Interleukin-15 enhances anti-GD2 antibody-mediated cytotoxicity in an orthotopic PDX model of neuroblastoma

Abstract

Purpose: Immunotherapy with IL2, GM-CSF, and an anti-disialoganglioside (GD2) antibody significantly increases event-free survival in children with high-risk neuroblastoma. However, therapy failure in one third of these patients and IL2-related toxicities pose a major challenge. We compared the immunoadjuvant effects of IL15 with those of IL2 for enhancing antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) in neuroblastoma. Experimental Design: We tested ADCC against neuroblastoma patient-derived xenografts (PDX) in vitro and in vivo and examined the functional and migratory properties of NK cells activated with IL2 and IL15. Results: In cell culture, IL15-activated NK cells induced higher ADCC against two GDþ neuroblastoma PDXs than did IL2-activated NK cells (P < 0.001). This effect was dose-dependent (P < 0.001) and was maintained across several effector-to-tumor ratios. As compared with IL2, IL15 also improved chemotaxis of NK cells, leading to higher numbers of tumorsphere-infiltrating NK cells in vitro (P ¼ 0.002). In an orthotopic PDX model, animals receiving chemoimmunotherapy with an anti-GD2 antibody, GM-CSF, and a soluble IL15/IL15Ra complex had greater tumor regression than did those receiving chemotherapy alone (P ¼ 0.012) or combined with anti-GD2 antibody and GM-CSF with (P ¼ 0.016) or without IL2 (P ¼ 0.035). This was most likely due to lower numbers of immature tumor-infiltrating NK cells (DX5þCD27þ) after IL15/IL15Ra administration (P ¼ 0.029) and transcriptional upregulation of Gzmd. Conclusions: The substitution of IL15 for IL2 leads to significant tumor regression in vitro and in vivo and supports clinical testing of IL15 for immunotherapy in pediatric neuroblastoma.