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MicroRNA Based Liquid Biopsy: The Experience of the Plasma miRNA Signature Classifier MSC for Lung Cancer Screening
Published on: October 26, 2017
Emerging Biomarkers in Immune Oncology to Guide Lung Cancer Management
Houssein Safa1, Fawzi Abu Rous2, Neel Belani3
1Department of Internal Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
Abstract:
Over the last decade, the use of targeted therapies and immune therapies led to drastic changes in the management lung cancer and translated to improved survival outcomes. This growing arsenal of therapies available for the management of non-small cell lung cancer added more complexity to treatment decisions. The genomic profiling of tumors and the molecular characterization of the tumor microenvironment gradually became essential steps in exploring and identifying markers that can enhance patient selection to facilitate treatment personalization and narrow down therapy options. The advent of innovative diagnostic platforms, such as next-generation sequencing and plasma genotyping (also known as liquid biopsies), has aided in this quest. Currently, programmed cell death ligand 1 expression remains the most recognized and fully validated predictive biomarker of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Other markers such as tumor mutational burden, tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, driver mutations, and other molecular elements of the tumor microenvironment bear the potential to be predictive tools; however, the majority are still investigational. In this review, we describe the advances noted thus far on currently validated as well as novel emerging biomarkers that have the potential to guide the use of immunotherapy agents in the management of non-small cell lung cancer.
Insights
Advances in targeted and immune therapies have transformed lung cancer care. This review explores validated and emerging biomarkers, like programmed cell death ligand 1, to personalize non-small cell lung cancer treatment.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Immunotherapy
Background:
- Targeted and immune therapies have revolutionized non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) management, improving survival.
- Increasing therapeutic options necessitate personalized treatment strategies for NSCLC.
- Genomic profiling and tumor microenvironment characterization are crucial for identifying predictive biomarkers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current validated biomarkers for immunotherapy response in NSCLC.
- To discuss emerging biomarkers with potential predictive value in NSCLC treatment.
- To highlight advances in diagnostic platforms for molecular characterization.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent advances in NSCLC biomarker research.
- Analysis of validated and investigational predictive markers for immunotherapy.
- Discussion of diagnostic technologies like next-generation sequencing and liquid biopsies.
Main Results:
- Programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression is the primary validated biomarker for immune checkpoint inhibitor response.
- Tumor mutational burden, tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, and driver mutations show potential but are largely investigational.
- Innovative platforms like next-generation sequencing and plasma genotyping facilitate biomarker discovery.
Conclusions:
- Biomarker-driven personalization is essential for optimizing immunotherapy in NSCLC.
- Continued research into novel biomarkers will further refine patient selection and treatment strategies.
- Validated biomarkers like PD-L1 are critical, while emerging markers promise future advancements in NSCLC management.
