Clinical, immunological, and genomic findings of atezolizumab in advanced alveolar soft part sarcoma: A phase II trial (ALBERT trial/NCCH1907)
Researchers conducted a phase 2 clinical trial investigating the effectiveness of atezolizumab, a type of immunotherapy drug called an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) that blocks a protein called PD-L1 and “releases the immune system brakes” that tumors use to stop a patient’s immune system from attacking the tumor in advanced alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS) patients. The purpose of the trial was to determine the efficacy, safety and biomarkers, or indicators, of response to atezolizumab. Investigators determined the overall response rate and tested a variety of factors to determine if there were any reliable biomarkers. Two of 20 patients had a complete response and 14 patients had stable disease. Patients that responded were found to have increased levels of a type of immune cell called CD8T cell that expresses a protein called PD-1 (CD8+PD-1+ T cells) in the tumor before treatment. This treatment requires further study, but indicates that atezolizumab has activity in ASPS patients and that CD8+PD-1+ T cells may be a biomarker that can identify patients whose tumors may be responsive to this treatment.
Read the full study in European Journal of Cancer.