Method for predicting efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in cancer patients

A method for screening a cancer patient who may benefit from treatment by an immune checkpoint inhibitor or a combination of two or more thereof or a combination of an immune checkpoint inhibitor and other antitumor drugs, comprising:

• 1) Contacting a co-culture system comprising primary tumor cells from the cancer patient and lymphocytes containing T cells with an bispecific T-cell engage antibody in the presence or absence of the immune checkpoint inhibitor or a combination of two or more thereof or a combination of an immune checkpoint inhibitor and other antitumor drugs;
• and
• 2) Determining whether the release of IFN-γ due to the activation of T cells by the bispecific T-cell engage antibody is increased in the presence of the i immune checkpoint inhibitor or a combination of two or more thereof or a combination of an immune checkpoint inhibitor and other antitumor drugs as compared to the one absence thereof.

A method for screening an immune checkpoint inhibitor or a combination of two or more thereof or a combination of an immune checkpoint inhibitor and other antitumor drugs, effective in the treatment of a cancer of interest, comprising:

• 1) Contacting a co-culture system comprising primary tumor cells from the cancer patient and lymphocytes containing T cells with an bispecific T-cell engage antibody in the presence or absence of the immune checkpoint inhibitor or a combination of two or more thereof or a combination of an immune checkpoint inhibitor and other antitumor drugs;
• and
• 2) Determining whether the release of IFN-γ due to the activation of T cells by the bispecific T-cell engage antibody is increased in the presence of the immune checkpoint inhibitor or a combination of two or more thereof or a combination of an immune checkpoint inhibitor and other antitumor drugs as compared to the one absence thereof.

A bispecific T-cell engage antibody for use in a method for predicting clinical response of a cancer patient to treatment by an immune checkpoint inhibitor or a combination of two or more thereof or a combination of an immune checkpoint inhibitor and other antitumor drugs, wherein

• 1) the bispecific T-cell engage antibody is contacted with a co-culture system comprising primary tumor cells from the cancer patient and lymphocytes containing T cells in the presence or absence of the immune checkpoint inhibitor or a combination of two or more thereof or a combination of an immune checkpoint inhibitor and other antitumor drugs;
• and
• 2) the release of IFN-γ due to the activation of T cells by the bispecific T-cell engage antibody is measured to determine whether the release of IFN-γ is increased in the presence of the immune checkpoint inhibitor or a combination of two or more thereof or a combination of an immune checkpoint inhibitor and other antitumor drugs as compared to the one absence thereof.

A bispecific T-cell engage antibody for use in a method for screening an immune checkpoint inhibitor or a combination of two or more thereof or a combination of an immune checkpoint inhibitor and other antitumor drugs effective in the treatment of a cancer of interest, wherein

• 1) the bispecific T-cell engage antibody is contacted with a co-culture system comprising primary tumor cells from the cancer patient and lymphocytes containing T cells in the presence or absence of the immune checkpoint inhibitor or a combination of two or more thereof or a combination of an immune checkpoint inhibitor and other antitumor drugs;
• and
• 2) the release of IFN-γ due to the activation of T cells by the bispecific T-cell engage antibody is measured to determine whether the release of IFN-γ is increased in the presence of the immune checkpoint inhibitor or a combination of two or more thereof or a combination of an immune checkpoint inhibitor and other antitumor drugs as compared to the one absence thereof.