2022 World Conference on Lung Cancer (ePosters)-EP08.01-019. Modifiable biomarkers of response to immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment in non-small cell lung cancer

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Researchers from The Ohio State University have conducted a study to understand the role of lifestyle factors, specifically the gut microbiome and physical activity, in improving the response to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. They found that the gut microbiome is associated with functional status and can be modified to improve response to ICIs. The study involved measuring the gut microbiome and physical activity in lung cancer patients, as well as assessing the causal effects of the microbiome on response to immunotherapy in preclinical models. <br /><br />The results showed that the composition of the gut microbiome is significantly associated with geriatric assessment scores, such as the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), which measures functional status. Participants with higher SPPB scores, indicating more impaired function, had increased abundance of certain gut microbes. Incorporating longitudinal assessments increased the consistency of these associations across geriatric assessments. <br /><br />To assess the causal role of the gut microbiome in treatment response, the researchers created human microbiome avatar models in mice by gavaging gut microbiome samples from participants with high and low SPPB scores. These mice were then treated with anti-PD1 antibodies or isotype control, and tumor volumes were measured. Mice that received stool from individuals with good functional status showed smaller tumors after ICI treatment compared to those that received the gut microbiome of a patient with physical impairments.<br /><br />The study findings suggest that the gut microbiome could serve as a modifiable biomarker of response to ICIs in NSCLC patients. However, further research is needed to identify the specific microbes that are associated with improved response, understand the molecular mechanism underlying the response to ICIs, and determine the best approaches to modify the microbiome to promote response to immunotherapy. The study was supported by various grants and awards.

Asset Subtitle

Daniel Spakowicz

Meta Tag

Speaker Daniel Spakowicz

Topic Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer - Immunotherapy

Keywords

Ohio State University

lifestyle factors

gut microbiome

physical activity

immune checkpoint inhibitor

non-small cell lung cancer

NSCLC

geriatric assessment

Short Physical Performance Battery

treatment response