High-throughput screening of combinatorial immunotherapies with patient-specific in silico models of metastatic colorectal cancer

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Jakob Nikolas Kather - , Heidelberg University , German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) Core Center Heidelberg (Author)
  • Pornpimol Charoentong - , Heidelberg University , German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) (Author)
  • Meggy Suarez-Carmona - , Heidelberg University , German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) (Author)
  • Esther Herpel - , Heidelberg University , German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) (Author)
  • Fee Klupp - , Heidelberg University  (Author)
  • Alexis Ulrich - , Heidelberg University  (Author)
  • Martin Schneider - , Heidelberg University  (Author)
  • Inka Zoernig - , Heidelberg University , German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) (Author)
  • Tom Luedde - , RWTH Aachen University (Author)
  • Dirk Jaeger - , Heidelberg University , German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) (Author)
  • Jan Poleszczuk - , Polish Academy of Sciences (Author)
  • Niels Halama - , Heidelberg University , German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) (Author)

Abstract

Solid tumors are rich ecosystems of numerous different cell types whose interactions lead to immune escape and resistance to immunotherapy in virtually all patients with metastatic cancer. Here, we have developed a 3D model of human solid tumor tissue that includes tumor cells, fibroblasts, and myeloid and lymphoid immune cells and can represent over a million cells over clinically relevant time-frames. This model accurately reproduced key features of the tissue architecture of human colorectal cancer and could be informed by individual patient data, yielding in silico tumor explants. Stratification of growth kinetics of these explants corresponded to significantly different overall survival in a cohort of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. We used the model to simulate the effect of chemotherapy, immunotherapies, and cell migration inhibitors alone and in combination. We classified tumors according to tumor and host characteristics, showing that optimal treatment strategies markedly differed between these classes. This platform can complement other patient-specific ex vivo models and can be used for high-throughput screening of combinatorial immunotherapies.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)5155-5163
Number of pages9
JournalCancer research
Volume78
Issue number17
Publication statusPublished - 1 Sept 2018
Peer-reviewedYes
Externally publishedYes

External IDs

PubMed 29967263

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

ASJC Scopus subject areas