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Researchers find genetic fingerprints to predict efficacy of immunotherapy
Published on May 8, 2025
By IANS
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- 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.
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