DNA Repair Gene Mutations as Predictors of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Response beyond Tumor Mutation Burden

David Hsiehchen, Antony Hsieh, Robert M. Samstein, Tianshi Lu, Muhammad S. Beg, David E. Gerber, Tao Wang, Luc G.T. Morris, Hao Zhu

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

55 Scopus citations

Abstract

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized cancer therapy, but prediction of their benefit is challenging. Neoantigens generated through impaired non-mismatch DNA repair may result in greater ICI activity. By analyzing 1,661 ICI-treated patients, we show that deletions and mutations in nucleotide excision repair (NER) and homologous repair (HR) pathways are predictors of ICI benefit independent of tumor mutation burden and tumor type. NER and HR mutations are also associated with objective response rates to ICIs in esophagogastric and non-small-cell lung cancers. In a cohort of 40,181 unique patients, NER and HR mutations are present in 3.4% and 13.9% of cancers, respectively. These results indicate that NER and HR gene mutations occur in a subpopulation of cancer patients and may aid patient selection for ICI therapy. Assessing NER and HR mutations in the context of other biomarkers may yield powerful predictors of ICI activity across different cancer types.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number100034
JournalCell Reports Medicine
Volume1
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 23 2020

Keywords

  • DNA repair
  • cancer biomarkers
  • immunotherapy
  • survival

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

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