Personalized immunotherapy in cancer precision medicine

Abstract

With the significant advances in cancer genomics using next-generation sequencing technologies, genomic and molecular profilingbased precision medicine is used as a part of routine clinical test for guiding and selecting the most appropriate treatments for individual cancer patients. Although many molecular-targeted therapies for a number of actionable genomic alterations have been developed, the clinical application of such information is still limited to a small proportion of cancer patients. In this review, we summarize the current status of personalized drug selection based on genomic and molecular profiling and highlight the challenges how we can further utilize the individual genomic information. Cancer immunotherapies, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, would be one of the potential approaches to apply the results of genomic sequencing most effectively. Highly cancer-specific antigens derived from somatic mutations, the so-called neoantigens, occurring in individual cancers have been in focus recently. Cancer immunotherapies, which target neoantigens, could lead to a precise treatment for cancer patients, despite the challenge in accurately predicting neoantigens that can induce cytotoxic T cells in individual patients. Precise prediction of neoantigens should accelerate the development of personalized immunotherapy including cancer vaccines and T-cell receptor-engineered T-cell therapy for a broader range of cancer patients.

The Basis and Advances in Clinical Application of Cytomegalovirus-Specific Cytotoxic T Cell Immunotherapy for Glioblastoma Multiforme

“…In certain clinical settings, ACT employing genetically modified or unmodified antigen-specific T cells has resulted in long-term and promising clinical outcomes ( 151 ). Recent clinical trials have outlined the significance of CMV-specific ACT preceding GB tumor recurrence in being low-risk and offering enhanced progression-free survival and overall survival with compelling effective CMV-specific T cell response ( Table 1 ).…”

The advanced development of molecular targeted therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma

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Therapeutic revolution for inoperable stage III non-small cell lung cancer in the immune era

“…Radiotherapy is the standard of care for unresectable stage III NSCLC, thus potentially inducing the expression of tumor-specific antigen peptides, or neoantigens, that clinically synergize with immune checkpoint therapy. Some tumor-specific antigen peptides or neoantigens may potentially influence the survival benefit in patients with NSCLC 20 . In the future, more patients will be able to reap the benefits of immunotherapy by combination with cCRT or new targeted therapy.…”