The mutational pattern of homologous recombination (HR)-associated genes and its relevance to the immunotherapeutic response in gastric cancer
Yue Fan, Haifeng Ying, Xueying Wu, Huan Chen, Ying Hu, Henghui Zhang, Lijia Wu, Ying Yang, Beibei Mao, Lan Zheng
Abstract
Objective: Currently, there is an urgent need to identify immunotherapeutic biomarkers to increase the benefit of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for patients with gastric cancer (GC). Homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) can modify the tumor immune microenvironment by increasing the presence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and therefore might serve as a biomarker of immunotherapeutic response. We aimed to analyze the mutational pattern of HR-associated genes in Chinese patients with GC and its relevance to the tumor immune profile and clinical immunotherapeutic response. Methods: bioinformatic analysis using 2 GC genomic datasets (TCGA and MSK-IMPACT). Results: < 0.05). Conclusions: Our data suggest that detection of somatic mutations in HR genes might aid in identifying patients who might benefit from immune checkpoint blockade therapy.