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Unlocking the Potential of Therapy-Induced Cytokine Responses: Illuminating New Pathways in Cancer Precision Medicine
Dilip R Gunturu1, Mohammed Hassan2, Deepa Bedi1
1Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL 36088, USA.
Abstract:
Precision cancer medicine primarily aims to identify individual patient genomic variations and exploit vulnerabilities in cancer cells to select suitable patients for specific drugs. These genomic features are commonly determined by gene sequencing prior to therapy, to identify individuals who would be most responsive. This precision approach in cancer therapeutics remains a powerful tool that benefits a smaller pool of patients, sparing others from unnecessary treatments. A limitation of this approach is that proteins, not genes, are the ultimate effectors of biological functions, and therefore the targets of therapeutics. An additional dimension in precision medicine that considers an individual's cytokine response to cancer therapeutics is proposed. Cytokine responses to therapy are multifactorial and vary among individuals. Thus, precision is dictated by the nature and magnitude of cytokine responses in the tumor microenvironment exposed to therapy. This review highlights cytokine responses as modules for precision medicine in cancer therapy, including potential challenges. For solid tumors, both detectability of cytokines in tissue fluids and their being amenable to routine sensitive analyses could address the difficulty of specimen collection for diagnosis and monitoring. Therefore, in precision cancer medicine, cytokines offer rational targets that can be utilized to enhance the efficacy of cancer therapy.
Insights
Precision cancer medicine uses genomic data but overlooks protein functions. Incorporating individual cytokine responses offers a new dimension for enhancing cancer therapy efficacy.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Genomics
Background:
- Precision cancer medicine leverages genomic variations to tailor treatments, identifying patients likely to respond to specific drugs.
- Current genomic approaches target genes, but proteins are the ultimate effectors of biological functions and therapeutic targets.
- A limitation exists as proteins, not genes, directly influence cellular functions and drug responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose incorporating individual cytokine responses as an additional dimension in precision cancer medicine.
- To highlight cytokine responses as potential modules for enhancing cancer therapy efficacy.
- To discuss the challenges and opportunities of utilizing cytokines in precision oncology.
Main Methods:
- Review of current precision medicine strategies in cancer therapy.
- Analysis of the role of cytokines in the tumor microenvironment.
- Exploration of cytokine detectability and analytical methods for clinical application.
Main Results:
- Cytokine responses to cancer therapeutics are multifactorial and individually variable.
- The tumor microenvironment's cytokine profile dictates therapeutic precision.
- Detectability and sensitive analysis of cytokines in tissue fluids are feasible for solid tumors.
Conclusions:
- Cytokine responses represent a crucial, yet underutilized, dimension for precision cancer medicine.
- Integrating cytokine analysis can overcome limitations of purely genomic approaches.
- Cytokines offer rational targets to improve the efficacy of cancer treatments.
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