楊 帆,王曉華
(遂寧市中心醫(yī)院腫瘤科,四川 遂寧 629000)
免疫治療在頭頸部鱗癌中的研究進(jìn)展
楊 帆,王曉華
(遂寧市中心醫(yī)院腫瘤科,四川 遂寧 629000)
頭頸部腫瘤最常見(jiàn)的病理類(lèi)型為鱗狀細(xì)胞癌,診斷時(shí)常處于疾病晚期。依據(jù)腫瘤的位置和分期,頭頸部鱗癌傳統(tǒng)的治療方法包括手術(shù)、放療和化療,但晚期頭頸部鱗癌預(yù)后差,治療方法有限。在過(guò)去幾年中,免疫治療已發(fā)展成為一種新的、很有潛力的腫瘤治療方法。近期臨床試驗(yàn)表明,免疫治療在頭頸部鱗癌中顯示出令人滿(mǎn)意的療效,且安全性和耐受性良好。本文將免疫治療在頭頸部鱗癌中的抗腫瘤機(jī)制、臨床研究進(jìn)展、生物標(biāo)志物等做一綜述。
頭頸部鱗癌;免疫治療;免疫檢查點(diǎn)抑制劑;程序性死亡蛋白-1
頭頸部腫瘤在全世界是第七位最常見(jiàn)的腫瘤,每年新診斷的病例超過(guò)600 000例[1],其中鱗狀細(xì)胞癌占90%,有超過(guò)50%的頭頸部鱗狀細(xì)胞癌(squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck,SCCHN)診斷時(shí)處于疾病晚期。依據(jù)腫瘤的位置和分期,SCCHN傳統(tǒng)的治療方法包括:手術(shù)、放療和化療。早期SCCHN的5年生存率為40%~60%,復(fù)發(fā)和轉(zhuǎn)移SCCHN在鉑類(lèi)為基礎(chǔ)的化療后預(yù)后非常差,且治療方法有限,主要通過(guò)姑息性治療改善癥狀和生活質(zhì)量。從既往的研究看,晚期SCCHN化療的中位生存時(shí)間約6個(gè)月,1年生存率為20%,聯(lián)合化療盡管增加治療反應(yīng)率,但OS并沒(méi)有改善,反而增加治療副反應(yīng)[2]。Ⅲ期臨床試驗(yàn)表明西妥昔單抗+化療與單藥化療相比顯著提高了PFS和反應(yīng)率,因此靶向藥物的問(wèn)世改善了晚期SCCHN的預(yù)后[3]。但在西妥昔單抗后,還沒(méi)有出現(xiàn)新的有效的藥物改善SCCHN的預(yù)后。在過(guò)去幾年中,免疫治療已經(jīng)發(fā)展成一種新的、很有潛力的腫瘤治療方法。細(xì)胞毒T淋巴細(xì)胞相關(guān)抗原4(cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte-associated antigen 4,CTLA-4)抑制劑 Ipilimumab是這類(lèi)藥物中第一個(gè)被FDA批準(zhǔn)用于黑色素瘤的治療。程序性死亡蛋白-1(programmed cell death protein 1,PD-1)通路抑制劑在黑色素瘤、肺癌等惡性腫瘤中也取得了顯著的療效,并在多種實(shí)體瘤取得了適應(yīng)證。近期臨床試驗(yàn)表明,免疫治療在頭頸部鱗癌中也顯示出令人滿(mǎn)意的療效,且安全性和耐受性良好。
腫瘤免疫治療的前提是腫瘤可被識(shí)別成異己,從而腫瘤細(xì)胞可被激活的免疫系統(tǒng)有效的攻擊。腫瘤本身產(chǎn)生的細(xì)胞因子,如轉(zhuǎn)化生長(zhǎng)因子β(transforming growth factor β,TGF-β)、白 細(xì)胞介素(IL)-6 和IL-10,可抑制細(xì)胞介導(dǎo)的抗腫瘤免疫。腫瘤的進(jìn)展在于獲得了使腫瘤細(xì)胞逃避免疫監(jiān)視和有效的免疫應(yīng)答。其次,SCCHN是免疫抑制性疾病,SCCHN的患者與健康人相比淋巴細(xì)胞絕對(duì)數(shù)減少[4],NK細(xì)胞活性受損[5],抗原提呈功能減弱,腫瘤浸潤(rùn)性T淋巴細(xì)胞的受損在SCCHN和其他癌癥中有所報(bào)道[6]。此外,抑制調(diào)性節(jié)T細(xì)胞(regulatory T cells,Tregs)分泌抑制性細(xì)胞因子如TGF-β和IL-10,表達(dá)CTLA-4,與SCCHN的進(jìn)展有關(guān)[7]。因此,通過(guò)克服免疫抑制信號(hào)的免疫治療可能對(duì)SCCHN患者有效。免疫檢查點(diǎn)蛋白負(fù)責(zé)生理?xiàng)l件下免疫耐受的調(diào)節(jié),其相關(guān)通路也是腫瘤組織病理狀態(tài)下的免疫抑制通路,主要包括CTLA-4和PD-1通路,通過(guò)抑制上述通路,可啟動(dòng)抗腫瘤的免疫反應(yīng)。
1.1 CTLA-4通路 CTLA-4與CD28競(jìng)爭(zhēng)性的與表達(dá)在抗原提呈細(xì)胞如樹(shù)突細(xì)胞表面的CD80(B7-1)和CD86(B7-2)分子結(jié)合,在T細(xì)胞激活后48 h表達(dá),CTLA-4提供顯著的負(fù)信號(hào),抑制T細(xì)胞活性[8],從而減弱抗腫瘤免疫反應(yīng)。前期臨床試驗(yàn)也表明,抑制CTLA-4抗體可啟動(dòng)抗腫瘤的免疫反應(yīng)[8]。Ipilimumab是抑制CTLA-4通路的單克隆抗體,是第一個(gè)被FDA批準(zhǔn)用于黑色素瘤的治療[9],但它目前在SCCHN患者中的臨床療效還未得到證實(shí)。
1.2 PD-1(The programmed death 1,PD-1)通路 程序性死亡PD-1受體主要表達(dá)在活化的T細(xì)胞、B細(xì)胞和骨髓細(xì)胞表面[10]。其配體包括PD-L1(B7-H1)和PD-L2(B7-DC),主要存在于腫瘤微環(huán)境中[8]。PD-L1在多種人類(lèi)腫瘤中表達(dá),其在腫瘤逃避抗腫瘤免疫反應(yīng)中起了重要作用[11]。當(dāng)PD-1與其配體結(jié)合,T細(xì)胞接收到抑制性信號(hào)[12],并且終止免疫應(yīng)答[10]。PD-1通路抑制劑通過(guò)阻斷負(fù)向調(diào)控信號(hào),恢復(fù)T細(xì)胞活性,增強(qiáng)免疫應(yīng)答[12]。在許多腫瘤類(lèi)型中,PD-L1的高表達(dá)與抗PD-1的高治療反應(yīng)有關(guān)[13-14],然而在PD-L1表達(dá)陰性的患者仍可從PD-1抑制劑中獲益,盡管與PD-L1陽(yáng)性的患者相比治療反應(yīng)率更低[13-14]。大量的臨床研究表明,PD-1抑制劑在多種腫瘤中有顯著療效,F(xiàn)DA已批準(zhǔn)PD-1抑制劑用于多種腫瘤的治療,在SCCHN中PD-1抑制劑也被證實(shí)安全有效。
SCCHN細(xì)胞通過(guò)各種機(jī)制逃避免疫監(jiān)視。一方面,它們?yōu)榱司S持免疫抑制的微環(huán)境而直接的和免疫系統(tǒng)作用,通過(guò)分泌TGF-β、IL-10或VEGF細(xì)胞因子,建立促進(jìn)腫瘤免疫抑制的環(huán)境[15]。此外,分泌的IL-6因子通過(guò)信號(hào)轉(zhuǎn)導(dǎo)和轉(zhuǎn)導(dǎo)激活因子3(signal transducer and activator of transcription,STAT3)阻止 T 細(xì)胞、NK細(xì)胞或成熟樹(shù)突細(xì)胞的活性,進(jìn)一步調(diào)節(jié)細(xì)胞免疫系統(tǒng),利于免疫逃逸[15]。另一方面,SCCHN細(xì)胞通過(guò)下調(diào)人類(lèi)白細(xì)胞抗原(Human Leukocyte Antigen,HLA)和擾亂抗原加工機(jī)制(antigen-Processing Machinery,APM)來(lái)減少腫瘤細(xì)胞固有的免疫原性[16],這也是SCCHN免疫逃逸的主要原因。除此之外,SCCHN細(xì)胞利用免疫系統(tǒng)中免疫檢查點(diǎn)嚴(yán)格的調(diào)控以避免自身免疫或免疫系統(tǒng)的激活。
腫瘤免疫逃逸可發(fā)生在PD-L1高表達(dá)的腫瘤和腫瘤浸潤(rùn)PD-1陽(yáng)性的T淋巴細(xì)胞。初步研究表明,PD-L1表達(dá)于50%~60%的SCCHN患者[17]。Jie等[18]從27例SCCHN觀察到免疫檢查點(diǎn)受體(CTLA-4和PD-1)在腫瘤內(nèi)的Treg細(xì)胞表達(dá)水平比相應(yīng)的外周血中更高。因此,PD-1抑制劑在SCCHN中可能有一定效果。
目前已有多個(gè)臨床研究評(píng)估了免疫檢查點(diǎn)抑制劑單藥或聯(lián)合化療在SCCHN中的應(yīng)用。Seiwert等[19]針對(duì)復(fù)發(fā)和轉(zhuǎn)移SCCHN的Ⅰb期臨床研究(KEYNOTE-012),最終納入60例PD-L1陽(yáng)性的SCCHN患者,接受Pembrolizumab直到疾病進(jìn)展或不能耐受不良反應(yīng)或出現(xiàn)其他阻礙治療的疾病,結(jié)果顯示總體緩解有8例(18%),藥物耐受性良好,其中10例(17%)出現(xiàn)藥物相關(guān)副反應(yīng),最常見(jiàn)的為丙氨酸轉(zhuǎn)氨酶和天門(mén)冬氨酸轉(zhuǎn)氨酶升高、低鈉血癥。KEYNOTE-012的擴(kuò)展試驗(yàn)[20]納入132例復(fù)發(fā)或轉(zhuǎn)移的SCCHN患者,未選擇PD-L1及HPV的狀態(tài),57%曾行了2線及以上治療,結(jié)果顯示PD-L1陽(yáng)性的ORR顯著高于PD-L1陰性患者(22%vs 4%,P=0.021),且HPV陽(yáng)性和HPV陰性的患者對(duì)治療均有反應(yīng)。Ferris等[21]納入361例在鉑類(lèi)為基礎(chǔ)化療后6個(gè)月內(nèi)出現(xiàn)進(jìn)展的SCCHN患者(CheckMate-141Ⅲ期臨床試驗(yàn)),按2:1比例接受Nivolumab與標(biāo)準(zhǔn)治療(甲氨蝶呤、多西他賽或西妥昔單抗)相比,結(jié)果顯示Nivolumab組的OS提高了2.4個(gè)月(7.5個(gè)月vs 5.1個(gè)月),1年生存率高出19.4%(16.6%vs 36%)。亞組分析顯示,p16陽(yáng)性組生存獲益更突出,特別是PD-L1表達(dá)>1%的患者從治療中獲益更明顯。綜上,免疫治療可改善SCCHN的生存,安全性和耐受性良好,因此可能成為SCCHN一種新的治療手段。
放療除了直接的細(xì)胞毒作用,還可能引起免疫效應(yīng),其對(duì)腫瘤細(xì)胞死亡有重要影響[22]。
臨床前數(shù)據(jù)表明免疫檢查點(diǎn)抑制劑和放療有協(xié)同效應(yīng)。小鼠模型低免疫原性腫瘤的研究表明,放療同步抗CTLA-4抗體導(dǎo)致在照射野內(nèi)和照射野外均出現(xiàn)抗腫瘤T細(xì)胞反應(yīng)(遠(yuǎn)端效應(yīng))[22]。在小鼠模型中,放療完成后使用PD-1抑制劑存在持續(xù)的腫瘤抑制[23]。Zeng等[24]在小鼠膠質(zhì)瘤模型中使用PD-1抑制劑同步放療較單獨(dú)治療提高了OS。有個(gè)案報(bào)道在黑色素瘤患者放療前接受ipilimumab存在臨床有意義的遠(yuǎn)端效應(yīng)[25-26]。這些數(shù)據(jù)支持假設(shè),免疫檢查點(diǎn)抑制劑在放療之前或放療同時(shí)使用可誘導(dǎo)臨床有意義的抗腫瘤免疫反應(yīng),這個(gè)反應(yīng)可能由輻射誘導(dǎo)細(xì)胞死亡后暴露的腫瘤特異性抗原誘導(dǎo)[27]。這種現(xiàn)象很可能與病毒誘導(dǎo)的腫瘤相關(guān),如HPV陽(yáng)性的SCCHN;和高度基因不穩(wěn)定的腫瘤相關(guān),如HPV陰性的SCCHN。
識(shí)別預(yù)測(cè)性生物標(biāo)志物以選擇患者從免疫檢查點(diǎn)抑制劑治療中獲益,這點(diǎn)至關(guān)重要。PD-L1在腫瘤組織中的表達(dá)顯然是潛在的生物標(biāo)志物,然而目前存在幾個(gè)問(wèn)題。首先,是技術(shù)性問(wèn)題,到目前為止沒(méi)有一個(gè)確切分界水平定義為PD-L1表達(dá)陽(yáng)性;第二,PD-L1是一個(gè)動(dòng)態(tài)的生物標(biāo)志物,其在腫瘤組織內(nèi)的表達(dá)或根據(jù)時(shí)間點(diǎn)變化;最后,在患者中也觀察到不表達(dá)PD-L1也可能對(duì)免疫檢查點(diǎn)抑制劑反應(yīng)[28]。非小細(xì)胞肺癌的臨床研究表明,Nivolumab在大量吸煙患者中的反應(yīng)比不吸煙更好[29],這種現(xiàn)象解釋了大量吸煙患者可能有更高的突變負(fù)擔(dān),這導(dǎo)致了新抗原的釋放,從而提高了腫瘤的免疫原性。由于SCCHN細(xì)胞被發(fā)現(xiàn)是所有實(shí)體腫瘤中體細(xì)胞突變最高,因此這種概念也可能適用于SCCHN[30]。
自分子靶向藥物西妥昔單抗批準(zhǔn)用于SCCHN后,還沒(méi)出現(xiàn)新的、強(qiáng)有力的、有效的藥物改善SCCHN的預(yù)后。免疫治療作為一種新的治療手段為SCCHN患者帶來(lái)新的希望,多個(gè)臨床試驗(yàn)已表明免疫治療可改善SCCHN患者的生存,免疫治療與傳統(tǒng)治療手段相結(jié)合似乎顯示出協(xié)同作用。因此,我們有望將免疫治療納入非復(fù)發(fā)或轉(zhuǎn)移性SCCHN的根治性方案,并與放療、化療及靶向治療聯(lián)合治療。然而,對(duì)于免疫治療這種新的治療手段,我們還需不斷的探索,發(fā)現(xiàn)更有效的生物標(biāo)志物預(yù)測(cè)患者預(yù)后,并在臨床中觀察總結(jié)治療相關(guān)副反應(yīng)??傊?,免疫治療為SCCHN患者帶來(lái)新的治療選擇。
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Research progress of immunotherapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.YANG Fan,WANG Xiao-hua.
Department of Oncology,Central Hospital of Suining,Suining 629000,Sichuann,CHINA
Squamous cell carcinoma is one of the most common pathological type of the head and neck cancers and often presents an advanced-stage.Traditionally,treatment for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck(SCCHN)included surgery,radiation and chemotherapy depending on both the site and stage of disease.However,the prognosis of advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is poor and the treatment is limited.Over the past years,immunotherapy has evolved and become a novel promising strategy for cancer therapy.Recent clinical trials have shown that immunotherapy exhibit satisfactory clinical efficacy,safety and tolerability in the treatment of SCCHN.In this paper,the anti-tumor mechanism,clinical research progress and biomarkers of immunotherapy in SCCHN were reviewed.
Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck(SCCHN);Immunotherapy;Checkpoint inhibitor;Programmed cell death protein 1(PD-1)
R730.261
A
1003—6350(2017)19—3205—03
10.3969/j.issn.1003-6350.2017.19.036
王曉華。E-mail:821404708@qq.com
2017-01-08)