Predicting Immunotherapy Responses: Scientists Discover New Methods for Forecasting Treatment Results
In the continual quest to eradicate cancer, immunotherapy has emerged as a cutting-edge treatment option. Yet, it's not a one-size-fits-all solution, as not everyone and every type of cancer can benefit from this innovative approach. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University have taken a significant step forward by identifying a specific subset of mutations within cancer tumors that indicate its susceptibility to immunotherapy.
These researchers believe their findings will enable doctors to make more accurate selections for immunotherapy treatment and better predict outcomes. Their work was recently published in the journal Nature Medicine.
Immunotherapy: A Brief Overview
Immunotherapy leverages the body's own immune system to combat disease. Normally, cancer cells develop mutations that enable them to evade the immune system. Immunotherapy provides an enhancement to the body's immune system, making it easier for it to recognize and destroy cancer cells. There are several types of immunotherapies, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors and cancer vaccines.
The Role of Mutations in Immunotherapy
Currently, doctors use the total number of mutations in a tumor, known as the tumor mutation burden (TMB), to estimate a tumor's responsiveness to immunotherapy. Dr. Valsamo Anagnostou, a senior author of the study and associate professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins, explained, "Tumor mutation burden is the number of changes in the genetic material and particularly in the DNA sequence of cancer cells, known as mutations. 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, TMB alone may not be the most accurate indicator of a tumor's responsiveness to immunotherapy. In this study, Anagnostou and her team identified a specific subset of mutations within the overall TMB, which they termed "persistent mutations." Persistent mutations are less likely to disappear as cancer evolves, allowing the cancer tumor to remain visible to the body's immune system, enhancing immunotherapy's effectiveness.
Predicting Responsiveness to Immunotherapy
According to Anagnostou, the number of persistent mutations more accurately identifies tumors that are more likely to respond to immune checkpoint blockade compared to the overall tumor mutation burden. This discovery may help clinicians more accurately select patients for clinical trials of novel immunotherapies or predict a patient's clinical outcome with standard-of-care immune checkpoint blockade.
Dr. Kim Margolin, a medical oncologist and medical director of the Saint John's Cancer Institute Melanoma Program, added, "Persistent mutations... are likely the most important determinants of an effective anticancer immune response, which is stimulated and amplified by the immunotherapeutic agents currently in use."
The Future of Immunotherapy
With this groundbreaking research, the future of immunotherapy seems promising. By understanding persistent mutations, researchers can develop more targeted and effective immunotherapies that cater to a tumor's unique genetic profile. As Margolin noted, "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 resistance, where the elements of the immune tumor environment are critical elements."
[1] Further read: https://immunology.thefreedictionary.com/Persistent+mutations[2] More in-depth analysis: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-26579-z[3] Comprehensive guide: https://www.bcm.edu/news/headlines/2016/mutations-driving-cancer-growth[4] Exploration of mutations and cancer evolution: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5577762/
- The discovery of persistent mutations within cancer tumors could revolutionize immunotherapy, as they may more accurately predict a tumor's responsiveness to immune checkpoint blockade compared to the overall tumor mutation burden.
- The work of researchers from Johns Hopkins University could potentially aid clinicians in making more accurate selections for immunotherapy treatment based on the presence of persistent mutations, potentially improving treatment outcomes in a wider variety of medical conditions.
- The concept of persistent mutations, which are less likely to disappear as cancer evolves, providing an opportunity for the immune system to identify and attack the tumor, is essential in the development of more targeted and effective therapies and treatments in health-and-wellness, such as immunotherapies.
- In the long run, understanding persistent mutations and their significance in cancer evolution could push them from mere prognostic indicators to predictive factors that interact with therapy and disease, ultimately shaping the future of immunotherapy and medical-conditions treatments.
