While cellular therapies have shown remarkable success in treating hematological malignancies, their effectiveness against solid tumors has been limited due to the tumor microenvironment's protective barrier. However, new strategies are being developed to overcome this challenge.
A phase 1 clinical trial, known as OASIS, is currently underway to assess the effectiveness of a genetically modified oncolytic virus, CF33-CD19, in combination with blinatumomab, a bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE).** This trial represents a potential breakthrough in the treatment of solid tumors.
Christos Fountzilas, MD, FACP, Associate Professor of Oncology at Roswell Park, highlights the significance of this study: "This study is testing a very innovative platform that can expand the application of cellular immunotherapies to many patients who have cancers that cannot be targeted with more traditional therapies."
Preclinical studies have shown that CF33-CD19 selectively replicates in tumor cells, marking them for destruction by causing them to express a CD19 protein on their surface. This makes the tumor cells "visible" to therapies targeting CD19. Blinatumomab then binds these CD19-positive cancer cells to CD3-positive T lymphocytes, facilitating their destruction.
The dual therapy's potential is supported by preclinical studies demonstrating increased T cell recruitment to the tumor microenvironment and subsequent tumor growth suppression in mouse models.
The clinical trial, sponsored by Imugene Limited, aims to enroll 36-66 patients across approximately 10 centers nationwide, with Roswell Park being the only participating center in New York State. The primary focus will be on the safety and tolerability of delivering CF33-CD19 either intratumorally or intravenously, alone or in combination with blinatumomab.
