A groundbreaking study by University of Cyprus researchers, in collaboration with leading universities and medical institutions such as Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, was recently published in the prestigious American Association for Cancer Research journal.
Publication Title:
‘Mathematical Modeling and Association Analysis Deciphers the Impact of the Gut Microbiome on Cancer Immunotherapy’
This study investigates the role of the gut microbiome on the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy and was conducted under their leadership:
Dr. Triantafyllos Stylianopoulos (Cancer Biophysics Laboratory, University of Cyprus), Dr. Rakesh K. Jain (Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School), Dr. Lance L. Munn (Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School), Dr. Jennifer A. Wargo (MD Anderson Cancer Center). First authors on this publication are University of Cyprus postdoctoral researchers and members of the Cancer Biophysics Laboratory, Dr. Andreas Hadjigeorgiou and Dr. Constantinos Harkos.
The research team built on previous findings, and focused on how the composition of the gut microbiome influences the body’s immune response and therefore the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy. A central scientific challenge is to understand the function of the gut microbiota and the biological mechanisms that enhance or impede the ability of the immune system to recognise and neutralise cancer cells. To address the critical scientific questions, an innovative hybrid model combining mathematical modelling, and statistical analysis was applied, utilising data from pre-clinical and clinical studies. This computational model simulates immune system function and tumor progression under the influence of different compositions of the gut microbiome. In contrast to exclusively experimental studies, this hybrid computational model allows the prediction of treatment efficacy by accounting for the effect of the gut microbiome in different scenarios that cannot be tested directly in the laboratory or in patients.
The study showed that the gut microbiome has a crucial influence on two key mechanisms of the immune response: the rate of activation of immune cells and the ability of immune cells to neutralise cancer cells. Specific microbial families either enhance or limit these functions, leading to improved or no response to immunotherapy. Through the study it was possible to identify microbial families that are positively or negatively associated with these mechanisms, which is not possible with standard experiments.
The identification of microbial biomarkers may allow the prediction of response to treatment. The findings enhance the prospect of integrating microbial analysis into clinical practice, contributing to more targeted, safe and effective treatment options.
The next phase focuses on clinical validation of the computational model in a larger patient population to establish its reliability and applicability.
Detailed results of the study can be found at the link:
https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-24-2232
More information about the activities of the Cancer Biophysics Laboratory can be found at the link:
https://www.ucy.ac.cy/cancer-biophysics/the-lab/
The multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary and international nature of the study, with the collaboration of researchers from the United States and Cyprus, confirms the potential of this approach to transform the future of cancer therapy by offering more targeted, effective and safe therapeutic solutions.
Source: University of Cyprus | Latest news (https://tinyurl.com/2sh8mfja)