Immunotherapy: Scientists Discover Methods to Forecast Treatment Results
Newest Immunotherapy Insights Revealed by Johns Hopkins Researchers
In the ongoing battle against cancer, scientists continue to explore innovative treatment methods, and immunotherapy stands out as one of the most promising. However, its effectiveness is not universal – not all people and cancers can benefit from immunotherapy treatments. To address this challenge, researchers from Johns Hopkins University have identified a specific subset of mutations within a cancer tumor that suggests a tumor's potential receptiveness to immunotherapy.
"With our findings, doctors can more accurately select patients for immunotherapy treatment and better predict treatment outcomes," says the study’s senior author, Dr. Valsamo Anagnostou, an associate professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins. The research has been published in the journal Nature Medicine.
Immunotherapy harnesses the power of the body's immune system to fight the disease. Typically, cancer cells develop mutations that allow them to evade the immune system. Immunotherapy provides a boost to the immune system, enabling it to detect and eradicate these dangerous cells. Currently, immunotherapy is being used as a treatment option for various types of cancer, including breast cancer, melanoma, leukemia, and non-small cell lung cancer. Researchers are exploring the use of immunotherapy for other types of cancer, such as prostate cancer, brain cancer, and ovarian cancer.
In the Johns Hopkins study, Anagnostou and her team focused on understanding the role of the total number of mutations in a tumor, known as the tumor mutation burden (TMB). They identified a specific subset of persistent mutations, which are less likely to disappear as cancer evolves, making it easier for the immune system to identify and attack the tumor.
"Persistent mutations ensure that cancer cells remain visible to the immune system, allowing for a better response to immunotherapy," Anagnostou explains. By focusing on persistent mutations, doctors may more accurately select patients for clinical trials of novel immunotherapies or predict treatment outcomes.
The findings of this study hold significant implications for the future of cancer treatment. Dr. Kim Margolin, a medical oncologist, believes that high-throughput, next-generation sequencing techniques will allow doctors to categorize patients based on their likelihood of response to immunotherapy or benefit from immunotherapies after surgery. This progress may lead to breakthroughs in personalized treatment options for cancer patients.
- "Doctors can potentially use this new knowledge about persistent mutations in a tumor to select patients more accurately for immunotherapy treatment, aiming to improve the treatment outcomes for various medical conditions like cancer."
- "The recent discoveries in immunotherapy from Johns Hopkins University could pave the way for future research in using immunotherapy for different types of cancer, such as prostate, brain, and ovarian cancer."
- "Immunotherapy not only has shown promise in treating cancer types like breast, melanoma, leukemia, and non-small cell lung cancer, but also in the realm of health and wellness, it harnesses the power of the immune system to fight against dangerous cells and contribute to science's ongoing battle against cancer."
