Immunotherapy Outcomes Prediction: Scientists Discover Methods for Forecasting Success Rates
Fighting Cancer with Immunotherapy: A New Frontier
In the ongoing battle against cancer, scientists are constantly discovering new treatment methods. One such novel approach is immunotherapy, where the body's immune system is boosted to fight the disease.
However, not every cancer patient responds positively to immunotherapy. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland have made a breakthrough by identifying a specific subset of mutations in a cancer tumor that can predict its receptiveness to immunotherapy.
Understanding Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy uses the body's immune system to combat cancer. Typically, cancer cells develop mutations that help them evade the immune system. Immunotherapy provides a much-needed boost, making it easier for the immune system to locate and destroy cancer cells.
There are various types of immunotherapy, including checkpoint inhibitors, CAR T-cell therapy, and antigen-specific therapy. Currently, immunotherapy is used for treating various cancers, such as breast cancer, melanoma, leukemia, and non-small cell lung cancer. Researchers are also exploring its potential for other cancer types like prostate, brain, and ovarian cancer.
The Role of Mutations in Cancer Immunotherapy
Presently, doctors estimate a cancer tumor's response to immunotherapy based on the total number of mutations in the tumor, known as the tumor mutation burden (TMB). In their recent study, published in Nature Medicine, Johns Hopkins researchers identified a specific subset of mutations within the overall TMB, which they called "persistent mutations."
Persistent mutations are always present in cancer cells and make them more visible to the immune system. This increased visibility allows for a better response to immunotherapy, leading to sustained immunologic tumor control and long survival. The number of persistent mutations may help doctors more accurately select patients for clinical trials of novel immunotherapies or predict outcomes from standard immune checkpoint blockade treatments.
The Future of Cancer Treatment with Immunotherapy
The findings from this study could have significant implications for how cancer patients are selected for immunotherapy in the future. In the not-too-distant future, doctors may use high-throughput, next-generation sequencing techniques to study patients' mutational spectrum. This could categorize patients by their likelihood of response to immunotherapy, allowing for more personalized and effective cancer treatment.
Insights from Genomic Profiling
Recent research has pinpointed several persistent genetic mutations in cancer tumors associated with a better response to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapies, particularly in melanoma and other solid tumors. Key mutations linked to improved ICI response include PCLO, LRP1B, HYDIN, CSMD2, CSMD3, XIRP2, DNAH9, and DNAH6. Enrichment of mutations in pathways supporting extracellular matrix-receptor interactions, cytoskeleton organization, and calcium signaling further supports the potential for a favorable immune response.
By focusing on these specific mutations and pathways, neoantigen vaccines and TCR-engineered therapies can be developed to specifically target immunogenic mutations, aiming to improve long-term outcomes and overcome the limitations of traditional chemotherapy. Ultimately, genomic profiling is essential in identifying patients most likely to benefit from immunotherapy and guiding the development of more effective, personalized treatments.
- In the fight against cancer, immunotherapy, a system that boosts the body's immune system to combat the disease, has emerged as a novel approach.
- Immunotherapy offers an alternative method for treating various medical-conditions like cancer, such as breast cancer, melanoma, leukemia, and non-small cell lung cancer.
- Researchers are investigating immunotherapy's potential for other cancer types like prostate, brain, and ovarian cancer.
- Currently, the likelihood of a cancer tumor's response to immunotherapy is estimated based on the total number of mutations in the tumor, known as the tumor mutation burden (TMB).
- In a recent study, scientists from Johns Hopkins University identified a specific subset of mutations within the overall TMB, called "persistent mutations," which increase a cancer cell's visibility to the immune system and therefore improve the response to immunotherapy.
- Genomic profiling of patients could allow doctors to categorize patients by their likelihood of response to immunotherapy in the future, leading to more personalized and effective cancer treatment.
