This is a Phase II, open-label, three-arm parallel study evaluating the efficacy and safety of combined treatment (sodium cromoglicate, choline, or efavirenz) with immune checkpoint inhibitors in metastatic TNBC (triple negative breast cancer) patients who progressed during or following previous immune checkpoint inhibitors. The investigators have achieved a breakthrough in the FUTURE study with an ORR (objective response rate) reaching 52.6% in IM (immunomodulatory) subtype TNBC patients. Despite this, there are still some IM subtype patients resistant to immunotherapy. How to reverse immunotherapy resistance or how to increase the sensitivity of immunotherapy efficacy, has become an urgent clinical problem to be solved. The preclinical results of our center show that TMAO, choline, and efavirenz play a potentially important role in regulating the tumor immune microenvironment. Oral choline can improve TMAO content in mouse serum, play the role of activating anti-tumor immunity, and improve immunotherapy efficacy. Preclinical studies of our center also show that sodium cromoglicate can enhance the anti-tumor immune response by inhibiting the activation of mast cells, increase the infiltration and function of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells, inhibit the growth of tumors in mice, and enhance the efficacy of PD-1 inhibitors in mice. Furthermore, another preclinical study of our center shows that efavirenz can enhance the anti-tumor immune response by inhibiting the retrotransposon of LINE-1 and decreasing intratumor heterogeneity. The combination of efavirenz and PD-1 inhibitors effectively inhibits tumor growth in mice. Based on preclinical studies, the investigators designed this study to enroll mTNBC patients who have progressed during or following immunotherapy, and to explore the efficacy of sodium cromoglicate, choline, or efavirenz combined with immunotherapy at a clinical level, providing new strategies of combined treatment for TNBC patients.
This is a Phase II, open-label, three-arm parallel study evaluating the efficacy and safety of combined treatment (sodium cromoglicate, choline, or efavirenz) with immune checkpoint inhibitor in mTNBC (triple negative breast cancer) patients who progressed during previous immune checkpoint inhibitors.