This webinar discusses genomic methods to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying acquired resistance to immuno-oncology (IO) therapies.

Despite the increased efficacy and durability of treatment seen with IO therapies, therapeutic resistance and disease progression still can occur. The molecular mechanism by which tumors develop resistance to these therapies has been a mystery.

Maria Sevdali, Oncology Science Liaison at Personal Genome Diagnostics, discusses PGDx's services used in this study. Specifically, she describes CancerXOME, for cancer whole exome analyses from FFPE and frozen biopsies; and ImmunoSELECT, an in silico neoantigen prediction offering that identifies and prioritizes the most relevant mutation-derived neoantigens.

Valsamo Anagnostou, Instructor of Oncology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, presents a study that demonstrated that acquired resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitor cancer drugs can develop as the landscape of somatic mutations evolves to remove the IO-targeted neoantigens. 

The study included tumors from patients with lung cancer or head and neck cancer. Dr. Anagnostou discusses the study findings and their implications for the development of IO that target tumor neoantigens