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Immunogenomics of Hypermutated Glioblastoma: A Patient with Germline POLE Deficiency Treated with Checkpoint Blockade Immunotherapy

Tanner M. Johanns, Christopher A. Miller, Ian G. Dorward, Christina Tsien, Edward Chang, Arie Perry, Ravindra Uppaluri, Cole Ferguson, Robert E. Schmidt, Sonika Dahiya, George Ansstas, Elaine R. Mardis and Gavin P. Dunn
Tanner M. Johanns
Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.Center for Human Immunology and Immunotherapy Programs, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
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Christopher A. Miller
McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri.Division of Genomics and Bioinformatics, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
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Ian G. Dorward
Department of Neurological Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
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Christina Tsien
Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
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Edward Chang
Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
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Arie Perry
Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
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Ravindra Uppaluri
Department of Otolaryngology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
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Cole Ferguson
Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
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Robert E. Schmidt
Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
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Sonika Dahiya
Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
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George Ansstas
Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.Center for Human Immunology and Immunotherapy Programs, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.The Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
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Elaine R. Mardis
McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri.Division of Genomics and Bioinformatics, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.The Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
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  • For correspondence: gpdunn@wustl.eduElaine.Mardis@nationwidechildrens.org
Gavin P. Dunn
Center for Human Immunology and Immunotherapy Programs, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.Department of Neurological Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.The Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
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  • For correspondence: gpdunn@wustl.eduElaine.Mardis@nationwidechildrens.org
DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-16-0575
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Abstract

We present the case of a patient with a left frontal glioblastoma with primitive neuroectodermal tumor features and hypermutated genotype in the setting of a POLE germline alteration. During standard-of-care chemoradiation, the patient developed a cervical spine metastasis and was subsequently treated with pembrolizumab. Shortly thereafter, the patient developed an additional metastatic spinal lesion. Using whole-exome DNA sequencing and clonal analysis, we report changes in the subclonal architecture throughout treatment. Furthermore, a persistently high neoantigen load was observed within all tumors. Interestingly, following initiation of pembrolizumab, brisk lymphocyte infiltration was observed in the subsequently resected metastatic spinal lesion and an objective radiographic response was noted in a progressive intracranial lesion, suggestive of active central nervous system (CNS) immunosurveillance following checkpoint blockade therapy.

SIGNIFICANCE: It is unclear whether hypermutated glioblastomas are susceptible to checkpoint blockade in adults. Herein, we provide proof of principle that glioblastomas with DNA-repair defects treated with checkpoint blockade may result in CNS immune activation, leading to clinically and immunologically significant responses. These patients may represent a genomically stratified group for whom immunotherapy could be considered. Cancer Discov; 6(11); 1–7. ©2016 AACR.

See related commentary by Snyder and Wolchok, p. 1210.

Footnotes

  • Note: Supplementary data for this article are available at Cancer Discovery Online (http://cancerdiscovery.aacrjournals.org/).

  • Received May 23, 2016.
  • Revision received September 23, 2016.
  • Accepted September 26, 2016.
  • ©2016 American Association for Cancer Research.
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Published OnlineFirst October 19, 2016
doi: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-16-0575

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Immunogenomics of Hypermutated Glioblastoma: A Patient with Germline POLE Deficiency Treated with Checkpoint Blockade Immunotherapy
Tanner M. Johanns, Christopher A. Miller, Ian G. Dorward, Christina Tsien, Edward Chang, Arie Perry, Ravindra Uppaluri, Cole Ferguson, Robert E. Schmidt, Sonika Dahiya, George Ansstas, Elaine R. Mardis and Gavin P. Dunn
Cancer Discov October 19 2016 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-16-0575

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Immunogenomics of Hypermutated Glioblastoma: A Patient with Germline POLE Deficiency Treated with Checkpoint Blockade Immunotherapy
Tanner M. Johanns, Christopher A. Miller, Ian G. Dorward, Christina Tsien, Edward Chang, Arie Perry, Ravindra Uppaluri, Cole Ferguson, Robert E. Schmidt, Sonika Dahiya, George Ansstas, Elaine R. Mardis and Gavin P. Dunn
Cancer Discov October 19 2016 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-16-0575
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