Oral Presentation ASPCR-ASDR Conference 2013

Merkel Cell Polyomavirus (MCPyV); the Achilles Heel of Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC) (#54)

Denise Galloway 1 , Jody Carter 1 , Kelly Paulson 1 , Olga Asanaviev 1 , Jaysiri Ayer 1 , Aude Chapuis 1 , Cassian Yee 1 , Paul Nghiem 1
  1. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and the University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC) is a rare but deadly skin cancer.  Its incidence is increasing in the elderly and in immunosuppressed populations.  In 2008 a polyomavirus, MCPyV, was identified as a likely causal agent, a finding replicated in many laboratories.   We showed that the seroprevalence of MCPyV was 65-80% in the general population.  However, antibodies to the MCPyV T antigens were restricted to cases with MCC.  Importantly a rise in the titer of these antibodies could predict recurrence.  Some patients were shown to have CD8+ T cells directed towards T antigen epitopes.  Expansion of tetramer-isolated MCPyV specific T cells was developed for immunotherapy.   We will present data for one patient with increasing T antigen titers who was shown to have pancreatic metastases.  Following treatments to upregulate HLA expression and infusions of MCPyV specific T cells metastatic lesions regressed.  These data indicate that immunotherapeutic approaches to eliminate MCPyV expressing tumor cells can improve patient outcomes.