Predicting Immunotherapy Responses: Researchers Reveal Potential Strategies
Innovative Battle Against Cancer: A New Frontier in Immunotherapy
In the ongoing fight against cancer, scientists are constantly developing novel treatments. One such advancement is immunotherapy, a treatment option that leverages the body's immune system to combat the disease.
However, not every individual or cancer type responds positively to immunotherapy. Researchers worldwide, including a team from Johns Hopkins University, have been relentlessly seeking answers about the factors that determine a tumor's responsiveness to immunotherapy.
This Johns Hopkins team has recently identified a unique subset of mutations within cancer tumors, referred to as "persistent mutations," which could hold the key to determining a tumor's receptiveness to immunotherapy.
Submerged in mysterious camouflage, cancer cells often develop mutations that shield them from the body's immune system. Immunotherapy boosts the immune system's power, making it easier for it to unearth and exterminate these hidden cancer cells.
Immunotherapy has proven effective against various cancers like breast cancer, melanoma, leukemia, and non-small cell lung cancer. Researchers are exploring its potential applications against other types of cancer, such as prostate, brain, and ovarian cancer.
In their study, published in "Nature Medicine," the Johns Hopkins team highlighted the traditional method of calculating tumor receptiveness, known as Tumor Mutation Burden (TMB). TMB refers to the total number of genetic mutations within a tumor. However, the team's findings suggest that the number of "persistent mutations" within a tumor provides a better predictor of a tumor's response to immunotherapy.
"Persistent mutations are always present within cancer cells and these mutations may render the cancer cells continuously visible to the immune system, eliciting an enhanced response," explained Dr. Valsamo Anagnostou, a senior author of the study and an associate professor at Johns Hopkins. "This response is augmented in the context of immune checkpoint blockade, and the immune system continues to eliminate cancer cells harboring these persistent mutations over time, resulting in sustained immunologic tumor control and long survival."
Dr. Kim Margolin, a medical oncologist, applauded the study, expressing her belief that the discoveries may significantly impact how cancer patients are selected for immunotherapy in the future. High-throughput sequencing techniques could potentially be used to study patients' mutational spectrum, categorizing them based on their likelihood of response to immunotherapy. This, she said, could ultimately lead to the development of personalized immunotherapy treatments.
Immunotherapy: Reviving the Immune System's War Against Cancer
Immunotherapy aims to harness the body's immune system for battle against cancer. Historically, cancer cells have evaded the body's defenses by developing mutations that render them invisible.
Immunotherapy enhances the immune system's ability to recognize and destroy these mutated cancer cells. This is achieved through various methods, including antibodies that unmask the cancer cells or therapies that augment the immune system's natural responses.
Although not all cancers and individuals respond to immunotherapy, ongoing research aims to identify the factors that dictate a tumor's susceptibility to this treatment. The Johns Hopkins team's discovery of "persistent mutations" could pave the way for more accurate patient selection and improved treatment outcomes.
- The Johns Hopkins team's discovery of 'persistent mutations' within cancer tumors could potentially enable a more accurate selection of patients for immunotherapy, leading to improved treatment outcomes.
- Immunotherapy, which aims to revive the immune system's war against cancer, is not only effective against known cancers such as breast cancer, melanoma, leukemia, and non-small cell lung cancer, but also holds promise for other types like prostate, brain, and ovarian cancer.
- In their study, the researchers from Johns Hopkins University highlighted that while the traditional method of calculating tumor receptiveness, Tumor Mutation Burden (TMB), refers to the total number of genetic mutations within a tumor, the number of 'persistent mutations' within a tumor seems to provide a better predictor of a tumor's response to immunotherapy.
