Identification of immunomarkers in patients with non-small cell lung cancer undergoing checkpoint immunotherapy

• Grant number: 23/01431-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2023
• End date: April 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Immunology
• Principal Investigator: Graziela Gorete Romagnoli
• Grantee: Daniel Domarco Rosella
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Dr Domingos Leonardo Ceravolo. Universidade do Oeste Paulista (UNOESTE). Campus de Presidente Prudente. Presidente Prudente , SP, Brazil

Abstract

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide, and its incidence and mortality are related to population aging and economic development. Thus, with economic growth, there is a prospect of an even greater future representation of cancer in world morbidity and mortality. Lung cancer is the second most incidence in Brazil, being the first in mortality worldwide. Among lung neoplasms, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for 85% of all incidences. Surgery, platinum-based chemotherapy, molecular agents, and radiotherapy are the primary forms of treatment; however, the five-year relative survival rate is approximately 18%. Faced with the need for new forms of intervention, immunotherapy has been gaining prominence with checkpoint blockers, such as Pembrolizumab, which acts by inhibiting the PD-1 molecule. International studies are still evaluating the effectiveness of this treatment, which is usually combined with conventional treatments, and several authors claim that there is still a lack of definition of biomarkers to assess its effectiveness. Given the above, we propose an in-silico study through the analysis of the GEO (Gene Expression Omnibus) database and the secretome to identify up-regulated and down-regulated genes and proteins in patients with NSCLC who underwent immunotherapy treatment with PD-1 checkpoint-blocking monoclonal antibody, thus helping to identify immunomarkers that contribute to the analysis of therapeutic efficacy.