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Immunology-Immunotherapy

(P 118) TIM-3 QUALIFIES AS A POTENTIAL IMMUNOTHERAPEUTIC TARGET IN SPECIFIC SUBSETS OF PATIENTS WITH HIGH-RISK SOFT TISSUE SARCOMAS (HR-STS)

Location: The Liffey, Level 1

    Author(s)

  • Luc M. Berclaz, MD

    Resident Physician
    Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Germany
    Munich, Bayern, Germany

    • Co-Author(s)

  • AA

    Annelore Altendorf-Hofmann, MD

    Department of General, Visceral and Vascular Surgery, Friedrich-Schiller University Jena, Germany
    Jena, Thuringen, Germany

  • Lars H. Lindner, MD

    Head Sarcoma Medical Oncology
    Department of Medicine III, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich
    Munich, Bayern, Germany

  • Anton Burkhard-Meier, MD (he/him/his)

    Residency Hematology/Oncology
    Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Germany
    Munich, Bayern, Germany

  • DD

    Dorit Di Gioia, MD

    Department of Medicine III, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich
    Munich, Bayern, Germany

  • HD

    Hans Roland Dürr, MD

    Orthopaedic Oncology, Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Germany
    Munich, Bayern, Germany

  • AK

    Alexander Klein, MD

    Orthopaedic Oncology, Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Germany
    Munich, Bayern, Germany

  • Markus Albertsmeier, MD

    Consultant
    Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Germany
    Munich, Bayern, Germany

  • NS

    Nina-Sophie Schmidt-Hegemann, MD

    Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Germany
    Munich, Bayern, Germany

  • FK

    Frederick Klauschen, MD

    Institute of Pathology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Germany
    Munich, Bayern, Germany

  • TK

    Thomas Knösel, MD

    Senior Pathologist
    Institute of Pathology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Germany
    Munich, Bayern, Germany

Objective: The expression of T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing protein 3 (TIM-3), an immune checkpoint receptor on T cells, has been associated with dismal outcomes and advanced tumor stages in various solid tumors. The blockade of TIM-3 is currently under examination in several clinical trials. This study examines TIM-3 expression in high-risk soft tissue sarcomas (HR-STS).

Methods: Tumor cell expression of TIM-3 on protein level was analyzed in pre-treatment biopsies of patients with HR-STS. TIM-3 expression was correlated with clinicopathological parameters including tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) counts, programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PDL-1) expression in patients with HR-STS. Survival dependent on the expression of TIM-3 was analyzed.

Results: TIM-3 expression was observed in 101 (56%) out of 179 pre-treatment biopsies of patients with HR-STS. TIM-3 expression was significantly more often observed in undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcomas (UPS) compared to other histological subtypes (p < 0.001), high TIL counts (p < 0.001), high PD-1 (p < 0.001) and PD-L1 expression (p < 0.001). TIM-3 expression did not have a prognostic impact on survival in patients with HR-STS.

Conclusion: This is the first study to demonstrate a significant tumor cell expression of TIM-3 in specific subsets of patients with HR-STS. TIM-3 qualifies as a potential immunotherapeutic target in HR-STS.