Researchers of a study looked at the challenges in predicting the response to immunotherapies in late-stage cancers, particularly in the context of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. While these therapies are effective for some patients, a significant portion does not respond or experience adverse effects. Currently, patient stratification relies on tumor-based PD-L1 expression, which is only accurate in about 30% of cases. The study aimed to identify more accurate predictors of immunotherapy response by analyzing microRNAs in the peripheral blood of lung cancer patients, with researchers developing a 5 microRNA risk score (miRisk) that predicts overall survival after immunotherapy, which outperforms traditional tissue-based PD-L1 testing. The study suggests that miRisk could serve as a valuable blood-based companion diagnostic for immunotherapy.

Reference: Lawrence R. Blood-based microRNA signature may predict survival in immunotherapy-treated NSCLC. Published March 31, 2022. Accessed October 12, 2023. https://www.healio.com/news/hematology-oncology/20220331/bloodbased-microrna-signature-may-predict-survival-in-immunotherapytreated-nsclc