Predicting Immunotherapy Effectiveness: Scientists Discover Methods for Forecasting Therapy Success
Cancer Treatment progresses with a focus on immunotherapy
Imagine a future where our bodies can fight cancer using our own immune system. That's the premise of immunotherapy, one of the hottest new treatment options against cancer. But not everyone and every cancer can benefit from it.
Researchers from Johns Hopkins have recently made a significant breakthrough in identifying a specific subset of mutations in cancer tumors that may indicate how receptive the tumor will be to immunotherapy. Their study aims to help doctors better select patients for immunotherapy and predict the outcomes of the treatment.
Revitalizing the battle with Immunotherapy
Cancer cells often develop mutations that allow them to evade the immune system. Immunotherapy gives a boost to the immune system, making it easier to find and destroy cancer cells. It's currently being used for a few types of cancer like breast cancer, melanoma, leukemia, and non-small cell lung cancer. Researchers are also exploring its potential for other cancers such as prostate cancer, brain cancer, and ovarian cancer.
In their latest study published in Nature Medicine, Johns Hopkins researchers discovered a specific set of persistent mutations in tumors that remain visible to the immune system, leading to a better response to immunotherapy.
Tumor Mutation Burden and Persistent Mutations
Currently, doctors rely on the Total Number of Mutations (TMB) in a tumor to predict its response to immunotherapy. However, this study Identified a subset of persistent mutations within the overall TMB that are less likely to disappear as the cancer evolves. This allows the cancer tumor to remain visible to the immune system, leading to a better immune response.
"Persistent mutations are always present in cancer cells and may keep the cancer cells continuously visible to the immune system, enhancing the body's immune response," according to Dr. Valsamo Anagnostou, a senior author of the study. "This response is amplified in the context of immune checkpoint blockade, enabling the immune system to continue eliminating cancer cells carrying these persistent mutations over time, resulting in sustained immunologic tumor control and long survival."
The Future of Cancer Treatment
The study opens up a promising new avenue for cancer treatment. Doctors may soon be able to use high-throughput, next-generation sequencing techniques to study a patient's mutational spectrum, potentially identifying patients who are likely to respond to immunotherapy. This may lead to personalized treatment plans for patients with advanced cancer, providing them with the best possible outcomes.
"The elements of the immune tumor environment are critical elements," said Dr. Kim Margolin, a medical oncologist. "Ultimately, what starts out as mere prognostic indicators may be pushed to the point of becoming predictive factors that can interact with therapy and disease and even sites of metastasis, where the elements of the immune tumor environment are critical elements."
Footnote:
- Tumor microenvironment changes and peripheral blood immune cell dynamics in non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with immunotherapy: a meta-analysis. Cancer Immunol Res. 2021 Mar 15;9(4):280-295.
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- In the future, personalized treatment plans may be devised for patients with advanced cancer, using high-throughput, next-generation sequencing techniques to study persistent mutations, thereby identifying those who are likely to respond well to immunotherapy.
- According to Dr. Valsamo Anagnostou, persistent mutations in cancer cells, which remain visible to the immune system, could enhance the body's immune response, leading to better immune response and long survival in the context of immune checkpoint blockade.
- Researchers are currently investigating the potential use of immunotherapy for a variety of medical conditions such as prostate cancer, brain cancer, and ovarian cancer, expanding the scope of immunotherapy beyond breast cancer, melanoma, leukemia, and non-small cell lung cancer.
