New research revealed at the 2022 American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting suggests that making improvements to the gut biomes of mesothelioma patients may boost their response to immunotherapy. Two studies out of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center were specific to patients with glioblastoma, melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, and sarcoma, but give rise to hopes that the same may hold true for patients with other cancers.
Immunotherapy Represents Significant Hope for Mesothelioma Patients
Among the most promising treatments for malignant mesothelioma in recent years, immunotherapy uses the body’s own immune response to target and kill cancer cells. Its use has seen mixed response in patients with the asbestos-related cancer as well as other rare cancers, and researchers are working hard to identify the factors that make it most effective.
While the recent study did not include mesothelioma patients, it did find that distinct gut microbiome signatures in patients with other hard-to-treat cancers, including glioblastoma, were linked to longer survival following treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors.
Better Understanding of Gut Microbiome Effect May Boost Mesothelioma Survival
According to lead author and principal investigator Shiao-Pei Weathers, M.D., Associate Professor of Neuro-Oncology, “Select patients do respond, and we need to better understand what characterizes these patients so we can tailor our treatment strategies.” He went on to say, “We found distinct bacteria enriched in patients with long versus short survival, which is novel enough to warrant further investigation into this observation from a small sample size,” Weathers said. “I think these findings may help increase excitement in immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy because it shows we still have a lot to learn about the gut microbiome and its potential role in response to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy [in glioblastoma].
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, innovative research is the best hope for longer survival. For more information, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.
