Blood tests can identify cancer neoantigens for personalized immunotherapy

Bottom line: Cancer neoantigens and neoantigen-specific T cells were identified from patient blood samples by analyzing circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and immune cells, respectively, and they largely matched those found through traditional tumor tissue biopsy in many patients.

Journal in Which the study was published: Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)

Authors: Alena Gros, PhD, is the senior author of the study and group leader of the Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Group at the Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) in Spain.

Andrea Garcia-Garijo, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow in Gros' group and first author of the study.

"Currently, clinicians identify neoantigens and neoantigen-specific T cells by analyzing tumor tissue collected through a biopsy or other surgical procedure. However, many patients do not have easily accessible tumors or are not healthy enough to undergo an invasive biopsy or surgery," said Garcia-Garijo.

Source:

American Association for Cancer Research

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