Personalized Oncology Meets Immunology: The Path toward Precision Immunotherapy
Rajarsi Mandal, Timothy A Chan, Rajarsi Mandal, Timothy A Chan
Abstract
Personalized oncology aims to tailor therapy by targeting the unique genetic characteristics of a patient's tumor, whereas cancer immunotherapy focuses on activating the patient's immune system to control the tumor. The fusion of these ostensibly separate strategies has created a new dimension for personalized cancer immunotherapy. This entails the development of next-generation cancer vaccines that target neoantigens as well as the use of mutational signatures as predictive biomarkers for clinical response. The optimal use of immunotherapeutic agents will hinge on a robust understanding of the mutational profile of a cancer's genome that significantly dictates antitumor immunity and immunotherapeutic response.
Significance: Cancer immunotherapy has provided substantial clinical benefit in a significant number of patients with advanced disease. However, the need for more precise immunotherapies and predictive biomarkers remains pressing. Recent progress in these areas has been promising and has created a framework for precision immune-oncology. Cancer Discov; 6(7); 703-13. ©2016 AACR.
Conflict of interest statement
Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest: T.A. Chan is a cofounder of Gritstone Oncology; No potential conflicts of interest for R.M.
©2016 American Association for Cancer Research.
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Source: PubMed