RNA Modification and Tumor Immunity in Lung Cancer: Predicting Outcomes With Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy

By: Kayci Reyer
Posted: Tuesday, February 28, 2023

According to research presented in Lancet Discovery Science, some RNA modification writers may have prognostic value in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). With the Writer-Score, a novel evaluation system that evaluates patterns of RNA modifications and identifies associations between modification clusters and certain immune features, clinicians may be able to predict clinical outcomes in patients treated with neoadjuvant immunotherapy.

“Our work provides a comprehensive assessment of the relationship between RNA modification writers and immune infiltration and constructs a reliable and accurate model to predict the prognosis of NSCLC patients receiving neoadjuvant PD-1 inhibitor treatment, providing important insights into the development of neoadjuvant immunotherapy,” noted Shugeng Gao, MD, of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, and colleagues.

The study included data from 1,317 patients with lung adenocarcinoma whose information was recorded in either The Cancer Genome Atlas or the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Tumor microenvironment characteristics were discerned using CIBERSORT and ESTIMATE algorithm application, and RNA modification clusters were detected using non-negative matrix factorization clustering. The Writer-Score system was established to quantify RNA modification patterns. In addition, among patients receiving neoadjuvant immunotherapy, the score’s efficacy was evaluated through sequencing and immunofluorescence processes.

Distinct expressions, including RNA modification clusters (n = 3) and DEGclusters (differentially expressed genes; n = 2), were identified. Both cluster types were strongly associated with certain characteristics of the tumor microenvironment. The Writer-Score was effective in predicting clinical outcomes for patients receiving neoadjuvant immunotherapy and impactful in post-transcriptional events, according to the study authors.

Disclosure: The study authors reported no conflicts of interest.

Lancet Discovery Science