Immunotherapy Outcome Predictions: Scientists Discover Methods for Forecasting Success Rates
In the continuous fight against cancer, a new development has arisen: immunotherapy. However, this revolutionary treatment does not work for all individuals and cancer types. Attempts to determine the factors that influence immunotherapy effectiveness are ongoing.
Recently, a team of researchers from Johns Hopkins University have made a breakthrough in this regard. They have identified a specific subset of mutations found in cancer tumors that indicate the tumor's susceptibility to immunotherapy. These findings could potentially aid doctors in selecting patients for immunotherapy more accurately, thus improving treatment outcomes.
The researchers' work was published in the journal Nature Medicine.
What is Immunotherapy?
Immunotherapy utilizes the body's immune system to combat the disease. Normally, cancer cells develop mutations that enable them to evade the immune system. Immunotherapy amplifies the immune system's response, making it easier for it to locate and destroy cancer cells.
There are various types of immunotherapy, including:
Currently, immunotherapy is a viable treatment option for breast cancer, melanoma, leukemia, and non-small cell lung cancer. Researchers are exploring its potential as a treatment for other types of cancer, including prostate cancer, brain cancer, and ovarian cancer.
Focusing on Mutations
At present, doctors determine a tumor's potential response to immunotherapy by evaluating the total number of mutations in the tumor, called the tumor mutation burden (TMB). However, this target can be misleading.
In this study, the researchers identified a specific group of mutations within the overall TMB, which they termed "persistent mutations." These mutations persist as the cancer evolves, keeping the tumor visible to the immune system and enhancing immune system reaction, thereby improving immunotherapy response.
"Persistent mutations are consistently present in cancer cells and may render the cancer cells continuously visible to the immune system, eliciting an immune response," explained Dr. Valsamo Anagnostou, a senior author of the study and an associate professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins.
Anagnostou predicted that the findings would help clinicians more accurately select patients for immunotherapy and anticipate outcomes from the treatment.
Hinting at the Future
When asked to comment on the study, Dr. Kim Margolin, a medical oncologist and medical director of the Saint John's Cancer Institute Melanoma Program, stated, "The findings in this incredible article demonstrate that a highly-respected collaborative group has gone beyond the simple tumor mutation burden concept and defined persistent mutations in a new light. Persistent mutations and mutation-associated neo-antigens...are likely the most important determinants of an effective anticancer immune response."
In the near future, it is likely that high-throughput, next-generation sequencing techniques will be used to analyze patients' mutational spectrum, allowing doctors to classify patients based on their likelihood of responding to immunotherapy. This has the potential to transform cancer treatment by providing more targeted, personalized approaches.
- The science of immunotherapy relies on the body's immune system to combat diseases like cancer, yet cancer cells often develop mutations that allow them to evade the immune system.
- A recent study by a team of researchers from Johns Hopkins University identified a specific subset of persistent mutations in cancer tumors, which make the tumors more susceptible to immunotherapy, potentially aiding doctors in selecting patients and improving treatment outcomes.
- In the realm of health-and-wellness, the discovery of persistent mutations in cancer cells could revolutionize the field of medical-conditions like cancer, as high-throughput, next-generation sequencing techniques may be used to analyze patients' mutational spectrum, allowing for more targeted and personalized immunotherapy treatments.
