Pembrolizumab in MMR-Proficient Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Pharmacologically Primed to Trigger Hypermutation Status

Summary

In this study, MMRd metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients who failed standard therapies will undergo treatment with pembrolizumab, while RAS-extended mutated MMR-proficient mCRC patients will be tested for o6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) expression (IHC) and then for MGMT promoter methylation. MGMT IHC-negative, promoter methylation positive patients will be treated with temozolomide (TMZ). Patients progressing under temozolomide will be tested for tumor mutational burden (TMB) and proceed to pembrolizumab if TMB is \> 20 mutations/Mb. The primary study hypothesis is that tumors with acquired resistance to temozolomide become hypermutated and are sensitive to pembrolizumab.

Timeline

Start

2019-01-23

Primary completion

2025-01-08

Completion

2025-01-08

Publications

• Background Amatu A, Sartore-Bianchi A, Moutinho C, Belotti A, Bencardino K, Chirico G, Cassingena A, Rusconi F, Esposito A, Nichelatti M, Esteller M, Siena S. Promoter CpG island hypermethylation of the DNA repair enzyme MGMT predicts clinical response to dacarbazine in a phase II study for metastatic colorectal cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 2013 Apr 15;19(8):2265-72. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-12-3518. Epub 2013 Feb 19.
• Background Amatu A, Barault L, Moutinho C, Cassingena A, Bencardino K, Ghezzi S, Palmeri L, Bonazzina E, Tosi F, Ricotta R, Cipani T, Crivori P, Gatto R, Chirico G, Marrapese G, Truini M, Bardelli A, Esteller M, Di Nicolantonio F, Sartore-Bianchi A, Siena S. Tumor MGMT promoter hypermethylation changes over time limit temozolomide efficacy in a phase II trial for metastatic colorectal cancer. Ann Oncol. 2016 Jun;27(6):1062-1067. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdw071. Epub 2016 Feb 24.
• Background Barault L, Amatu A, Bleeker FE, Moutinho C, Falcomata C, Fiano V, Cassingena A, Siravegna G, Milione M, Cassoni P, De Braud F, Ruda R, Soffietti R, Venesio T, Bardelli A, Wesseling P, de Witt Hamer P, Pietrantonio F, Siena S, Esteller M, Sartore-Bianchi A, Di Nicolantonio F. Digital PCR quantification of MGMT methylation refines prediction of clinical benefit from alkylating agents in glioblastoma and metastatic colorectal cancer. Ann Oncol. 2015 Sep;26(9):1994-1999. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdv272. Epub 2015 Jun 25.
• Background Bardelli A, Cahill DP, Lederer G, Speicher MR, Kinzler KW, Vogelstein B, Lengauer C. Carcinogen-specific induction of genetic instability. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001 May 8;98(10):5770-5. doi: 10.1073/pnas.081082898. Epub 2001 Apr 10.
• Background Germano G, Lamba S, Rospo G, Barault L, Magri A, Maione F, Russo M, Crisafulli G, Bartolini A, Lerda G, Siravegna G, Mussolin B, Frapolli R, Montone M, Morano F, de Braud F, Amirouchene-Angelozzi N, Marsoni S, D'Incalci M, Orlandi A, Giraudo E, Sartore-Bianchi A, Siena S, Pietrantonio F, Di Nicolantonio F, Bardelli A. Inactivation of DNA repair triggers neoantigen generation and impairs tumour growth. Nature. 2017 Dec 7;552(7683):116-120. doi: 10.1038/nature24673. Epub 2017 Nov 29.
• Results Macagno M, Pessei V, Congiusta N, Lazzari L, Bellomo SE, Idrees F, Cavaliere A, Pietrantonio F, Raimondi A, Gusmaroli E, Zampino MG, Gervaso L, Ciardiello D, Mondello G, Santoro A, Personeni N, Bonoldi E, Aquilano MC, Valtorta E, Siena S, Sartore-Bianchi A, Amatu A, Bonazzina EF, Bencardino KB, Serini G, Marsoni S, Barault L, Di Nicolantonio F, Maione F. A Comparative Study of Methyl-BEAMing and Droplet Digital PCR for MGMT Gene Promoter Hypermethylation Detection. Diagnostics (Basel). 2024 Nov 5;14(22):2467. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics14222467.
• Results Crisafulli G, Sartore-Bianchi A, Lazzari L, Pietrantonio F, Amatu A, Macagno M, Barault L, Cassingena A, Bartolini A, Luraghi P, Mauri G, Battuello P, Personeni N, Zampino MG, Pessei V, Vitiello PP, Tosi F, Idotta L, Morano F, Valtorta E, Bonoldi E, Germano G, Di Nicolantonio F, Marsoni S, Siena S, Bardelli A. Temozolomide Treatment Alters Mismatch Repair and Boosts Mutational Burden in Tumor and Blood of Colorectal Cancer Patients. Cancer Discov. 2022 Jul 6;12(7):1656-1675. doi: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-21-1434.
• Willis JA, Overman MJ. Inducing Hypermutability to Promote Anti-PD-1 Therapy Response. Cancer Discov. 2022 Jul 6;12(7):1612-1614. doi: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-22-0492.

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