Researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have shown that mutations in the STK11 and/or KEAP1 tumor suppressor genes could serve as biomarkers for identifying lung cancer patients likely to benefit from dual immune checkpoint blockade. The study, published in Nature “advances precision medicine for a substantial fraction…

New research by scientists at Cleveland Clinic demonstrates that pathogenic polymerase epsilon and delta (POLE/POLD1) genetic mutations lead to improved response to immune checkpoint blockade. The findings demonstrate that certain classes of drugs are more effective in cases where the genetic makeup of the tumor and not the type or…

Researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology have come up with a novel, non-invasive way to monitor anti-tumor responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors using biosensors that are released into urine. The biosensors track the activity of protease enzymes, which play a key role in T cell cytotoxicity and tumor biology,…

A new study suggests that some T Cells become non-responsive to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) early in the course of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), the most common form of this disease. The report also suggests a possible strategy for improving ICB success. The study was published last week in…

Researchers at Case Comprehensive Cancer Center uncovered a potentially important role for the protein-coding gene, MYO10, in regulating genomic instability, and in tumor development and immune therapy response. Their findings suggest that levels of MYO10 may indicate which breast cancers are likely susceptible to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). The team’s…

Newly discovered “stem-like CD4 T cells” play a pivotal role in anti-tumor immunity, according to preclinical work by researchers at the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. The researchers say that activating these cells to fight tumors more effectively could improve immunotherapy.  Their findings are published in Nature and was…

A study led by researchers at the Duke Cancer Institute has uncovered new insights into the role of estrogens in cancer growth, particularly in breast cancers that lack estrogen receptors. The research, published in Science Advances, describes how estrogens not only decrease the ability of the immune system to attack…

A metabolic switch triggers a T cell subtype found in tumors that drives anti-tumor responses during immunotherapy, a Ludwig Cancer Research team reports. “Our findings suggest that we might be able to engage this switch pharmacologically to improve the efficacy of cancer immunotherapies,” said Ludwig Lausanne’s Ping-Chih Ho, PhD, who…

Research led by a multidisciplinary research team at the University of California Irvine (UCI), reveals that the circadian clock can be leveraged to enhance the efficacy of checkpoint inhibitor cancer therapy. The new study illuminates the relationship among the circadian clock, immune regulation, and tumor development and reveal that a…

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) is an estimated $35B+ market already with multiple cancer indication approvals, but to date, neoadjuvant ICB therapy is only FDA-approved in non-small-cell (NSC) lung cancer and triple-negative breast cancer. This fact masks the huge potential, in both the clinic and research lab, of this class of…

A study from MIT reveals a new reason why checkpoint inhibitors may not work on some tumors. In mice, a tumor’s mutation diversity was much more useful for predicting the treatment’s effectiveness than measuring the overall number of mutations, which was previously thought to be key. The more heterogeneous tumors…

A trio of immune cells are key to immunotherapy response in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), according to new work from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The research team found that interaction between mature dendritic cells, CXCL13+ T follicular-helper-like cells, and progenitor CD8 T cells helps to maintain a…

A new type of checkpoint inhibitor targeting bone metastases is being investigated at Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine, thanks to a $2.3M award from the Department of Defense’s Breast Cancer Research Program. Bone metastases are common among patients with solid tumors, such as those of the breast, colon,…

Scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine have developed a new anticancer strategy that they suggest could bolster the effectiveness of immune-checkpoint therapy. The team said their findings also point to a mechanism that may explain why the latest anti-TIGIT treatments may be failing in the clinic. Rather than rally…

Mount Sinai researchers report that they had found a subset of CD8 T cells in bladder cancer that adapt to tumor evasion strategies by appropriating innate-like properties traditionally ascribed to natural killer cells. The finding could offer strategies to overcome the low rates of response to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies…