Combinatorial therapy regimens targeting preclinical models of melanoma resistant to immune checkpoint blockade

Abstract

Few effective therapeutic options exist after progression on immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) for melanoma. Here, we utilized a platform incorporating transcriptomic profiling, high-throughput drug screening, and murine models to demonstrate the preclinical efficacy of several combinatorial regimens against ICB-resistant melanoma. Transcriptomic analysis of ICB-resistant melanomas demonstrated activation of several targetable pathways. High-throughput drug screening targeting these pathways identified several effective combinations in ICB-resistant patient-derived xenograft models. The combination of cobimetinib and regorafenib (termed Cobi+Reg) emerged as a particularly promising regimen, with efficacy against distinct molecular melanoma subtypes and after progression on ICB in immunocompetent models. Transcriptomic and spatial analysis of Cobi+Reg–treated tumors demonstrated upregulation of antigen presentation machinery, with concomitantly increased activated T cell infiltration. Combining Cobi+Reg with ICB was superior to either modality in vivo. This analytical platform exploits the biology of ICB-resistant melanoma to identify therapeutic vulnerabilities, resulting in the identification of drug combinations that form the basis for rational clinical trial design in the setting of advanced melanoma resistant to ICB.