Human interleukin-12 (hIL-12) is a cytokine with anticancer activity, but its systemic application is limited by toxic inflammatory responses. We assessed the safety and biological effects of an hIL-12 gene, transcriptionally regulated by an oral activator. A multicenter phase 1 dose-escalation trial (NCT02026271) treated 31 patients undergoing resection of recurrent high-grade glioma. Resection cavity walls were injected (day 0) with a fixed dose of the hIL-12 vector (Ad-RTS-hIL-12). The oral activator for hIL-12, veledimex (VDX), was administered preoperatively (assaying blood-brain barrier penetration) and postoperatively (measuring hIL-12 transcriptional regulation). Cohorts received 10 to 40 mg of VDX before and after Ad-RTS-hIL-12. Dose-related increases in VDX, IL-12, and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) were observed in peripheral blood, with about 40% VDX tumor penetration. Frequency and severity of adverse events, including cytokine release syndrome, correlated with VDX dose, reversing promptly upon discontinuation. VDX (20 mg) had superior drug compliance and 12.7 months median overall survival (mOS) at mean follow-up of 13.1 months. Concurrent corticosteroids negatively affected survival: In patients cumulatively receiving >20 mg versus
Author Info: (1) Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. eachiocca@bwh.harvard.edu. Center for Neuro-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cance
Author Info: (1) Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. eachiocca@bwh.harvard.edu. Center for Neuro-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA. (2) Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA. (3) Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. Lou and Jean Malnati Brain Tumor Institute of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. (4) Division of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA. (5) Division of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA. (6) Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. (7) Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. (8) Center for Neuro-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA. (9) Center for Neuro-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA. (10) Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. (11) Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. (12) Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA. (13) Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA. (14) Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. Lou and Jean Malnati Brain Tumor Institute of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. (15) University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. (16) Ziopharm Oncology, Inc., One First Avenue, Parris Building 34, Navy Yard Plaza, Charlestown, Boston, MA 02129, USA. (17) Ziopharm Oncology, Inc., One First Avenue, Parris Building 34, Navy Yard Plaza, Charlestown, Boston, MA 02129, USA. (18) Ziopharm Oncology, Inc., One First Avenue, Parris Building 34, Navy Yard Plaza, Charlestown, Boston, MA 02129, USA. (19) Ziopharm Oncology, Inc., One First Avenue, Parris Building 34, Navy Yard Plaza, Charlestown, Boston, MA 02129, USA. (20) Ziopharm Oncology, Inc., One First Avenue, Parris Building 34, Navy Yard Plaza, Charlestown, Boston, MA 02129, USA. (21) Ziopharm Oncology, Inc., One First Avenue, Parris Building 34, Navy Yard Plaza, Charlestown, Boston, MA 02129, USA. (22) Ziopharm Oncology, Inc., One First Avenue, Parris Building 34, Navy Yard Plaza, Charlestown, Boston, MA 02129, USA. MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
