Tumor aneuploidy correlates with markers of immune evasion and with reduced response to immunotherapy
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy produces durable clinical responses in only a subset of patients. Identification of tumor characteristics that correlate with responses could lead to predictive biomarkers and shed light on causal mechanisms. Davoli et al. found that human tumors with extensive aneuploidy—i.e., that display a highly abnormal number of chromosomes and chromosomal segments—express fewer markers of the immune cells responsible for tumor destruction. In a retrospective analysis of clinical trial data, they found that melanoma patients with highly aneuploid tumors were less likely to benefit from immune checkpoint blockade therapy than patients whose tumors had a more normal karyotype. Thus, aneuploidy appears to enhance the ability of tumors to evade the immune system.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Jan 20, 2017
- Source ID
- 10.1126/science.aaf8399
Entities
People
- Eric C. Wooten
- Hajime Uno
- Stephen Elledge
- Teresa Davoli
Organizations
- Dana–Farber Cancer Institute
- Harvard Medical School
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research
- National Institutes of Health
- United States Department of Defense