PR001607 (Project)

Description:In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients, we show that response to radiation therapy (RT) is characterized by increased IL2Rß and IL2R? and decreased ILR2a expression. The bispecific aPD1-IL2v is a PD-1-targeted IL-2 variant (IL2v) immunocytokine with engineered IL-2 cis-targeted to PD-1 and abolished IL2Ra binding, which enhances tumor-antigen specific T cell activation while reducing regulatory T cell (Treg) suppression. Using aPD1-IL2v in orthotopic PDAC KPC-driven tumor models, we show marked improvement in local and metastatic survival along with profound increase in tumor-infiltrating polyfunctional CD8+ T cell subsets with a transcriptionally and metabolically active phenotype, and preferential activation of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells. In combination with single dose RT, aPD1-IL2v treatment results in a robust, durable expansion of polyfunctional CD8+ T cells, T cell stemness, tumor-specific memory immune response, natural killer (NK) cell activation, and decreased Tregs. These data show that aPD1-IL2v leads to profound local and distant response in PDAC.