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Published on: July 18, 2017
Circulating biomarkers predictive of tumor response to cancer immunotherapy
Ernest Y Lee1,2,3, Rajan P Kulkarni4,5,6
1Department of Bioengineering, UCLA , Los Angeles , CA , USA.
Abstract:
Introduction: The advent of checkpoint blockade immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment, but clinical response to immunotherapies is highly heterogeneous among individual patients and between cancer types. This represents a challenge to oncologists when choosing specific immunotherapies for personalized medicine. Thus, biomarkers that can predict tumor responsiveness to immunotherapies before and during treatment are invaluable. Areas covered: We review the latest advances in 'liquid biopsy' biomarkers for noninvasive prediction and in-treatment monitoring of tumor response to immunotherapy, focusing primarily on melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer. We concentrate on high-quality studies published within the last five years on checkpoint blockade immunotherapies, and highlight significant breakthroughs, identify key areas for improvement, and provide recommendations for how these diagnostic tools can be translated into clinical practice. Expert opinion: The first biomarkers proposed to predict tumor response to immunotherapy were based on PD1/PDL1 expression, but their predictive value is limited to specific cancers or patient populations. Recent advances in single-cell molecular profiling of circulating tumor cells and host cells using next-generation sequencing has dramatically expanded the pool of potentially useful predictive biomarkers. As immunotherapy moves toward personalized medicine, a composite panel of both genomic and proteomic biomarkers will have enormous utility in therapeutic decision-making.
Insights
Liquid biopsy biomarkers offer a non-invasive way to predict and monitor cancer immunotherapy response. Advanced genomic and proteomic profiling shows promise for personalized cancer treatment decisions.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunotherapy
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Checkpoint blockade immunotherapy has transformed cancer treatment but exhibits variable patient response.
- Predicting and monitoring immunotherapy effectiveness is crucial for personalized medicine.
- Current biomarkers, like PD1/PDL1 expression, have limitations in predicting tumor response.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advances in liquid biopsy biomarkers for predicting and monitoring immunotherapy response.
- To focus on melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer, examining studies from the past five years.
- To highlight breakthroughs, identify limitations, and suggest clinical translation of these diagnostic tools.
Main Methods:
- Review of high-quality studies on checkpoint blockade immunotherapies published within the last five years.
- Focus on liquid biopsy approaches for non-invasive biomarker detection.
- Analysis of single-cell molecular profiling of circulating tumor and host cells using next-generation sequencing.
Main Results:
- PD1/PDL1 expression biomarkers have limited predictive value for specific cancers or patient groups.
- Next-generation sequencing-based single-cell profiling of circulating tumor cells and host cells expands potential predictive biomarkers.
- Liquid biopsies show promise for non-invasive prediction and monitoring of immunotherapy response.
Conclusions:
- Liquid biopsy biomarkers are essential for personalized cancer immunotherapy.
- A combination of genomic and proteomic biomarkers will be highly valuable for treatment decisions.
- Further development and validation are needed to translate these diagnostic tools into routine clinical practice.
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