casanova; Carlo Morosi; Cristiana Bergamini; Marco Benazzo; Maria Cossu Rocca; Cesare Perotti; Fausto Baldanti; Marco Zecca; Lisa F. Licitra; Patrizia Comoli
Source
Frontiers in Immunology, Vol 14 (2023)
Subject
Language
English
ISSN
1664-3224
Abstract
BackgroundRefractory or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients have a poor prognosis due to the lack of effective salvage treatments and prolonged survival by means of combination chemotherapy being described only for a minority of younger patients with oligometastatic disease. Targeting the Epstein - Barr virus (EBV) proteins expressed in NPC cells has been shown to be a feasible strategy that could help control systemic disease.Patients and MethodsBetween 2011 and 2014, 16 patients with recurrent/metastatic EBV-NPC received first-line chemotherapy (CT) followed by 2 doses of autologous cytotoxic EBV specific T-lymphocytes (15-25 x 107 total cells/dose, 2 weeks apart), based on our previous studies showing the feasibility and efficacy of this infusion regimen. Cumulative overall survival (OS) and median OS were analysed in the whole population and according to specific clinical and biological parameters.ResultsAll patients received the planned T-cell therapy schedule, 9 after reaching partial (n=5) or complete (n=4) disease remission with CT, and 7 after failing to obtain benefit from chemotherapy. No severe adverse events were recorded. Patients who received cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs) had a cumulative 10-year OS of 44%, with a median OS of 60 months (95% CI 42-62). Patients responding to CT, with oligometastatic disease (