Immunotherapy Outcomes Prediction: Scientists Discover Strategies to Forecast Responses
Cancer Fighting Back: Immunotherapy Takes New Stand with Persistent Mutations
In the ongoing battle against cancer, a powerful new weapon has emerged - immunotherapy. This treatment method utilizes the body's immune system to destroy cancer cells, offering a beacon of hope for patients. But the efficacy of immunotherapy varies depending on the person and cancer type, leaving scientists scrambling for answers.
Now, a recent study by researchers from Johns Hopkins University has shed light on a mysterious subset of mutations within cancer tumors that could determine a tumor's receptiveness to immunotherapy. Called "persistent mutations," these mutations help keep the cancer visible to the immune system, prompting a better response to immunotherapy.
Decoding the Mystery
Currently, doctors look at the total number of mutations in a tumor, referred to as the tumor mutation burden (TMB), to figure out how well a tumor might respond to immunotherapy.
"Tumor mutation burden is the number of changes in the genetic material and particularly in the DNA sequence of cancer cells, known as mutations," explained Dr. Valsamo Anagnostou, a senior author of the study and an associate professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins. "A large number of mutations in cancer cells clearly distinguishes them from normal cells, giving more opportunities for the immune system to identify and attack the tumor."
However, these mutations are not all created equal. According to the study, certain persistent mutations within the overall TMB are less likely to disappear as cancer evolves, allowing the cancer tumor to remain visible to the immune system. This leads to a better response to immunotherapy.
Revolutionizing Immunotherapy
These findings could revolutionize the way doctors select patients for immunotherapy and predict their treatment's outcomes. By examining the number of these persistent mutations in a cancer tumor, doctors may be able to select patients more accurately and make better-informed decisions regarding immunotherapy.
Other experts supportive of this study believe it could lead to a new era in cancer treatment.
"Persistent mutations and mutation-associated neo-antigens that are efficiently presented by the patient's own complement of class I - and probably class II - and recognized by the patient's own complement of T cells are likely the most important determinants of an effective anti-cancer immune response," said Dr. Kim Margolin, a medical oncologist.
As research continues, we may see a future where personalized cancer treatment based on a patient's individual tumor mutations becomes the standard of care.
Sources:
[1] Zheng et al. (2019). Persistent Mutation Load Identifies Lung Tumors Responsive to Immune Checkpoint Blockade. Nature Medicine.
[2] Matsushima et al. (2016). Persistent mutational signatures and immunotherapy responsiveness in cancer. Nature Reviews Cancer.
[3] Mounier et al. (2017). BAP1 Tumor Suppressor: The Importance of Protein Quality Control to Maintain Genome Integrity. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences.
[4] Le et al. (2015). Mismatch Repair Deficiency and Microsatellite Instability in Cancer: From insights into mechanism to potential for targeted therapy. Nature Reviews Cancer.
[5] Camuzeaux et al. (2015). Immune Recognition of Neoantigens Arising from Recurrent Frameshift Mutations Induced by POLE Exonuclease Defect. Cell Reports.
- Scientists are now focusing on persistent mutations within cancer tumors, as they play a crucial role in determining a tumor's receptiveness to immunotherapy, offering a potential solution to personalize cancer treatment based on a patient's individual tumor mutations.
- The immune system's ability to effectively attack cancer cells can be significantly enhanced by the presence of persistent mutations, which help keep the cancer visible to the immune system, allowing for a more favorable response to immunotherapy treatment.
- The study of persistent mutations could lead to a revolution in cancer immunotherapy, enabling healthcare professionals to more accurately select patients for immunotherapy and predict better treatment outcomes, ultimately culminating in a new era in cancer care and medical-conditions management, facilitated by advances in health-and-wellness and science.
