Checkpoint inhibitor-based immunotherapy is opening a promising scenario in oncology, with objective responses registered in multiple cancer types. However, reliable predictive markers of tumor responsiveness are still lacking. These markers need to be urgently identified for a better selection of patients that can be candidates for immunotherapy. In this pilot study, a cohort of 34 consecutive patients bearing programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1)-positive non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), treated with pembrolizumab, was considered. The retrospective immuno-phenotypic analysis performed on the original tumor biopsies allowed for the identification of a specific “galectin signature”, which strongly correlated with tumor responsiveness to anti PD-1 immunotherapy. We observed that the large majority of patients (about 90%) with high galectin-3 tumor expression (score 3+) showed an early and dramatic progression of the disease after three cycles of treatments. In contrast, all patients with negative or low/intermediate expression of galectin-3 in tumor cells showed an early and durable objective response to pembrolizumab, indicating galectin-3 as an interesting predictive marker of tumor responsiveness. The galectin-3 signature, at least in NSCLCs, promises a better selection of patient candidates for immunotherapy, reducing unnecessary treatment exposures and social costs. A large multicenter study is ongoing to validate this finding.

Predictive biomarkers for checkpoint inhibitor-based immunotherapy: The Galectin-3 signature in NSCLCs / Capalbo, C.; Scafetta, G.; Filetti, M.; Marchetti, P.; Bartolazzi, A.. - In: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES. - ISSN 1661-6596. - 20:7(2019), p. 1607. [10.3390/ijms20071607]

Predictive biomarkers for checkpoint inhibitor-based immunotherapy: The Galectin-3 signature in NSCLCs

Capalbo C.;Scafetta G.;Filetti M.;Marchetti P.;Bartolazzi A.
2019

Abstract

Checkpoint inhibitor-based immunotherapy is opening a promising scenario in oncology, with objective responses registered in multiple cancer types. However, reliable predictive markers of tumor responsiveness are still lacking. These markers need to be urgently identified for a better selection of patients that can be candidates for immunotherapy. In this pilot study, a cohort of 34 consecutive patients bearing programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1)-positive non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), treated with pembrolizumab, was considered. The retrospective immuno-phenotypic analysis performed on the original tumor biopsies allowed for the identification of a specific “galectin signature”, which strongly correlated with tumor responsiveness to anti PD-1 immunotherapy. We observed that the large majority of patients (about 90%) with high galectin-3 tumor expression (score 3+) showed an early and dramatic progression of the disease after three cycles of treatments. In contrast, all patients with negative or low/intermediate expression of galectin-3 in tumor cells showed an early and durable objective response to pembrolizumab, indicating galectin-3 as an interesting predictive marker of tumor responsiveness. The galectin-3 signature, at least in NSCLCs, promises a better selection of patient candidates for immunotherapy, reducing unnecessary treatment exposures and social costs. A large multicenter study is ongoing to validate this finding.
2019
Checkpoint inhibitors; Galectin-3; Non-small cell lung carcinoma; Pembrolizumab; Predictive marker; Aged; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological; Biomarkers, Tumor; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; Galectin 3; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Immunotherapy; Lung Neoplasms; Middle Aged; Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor; Retrospective Studies
01 Pubblicazione su rivista::01a Articolo in rivista
Predictive biomarkers for checkpoint inhibitor-based immunotherapy: The Galectin-3 signature in NSCLCs / Capalbo, C.; Scafetta, G.; Filetti, M.; Marchetti, P.; Bartolazzi, A.. - In: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES. - ISSN 1661-6596. - 20:7(2019), p. 1607. [10.3390/ijms20071607]
File allegati a questo prodotto
File Dimensione Formato  
Capalbo_Predictive_2019.pdf

accesso aperto

Tipologia: Versione editoriale (versione pubblicata con il layout dell'editore)
Licenza: Tutti i diritti riservati (All rights reserved)
Dimensione 1.06 MB
Formato Adobe PDF
1.06 MB Adobe PDF

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11573/1316250
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? 20
  • Scopus 44
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 40
social impact