Oncolytic Adenoviral Vector-Mediated Expression of an Anti-PD-L1-scFv Improves Anti-Tumoral Efficacy in a Melanoma Mouse Model

Abstract

Oncolytic virotherapy is an emerging therapeutic approach based on replication-competent viruses able to selectively infect and destroy cancer cells, inducing the release of tumor-associated antigens and thereby recruiting immune cells with a subsequent increase in antitumoral immune response. To increase the anticancer activity, we engineered a specific oncolytic adenovirus expressing a single-chain variable fragment of an antibody against PD-L1 to combine blockage of PD-1/PD-L1 interaction with the antitumoral activity of Onc.Ad5. To assess its efficacy, we infected B16.OVA cells, a murine model of melanoma, with Ad5Δ24 -anti-PD-L1-scFv and then co-cultured them with C57BL/6J naïve splenocytes. We observed that the combinatorial treatments were significantly more effective in inducing cancer cell death. Furthermore, we assessed the efficacy of intratumoral administrations of Ad5Δ24-anti-PD-L1-scFv in C57BL/6J mice engrafted with B16.OVA and compared this treatment to that of the parental Ad5Δ24 or placebo. Treatment with the scFv-expressing Onc.Ad induced a marked reduction of tumor growth concerning the parental Onc.Ad. Additionally, the evaluation of the lymphocytic population infiltrating the treated tumor reveals a favorable immune profile with an enhancement of the CD8⁺ population. These data suggest that Onc.Ad-mediated expression of immune checkpoint inhibitors increases oncolytic virotherapy efficacy and could be an effective and promising tool for cancer treatments, opening a new way into cancer therapy.

Keywords: B16.OVA cells; C57BL/6J mice; Programmed cell death 1 (PD-1); oncolytic adenoviruses; oncolytic virotherapy; programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1); single-chain variable antibody fragment (scFv).