Researchers find genetic fingerprints to predict efficacy of immunotherapy
Israeli researchers have identified a genetic "fingerprint" that helps predict the effectiveness of immunotherapy treatments, according to a study
Published on May 8, 2025
By IANS
- JERUSALEM — Israeli researchers have identified a genetic
"fingerprint" that helps predict the effectiveness of immunotherapy
treatments, according to a study.
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- The study, by the Israel Institute of Technology
(Technion), stated that the discovery would help improve the personalisation of
immunotherapy treatments, Xinhua news agency reported.
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- Immunotherapy is considered to be one of the greatest
revolutions in cancer treatment. It enhances the immune system’s ability to
target and destroy cancer cells efficiently.
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- However, a major challenge in immunotherapy is the
unpredictability of patient responses. Some patients do not benefit and may
experience side effects without significant improvement.
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- Therefore, there is a need to identify biomarkers that
can forecast the effectiveness of treatment based on the specific data of each
patient.
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- In their study, published in the journal Cell Genomics,
the team examined the genetic characteristics of T-cell clones -- groups of
multiplied immune T cells that specialise in targeting a specific threat once
recognised -- and their influence on treatment success.
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- To achieve the goal, the team conducted a large-scale
meta-analysis using single-cell RNA sequencing and T-cell receptor sequencing
data from cancer patients undergoing immunotherapy.
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- It was found that although these T-cell clones are
present in both responsive and non-responsive patients, those who respond to
immunotherapy display a distinct genetic signature in their T-cell clones, and
the treatment boosts their immune activity.
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- Another major finding was that in non-responsive
patients, some T-cell clones were simultaneously found both in the bloodstream
and the tumour.
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- To achieve a better immune response, it is crucial to
activating T-cell clones located solely within the tumour, rather than those
present in both the tumour and the bloodstream, the researchers said.
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- They added that this discovery will enhance predictive
capabilities and could lead to new treatment strategies that improve the
effectiveness of immunotherapy.
