Highlights
- •Our study showed the tolerability of repeated endoscopic injection of OBP-301.
- •OBP-301 and radiotherapy sensitises each other with the bidirectional synergism.
- •The objective response rate is higher than that expected from radiotherapy alone.
- •This less invasive combination therapy is useful in patients with oesophageal cancer.
- •OBP-301 received a SAKIGAKE and an orphan drug designation for oesophageal cancer.
Abstract
Purpose
OBP-301 (Telomelysin) is an attenuated type-5 adenovirus that contains the human telomerase
reverse transcriptase promoter to regulate viral replication. OBP-301 sensitises human
cancer cells to ionising radiation by inhibiting DNA repair, and radiation enhances coxsackievirus
and adenovirus receptor–mediated OBP-301 infection on the contrary. We assessed OBP-301
with radiotherapy in oesophageal cancer patients unfit for standard chemoradiation
treatments.
Methods
A phase I dose-escalation study of OBP-301 with radiotherapy was conducted in 13 histologically
confirmed oesophageal cancer patients deemed unfit to undergo surgery or chemotherapy.
Study treatment consisted of OBP-301 administration by intratumoural needle injection
using a flexible endoscope on days 1, 18 and 32. Radiotherapy was administered concurrently
over 6 weeks, beginning on day 4, to a total of 60 Gy.
Results
Of the 13 patients, 7, 3 and 3 patients were treated with 1010, 1011 and 1012 virus particles, respectively. Study group comprised 10 males and 3 females, with
a median age of 82 years (range, 53–91 years). All patients developed a transient,
self-limited lymphopenia. Distribution studies revealed transient virus shedding in
the plasma. Eight patients had local complete response (CR); all of them exhibited
no pathologically viable malignant cells in biopsy specimens, and 3 patients had a
partial response. The objective response rate was 91.7%. The clinical CR rate was
83.3% in stage I and 60.0% in stage II/III. Histopathological examination revealed
massive infiltration of CD8+ cells and increased PD-L1 expression.
Conclusion
Multiple courses of endoscopic intratumoural OBP-301 injection with radiotherapy are
feasible and provide clinical benefits in patients with oesophageal cancer unfit for
standard treatments.
Graphical abstract
Graphical Abstract
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: June 18, 2021
Accepted:
April 30,
2021
Received in revised form:
April 19,
2021
Received:
March 19,
2021
Identification
Copyright
© 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
