Considered to be one of the greatest revolutions in cancer treatment, immunotherapy enhances the immune system's ability to target and destroy cancer cells efficiently. One of the key challenges in immunotherapy is the uncertainty regarding patients' responses—not all patients respond to the treatment, and some may experience side effects without meaningful therapeutic gain. Therefore, there is a need to identify biomarkers that can predict treatment effectiveness based on individual patient data.

New and promising findings on this topic are now presented in a study by Technion researchers published in the journal Cell Genomics. The research was led by Prof. Keren Yizhak and Ph.D. student Ofir Shorer from the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and the Bruce and Ruth Rappaport Cancer Research Centre.

Their study is based on a large-scale meta-analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing and T-cell receptor (TCR) sequencing from cancer patients treated with immunotherapy. This allowed them to examine the genetic characteristics of T-cell clones and their influence on treatment success.

The researchers discovered that while these T cell clones exist in both responsive and non-responsive patients, those who respond to immunotherapy exhibit a unique genetic signature within their T cell clones, and immunotherapy enhances their immune activity.

Another key finding was that in non-responsive patients, certain T cell clones were simultaneously found both in the tumour and the bloodstream. The researchers concluded that for improved immune response, it is essential to activate T cell clones found only within the tumour, rather than those present in both the tumour and the blood.

The approach presented by the researchers will improve predictive capabilities and may even lead to new treatment strategies that enhance immunotherapy effectiveness. Additionally, these findings provide a deeper understanding of immune system dynamics and their potential to fight cancer, an idea central to immunotherapy.