Tailoring Immunotherapy: Scientists Discover Methods for Anticipating Results
Annual advancements in cancer treatment have led to a new option: immunotherapy. This cutting-edge treatment harnesses the body's immune system to fight the disease, but it doesn't work for everyone or every type of cancer. Recently, scientists from Johns Hopkins identified a particular subset of mutations within cancer tumors that predicts their responsiveness to immunotherapy.
Researchers have long tried to determine what factors contribute to immunotherapy's effectiveness by looking at the total number of mutations in a tumor, known as tumor mutation burden (TMB). However, Johns Hopkins University's study took a different approach and focused on persistent mutations, which are less likely to disappear as cancer evolves. By remaining visible to the immune system, these mutations can elicit an immune response, particularly when combined with immunotherapy, resulting in sustained immunological tumor control and prolonged survival.
Dr. Valsamo Anagnostou, a senior author of the study and associate professor at Johns Hopkins, explained, "Persistent mutations more optimally identify tumors that are more likely to respond to immune checkpoint blockade compared to the overall tumor mutation burden." This could help doctors more accurately select patients for immunotherapy and better predict treatment outcomes.
The researchers' findings were recently published in the journal Nature Medicine. According to Dr. Kim Margolin, a medical oncologist and medical director at Providence Saint John's Health Center in California, the study provides valuable insights into the forces that drive an effective anticancer immune response.
"Persistent mutations and mutation-associated neo-antigens are likely the most important determinants of an effective anticancer immune response," Margolin said, adding that these findings would likely impact how cancer patients are selected for immunotherapy in the future. It's anticipated that high-throughput, next-generation sequencing techniques will be used to analyze patients' mutational spectrum and categorize them based on their likelihood of response to immunotherapy.
- The study conducted by scientists from Johns Hopkins University focuses on persistent mutations within cancer tumors, which are less likely to disappear as cancer evolves, offering a potential new strategy for identifying tumors more likely to respond to immunotherapy.
- Dr. Kim Margolin, a medical oncologist, asserts that the study provides valuable insights into the forces that drive an effective anticancer immune response, suggesting that persistent mutations and mutation-associated neo-antigens are likely the most important determinants of an effective anticancer immune response.
- In the future, high-throughput, next-generation sequencing techniques might be used to analyze patients' mutational spectrum and categorize them based on their likelihood of response to immunotherapy, helping doctors more accurately select patients for immunotherapy and better predict treatment outcomes.
