What if it was possible to analyze all the potential immune checkpoints, costimulatory molecules, and cellular aspects to guide the treatment of immunotherapy? NanoString, a DNA barcode-based immune profiler, has this capability. The data it provides is far ahead of what standard immunotherapies are typically available. However, this technology, as a research tool, can direct treatment options. This is for resaerch, so it is not used in standard patients. It is unlikely that patients would have this done unless they are in a research protocol. It has helped guide treatment, especially when you run into resistant cancers. We have seen several patterns in cancers that we treated. One is LAG3, an immune checkpoint that can inhibit an anti-cancer immune response. With the NanoString analysis that we performed, in many cases when tumors were pressured with PD-1 and CTLA-4 inhibitors, we would see a subsequent upregulation of LAG-3, which may play a role in suppressing the anti-cancer immune response. Of course, a LAG-3 inhibitor, Opdualag, is now available, with approval just over a year ago.
The PanCancer Immune Profiling Panel includes probes for 770 genes across 20 immune pathways and enables the analysis of the tumor-immune microenvironment in a wide range of cancer types. The panel provides a comprehensive view of the immune cell types and immune-related pathways involved in the tumor microenvironment, including the presence and activity of immune cells, expression of immune checkpoint genes, and other critical immune-related genes.
In addition, NanoString offers a range of other immune profiling assays, including the Tumor Inflammation Signature (TIS) Panel, which measures the expression of 18 genes that are associated with immune cytolytic activity, and the myeloid panel, which measures the expression of genes related to myeloid-derived suppressor cells and tumor-associated macrophages.
