Predicting Immunotherapy Success: Scientists Discover Strategies for Foreseeing Responses
In the ongoing battle against cancer, immunotherapy offers a novel and promising treatment approach. However, its effectiveness is not universally applicable, as not all individuals and cancer types are responsive to this treatment method. A team of researchers from Johns Hopkins University, Maryland, has identified a specific subset of mutations in cancer tumors that may determine their receptivity to immunotherapy.
The researchers clarified that doctors currently estimate the likelihood of a tumor responding to immunotherapy based on the total number of mutations in the tumor, known as tumor mutational burden (TMB). They argue that this approach lacks precision, and their new study focuses on a specific subset of mutations within the overall TMB—the "persistent mutations." These persistent mutations are less likely to disappear as cancer evolves, allowing the cancer tumor to remain visible to the body's immune system, thus potentially improving the response to immunotherapy.
The research team believes their findings will enable doctors to more accurately select patients for immunotherapy and predict the outcomes of this treatment. Their study was recently published in the journal Nature Medicine.
Immunotherapy leverages the body's immune system to combat diseases. In the case of cancer, the immune system often struggles to detect the cancer cells because they develop mutations that render them invisible. Immunotherapy provides a boost to the immune system, making it more effective in locating and destroying cancer cells. There are several types of immunotherapy, including checkpoint inhibitors, T-cell transfer therapies, and cytokine therapies.
Cancers such as breast cancer, melanoma, leukemia, and non-small cell lung cancer are currently eligible for immunotherapy treatment. Scientists are examining its potential benefits for other types of cancer, including prostate cancer, brain cancer, and ovarian cancer.
While the exact number of persistent mutations required to achieve noticeable effects remains to be determined, the researchers express optimism that their findings will contribute to more targeted and effective use of immunotherapy in cancer treatment. The persistent mutation load may serve as a more accurate predictor of a patient's response to immunotherapy when compared to the overall TMB.
- The researchers at Johns Hopkins University have identified persistent mutations, a specific subset within the overall tumor mutational burden (TMB), as potentially improving the response to immunotherapy.
- Immunotherapy, which leverages the body's immune system to combat diseases, may have more pronounced effects on cancers with higher persistent mutation loads, according to the research team.
- In the medical-wellness field, the study suggests that focusing on persistent mutations could lead to more targeted and effective use of immunotherapy in the treatment of various cancers, such as breast cancer, melanoma, leukemia, and non-small cell lung cancer.
- As scientists continue to explore the potential benefits of immunotherapy for other types of cancer like prostate, brain, and ovarian cancer, the study's findings could significantly impact the selection andoutcome predictions for therapies-and-treatments, according to the Johns Hopkins University research team.
