Promising abscopal effect of combination therapy with thermal tumour ablation and intratumoural OK-432 injection in the rat osteosarcoma model

Sci Rep. 2020 Jun 15;10(1):9679. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-66934-6.

Abstract

Treatment options for metastatic osteosarcoma are limited. The present study aimed to evaluate whether radiofrequency ablation (RFA) combined with intratumoural OK-432 injection induces systemic anti-tumour immunity in rat osteosarcoma model. Eighty of 145 rats were assigned to four groups to evaluate overall survival and tumour size: control (no treatment), RFA-only, OK-432, and RFA-OK-432. The remaining 65 were assigned for histological examination. Maximum diameters of tibial and lung tumours were determined. Tumour samples were histologically examined using haematoxylin-eosin and immunohistochemical staining. Overall survival was significantly prolonged in the RFA-OK-432 group compared to the RFA-only and OK-432 groups. Only rats in the RFA-OK-432 group exhibited significant decreases in maximum tumour diameter after treatment. Ki-67-positive tumour cells in the RFA-OK-432 group were significantly stained negative on immunohistochemical analysis as opposed to those in the RFA-only and OK-432 groups. The number of CD11c+, OX-62+, CD4+, and CD8 + cells significantly increased in the RFA-OK-432 group compared to the RFA-only group. RFA with intratumoural OK-432 injection resulted in distant tumour suppression, prolonged survival, and increased dendritic cells, cytotoxic T cells, IFN-γ, and TNF-α, whereas RFA or OK-432 alone did not produce this effect. This combination may induce an abscopal effect in human osteosarcoma.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / administration & dosage*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Bone Neoplasms / pathology
  • Bone Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Osteosarcoma / pathology
  • Osteosarcoma / therapy*
  • Picibanil / administration & dosage*
  • Picibanil / pharmacology
  • Radiofrequency Ablation / methods*
  • Rats
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Tumor Burden
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Picibanil