Abstract
Immune checkpoint blockade (CPB) improves melanoma outcomes, but many patients still do not respond. Tumor mutational burden (TMB) and tumor-infiltrating T cells are associated with response, and integrative models improve survival prediction. However, integrating immune/tumor-intrinsic features using data from a single assay (DNA/RNA) remains underexplored. Here, we analyze whole-exome and bulk RNA sequencing of tumors from new and published cohorts of 189 and 178 patients with melanoma receiving CPB, respectively. Using DNA, we calculate T cell and B cell burdens (TCB/BCB) from rearranged TCR/Ig sequences and find that patients with TMBhigh and TCBhigh or BCBhigh have improved outcomes compared to other patients. By combining pairs of immune- and tumor-expressed genes, we identify three gene pairs associated with response and survival, which validate in independent cohorts. The top model includes lymphocyte-expressed MAP4K1 and tumor-expressed TBX3. Overall, RNA or DNA-based models combining immune and tumor measures improve predictions of melanoma CPB outcomes.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 100500 |
Pages (from-to) | 100500 |
Journal | Cell Reports Medicine |
Volume | 3 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 15 Feb 2022 |
Keywords
- Exome Sequencing
- Humans
- Melanoma/drug therapy
- RNA
- Sequence Analysis, RNA
- T cell receptor
- TMB
- Transcriptome/genetics
- Whole Exome Sequencing
- cancer genomics
- cancer immunotherapy
- immune checkpoint blockade
- integrative model
- melanoma
- melanoma subtype
- tumor mutational burden
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- General Biochemistry,Genetics and Molecular Biology
- General Medicine