Overcoming immunotherapy resistance in solid tumors with JAK inhibitor with anti-PD1 combination therapy

Immunotherapies & Personalized Vaccines

John Teijaro, PhD (Scripps Research)

Rana McKay, MD (UCSD)

Jerry Zak, PhD (Scripps Research)

Checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment. Despite durable responses in some patients, the majority either fail to respond or develop resistance to current immunotherapy. Therefore, a significant unmet clinical need remains to treat patients with progressive disease after immunotherapy. We made the paradoxical observation that an immune suppressive drug in combination with checkpoint blockade is effective in Hodgkin lymphoma patients who fail/relapse after immunotherapy treatment. Our studies revealed that modulation of specific immune cells by JAK inhibition correlates with response and these cells are required for response. In this proposal, we will address the hypothesis that the novel combination therapy could also help patients with solid tumors.