Melanoma-specific antigen-associated antitumor antibody reactivity as an immune-related biomarker for targeted immunotherapies
Annika Rähni, Mariliis Jaago, Helle Sadam, Nadežda Pupina, Arno Pihlak, Jürgen Tuvikene, Margus Annuk, Andrus Mägi, Tõnis Timmusk, Amir M. Ghaemmaghami, Kaia Palm
Abstract
Background: Immunotherapies, including cancer vaccines and immune checkpoint inhibitors have transformed the management of many cancers. However, a large number of patients show resistance to these immunotherapies and current research has provided limited findings for predicting response to precision immunotherapy treatments. Methods: ) and immunotherapy with anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibodies (pembrolizumab). Results: Analysis of the antibody immune response led to the characterization of epitopes that were linked to melanoma-associated and cancer-testis antigens (CTA) whose antibody response was induced upon MelCancerVac® treatments of lung cancer. Several of these epitopes aligned to antigens with strong immune response in patients with unresectable metastatic melanoma receiving anti-PD-1 therapy. Conclusions: This study provides insights into the differences and similarities in tumor-specific immunogenicity related to targeted immune treatments. The antibody epitopes as biomarkers reflect melanoma-associated features of immune response, and also provide insights into the molecular pathways contributing to the pathogenesis of cancer. Concluding, antibody epitope response can be useful in predicting anti-cancer immunity elicited by immunotherapy.