Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39773568›Full record

ArticleJournal for immunotherapy of cancer2025

Divergent response to radio-immunotherapy is defined by intrinsic features of the tumor microenvironment.

Jacob Gadwa, Justin Yu, Miles Piper, Michael W Knitz, Laurel B Darragh, Nicholas Olimpo, Sophia Corbo, Jessica I Beynor, Brooke Neupert, Alexander T Nguyen and 10 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal for immunotherapy of cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

20 authors.

Jacob GadwaDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0560-2337
Justin YuDepartment of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2778-3175
Miles PiperDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8458-2524
Michael W KnitzDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5786-9837
Laurel B DarraghDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
Nicholas OlimpoDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
Sophia CorboDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
Jessica I BeynorDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
Brooke NeupertDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
Alexander T NguyenDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
Chloe HodgsonDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
Diemmy NguyenDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
Khalid Nm AbdelazeemDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
Anthony SaviolaDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
Laurene PousseRoche Innovation Centre Zurich, Schlieren, Switzerland.
Ali BransiRoche Innovation Centre Zurich, Schlieren, Switzerland.
Mudita PinchaRoche Innovation Centre Zurich, Schlieren, Switzerland.
Christian KleinRoche Innovation Centre Zurich, Schlieren, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7594-7280
Maria AmannRoche Innovation Centre Zurich, Schlieren, Switzerland.
Sana D KaramDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA sanadkaram@wustl.edu.

Funding

Treating recurrent HNSCC with radiation and dual TGF-Beta/PD-L1.P50CA261605 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER · PI HEASLEY, LYNN E · 2021 to 2025
$10.1M
Tackling Treg mediated resistance to radiation and anti-PDL1 in HNSCCsR01DE028529 · NIDCR · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI SANA D KARAM · 2019 to 2026
$3.7M
Sexual dimorphism and the immuno-modulatory role of estrogen signaling in HNSCCR01CA284651 · NCI · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI SANA D KARAM · 2023 to 2026
$2.6M
Role of EphB4-ephrin-B2 interaction in regulating crosstalk between cancer cell and vascular tumor microenvironment in head and neck cancerR01DE028282 · NIDCR · UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER · PI KARAM, SANA D · 2019 to 2023
$2.4M
Divergent response to radio-immunotherapy in HNSCC and PDAC is mediated by regulatory T cellsF31DE033887 · NIDCR · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI Jacob Gadwa · 2024 to 2026
$85k
NCI NIH HHS P50 CA261605NCI NIH HHS R01 CA284651NIDCR NIH HHS F31 DE033887NIDCR NIH HHS R01 DE028282NIDCR NIH HHS R01 DE028529
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTreatment with immunotherapy can elicit varying responses across cancer types, and the mechanistic underpinnings that contribute to response vrsus progression remain poorly understood. However, to date there are few preclinical models that accurately represent these disparate disease scenarios.

methodsUsing combinatorial radio-immunotherapy consisting of PD-1 blockade, IL2Rβγ biased signaling, and OX40 agonism we were able to generate preclinical tumor models with conflicting responses, where head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) models respond and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) progresses.

resultsBy modeling these disparate states, we find that regulatory T cells (Tregs) are expanded in PDAC tumors undergoing treatment, constraining tumor reactive CD8 T cell activity. Consequently, the depletion of Tregs restores the therapeutic efficacy of our treatment and abrogates the disparity between models. Moreover, we show that through heterotopic implantations the site of tumor development defines the response to therapy, as implantation of HNSCC tumors into the pancreas resulted in comparable levels of tumor progression.

conclusionsThis work highlights the complexity of combining immunotherapies within the tumor microenvironment (TME) and further defines the immune and non-immune components of the TME as an intrinsic feature of immune suppression.

Indexed as

Tumor MicroenvironmentAnimalsCarcinoma, Pancreatic DuctalCell Line, TumorFemaleHumansImmunotherapyMicePancreatic NeoplasmsSquamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and NeckHead and Neck CancerImmunotherapyRadiotherapy/radioimmunotherapyT cellT regulatory cell - Treg

Identifiers

PMID39773568
PMCPMC11749720

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.