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TMB: a promising immune-response biomarker, and potential spearhead in advancing targeted therapy trials

Cancer Gene Therapy volume 27, pages 841–853 (2020)Cite this article

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Abstract

Immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) has revolutionized cancer treatment, and produced durable responses in many cancer types. However, there remains a subset of patients that do not respond despite their tumors exhibiting PD-L1 expression, which highlights the need for additional biomarkers relevant to response. Here, we review checkpoint inhibitor signal pathways, resistance and sensitivity mechanisms, as well as response rates. We also investigate the correlation and response to ICI with BRCA1/2 mutation status and homologous recombination deficient tumors. Collectively we show that the use of tumor mutational burden may be effective as an emerging biomarker.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Wichita, KS, USA

    Khalil Choucair

  2. Department of Medicine, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA

    Susan Morand, Laura Stanbery, Gerald Edelman, Lance Dworkin & John Nemunaitis

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  1. Khalil Choucair
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Choucair, K., Morand, S., Stanbery, L. et al. TMB: a promising immune-response biomarker, and potential spearhead in advancing targeted therapy trials. Cancer Gene Ther 27, 841–853 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41417-020-0174-y

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