Regulatory approval of photoimmunotherapy: photodynamic therapy that induces immunogenic cell death

Lígia C Gomes-da-Silva; Oliver Kepp; Guido Kroemer

doi:10.1080/2162402X.2020.1841393

Regulatory approval of photoimmunotherapy: photodynamic therapy that induces immunogenic cell death

Oncoimmunology. 2020 Oct 27;9(1):1841393. doi: 10.1080/2162402X.2020.1841393.

Authors

Lígia C Gomes-da-Silva¹, Oliver Kepp^{2

3}, Guido Kroemer^{2

3

4

5

6}

Affiliations

¹ CQC, Coimbra Chemistry Center, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
² Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Villejuif, France.
³ Equipe 11 labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Université de Paris, Sorbonne Université, Inserm U1138, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Paris, France.
⁴ Pôle de Biologie, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, AP-HP, Paris, France.
⁵ Suzhou Institute for Systems Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
⁶ Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

Abstract

In September 2020, the Japanese government approved cetuximab saratolacan (previously known as RM-1929, commercial name: Akalux) for the treatment of unresectable locally advanced or recurrent head and neck cancer. Cetuximab saratolacan is a chemical conjugate of the photosensitizer IR700 with cetuximab, which targets EGFR. The treatment consists in the intravenous injection of cetuximab saratolacan, which binds to head and neck cancer cells expressing high levels of EGFR, followed by illumination of the tumor with red light (690 nm) for photodynamic therapy. This approach causes immunogenic cell death in malignant tissues, thus triggering a potent anticancer immune response.

Keywords: Cetuximab saratolacan; EGFR; head and neck cancer; immunogenic cell death; photosensitizer IR700.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Humans
Immunogenic Cell Death
Immunotherapy
Neoplasm Recurrence, Local
Photochemotherapy*
Phototherapy

Grants and funding

GK is supported by the Ligue contre le Cancer (équipe labellisée); Agence National de la Recherche (ANR) – Projets blancs; ANR under the frame of E-Rare-2, the ERA-Net for Research on Rare Diseases; AMMICa US23/CNRS UMS3655; Association pour la recherche sur le cancer (ARC); Association “Ruban Rose”; Cancéropôle Ile-de-France; Chancelerie des universités de Paris (Legs Poix), Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale (FRM); a donation by Elior; European Research Area Network on Cardiovascular Diseases (ERA-CVD, MINOTAUR); Gustave Roussy Odyssea, the European Union Horizon 2020 Project Oncobiome; Fondation Carrefour; High-end Foreign Expert Program in China [GDW20171100085], Institut National du Cancer (INCa); Inserm (HTE); Institut Universitaire de France; LeDucq Foundation; the LabEx Immuno-Oncology [ANR-18-IDEX-0001]; the RHU Torino Lumière; the Seerave Foundation; the SIRIC Stratified Oncology Cell DNA Repair and Tumor Immune Elimination (SOCRATE); and the SIRIC Cancer Research and Personalized Medicine (CARPEM).