Results
Immunotherapy Results
How Pointillism creates impact
In this Grand Challenge project, the aim is to discover why immunotherapy, more specifically immune checkpoint blockage (ICB) therapy, is effective in some patients or cancer types but not in others. From this knowledge, biomarkers will be identified that predict the response to ICB therapy .
Some of the most innovative technologies, more specifically single-cell multi-omics profiling, were used for the first time in the context of clinical trials (as opposed to the ‘classical’ approach to apply bulk omics analyses). As such, the single-cell approach is unique, and yielded extremely rich and fine-grained data at the highest resolution possible. Specifically, tumor biopsies were collected from patients receiving ICB therapy, before and during treatment as well as during disease progression.
To date nearly all inclusions have been finalized (90%), witnessing the mutual added value of structural collaborations with clinicians. Such collaborations not only to boost the critical mass aimed for (e.g. sampling), but also catalyse the reverse translation from the clinic, taking the research from bench to bedside and back.
The resulting data, including biomaterials collected during the project, were collated into an extensive database and -bank to facilitate future research. A data access model was set up.
Valorisation efforts like patent applications and industrial collaborations were initiated. Multiple clinical studies were set up to validate the (principles of the) findings in the same and other cancer types. A follow-on trial at UZ Leuven, the ExpandIT trial, will evaluate the conclusions of the initial breast cancer trial in a novel cohort of patients, who will have access to a unique treatment regimen, and thus provides additional value for both the patients and the researchers.
A minisympoisum was organised to catalyse more follow-on initiatives and future collaborations. Long-term collaborations with clinicians and academic partners were established.