A team from The Institute of Cancer Research, London, has developed a new immuno-PET imaging technique that could spot which glioblastoma patients would respond well to immunotherapy and that tracks the response over time. Glioblastoma is a type of brain tumor with a very poor prognosis, with an average survival time of 12–18 months—only 5% of patients survive beyond five years. Research indicates that certain patients—especially those with aggressive tumors—may respond well to immunotherapy drugs, but there is currently no way to assess this without a tumor biopsy.
Due to the risks of infection and bleeding, biopsies are rarely carried out for glioblastomas prior to surgery to remove the tumor, meaning these patients are missing out on improved treatments. Those with higher levels of PD-L1 might respond to immunotherapy Higher levels of the PD-L1 protein have been found in rapidly progressing glioblastoma tumors. This protein acts as the brakes on the body's immune system, so targeting PD-L1 and blocking its function could kickstart the immune system into fighting the cancer.
Until now, a biopsy has been the only way of assessing the levels of PD-L1 in the brain tumor. However, a biopsy only gives a static snapshot of the protein level in the tumor and its environment at the time it was taken. There is also a time-lag between taking the biopsy and making treatment decisions, by which time protein levels may have changed.
Due to these challenges in assessing PD-L1 lev.