Biomarkers for Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Response in NSCLC: Current Developments and Applicability
Katiane Tostes1, Aléxia Polo Siqueira1, Rui Manuel Reis1,2,3
1Molecular Oncology Research Center, Barretos Cancer Hospital, Barretos 14784-400, São Paulo, Brazil.
Abstract:
Lung cancer has the highest mortality rate among all cancer types, resulting in over 1.8 million deaths annually. Immunotherapy utilizing immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has revolutionized the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). ICIs, predominantly monoclonal antibodies, modulate co-stimulatory and co-inhibitory signals crucial for maintaining immune tolerance. Despite significant therapeutic advancements in NSCLC, patients still face challenges such as disease progression, recurrence, and high mortality rates. Therefore, there is a need for predictive biomarkers that can guide lung cancer treatment strategies. Currently, programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression is the only established biomarker for predicting ICI response. However, its accuracy and robustness are not consistently reliable. This review provides an overview of potential biomarkers currently under development or in the validation stage that hold promise in improving the classification of responders and non-responders to ICI therapy in the near future.
Insights
Lung cancer immunotherapy shows promise, but new biomarkers are needed. This review explores emerging biomarkers to better predict treatment response in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Lung cancer, particularly non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), has a high mortality rate despite advancements.
- Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized NSCLC treatment by modulating immune responses.
- Current predictive biomarkers, like PD-L1 expression, have limitations in accuracy and reliability for ICI therapy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review potential biomarkers for predicting response to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy in NSCLC.
- To address the need for improved predictive biomarkers beyond PD-L1 expression.
- To highlight biomarkers in development for better patient stratification in lung cancer treatment.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of current and emerging biomarkers for ICI therapy in NSCLC.
- Analysis of the role of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) as a predictive biomarker.
- Exploration of novel biomarkers under development and validation stages.
Main Results:
- Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) is the sole established biomarker but lacks consistent reliability.
- Several novel biomarkers are under investigation for their potential to predict ICI response in NSCLC.
- These emerging biomarkers aim to improve the classification of responders and non-responders.
Conclusions:
- There is a critical need for more robust biomarkers to guide NSCLC treatment with ICIs.
- Emerging biomarkers show promise in enhancing the prediction of treatment efficacy.
- Future research and validation of these biomarkers could significantly improve patient outcomes in lung cancer.
