Synergistic effects of combined immunotherapy strategies in a model of multifocal hepatocellular carcinoma

Immune checkpoint-inhibitor combinations are the best therapeutic option for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, but improvements in efficacy are needed to improve response rates. We develop a multifocal HCC model to test immunotherapies by introducing c-myc using hydrodynamic gene transfer along with CRISPR-Cas9-mediated disruption of p53 in mouse hepatocytes. Additionally, induced co-expression of luciferase, EGFP, and the melanosomal antigen gp100 facilitates studies on the underlying immunological mechanisms. We show that treatment of the mice with a combination of anti-CTLA-4 + anti-PD1 mAbs results in partial clearance of the tumor with an improvement in survival. However, the addition of either recombinant IL-2 or an anti-CD137 mAb markedly improves both outcomes in these mice. Combining tumor-specific adoptive T cell therapy to the aCTLA-4/aPD1/rIL2 or aCTLA-4/aPD1/aCD137 regimens enhances efficacy in a synergistic manner. As shown by multiplex tissue immunofluorescence and intravital microscopy, combined immunotherapy treatments enhance T cell infiltration and the intratumoral performance of T lymphocytes.