Despite advances in immunotherapy based on immune checkpoint inhibitors (known as ‘checkpoint inhibitors’) for certain types of tumors, the majority of cancer patients do not respond to these treatments. Currently, the overall response rate to immunotherapy is between 20% and 30%. Therefore, it is crucial to identify new therapeutic strategies and develop additional drugs with the aim of improving the treatment efficacy through immunotherapy. The Research Group on Biomarkers and Clonal Dynamics, of the Vall d’Hebron Institut d’Oncologia (VHIO), headed by Rodrigo Toledo, is evaluating new therapeutic targets with the purpose of developing innovative drugs. When combined with existing immunotherapies, these drugs will seek to improve therapeutic efficacy and outcomes for patients
Little is known about the reasons why some patients respond better to immunotherapy than others. There is, therefore, a great need to develop tools, known as biomarkers, that help identify and select patients who will benefit most from treatment, the researchers explain. On the other hand, they add, considerable effort is being carried out to understand how the tumor avoids attack by the patient’s immune system.
Genomic studies on tumors from patients who initially experienced benefit from immunotherapy, but then stopped responding and progressed, allowed the VHIO group to identify a new molecular pathway. “Our objective is to design and evaluate the effectiveness of a new drug that regulates this pathway, with the purpose of enhancing the activity of immunotherapy in the treatment of cancer,” says Toledo. The researchers hope to obtain the first results in cells and mice in about a year.
Transparency statement: This research is funded by the “la Caixa” Foundation, an entity that supports the Big Vang scientific information channel.
