Primary objective: The primary objective is to delineate the potential utility of cancer biomarkers that correlate and predict response to immunotherapy in cancer patients who are refractory to conventional therapeutics. Unlike significant development of biomarkers that predict response to chemotherapy, very few biomarkers have been developed to predict the response to immunotherapy.
Main outcomes and results: This article describes briefly the importance of characterizing and validating biomarkers for immunotherapy. A few examples have been provided, such as the transcription factor NF-kappaB, the transcription repressor Yin-Yang 1 (YY1), the pro-apoptotic gene product (Smac/DIABLO) and the circulating Fas and Fas ligand. These biomarkers have been determined to be of prognostic significance in different cancers.
Conclusions: Immunotherapy is considered as an alternative therapy in the treatment of cancer patients who are refractory to chemotherapy/radiation/hormonal therapies. Cross-resistance to apoptosis develops between cancer cells that are resistant to conventional therapeutics and immunotherapy. Therefore, it is important to develop biomarkers that will determine patient response to immunotherapy.