Case Report: A Multi-Peptide Vaccine Targeting Individual Somatic Mutations Induces Tumor Infiltration of Neoantigen-Specific T Cells in a Patient with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.

Background/objectives: Fully personalized peptide vaccines targeting tumor-specific mutations are a promising treatment option for patients in an adjuvant but also advanced/metastatic disease situation in addition to non-personalized standard therapies. Here, we report a patient's case with advanced metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) who was treated with a neoantigen-derived multi-peptide vaccine in addition to standard of care.

Methods: Tumor-specific mutations were identified by whole exome and transcriptome sequencing. An individualized peptide vaccine was designed using an in-house developed epitope prediction and vaccine design platform. In this case, the vaccine consisted of 20 peptides targeting 18 distinct mutations. The vaccine was administered according to a prime-boost scheme for a total of 12 vaccinations. Vaccine immunogenicity was determined by stimulation of patient T cells with vaccinated peptides and subsequent intracellular cytokine staining (ICS). Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) were analyzed by ICS and T cell receptor beta chain (TCRβ) sequencing.

Results: The patient survived for 41 months since initial diagnosis despite continuous disease progression under all therapeutic interventions. The vaccination induced multiple neoantigen-specific T cell responses in the patient without notable side effects. Two liver metastases were resected five months after the start of vaccination, and TIL were extracted and cultured. Analysis of TIL cultures revealed tumor infiltration by vaccine-induced neoantigen-specific T cells in only one of the metastases. TCRβ sequencing of neoantigen-specific T cells and tumor tissues supported this finding. Vaccine-targeted variants were reduced or absent in the metastasis with vaccine-specific T cell infiltration.

Conclusions: This case demonstrates immunogenicity of a neoantigen-derived peptide vaccine and highlights tumor-infiltrating capabilities and potential cytotoxicity of vaccine-induced T cells in mCRC.