MICROBIOTA BIOMARKERS AS PREDICTORS OF IMMUNOTHERAPY RESPONSE IN PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER
This study characterizes the intratumoral microbiota of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to evaluate its predictive value for immunotherapy outcomes. The cohort consists of 41 patients treated with anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), either as monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy. Regarding methodology, following DNA extraction through column-based purification kits, microbiota was analyzed through 16S amplicon sequencing performed using the Ion Torrent technology. The primary objective was to correlate specific intratumoral bacterial signatures with clinical endpoints, including Overall Survival (OS), Progression-Free Survival (PFS), and Objective Response Rate (ORR). The study identifies novel microbial scores (KBUBe and OSAA) that serve as potential biomarkers for therapeutic efficacy.