Intratumoral versus Circulating Lymphoid Cells as Predictive Biomarkers in Lung Cancer Patients Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Is the Easiest Path the Best One?
Marta Gascón,
Dolores Isla,
Mara Cruellas,
Eva M. Gálvez,
Rodrigo Lastra,
Maitane Ocáriz,
José Ramón Paño,
Ariel Ramírez,
Andrea Sesma,
Irene Torres-Ramón,
Alfonso Yubero,
Julián Pardo,
Luis Martínez-Lostao
Affiliations
Marta Gascón
Medical Oncology Department, University Hospital Lozano Blesa, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Dolores Isla
Medical Oncology Department, University Hospital Lozano Blesa, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Mara Cruellas
Medical Oncology Department, University Hospital Lozano Blesa, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Eva M. Gálvez
Carbochemical Institute (ICB-CSIC), Miguel Luesma 4, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
Rodrigo Lastra
Medical Oncology Department, University Hospital Lozano Blesa, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Maitane Ocáriz
Medical Oncology Department, University Hospital Lozano Blesa, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
José Ramón Paño
Aragon Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón), 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Ariel Ramírez
Nanotoxicology and Immunotoxicology Unit (IIS Aragón), 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Andrea Sesma
Medical Oncology Department, University Hospital Lozano Blesa, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Irene Torres-Ramón
Medical Oncology Department, University Hospital Lozano Blesa, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Alfonso Yubero
Medical Oncology Department, University Hospital Lozano Blesa, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Julián Pardo
Aragon Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón), 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Luis Martínez-Lostao
Aragon Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón), 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
The molecular and cell determinants that modulate immune checkpoint (ICI) efficacy in lung cancer are still not well understood. However, there is a necessity to select those patients that will most benefit from these new treatments. Recent studies suggest the presence and/or the relative balance of specific lymphoid cells in the tumor microenvironment (TEM) including the T cell (activated, memory, and regulatory) and NK cell (CD56dim/bright) subsets, and correlate with a better response to ICI. The analyses of these cell subsets in peripheral blood, as a more accessible and homogeneous sample, might facilitate clinical decisions concerning fast prediction of ICI efficacy. Despite recent studies suggesting that lymphoid circulating cells might correlate with ICI efficacy and toxicity, more analyses and investigation are required to confirm if circulating lymphoid cells are a relevant picture of the lung TME and could be instrumental as ICI response biomarkers. This short review is aimed to discuss the recent advances in this fast-growing field.
